Science

Sports Psychology

The Sports Science Consultancy Unit (SSCU) at the University of Winchester is involved in both research and consultancy within this project.

Psychological research is being conducted in several areas related to Mental Toughness and Team Development. Jones et al (2002) stated that the characteristics of mentally tough performers include:

• High levels of optimism, confidence, self-belief and self-esteem.
• Achieving consistency.
• Desire, determination and commitment.
• Focus and concentration.
• Willpower, control, motivation and courage.

In order to develop such mental toughness the squad will need to work effectively as a team. Research suggests that mentally tough Olympic teams perform better in stressful environments (Gould, Guinan, Greenleaf, Medbery & Peterson 1999). As such part of this research involves working with the squad in the training weekends which lead-up to Makalu to foster an environment within which team development and cohesion is nurtured. Helping the team to understand each others wants and needs and providing individual and group strategies for them to use in preparation for and on Makalu itself has been central.

Prior to leaving for Makalu squad members will be provided with psychological resources (e.g. cue cards, information on how to deal with stress/anxiety) generated by the team in the psychology sessions to use whilst on the mountain. They will also be provided with Dictaphones to record thoughts, feelings, emotions and experiences. Interviews with members of the squad will be conducted pre and post Makalu to explore this experience and perhaps learn how the areas of Mental Toughness and Team Development were challenged, managed and altered whilst on the mountain.

Physiological Research

Physiological research is being conducted in conjunction with Portsmouth University to determine if training the muscles we use to breathe in with, can delay the onset or magnitude of fatigue experienced at altitude. It has recently been shown that a 4-week period of Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) can significantly improve an athlete’s performance at sea level and there is no reason to assume that IMT will not have similar effects at altitude even if the actual magnitude of effect is different.

The study proposed will assess inspiratory and expiratory muscle force, dyspnoea, oxygen saturation and the degree of mountain sickness experienced at altitudes varying from 1400m to ~6900m by the climbers in the Makalu climbing teams.

A control group. who have carried out no IMT will be compared against the Research Group, who will have carried out 4 weeks of IMT using a device known as a ‘Power Breathe’. This device provides resistance to breathing inwards and thus trains the inspiratory muscles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The climbers will then record comparative data at Sea level before departure, at Kathmandu and at various altitudes on the climb. They will also record data on arrival back in the UK to see how quickly the lungs take to de-train. You will be able to follow the research, as it takes place, on our daily blogs.

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