<story><title>Mental fatigue impairs physical performance in humans (2009)</title><url>http://jap.physiology.org/content/106/3/857</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>paulojreis</author><text>This shouldn&amp;#x27;t come as a surprise; &amp;quot;mental&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;physical&amp;quot; aren&amp;#x27;t distinct entities, our bodies function as a whole. Having to state this is, I think, a reflex of an ever-present dualist view of the body (in the Cartesian sense, i.e., mind vs. matter).</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>legohead</author><text>As a rock climber, I can tell you that mental and physical fatigue are very distinct, very real things.  But I&amp;#x27;d have to say that before I got into climbing, I wouldn&amp;#x27;t have realized this.&lt;p&gt;There are times when you are physically capable of completing a climb, but your mental tiredness prohibits you from doing so.  The very nature of climbing is scary, and your brain knows this.  It&amp;#x27;s not just fear of heights, but fear of falling, and even failing.  Every move you make is a little fatigue on your mind.  You have to calculate it out, make the move, and beat all your fears at the same time.&lt;p&gt;Over the course of a climbing session, your mind wears down.  You may be physically able to complete a climb, but your mind is just giving up.  The stress overwhelms you.  You give up.&lt;p&gt;There is another non-rock-climbing example.  In Arnold&amp;#x27;s bodybuilding book, he talks about the mental aspect of bodybuilding.  Not just in competition, but also in training.  He gave an example of some famous bodybuilder who was having a bad day.  He couldn&amp;#x27;t do some deadlifts (I think) that he was totally capable of doing, even with Arnie cheering him on.  The guy was about to give up.  Then a bunch of his fans showed up, and he wasn&amp;#x27;t about to disappoint them.  He completed his set with ease.</text></comment>
<story><title>Mental fatigue impairs physical performance in humans (2009)</title><url>http://jap.physiology.org/content/106/3/857</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>paulojreis</author><text>This shouldn&amp;#x27;t come as a surprise; &amp;quot;mental&amp;quot; and &amp;quot;physical&amp;quot; aren&amp;#x27;t distinct entities, our bodies function as a whole. Having to state this is, I think, a reflex of an ever-present dualist view of the body (in the Cartesian sense, i.e., mind vs. matter).</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>magicmu</author><text>Cartesian dualism has been a plague on philosophy and psychology IMO. My favorite refutations of that logos come from J.L. Austin and Wittgenstein.</text></comment>