What Leaders Can Learn From Competitive Chess Players' Energy (Mg-ATP) Expenditure

When I ask you about what some of the highest Energy (Mg-ATP) Expenditure activities might be, what would you guess?

You might immediately go to some Extreme Sports, working out multiple times a day, or something similar.

You also wouldn't technically be wrong, many of those activities do require Extreme levels of Energy Expenditure.

Just as an example, many people who compete in Ultramarathons expend about 450 calories/hour, and in a 14-hour race for 100k race, you would end up at about 6,300 Calories used.

Considering the "average" for people is 2,000 to 2,500 Calories/Day, that is high!

But what if I told you that on that same list, you would also have Competitive Chess Players in a Tournament?

Does that seem crazy?

Well, apparently on a Tournament day a Chess Player can use up to 6,000 Calories!

To give you context, most Professional Bodybuilders use 5,000 Calories/Day as a high estimate for bulking up quickly - and these Chess Players are using MORE than that amount of Energy in Competition!

While Bodybuilders are lifting extremely heavy weights, and Ultramarathoners are running extremely long distances, these Chess Players are... barely lifting their hand to move a Chess Piece.

How could this be?

You might think, like most people, that perhaps their Brain is going into overdrive and so it uses more Fuel to think extremely quickly and try to outthink and outmaneuver their opponent.

Some estimates say that Grandmaster Chess Players can think between 10-20 moves ahead, so it seems plausible that could be the explanation.

It may seem that way, but in fact, that is not the reason why!

Now, this is where things begin to become EXTREMELY important for Leaders...

What is the Reason Chess Players burn so many Calories during Competition?

It all comes down to ONE word...

Stress.

It seems that when the Body goes into Stress, it also expends Extreme levels of Energy (Mg-ATP)!

Now, as Leaders, who do we know who is constantly Stressed out?

In all likelihood, YOU are.

However, it is also extremely likely you are not the only one!

Considering 80% of Employees are in levels of Burnout, which is just a fancy word for Extreme Dis-Stress, it likely means that nearly EVERYONE around you is ALSO feeling just like you!

So, what does this mean for you as a Leader?

You, and all of the people around you, are wasting a LOT of Energy (Mg-ATP), CONSTANTLY due to Stress!

What does the body due when extreme levels of Energy are getting wasted?

It goes into Survival Mode.

Innovation decreases.

Creativity decreases.

Problem Solving decreases.

Emotional Intelligence decreases.

Communication Skill decreases.

Resilience decreases.

Plus more.

All of these are considered non-essential to Survival.

So the Body literally shuts them down until Energy Levels come under control.

The problem for most Leaders though is that these Dis-Stress levels are NOT going down - not in themselves and not in their Teams!

These ongoing levels of Dis-Stress also leave behind Stress Damage, known as Oxidative Stress.

To get rid of Oxidative Stress, the body needs the right Vitamins and Minerals that are bioavailable and non-synthetic, as well as proper Recovery Time.

This is problematic though because most people are getting neither of these!

When these fail to happen, Oxidative Stress builds up and becomes much like a Landfill inside your Body.

This Oxidative Stress Landfill inside you then ALSO becomes a Dis-Stress on the body, and if you have followed my work for a while you know...

All Stress Adds.

All those things that decrease, simply get even worse as Stress Adds.

This creates other Catastrophic Results the longer it goes on.

So, what can you do as a Leader?

Fix the Dis-Stress Problem.

Find ways to lower overall Stress.

Help your Team find Solutions that lead to fixing Stress Damage.

Design a Regenerative Legacy for your Team.