Many of us rely on pre-race rituals. But do they actually work? – Runner’s World (UK)

Before stepping up to the start line, distance runner Emma Bates straightens her hair. She says it helps her feel faster. Before leaving for the track on race day, Drew Windle, middle distance runner with the Brooks Beast Track Club, lies in child’s pose on his hotel bed. He says it keeps him from going stir-crazy and calms his nerves. After pinning on his bib, Garrett Heath, who also runs for the Brooks Beasts, meticulously folds his jersey and places it back in his bag. Then he drinks some coffee and listens to a pre-race playlist.

While rituals are a centre piece in religious and spirituality practices, pre-performance rituals have become a mainstay in sport. And it’s no surprise that many runners – from age-groupers to the pros – have quirky behaviours and rituals they perform before a big race in the hopes of influencing their performance.

It makes sense. Competition brings uncertainty. ‘Performance settings often present a host of unknowns for the athlete,’ says Kelsey Griffith, a performance-enhancement and rehab specialist. ‘How will I stand up against my competitors? Will the weather be in my favour? Was my training sufficient? Rituals may help eliminate some of the nerves that are part of the deal in competitive sport.’ But do these quirky and arbitrary actions lead to better outcomes?

Why are we drawn to rituals?

The brain doesn’t like disorder or chaos and tries to find meaning wherever possible. Rituals help establish a sense of purpose and control in the unpredictable world. For that reason, rituals aren’t just a series of actions randomly thrown together. They are formalised, repeated behaviours that follow a specific script and are highly individual. We tend to believe we have to do it just so, says Nick Hobson a behavioural scientist and expert on rituals. We think if we fail to do the ritual properly, all sorts of disastrous outcomes will follow. And if you do complete the ritual correctly, ‘you are satisfying a deep need for certainty and predictability’, he says.

Rituals also embody a great deal of meaning, symbolism and story telling, which may explain why they are often connected to special or high-stakes scenarios such as race day. ‘One of the primary reasons we stick to what we know works, or what we think works, is that it helps us feel in control prior to a moment that matters,’ says sports psychologist Justin Ross. ‘Racing happens but a handful of times a year for most of us, and the event takes on a special significance. That’s why putting your training clothes in a heap on the floor the night before a routine training run works just fine, but feels significantly insufficient the night before a race.’

However, there’s often no logical connection between the behaviours themselves and the desired outcome, making the ritual seem silly. This is what sets rituals apart from routines, where the actions are connected to the desired outcome. For example, routinely setting out clothes the night before a morning run helps a runner get out the door at dawn. On the other hand, laying out your clothes in a specific order doesn’t guarantee a killer morning workout.

What role do pre-race rituals play for a runner?

Researchers have begun to take a closer look at how rituals may lead to better performance. According to a 2016 pilot study published in the journal Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, rituals reduced pre-performance anxiety in high-stakes, high-pressure situations. They also resulted in a lower heart rate and improved performance.

A more recent study examined how rituals influence anxiety. ‘Some level of anxiety is good but too much can be debilitating and disruptive to performance,’ says Hobson, the study’s lead author. The research looked at how the brain responds to mistakes by measuring error-rated negativity (ERN), what Hobson calls the brain’s ‘oh sh*t signal’.

The study found, that compared with a control group, those who performed a ritual behaviour were less anxious while still able to perform within the optimal zone. ‘A ritual may quell anxiety and quiet part of the brain, muting it just enough so they can continue on and perform,’ saysHobson. In other words, rituals may help the brain find the anxiety sweet spot – neither too much nor too little. As a result, athletes may continue to push in the face of challenging situations, like a competitor nipping at your heels or a race day that doesn’t go entirely according to plan.

Pre-race rituals can also help give athletes a sense of control in a highly unpredictable environment, says Ross. Rituals remind the athlete that they’ve been there and done that.‘They help control the emotional experience, making it feel more manageable,’ he says. Hobson says such rituals can also act as a self-signalling mechanism. ‘If I successfully complete this ritual action, I’ve succeeded and it gives me confidence that I can succeed in the behaviours that follow,’ says Hobson. ‘Success begets success.’

Too much of a good thing?

But there’s a fine line between a pre-performance ritual that helps settle an athlete’s nerves and one that tips into obsessive territory. Athletes need to find a balance that works for them. For example, while eight-time US national champion Emma Coburn likes consistency before a race – the same pre-race meal, warm-up drills and visualisation exercise – she keeps it simple. ‘I don’t like to have any ‘lucky’ things that I have to have. I try to steer clear of relying on luck or superstitions,’ she says.

‘The challenge with rituals comes when an athlete establishes a cause-and-effect relationship,’ says Griffith. For instance, if you wear your lucky socks, then you will PB. ‘With this if/then relationship, an athlete starts to believe that without the ritual, she or he won’t, or will be far less likely to, experience success,’ says Griffith. The athlete may begin to lose his or her sense of control over the situation, and everything the athlete has done to prepare for competition– except for the ritual – suddenly seems null and void.

While more research is needed to understand the role of rituals in sports performance, researchers and mental-skills coaches still believe they can be a powerful tool in a runner’s arsenal. ‘Most athletes readily admit that their sport entails some mental component, be it performing well under pressure, managing nerves or navigating challenging self-talk,’ saysGriffith. ‘Pre-performance routines can serve a great purpose for athletes, both in practice and competition.’