Dec. 22nd, 2011

peterbirks: (Default)
I've been reading Norman Doidge's "The Brain That Changes Itself" which, though interesting for the first few chapters, was a bit "meh". However, in chapters 7 ("Pain") and 8 ("Imagination") Doidge reveals some stuff that, although it kind of confirms what most of us have long suspected, provides solid scientific reasons why it should be so.

The book is basically about brain plasticity ("plasticineness" would perhaps be a better word, if it existed) and how what happens, physically, in the brain as a result of mental and physical exercises changes our abilities. The pain chapter focuses on the doctor V S Ramachandran, whose unconventional views on what pain actually is sit well with his Indian background (he says this, btw). He has used simple tricks such as "mirror boxes" to create "fake" body self-images, thus helping people regain feeling in "dead" arms.

This moves onto the next chapter, "Imagination", which reveals even more amazing things -- such as the fact that "imagining" certain exercises of strength has nearly as much impact in increasing your potential strength as does performing the exercises themselves.

This seems impossible, but think about it. Suppose I squat three reps of 120kg (I state this only because I managed this today -- very pleasing after a month of illness). Now, if tomorrow I imagine doing those three reps, with the concomitant effort involved, then my brain will send messages to the muscles involved in making the lift. In other words, just thinking about a tough lift and all of the effort involved generates much of the work entailed in actually making the lift in real life.

There was a whole load of other stufff with implications for weight-training and what actually changes in the brain (as well as in your muscles). Much of it explains what weight-trainers experience in real life, but for which no real explanation is offered in the current books on muscle development (unsurprisingly, because these books focus on the muscle and the nerves in the muscle, rather than on the neurons in the brain).

But, going beyond what this book says, it made me wonder whether there might not be "plasticineness" in muscles as well. The mechanism by which muscle growth is achieved is not precisely known -- indeed, the whole structure of what goes on at the molecular level of the muscle is not precisely known. But suppose some of what goes on in muscles has an echo of this plasticity in the brain? If it has, then many empirical observations about what leads to strength improvement and muscle growth (correlated changes, but not precisely identical) could be explained by the plasticity of what we call "muscle memory" as well as new "learned pathways" in the brain itself.

Anyhoo, reading this book has convinced me that considerably greater improvement is possible in strength improvement and muscle growth than the muscle textbooks might say, because these books focus on only one half of the equation -- exercises and diet. The other half -- how these exercises and diet change muscle mapping and brain mapping in the body -- is somewhat skimmed over because it is little understood. Sure, the exercises and the diet work, but it's a bit like using a hacksaw when you could achieve just the same with microsurgery. Suppose I applied his techniques as used with patients recovering from strokes, to improvement in an able-bodied person's strength?

Stroke victims have improved dramatically with some of these brain-mapping techniques (mental focus, mental repetition) and the muscles have responded physically as well. Logically, therefore, the same should be possible with the whole body.

++++++++

I popped into Waterstone's this morning and bought "Bounce", by Matthew Syed, which Andy Ward has recommended. This also links tangentially to poker, weight-training, playing the piano, or, indeed, table-tennis, which is Syed's own field of expertise. I suspect that much of what Syed will say is preaching to the converted when it comes to me. After all, I have long said that I am far from the most naturally talented poker player, but that I was prepared to put in lots of hours and lots of work. This has meant that my bankroll has performed far better than many players who have more natural talent than me. Knowing what to do is only 10% of the battle. Actually doing it is the other 90%.

The other book was "All The Devils Are Here", a rather more theoretical analysis than "Too Big Too Fail" of the causes of the financial crisis that consumed the USA in 2008. Doesn't look too difficult a read and I suspect that much of the material in it will be a retread of what I have read (or written!) before. But a neat summation of 30 years-worth of financial mistakes won't go amiss on the bookshelves.

The bookshelves need reorganizing over the Christmas break. A drive to IKEA perhaps on Boxing Day to pick up some flat-packs.

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