Sports
Antônio Alves: Sea, Ultras, and the Mind — Neuroscience Lessons from Stemma
Discover how the life of a Merchant Marine officer and neuroscience shape an ultramarathoner to overcome extreme limits.
Antônio Alves, a Merchant Marine officer and ultramarathoner, shares his unique journey on Xtremma Sports with Shubi Guimarães. He reveals how he balances life at sea with intense training and applies neuroscience to master the mental aspect of endurance races. This is a deep dive into discipline, motivation, and the art of expanding one's own limits.
In episode #13 of Xtremma Sports, multi-athlete and educator Shubi Guimarães welcomes Antônio Alves, a unique figure in the world of endurance sports. A deck officer in the Merchant Marine, an ultramarathoner, and a postgraduate in Behavioral Neuroscience, Antônio shares his journey, revealing how he balances a demanding profession with a passion for extreme challenges and the power of the mind in overcoming them.
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From the Ship's Cabin to Ultramarathon Trails
A native of Rio de Janeiro, Antônio always had an upbringing focused on movement and sports, from capoeira and soccer in childhood. However, running came later, around 2014/2015. His career in the Merchant Marine was inspired by his grandfather, who traveled the world. He joined through EFOMM (Brazilian Merchant Marine Academy), a different type of selection process from the Brazilian Navy, focused on cargo transport. During the three years of training, he lived under a military regime, becoming a temporary active-duty military member and, later, an unpaid reservist.
Antônio's life at sea is divided into cycles of 28 days aboard and 28 days ashore. On ships, which can be 120m to 300m long, the routine is intense, with 12-hour workdays. Training adapts to this reality, utilizing treadmills in the ship's gym. In such a restricted environment, Antônio has run as much as 50km on the treadmill, facing the sway of the sea and monotony. Reconciling peak training volume with work shifts becomes an extreme discipline challenge, boiling down to "sleep, train, and work" during his time at sea.
Running as a Tool for Self-Knowledge
It was during military training, with mandatory sports practices, that Antônio intensified his contact with running. Initially in rowing and soccer, he migrated to running upon realizing its potential for self-knowledge. Running alone allowed for internal conversations, creating space to solve personal problems and manage anxiety – a true therapy in motion. This connection transformed him from an occasional runner into the "Running Platoon Commander" in the Merchant Marine, organizing road races and dedicating himself more intensely, seeking to understand and refine his training methods. Only from 2018 onwards, and with a stronger focus on performance from 2022, did he solidify his identity as an ultramarathoner.
Behavioral Neuroscience: The Brain in Overcoming Limits
In 2023, Antônio sought to deepen his knowledge in Behavioral Neuroscience, pursuing a postgraduate degree at PUC. For him, understanding how the brain works is a power that allows intervention in daily and athletic challenges. He emphasizes that the mind is a crucial muscle, directly influencing performance. When comparing records in controlled environments (e.g., Eliud Kipchoge in the 1:59 project) with those in official competitions (e.g., Cielo's swimming record), Antônio argues that the emotional factor and the ability to manage competitive stress are decisive for true excellence.
Pain and Suffering: Inevitable vs. Optional
For Antônio, elite athletes possess a high discomfort threshold. He reiterates the phrase: "Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional." The ability to see a positive purpose in challenging experiences is key to well-being and mental health. He also discusses the importance of dealing with emotions considered "negative," such as sadness and boredom, for a healthy neurochemical balance. The new generation's constant search for dopaminergic release (social media, mobile phones), for example, hinders the development of creativity and the capacity for introspection.
Expanding Barriers and the Power of Motivation
Instead of "breaking barriers," Antônio advocates for the idea of expanding limits. With each race, the goal is to push the critical point a little further forward, consciously and gradually. This is mental training, which strengthens self-control and inhibitory control, allowing one to sustain attention on the ultimate goal even under contrary stimuli. Visualization and mindfulness during training are powerful tools for this, teaching the athlete to feel both body and mind. For Antônio, pre-race anxiety, for example, should not be avoided but rather understood and used as a driving force, because "it's not about not having it, it's about knowing how to react."
One of Antônio's biggest frustrations, as a neuroscientist, is the myth that "motivation doesn't matter, and only discipline is enough." He explains that motivation is a fundamental neurobiological state, the "mother of discipline." It is the reason for action that drives us to start and sustain behaviors, releasing dopamine in the brain. Discipline, in turn, is the recurrence of that behavior. It's not about always being excited (a state of euphoria), but rather about being motivated, even on difficult days. Surrounding oneself with like-minded people who inspire and positively influence is equally crucial. The reciprocal influence within the sports community is a powerful tool for transformation.
Antônio Alves's journey is an inspiring reminder of the power of the mind. Whether navigating the seas or the miles of an ultramarathon, his experience shows that with self-knowledge and a deep understanding of neuroscience, limits can be constantly expanded. May this inspiration propel us to face our own challenges, keeping motivation in focus and the mind as our greatest ally. Antônio is now preparing for the Spartathlon, where he promises to bring the medal home, proving that overcoming is a continuous journey.
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