>Dori Zook wrote:
>So I'm watching some Olympics action here and there and much of what these
>athletes do just ain't healthy!  I'm thinking specifically of >female
>gymnasts and marathon runners, both of which look like death >on a stick.

True, but they simply don't care.  Elite athletes and bodybuilders are
not
health nuts.  They find fulfillment by pushing their bodies to unsafe
levels
at the expense of their health.  To each their own.  BTW, female
gymnasts
and marathon runners are in much better health than the top
bodybuilders
(these guys are walking corpses).


>I'm sure we've all heard the gymnastic tales of horror; no menstrual
>cycles, the lack of growth due to excessive exercise.  Maybe this has
>nothing to do with anything, but it seems all of their faces are all >but
>deformed; huge eyes with tiny chins.  Maybe they're just so >skinny thier
>heads don't quite fit on thier bodies.

Some female gymnasts take drugs which delay the onset of puberty.
Usually
the less developed female gymnasts place higher than the more
developed
ones.  Once they fill out, their bodies have difficulty dealing with
the
ballistic movements of gymnastics.  It makes them very prone to
injury.
Look at how Shannon Miller and Dominique Moceanu got injured this
year.
They look much more womenly than they did 4 years ago.  Their more
developed
bodies will have difficulty remaining injury free.

>Marathon runners look ready to break in two at any given moment.  >There's
>no body fat whatsoever; where do they get the fuel to
>run 26 GD miles?  It looks like they're using thier muscles for fuel.  But
>what do I know?  Any runners or others in the know on this >issue?

They do carry some bodyfat.  They carry enough for them to fuel a
marathon,
but nothing extra b/c it's just added weight they would have to haul
around.
  During a marathon there fuel sources are: muscle glycogen, liver
glycogen,
ingested carbs and fats before and during the race, and muscle tissue
(their
bodies break down their muscle and make glucose out of it - this is
why
their cortisol levels are so high after a marathon).


>Don't get me wrong; I admire someone who can break a world record or take
>home the gold.  Unless they're killing themselves in the >process.  And,
>frankly, it looks like some of them are.

Wait till bodybuilding becomes a major Olympic sport.  Then you'll
really
see some sick puppies.


>The swimmers could well be doing harm, too.  But they look so much
>healthier than gymnasts and marathoners.  The women, especially, look
> >good; healthy muscles AND fat on their frames.  Male athletes almost
> >always look good (sorry, that's my ovaries talkin').

Swimmers are not exposed to the ballistic shock that gymnasts are.
Our
joints are not strong enough to handle ballistic shocks time and time
again
(the exception are those with great genetics).  Swimmers do not train
for
the same excessive amounts of time that marathon runners do.  A little
to
moderate exercise is healthy, but too much overshoots the therapeutic
window
and health is damaged.


>Exercise is critical for a healthy life and body.  But we weren't
>designedto kill ourselves in the name of speed and strength.  Were >we?

Many athletes and bodybuilders ask themselves this everyday.  Upper
level
bodybuilders especially.  They pour excessive drugs into their system,
eat
thousands upon thousands of calories (not healthy, even if they are
eating
paleo), and train too often.  Myself, if I could have the genetics of
Dorian
Yates but I knew I would die in 3 years, I would gladly accept that.

Some people just find pushing themselves to physical limit to be
rewarding.
It's not admirable, but it's a source of emotion for many. If I had a
choice, I would rather die at 30 with the body of Arnold than at 90
with the
body of Linus Pauling.  I credit that to low self esteem, but we all
have
our vices.

Justin Hasselman