Time often seems to drag during intense workouts, a phenomenon researchers explain through brain and body signals. A recent study in Brain and Behavior shows that strenuous effort distorts how we perceive time, with external clocks appearing to run slower while the body pushes to the limit.
This finding matters for Thailand’s growing fitness culture and health initiatives. Athletes, coaches, and fitness enthusiasts can use these insights to train more intelligently and monitor effort with reliability. The study sheds light on why timing can drift during endurance efforts and how that might influence training plans and competition strategies, especially for Thai runners and cyclists.
The experiment followed thirty-three recreational cyclists who performed three four-kilometer sprints on a precise ergometer. Between sprints, participants estimated the duration of a 30-second interval five times. During exercise, they judged the interval to pass more quickly than it did, indicating that time felt longer when the body was under strain.
Researchers propose that distortion arises from heightened sensory input and internal cues—rising heart rate, metabolic byproducts, and muscle fatigue—that demand attention. An associative mindset forms as the brain’s attention gate widens, allowing more subjective pulses to register. This aligns with established theories of time perception: more sensory events can stretch the perceived duration of a moment.
Neural mechanisms also contribute. The striatal beat frequency model points to basal ganglia oscillations acting as an internal metronome. Neuroimaging shows overlap between timing circuits and reward anticipation, with dopamine-rich feedback shaping perception. When the brain is flooded with signals during exertion, activity in regions such as the supplementary motor cortex, cerebellum, and ventral striatum can skew timing.
Notably, external motivation—like competing against a rival—did not alter the time distortion. Whether athletes trained solo or chased a competitor, internal bodily signals dominated timing errors during effort. For Thai athletes, this underscores the value of objective pacing markers over subjective feel. Practical tools such as distance counters, lap timers, and programmed workouts can help maintain pace and prevent early burnout.
Thai coaches and athletes can apply these insights across youth and amateur programs. With exercise ascending as a cornerstone of physical and mental well-being, understanding timing distortions supports safer, more effective training. For high-intensity interval sessions, preset rest countdowns and external pacing cues—such as music tempo or visual pacers—can reduce guesswork and overexertion. Thai clinicians emphasize that clear, measurable programs improve adherence to regular exercise.
Thai culture’s emphasis on presence and balance resonates with these findings. Integrating scientific pacing tools with traditional mindfulness can support sustainable fitness routines. Elite athletes preparing for regional competition may benefit from pacing strategies informed by neural and perceptual research, complemented by mental conditioning and goal-setting.
Future work may examine whether longer high-effort periods amplify the effect or if experienced athletes show different patterns. Wearable brain-imaging and related studies could map real-time interactions between effort, neural timing, and perception. In Thailand, such advances align with growing sports science capabilities and the push to boost international competitiveness.
Practical takeaway for Thai readers: rely on objective pacing markers. Use distance, laps, or timers to anchor effort, especially when fatigue rises. This approach helps prevent overexertion and keeps training safe and productive.
In sum, time distortion during hard exercise is a real phenomenon with clear implications for training, pacing, and performance. By blending contemporary research with Thai sports culture and health goals, athletes can train smarter, stay motivated, and reap the benefits of regular physical activity.