The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-04-01
EXERCISE AND ovERExERcIsE
Interference With Digestion Principal
Effect of the Latter

Interference With Digestion Principal
Effect of the Latter.
If we accept the broad fact that exer-
else is good, and that its effect is to in
crease muscular strength and bodily de-
velopment, we have to ask. "Why does
| still further exercise cease to be good,
| and what do we mean by overexercise?"
First, we must draw a broad distinction
| between the effect of constantly main
| tanned exertion which is required in GER
| tain trades, and the alternating con-
| traction and relaxation of all the mus
| cles of the body, which is the character
istic of games and athletics of all kinds.
| That constantly maintained effort or
monotonotous repetition OF the same
| movement tends to exhaustion rather
| than nutrition goes without saying; but
| taking ordinary so-called healthy eXer-
| else. by what is it's limit set? The limit
appears to be set by three factors: CD
The capacity of the digestive organs to
keen up the quality of the blood; (2) the
capacity of the excretory organs to get
| rlQ OIL the Wdole PlcuuS'S " iiiGN f~~N',~
from muscular action and 90 the power
of the heart to drive constant stream
of blood through every corner of the or
ganism.
| Interference with digestion is by no
means uncommon effect of excessive ex-
ercise, and so far as training is con-
cerned it is one of the most destructive.
The blood cannot flow in full stream to
every part at once. AS DR.. Lauder
Brunton says, every one knows that
while moderate exercise tends to pro-
| duce appetite, a long and exhausting ex-
ertion tends to destroy the appetite, and
even to produce actual sickness, as one
finds in mountain climbing. People
| differ greatly in this respect, but In some
great ponderous men as they may
semitic digestion is so easy upset by
I muscular exercise that, although they
may be giants for momentary eXertlon'
ANYTHING like sustained eeffort disturbs
| DIGESTION and cuts at the very root OF
| their nutrition. In many cases, hoWeV-
or the limit to exercise lies in dimin-
ished excretion Unless the excretory
organs are thoroughly efficient the It's
sues become crowded with products
which cannot be got rid Of, the senses
become dimmed, and effort becomes a
mere automatisn, in consequence of a
self-poisoning by the products of mus
cular waste.
So far we have dealt with what may
be fifty termed the automatic checks to
over-eXercise. Interference with diges-
! ton so lowers nutrition, while accumu-
lation of waste products so posons the
| system, that in either case further eXer-
| ton becomes imposslble-the very will
to make it passes away. But it is diff
ferent in regard to the heart. The
| heart. although strained, may yet be
driven on to it's own destruction. Every
muscular effort not only demands from
tbe heart an increased flow of blood, but
also drives an increased quantity to-
ward il, So long as the heart can pass
this forward all is well, but when II
fails not merely is the circulation OF the
blood rendered imperfect but serious
damage is done to the heart itself. II
when the heart was overdriven 1t merely
struck, the enfeebled circulation would
soon put stop to further effort. Inc
willing heart however, taking at each
beat wider sweep and driving into the
vessels a larger quantity of blood, SO
meets the call that the athlete can
struggle on, perhaps to win his race.
But the strained heart suffers, the
stretched muscle does not quite come
back. the dilated cavity does not quite
close at each contraction, and perma-
nent mischief is set up. Thus it is that
exercise driven to the limit imposed by
the heart is over-exercise in the most Sc
| e +l,o yntd
heart that stops it, the chances are that
it has already gone too far.-The Hos
pital.