After two days of resting in his apartment, Arghana felt his body starting to recover. However, the worry about his condition still haunted his mind.
The doctor's suggestion to undergo further examination at NOC*NSF kept ringing in his ears.
Finally, he decided not to delay any longer. With firm resolve, Arghana booked a train ticket to Arnhem, specifically to Papendallaan 60, 6816 VD Arnhem, Netherlands.
The journey from Deventer to Arnhem usually takes about an hour by train, plus a few minutes by road to the sports complex in Papendal.
During the trip, the typical green landscape of rural Netherlands flowed past the train window. But Arghana's mind was occupied with various possibilities about his health.
He hoped his visit to NOC*NSF would provide answers and solutions to what he had been experiencing.
Upon arriving in Arnhem, he continued his journey by taxi to Papendal.
The sports complex was known as a training center for top Dutch athletes, equipped with world-class facilities.
Arghana felt a bit nervous, but he knew this was an important step for both his career and his health.
===
Upon arriving at Papendal, he was greeted by friendly and professional staff.
They directed Arghana to the medical department to begin the series of examinations that had been scheduled.
Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself to face whatever he would encounter, hoping for clarity about his body's condition.
The room was silent, only the faint ticking of the wall clock could be heard.
The white light from the overhead lamps made everything feel sterile, almost too neat.
Arghana sat on the edge of the examination table, his hands clasped together, occasionally rubbing the fabric of his pants.
He didn't like hospitals much, but this time he was the one who decided to come.
The doctor sitting across from him, a middle-aged man with slightly thinning hair, was reading his file seriously.
"You experienced severe muscle spasms in your last match," he said, more like repeating medical notes than asking a question.
Arghana nodded slowly.
"Did you ever feel something unusual before that happened?"
He hesitated for a moment, trying to find a way to explain something that he didn't fully understand himself.
"I... I don't know how to explain it," he finally said.
"Sometimes, during matches, I can feel everything become clearer. Like... I can read the game faster than usual."
The doctor looked at him, raising his eyebrows slightly. "Like sharper instincts?"
"Yes," Arghana nodded. "But after that... it feels like my body is completely drained. Like it's been squeezed dry until the last drop."
The doctor wrote something down on his clipboard. "Extreme fatigue after a high-focus period... This is interesting." He then turned to the computer screen, opening up some medical reference notes.
"From your description, this sounds like transient hyperfocus—many elite athletes experience it, though the mechanism isn't fully understood."
Arghana squinted. "What do you mean?"
The doctor slightly turned his chair, facing him more directly. "There are certain conditions where the brain enters an extreme focus phase, almost like a survival response.
This can happen under high pressure, especially in sports.
Some athletes report feeling like they 'enter the zone'—where everything slows down, decision-making becomes faster, and their instincts are sharper than usual."
Arghana listened attentively.
"The problem is," the doctor continued, "the brain doesn't work alone. When you're in hyperfocus, your body is also operating at the limit without you realizing it.
Heart rate spikes, oxygen consumption increases, and the sympathetic nervous system pushes your body like a machine forced to work at maximum capacity."
Arghana straightened his back a little. "So, it's not just physical?"
"Correct," the doctor nodded.
"If your body isn't used to this intensity, there will be consequences afterward.
Usually, it's severe fatigue, muscle pain, even disorientation.
Some athletes describe this feeling as 'being sucked out of their own body' once the effects wear off."
Arghana took a deep breath. "So... if I want to avoid this, I need to be stronger physically?"
The doctor smiled faintly. "Not just physically.
You also need to learn how to control the transition from hyperfocus to normal condition without completely exhausting your body. That's what we'll be testing later."
Arghana nodded slowly. Gradually, the pieces of the puzzle inside him began to fit together.
And now, he knew where to start.