I was in the pub the other night, listening to the other bikers. The conversation turned, as it usually does, to speed cameras, and how they blighted one's life. After the ritual waving of two fingers at an imaginary Gatso (whatever good that does) came the opinion "Speed cameras make you sleepy. You need adrenaline to keep you awake".

Now I use adrenaline most days at work. Have I been missing something all this time? Back to the textbooks to find out.

We all produce a little adrenaline all the time. There are, however, some occasions when the adrenaline comes in a surge. This is part of a pretty primitive reaction to an unexpected or dangerous situation, enabling the body to perform feats of strength that would otherwise be impossible. This is jolly useful if you are an African tribesman unexpectedly confronted by a lion and the only thing to do is shin up a tree.
Similarly, it reduces the awareness of pain, which again is jolly useful if your opponent is a Viking warrior with an axe or, indeed, if you are about to be eaten by the lion.

It does increase the alertness of the brain to a certain extent, but only as far as the performance of repetitive tasks is concerned. There are several downsides to the effect of adrenaline on the brain. It may heighten the mood, and give you the feeling that you are doing well but this feeling is only a feeling. Like alcohol, it increases the desire but does not improve the performance. Another problem is that the pleasure from an adrenaline rush outlasts the danger situation and may be savoured at leisure. This then becomes an addiction; a rider may provoke a dangerous situation (pushing the speed through the S-bends or shooting onto a roundabout across traffic from the right) in order to enjoy the rush. The amphetamines, which are quite similar to adrenaline, are also drugs of addiction. They too increase alertness and heighten the mood, but do not help when it comes to making rapid decisions.

Even small adrenaline rushes can interfere with fine movement. Musical performers know that stage fright produces a trembling in their hands, and some take beta-blocking drugs specifically to prevent it. All performers know that if the stage fright is severe, they can do nothing at all. The expression "paralysed with fright" has a bodily ring of truth.

All in all, it does not seem that the rider who lives on adrenaline is really in control of his two-wheeled 130 m.p.h. missile. Remember the film "Top Gun"? The best pilot was not Tom Cruise, who let his emotions run away with his aeroplane, but Iceman, who flew by the book. Ride tall, ride cool, ride technical, but don't ride adrenaline-high.

Copyright PHP Harris 1999

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