But why do we get nervous, and could looking at professional athletes help us understand how to effectively cope with it?

但我們為何會感到緊張，而觀察職業運動員是否能夠幫助我們，了解有效面對緊張情緒的方法呢？

In stressful situations, your brain sends a signal from the pituitary gland all the way to the kidneys where your adrenal gland resides.

在有壓力情況下，大腦會從腦下垂體發送訊號至位於腎臟上方的腎上腺。

And this is where adrenaline is released.

也就是腎上腺素分泌的地方。

You've felt it before -- the rapid heart rate, dilating pupils and increased circulation in your muscles.

你之前經歷過的——心跳加快、瞳孔放大以及肌肉代謝循環加快。

It's all part of the "fight or flight" response which developed in our evolutionary history to help us survive.

這都是「戰或逃」的反應之一，藉由演化幫助我們生存。

But this response isn't all or nothing.

但是這個反應並非全有或全無。

There are degrees of reaction, according to the perceived threat or importance you attach to the outcome.

根據接收到的威脅或是關乎結果的重要性，這個反應會有不同的程度。

So something like an interview, which presents a challenge, stimulates the same biological reaction that a threat to your life does -- just to a smaller degree.

所以，帶來挑戰的事物如面試，激發的生理反應會與你生命受到威脅時所產生的生理反應相同，只是程度會比較小。

Feel those nervous butterflies in your stomach?

緊張到胃部翻絞嗎？

This is because adrenaline helps redirect blood and energy to the most important parts of your body during stress, like the heart and muscles, and away from your digestive system, causing the blood vessels to close around your stomach, leading to that tingling sensation.

這是因為在緊張時，腎上腺素會使血液和能量轉移至身體最重要的部分，例如心臟及肌肉，並會使消化系統的血液量減少，造成圍繞在胃部的血管緊縮，進而造成胃部的刺痛感。

So, how do professional athletes handle the stress and nerves?

那麼，職業運動員是如何調適壓力與緊張呢？

The concept of 'mental imagery' is a widely used method in popular sport.

「心像」的概念是在運動界中被廣泛使用的方法。

With 'Cognitive Specific' imagery, an athlete simply imagines themselves practicing a technique or skill before competing or training.

藉由「特定認知的意象」，運動員在比賽或訓練前，會先想像他們在練習一個技術或技巧。

And while it may sound crazy, this actually stimulates the relevant neurons in the brain, and has been shown to enhance the specific skill.

這聽起來可能很瘋狂，但這真的可以刺激腦部的相關神經元，並提升運動員的專業技術。

'Motivational Specific' imagery, on the other hand, encourages athletes to recall the feeling of winning an event or beating a competitor as a motivational tool.

然而，「特定動機的意象」作為一種激勵工具，鼓勵運動員回想勝利或者擊敗對手的感覺。

Finally, "Motivational General-Mastery" is commonly used by athletes to feel more confident.

最後，「一般的支配動機意象」常用來使運動員感到更有自信。

Again, by simply imagining themselves as focused, tough and having positive thoughts prior to competition, athletes are able to improve performance and overcome nerves.

同樣地，只要在比賽前想像自己是全神貫注且堅強的人，並有正面積極的想法，運動員就可以提升表現並克服緊張。

Confidence, in particular, is a consistent factor that distinguishes successful athletes from others, and a major focus for professional coaches.

尤其是自信心，它一直是一個區分出成功運動員的因素，也是專業教練主要著重的點。

So, next time you feel those nerves kick in, try preparing like an Olympian would!

所以，當你下次感到緊張來襲時，試著使用奧運選手會用的方法來做好準備吧！

What are you waiting for?

你在等什麼？

On your mark, get set, GO!

各就各位，預備，跑！

Don't forget we have a new video out every day during the Olympics.

記住我們在奧運會期間，每天都會上架新影片。

Can't wait?

等不及了嗎？

Our amazing partners at the CBC already have five of the videos up now for you to binge on.

我們很棒的合作夥伴——CBC，已經上架五部新影片供你觀賞。

Just head to cbc.ca/olympics/ScienceSays to watch them before anyone else.

只要前往網站 cbc.ca/olympics/ScienceSays，就可以搶先別人收看。

Link in the description.

連結在資訊欄中。

But we also want to know your questions for this special series.

我們也想知道你對這個特別系列的問題。

Use the #ScienceSays and let us know your burning Olympic questions and subscribe for more awesome science videos!

使用 #ScienceSays 讓我們知道你對奧運亟待解決的問題，並訂閱頻道觀看更多超棒的影片！