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ACCURACY OF MENTAL PACING ON 1-MILE RUN PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Athena Viers, Maycee White, Scott Richmond

Lindenwood University, St Charles, MO

An essential portion of performance in cardio-based physical activity involves one’s pacing abilities. By incorporating pacing, it allows athletes to determine how and when they need to invest certain amounts of energy into their performance (1). PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to determine if college students and faculty can mentally pace themselves on a one mile run. METHODS: Thirty apparently healthy females (n=11) and males (n=14) participated. All subjects were capable of either walking or running a mile and all testing was completed in a single session using a 150m indoor track. Participants were asked to remove any headphones, watches, phones or any other devices that could pace them from their body. Following a brief warm-up, participants provided their predicted mile time. Participants then began running or walking at their predicted pace until completing approximately 11 laps around the track. Observers were not allowed to cheer or talk to participants, unless it was to inform them about being on their last lap. Once the participants finished the eleven laps, the overall time was recorded and compared to the predicted time. A pair-samples t-test was used to compare the predicted times versus the actual time to completion. RESULTS: As a group, the participants significantly (p<0.05) overestimated the time to completion (predicted = 8:04±2:34, actual = 7:39±2:18). However, this difference was sex specific as there was only a significant difference with females (predicted = 8:29±1:31, actual = 7:49±1:01). There was no difference in males (predicted = 7:34±3:31, actual = 7:27±3:21). CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that participants tend to overpredict their actual times while completing the activity at a faster pace. In conclusion, males were able to more accurately predicted their actual times (+0:07sec) without assistance of a watch, phone or any other form of pacing; while females mostly over predicted their times (+0:39sec).

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