MAKING MY PEACE … with screamers at sporting eventsA scream, a grunt, loud and forceful ... what is it good for?
While volunteering at the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, I heard a lot of screamers. Screaming, yelling athletes. No, not in rage, and not yelling at someone else, but to psych themselves up to achieve their best, to scream in exhilaration at scoring a point, or when winning a competition. Why do some athletes yell or grunt loudly? Marathoners don’t yell when running, but fencers yell when thrusting or winning a point. Swimmers don’t yell when doing backstroke, but tennis players might grunt when hitting the ball. Athletes often emit a short, quick grunt or groan or yell or scream in preparation for an event. It is a forceful emission of breath. Psychologists think that a grunt, in this way, and especially a high-pitched shriek, improves strength. Strength increases power. These bursts of power are said to improve athletic performance. Studies on martial artists showed that a scream generated about six to ten percent more force with each kick. For tennis players, a scream is said to increase grip strength by seven to 25 percent. The short, loud scream during high intensity exercise not only increases power, it also slows muscle fatigue and improves pain tolerance. Abdominal (stomach) screams produced substantially better results, say psychologists. Screamers are most prolific during anaerobic activities – the activities that are intense and short using immediate energy. These activities include weightlifting, fencing, sprinting, volleyball, tennis, basketball, and soccer. In contrast, aerobic exercises include walking, running, cycling, and swimming. For spectators and opponents, screamers can be disruptive and annoying, but athletes are mostly screaming naturally without being dramatic or theatrical. They also block out spectator and opponent reactions because athletes are usually ‘in the zone.’ Psychologists say that a scream, a punch in the air with a yell, or loud grunt releases tension, is energizing and “gets athletes in the right headspace.” Should you and I become screamers to improve our headspace, our workout performance, or even our professional work? Psychologists say that a (not so loud) sound or ‘vocal noise’ – or even a breath of release or relief – can have benefits. They say it releases tension in the face and jaw, and often helps relieve headaches, and feeds the body and brain with oxygen. A vocal noise can feel “quite liberating.” Making my peace with screamers at sporting events, I learned the following:
Read my Article “Scream it Out” about primal scream therapy. Can’t see the whole article? Want to view the original article? Want to view more articles? Go to Martina’s Substack: The Stories in You and Me More Making My Peace … articles Rainy Day Healing website
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Saturday 21 September 2024
MAKING MY PEACE … with screamers at sporting events
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