How your Mind influences your body

Posted on February 27, 2024  •  5 minutes  • 872 words

The beliefs and expectations you hold can significantly impact the results you achieve.

Your body can only accomplish what your mind can imagine.

Therefore, the first step to changing your body is to change your mind.

This is not something mystical; it is entirely scientific.

In this article, we will explore how beliefs can determine the outcomes of our actions.

Mind and Physiology

Many people underestimate the placebo effect, thinking it’s nothing more than a simple psychological trick.

But it has a profound impact on biology.

Your brain is like a sophisticated pharmacy that you can regulate with your thoughts.

One study demonstrated that participants were offered the same shake (380 calories) in two different groups but with one difference - the label.

In one shake, the label indicated 620 calories, while in the other, only 140. The group that received the “super shake” label felt fuller, and their ghrelin (an appetite-regulating hormone) decreased three times more than the group that received the light shake label, despite consuming the same amount.

In another study , participants who believed they were drinking a higher-carb beverage experienced a greater increase in blood glucose than those who believed it was a low-carb drink, even though it was the same drink.

Labels not only convey information but also generate beliefs, which in turn modify our psychological and physiological responses.

Hormones depend not only on what you eat but also on what you believe you are eating.

Mind and Aging

A Harvard study took a group of older men (aged 70 to 80) to a facility that replicated the environment of two decades earlier, including decor, music, photos, and appliances - but not a single mirror.

They were also treated as if they were 20 years younger, such as being responsible for carrying their luggage.

Within a few days, they felt younger and had improved strength, manual dexterity, posture, vision, and memory.

Their minds had temporarily returned to the past, rejuvenating their bodies as a result.

We cannot stop aging with the mind, but our beliefs about ourselves can condition how we feel and act.

If you perceive yourself as old, you will act as if you’re old - with worse posture, less movement, and less social interaction, and this, in turn, accelerates the process of aging.

Mind And Weight Loss

Another Harvard study divided 84 hotel cleaners into two groups.

One group received information about how the work they did represented a good form of exercise, detailing the caloric expenditure of different cleaning activities.

The other group did not receive this information, serving as the control.

Four weeks later, the group that received information about the physical activity associated with their work lost weight (1 kg), reduced their body fat percentage and lowered their blood pressure.

There were no significant changes in the control group.

We don’t know the exact causes of these results.

Still, it’s probably due to a combination of factors: more “intensity” in cleaning (knowing that it is a beneficial activity), more satisfaction in the work, and therefore a bit more effort, and less anxiety.

However, the researchers conclude that the perception of exercise influences its benefits.

Mind And Performance

Let’s take the use of steroids, for example - or rather, the belief in steroids. This study involved trained athletes who were promised free steroids if they showed the most improvement in strength gains over seven weeks in various movements, including bench press, squat, military press, and seated shoulder press.

The top six performers gained an average of 11 kg of strength across all exercises. As promised, they were rewarded with 10 mg/day of Dianabol (an oral steroid), which was actually a placebo.

How do you think the idea of taking steroids impacted their performance?

In the following four weeks, they improved by a total of 45 kg, four times more than during the previous weeks, where they supposedly exerted their maximum effort.

This is not an isolated result.

Another study offered participants a fast-acting steroid (which again was a placebo) before attempting personal records in squats, deadlifts, and seated shoulder presses.

Immediately, they surpassed their previous best marks by an average of 4-5%, which is exceptional considering that the study was conducted on elite athletes.

Later on, the athletes were informed that they had been deceived.

What happened?

Their marks returned to previous values.

Steroids, like drugs, work in part because you believe in them. Your body always tries to respond to the expectations of your mind.

Change your beliefs change your body

Some people have control over both their professional and personal lives but feel unable to improve their bodies.

Others experience the opposite: they feel total power over their diet and training, while the rest of their life happen on autopilot.

Generally, we aren’t aware of our beliefs.

The first step is to analyze your thoughts, behaviors, and results.

From there, differentiate between what you can and can’t change. Focus on the former.

Ask yourself if your behaviors are aligned with your goals. If there’s something more you could be doing to improve this. This approach isn’t about ignoring your physical barriers but avoiding creating new ones with your mind.

What artificial barriers are stopping you from reaching your goals?