Psychological resistance to long-term work in athletics

Abstract

The aim of the study is to characterize the characteristics of psychological resistance to long-term work in athletics. Methods. To achieve the goals of the work, theoretical methods of pedagogical research were used. Results and its discussion. It was revealed that competitive activity, which forms the structure of the preparatory process, in athletics is characterized by extreme physical loads that the athlete endures in the process of fighting with opponents, as well as in the conditions of training.
 Such influences are distinguished by specific and nonspecific reactions from the functional systems of athletes, which have features in accordance with their sports specialization. The characteristic variables for loads in athletics are the intensity and duration of physical work. In most types of athletics, it is the duration of the impact of the training load that determines the effectiveness of sports training. In addition, some types of athletics are characterized by the duration of competitive activity, determined either by the essence of achieving a sports result, or by a significant time during which the favorite is determined. Thus, the duration of work is quite common for athletics.
 The main problem in its implementation is the need to meet the performance of the athlete to the following conditions: the realization of the accumulated motor potential in accordance with the plan of competitive performance; the possibility of compensating for the insufficient level of preparedness to achieve the result; timely adaptation to changing conditions of competitive struggle against the background of accumulating fatigue. At the same time, depending on the type of athletics, the concept of «long-term work» is defined as a characteristic that activates the energy supply processes in accordance with the demands of functional systems that form the final training or competitive result. Thus, the state of competing athletes is characterized by significant physical and mental stress, which are interrelated.
 Consequently, the requirements for the psychological stability of athletes are of exceptional importance. Conclusions. As a result of the study, it was found that the success of the training and competitive activity of athletes of different specializations depends on the psychological resistance to long-term work during the training and competitive activity. This should be considered when planning the training process for athletes in both annual and multi-year aspects. The conducted research can become the basis for further theoretical, empirical research, as well as methodological developments in the psychology of athletics sports.