Too Much Training Can Tax Athletes' Brains
Research finds that triathletes who train too hard can impair a brain area involved in achieving goals such as winning a race. Fatigued athletes choose immediate gratification over long-term rewards.
Too much physical exertion appears to make the brain tired.
That's the conclusion of a study of triathletes published Thursday in the journal Current Biology.
Researchers found that after several weeks of overtraining, athletes became more likely to choose immediate gratification over long-term rewards. At the same time, brain scans showed the athletes had decreased activity in an area of the brain involved in decision-making.
