Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1906-10-24
PERIL IN ATHLETICS
PHYSICAL EXERCISE SHOULD BE
TAKEN ~ moDERATION.
Muscle BuiidinE II Not Necessary TO
Good Health, and severe Training
Weahens the Heart and Nerves and
Lowers VITALITY

Muscle Building II Not Necessary To
Good Health, and severe Training
Weahens the Heart and Nerves ana
Lowers VITALITY.
Once beyond the bounds OF modera-
ton, physical exercise and physical
training not only weaken the heart for
n lifetime, predispose TO pneumonia.
cause pulmonary tuberculosis and make
extra possible n dozen other ills. but
( they unfit man from being the ideal
husband and father.
DR. Robert L. COughIin OF BROOKLYN.
says the New York Times. has been
/ collecting statistics upon and follow
ing the careers OF athletes for years.
1 He examined the contestants I'm anna
! teur boxing matches. and the abnormal
! development of the best OF them struck
him. Magnificently developed as to
/ their muscles. they were far from be-
! ing men OF normal health and strength.
Beyond certain point the muscular
/ training was at the expense Of their
/ vitality. IL took away from the heart
and lungs. There was scarcely an or
/ gan OF the system not affected and
made less efficient II seemed worth
while TO explore further into the cause.
I'm regard TO the benefit TO be de-
rived from athletics" says the doctor.
! zone has only 10 remember the physiol-
! Ogy OF exercise TO become convinced
/ OF the fact that exercise. per Sc. may
be very beneficial The point 20 bear
I in mind is TO advise the person TO stop
before fatigue becomes evident We
can 90 this readily when the athlete is
interested IN games for the mere excr-
else but such advice cannot be offered
when bis aim is TO excel I'm an athletic
contest Here is where athletics do
great harm. and il would be a safe rule
20 advise against all forms Of athletics
In the nature of a contest.
Athletics may be said 10 he bene-
fetal until the heart begins TO be mark
edly hyperuophied. This is the dan
ger signal
Hypertrophied Is the medical mans
way OF saying cnlarged-that is. the
walls or muscles Of the heart increase
In size. Though this IS the danger
signal" there is no real danger here.
only a warming. The danger comes
when, In consequence Of additional ex-
ertion. the heart dilates, its interior
grows larger. displacing the delicate
machinery. causing the valves 10 leak
Then come "murmurs." and though
man may live for years with weakened
valves he may die any day and any
moment.
Does physical exercise. then. build
up the general health and make
better man out OF Il MANI There
seems 70 be Il question. with some
scientific men saying today very en-
phatically. Not unless that physical
exercise Is very moderate indeed"
Health. one OF the big English au-
thorltles (Slr Michael FOSTER puts II.
does not exist. II is like happiness.
Each has GOAL or limit which. while
seemingly attainable. eludes perfect
possession. The body consists OF a
number OF mechanisms which have the
closest and most exact relations. and
rs they approximate To harmony there
Is health. but when disOrdered there is
III health
Not necessarily does 4 man 10y phys
ical training and much exercise be-
come better man. nor does he even
get better health. Here Is the striking
evidence Of Il in scientific statements
of the day.
To obtain good health, muscle build
ing is not necessity. One cannot
judge OF n persons health by the size
and hardness OF the muscles. We
have seen that the converse may be
true. To obtain health one must not
be In n perfectly trained condition ow-
ing TO the effects Of severe training on
the nervous system. There is no evil
dence TO prove that athletics and mus
Gle building Improve the constitution.
One should always keep In mind the
fact that built up or hypertrophied
muscle has tendency TO degenerate.
The heart. being muscular organ.
shares In this tendency.
But the athlete is man who goes
through the severest physical strain
and training. II he boxes. runs, IS 4
gymnast. football player. wrestler,
an expert at baseball or tennis. any
sport requiring violent exercise and
the constant keeping i'm trim for il. all
the rest of his body is sacrificed for
the overdevclOpment of these special
muscles. and the rest Of Il must some
how suffer.
All the body should develop together.
]
built up evenly. II overathleticS does
nothing else IL produces wearing and
tearing nervous strain.
When 1t comes 10 the actual athlete
the man who SpeciallZeS on some form
Of physical force and muscle power
these conditions are greatly aggravat-
ed. Severe athletic training and mus
Gle building. il is now an acknowledged
fact Of science. are ut the expense of
the nervous and glandular systems.
An experienced athlete" says one
authority. gave rs his opinion that a
man sacrifices a certain part of his life
every time he enters I contest Of any
kind He also said that q man when
nit rs expressed by athletes. is in an
abnOrmally nervous condition. in 9th
er words. he can never remain ut ease
for 4 minute ut a time and, Ike the
Gagged lion, is forever on the move dur
ing his waking moments. II has been
noticed 10y observers that athletes are
often sicIly ana particularly SuScepti
bic TO constipation and appendicitis"
what He Cleaned Tp.
Did you clean up much in that rail-
road dealT'