Manager’s Heart Rate in Competition – Your Mental Approach to GamesDes Jennings (SINI), Kevin McGuigan (Ulster GAA)

What is Heart Rate?• What is it?– The body’s ‘rev counter’;

• What does it feel like? – Practical Example 1 (Volunteer)

• How do stress and physical activity affect HR?– “It’s far more dangerous when stress causes the response because the

adrenaline tends to narrow the arteries and that could contribute to the risk of heart disease”. (Dugmore, 2002)

What Can Affect HR?

Exercise 2

• In groups of 2 / 3 discuss what events during a match YOU THINK can affect / impact upon HR?

• Feedback ;

• Discussion .

Picture this....

Background – Dugmore (2002)

Peak HR – 120 BPM Peak HR – 160 BPM

Dugmore (2002)• “Getting your heart to these sorts of levels would

normally only happen if you had done a vigorous work-out in the gym”.

• “Your heart needs to be fit to withstand those surges... ...many managers are former players and if they don’t take care of themselves, they will be at significant risk”.

Remember!

It’s far more dangerous when stress causes the response because the adrenaline tends to narrow the

arteries and that could contribute to the risk of heart disease”. (Dugmore,

2002)

The Project - Overview• 5 Senior Inter-county managers and 2 University managers

participated;• Each wore a real time HR monitor for the duration of the

match;• Key incidents were annotated on the system during the

match;• A total of 17 results were gathered across a range of matches

of varying intensity;• McKenna Cup;• NFL;• Ulster Senior Football Championship

Results - StatisticsMcKenna Cup (8) NFL (6) USFC (3)

Collective Results (Based on the average across the group)

Peak HR (BPM) 124 157 146

Peak HR (%) 69 88 83

Average HR (BPM) 94 120 118

Average HR (%) 52 68 67

Individual Results

Top Peak HR 152 190 166

Low Peak HR 105 138 133

Top Avg HR 111 138 129

Low Avg HR 84 108 110

Results - Graphs

Results - Example

Approximate resting heart rate - 78 BPM

Throw In

Half Time

Major Incident

What Can Affect HR?

Return to Exercise 2 – The Answer

• In groups of 2 / 3 discuss what events during a match YOU THINK can affect / impact upon HR?

Controversial DecisionHeart Rate Peak190 BPM

Goal ForHeart Rate Peak130 BPM

Penalty For - GoalHeart Rate Peak135 BPM

Goal AgainstHeart Rate Peak130 BPM

Good Tackling Near SidelineHeart Rate Peak130 BPM

Making Substitution

Heart Rate Peak115 BPM

Atmosphere

Basketball

The Physiology of Performance

CortisolDHEAPositiveEmotion

NegativeEmotion

DynamicPassionate

FrustratedAngry

Cool under pressureIn control

Loss of interestCynical

High ArousalAdrenaline

Low ArousalRelaxation

Fight / Flight

Acetylcholine

Generating Coherence“synchronising systems”

System

Respiratory Centre

Heart

Digestive

Blood Pressure

CognitiveAutonomic Centre

60708090

1 50 100 150 200

60708090

TIME (SECONDS)

APPRECIATION

FRUSTRATION

Perceptions & Emotions profoundly affect Autonomic Nervous System Balance and

Heart RhythmsHE

ART

RATE

HEAR

T RA

TE

65707580859095

-4

-2

0

2

4 RESPIRATION

120 180 240 300 360 420 480

0.250.260.270.280.290.300.310.32

TIME (SECONDS)

BLOOD PRESSURE (PTT)

FREEZE-FRAME

HEART RATE VARIABILITY

Generating CoherenceHe

art R

ate

(BPM

)Ti

me

(sec

.)Re

sp. U

nits

Results

• There was an overall reduction in cortisol levels of 9.4% (range -32.8 to +29.6%) in the HM group compared to an overall increase of 21.1% (range -16.1 to +127.9%) in the CON group.

Testimonial• I found it helpful in helping deal with pressure situations such as before big

games and even before interviews and presentations in university.

• Yes, I felt the training taught me to be more in touch with my body and helped me channel nervous energy into positive energy effectively.

• I found the Heartmath useful to help control my heart rate and breathing.

• Tried to use the breathing technique during periods of pressure in games and training. If this was useful or successful was very hard to measure however it did provide a method of routine which in turn helped in focussing my attention in the present.

• I used it in particular with my kicking practice, and found it very useful.

Case Studies

K3K2

K1

167

174171

123130

140

Niall O’Connor: Heart Rate Graph

153

164165

K1 K2K3

140 143147

Ian Humphreys: Heart Rate Graph

Heartmath

Practical Exercise 3:

Need very brave volunteer.

The Haka

Recommendations• How do you mentally prepare for games?

– Visualisation;– Mental Rehearsal;

• How do you prepare your support team for games?– Runners / Physio / Doctor / Selectors;– Does everyone know their role on match day?

• Do you prepare for What if Scenarios?– Not all situations can be controlled, do you have contingencies in place

for unforeseen developments?– Injuries / Red Cards / Bad Start

Recommendations• Are you watching the game rather than engrossed in it?

– Learning to take a backward step;– Remove the emotion from the situation;

• How fit are you?– Good fitness levels can help keep a lower heart rate;– It can also protect you from a health perspective;

• Can you regulate your heart rate during the game?– Breathing techniques;– Relaxation techniques.

Questions?