The Perception of Pain

Pain is an ever-present reality in sports. It can be the difference between winning and losing. As an athlete, it's important to understand the different types of pain and how to react to them.

Fatigue and discomfort are regular and necessary parts of most sports. They are unpleasant feelings produced by effort but are not strong enough to be labeled as pain.

Positive training pain, on the other hand, is a good sign of effort and improvement. It includes muscle fatigue and sensations in the lungs and heart that are beneficial and can enhance performance.

Negative training pain is still not indicative of injury but goes beyond positive signs of training benefit and may be a sign of overtraining risk. Negative warning pain is similar to negative training pain, but with the added element of threat. It may be a new experience of pain and a sign of injury occurring. Negative acute pain, on the other hand, is intense and specific pain that occurs suddenly, often a result of injury.

How you react to pain is important. If you interpret pain as threatening or focus on it rather than concentrate on your sport, it will increase and interfere with your performance. On the other hand, if you view pain as something that is natural and necessary and interpret it as a sign that you are working hard and achieving your goals, then your pain can be an ally.

Accepting the reality that pain is a part of training and competition may be most helpful. You cannot perform at a high level and not experience pain. Prior to exercise, decide how much pain you are willing to experience to achieve your goals. When pain shows up, be willing to feel it fully as part of your experience. You may be surprised to find that your pain suffering will be lessened when you allow pain to be a part of sport.