From March 2nd in the ARD media library
Fit hands, fit head: A new documentary follows Emma Bernhard at the West German Championships
Lead climbing.
Emma Bernhard looks up. In just a few seconds things will get serious for them at the West German Lead Climbing Championships. The challenge: around 15 meters of wall, peppered with colorful holds that appear to be randomly distributed to outsiders. Emma’s hands are white from magnesium, her pulse is calm.
When head and strength come together: lead climbing
Lead climbing is about completing a predefined route in a given time without falling as much as possible or getting further than the other starters. It is considered the most traditional discipline in climbing. In the west, the best athletes from Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland compete for the title of West German champion.
The next second she moves quickly and smoothly from handle to handle. What looks like pure arm work from below is actually also high performance in the head.
Emma Bernhard climbs a high wall
“To understand where you have to go, I take a rough look at the route from below“, says the 22-year-old Hessian champion. “In fact, I completely visualized the route afterwards and can usually implement the moves the way I imagined them.”
The ARD knowledge documentary “My Body. My Hands. How they train our brain” (Monday, 10:50 p.m. on Erste) accompanies Emma at the West German Championships, among other things.
Performance comes from the mind
Sports psychologist Lisa Musculus from the German Sport University Cologne examines exactly this collaboration between strength and planning potential. This is now being measured scientifically in a climbing laboratory.
“Overall, very efficient planning, both cognitively and motorically“, sums up Musculus after Emma’s climbing session. The evaluation shows: When climbing, the motor centers and the head work at the same time, movement and planning happen in one go.
What becomes visible here doesn’t just apply to climbing. Similar processes take place in racquet sports such as tennis or table tennis, handball or badminton. Musculus sums it up: “Cognition in sport plays a huge role and is important for reaching the top.“
The hand in the center of the brain
“Several millions, billions of neurons are only connected to the hand control. And that’s why we are hand people”explains neuroscientist Prof. Christian Grefkes-Hermann from the University Hospital Frankfurt. How extraordinary the role of the hand is becomes clearer when one considers that the hand and mouth alone take up half of the cerebral cortex in the motor cortex.
“Even if you only make a small movement, several areas in both cerebral hemispheres are active“, explains the neurologist. “This shows how much energy the brain devotes to controlling the hand.“
When the head blocks
After a torn annular ligament in her right hand, Emma fights her way back to the wall. “With a lot of things you just have a block in your head.” Athletes often act more cautiously and hesitate minimally, nuances that are crucial in top-class sport. “It takes some time until you have 100 percent confidence in your own body again.”adds Emma.
Prof. Christian Grefkes-Hermann explains: “Motor skills are always dependent on other networks in the brain. If I have anxiety or stage fright, it directly affects my motor skills.“
Strong hands, strong brain
In the laboratory, Emma achieved 44 kilograms of grip strength. The weak hand weighs 35 kilograms. A crucial factor in climbing, but also for mental health.
Those who regularly challenge their hands and use them vigorously can reduce the risk of mental decline and dementia. Strength hands are more than just an indicator of performance, but also a sign of a well-connected nervous system and stable blood circulation in the head.
Olympics in sight
Emma trains around twenty hours a week. In addition to climbing, this includes targeted finger exercises, flexibility training and visualization units.
The great effort is rewarded: Emma climbs to second place at the West German Championships and now dreams of taking part in the Olympics.
