Something about your post made me think of a difference in people in powerlifting. Some people need to increase their state of arousal before a lift, some people need to decrease their state of arousal before a lift. Finding that "right" arousal state gives them enough to lift heavy weights but not too much that it takes away from being able to lift with their best technique.
A good observation, and I think this varies not only by the person but also by the lift being performed.
-S-