Scene: Long distance drive

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Scene: Long distance drive

Scene: Long distance drive
Stress factor on long journeys

How much stress does motorcycling have on the body and mind? In the endurance test of a Kawasaki 1400 GTR in the summer of 2007, 39 police officers were examined. The results are now available.

Berit Horenburg

06/04/2009

The blood pressure monitor beeped every 30 minutes. Once inflated, it pinched the arm. Sometimes it was stressful ??, says Rudi Muller. The Braunschweig autobahn policeman had the idea of ​​unwinding 100,000 kilometers on a Kawasaki 1400 GTR together with colleagues. What the police did without accidents or breakdowns in 83 days. Averages around 1200 kilometers per day. The officers were medically monitored while the kilometers were being eaten: under the station wagon, everyone wore a long-term EKG device to measure their heart rate, a blood pressure monitor and one that checks energy expenditure. ?? The devices were all about the size of a cigarette packet and could therefore be stowed in the clothing without interference ,? says Rainer Nietschke, medical student at the University of Freiburg. His goal in this part of the examination: to check the physical strain. From a statistical point of view, the police officers roughly represented the structure of the motorcycle scene: They are between 29 and 57 years old, their average motorcycle mileage is around 8,000 kilometers, of which a good 2,000 kilometers are completed on business.

Before the police officers were allowed to leave for the endurance test, the doctors checked how fit the officers were, let them pedal on ergometers, drew blood, weighed them and questioned them. An enormous effort. What was the result? ?? Some of them consumed up to 8000 kilograms of calories during a trip ,? says Rudi Muller. ?? This can quickly result in hypoglycaemia, muscle cramps and cardiovascular collapse if one does not eat and drink enough. ?? Otherwise, the results correspond to expectations: ?? It makes sense that less well trained people, who are overweight and have no practical experience on a motorcycle, are more at risk ??, says Nietschke. Conversely, a trained, normal-weight, tried-and-tested and above all healthy motorcyclist has greater potential in terms of endurance, concentration and the like on long-distance journeys. There was a surprise. Nietschke: ?? Age is irrelevant, physical and motorcycle-specific fitness is even more important ??. In addition to the physical tension, Dr. Thomas Rebe from the Hannover Medical School for stress relief. Each policeman was given ten urine tubes for each day’s tour. The first sample was taken before the start, the others were used for a 24-hour urine profile. Among other things, the stress indicators noradrenaline and adrenaline were analyzed, with adrenaline in particular indicating psychological pressure.

Measured values ​​and results

Between free time and driving time, the levels of noradrenaline and adrenaline increased by a factor of 1.7. Only those who, according to the personality test, tend to be overwhelmed by themselves tended to have higher scores. A comprehensive questionnaire previously helped the scientists to classify the types of stress: 20 of the 39 police officers take it easy. In addition to this gentle tendency, ten showed the so-called health pattern, which positively combines greater commitment and greater resistance to stress. It becomes critical with risk pattern A, which was assigned to two police officers: excessive commitment, reduced resilience and rather negative emotions. Seven police officers experienced risk pattern B with excessive demands, exhaustion and resignation. Risk group A recorded the highest increase in adrenaline. More about the test at: www.persoenlichkeitspsychologie-potsdam.de/AVEM.htm. ?? When riding a motorcycle, fun and relaxation go hand in hand. I advocate a reflective approach to the throttle grip. Because you can use the gas tap to control your own stress? Says Thomas Rebe. Stress, says Rebe, cannot be avoided in life. It all depends on the right handling. ?? As a motorcyclist, you don’t have to be provoked. You are faster anyway.

From this confident posture, you can drive and enjoy calmly. But vine goes even further. Too much stress and poor stress management can lead to mental illnesses such as depression in the long term. Anyone can practice handling stress carefully while driving. As a school for life, because “too much and too long thrills affect mental health.” In an endurance test, the Institute for Two-Wheeler Safety examined the fact that thrills cannot sometimes be avoided using questionnaires that had to be filled out after each stage. Many drivers stated that they were overlooked by other road users or that their speed was misjudged. The conclusion of Kawasaki press spokesman Andreas Seiler: ?? Motorcycling is sport. Fairness, consideration, but also fitness, responsiveness, healthy nutrition and a good portion of correct self-assessment and self-discipline are part of it. You can only reach your destination safely if you are on the road with foresight and in a spirit of partnership.

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