The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-02-06
WHAT BECOMES
OF THE ATHLETES?

tein are all in the best or health.
Does that look as though athletes are
harmful?"
These are concrete instances OF
what becomes of the athletes-the
real athletes who won honors after
hard physical training.
Yet there is a reverse side to this
picture. 1t is that of the athlete
whose muscles have grown powerful
at the expense of his heart and
many instances are cited by physi-
clans to prove the dangers OF care
less and excessive athletic training.
The athlete who finds too late his
heart has been irreparably injured
by the strain he has put upon It has
lad many warnings of the injury he
has done himself. He has not heed
ed them, and pays the penalty with
his life at an age when he should be
at his best in physical power.
DR.. James Gwathmay, Of the Poly
clinic Hospital says Sometimes the
aortic valve give sway or the heart
becomes enlarged; but you must re-
member that all athletics have en-
larged hearts, the result OF the eX-
ceptional work they are called upon
to do. That is not unusual. DO not
all the other muscles increase in
size as a result of exercise, and are
we not glad to see them do so?
''The life of a race-horse is long
,g g,VsIi In
This | know to be a fact, for / have
made study of the subject. Con-
slider the strain which that animal
undergoes. After It's racing days 1t
is sent t. be the head of large
breeding stable.
"Oncc in while an athlete drops
off and then we hear the warning.
! 'Beware Of the enlargement Of the
heart.
Paul Pilgrim, one of the greatest
of the worlds middle distance run
ners, an Olympic first place winner,
cites, some instances Of Oyertraining
that have proved harmful
II know OF many men who have
had TO give up athletics and oXer-
cise," he says, "because of a heart
weakened by too much exercise.
Liut. Sam Thomas of the Seventh
Regiment and Of the New York Ath-
let,c Club, has had to give up ath-
letics because OF a heart warming.
/ Three years ago he held sprint, bread
| Jump and pole vault records. Elmer
Finlay the New York Athletic Club
hurdler, has been ordered to break
training by his physicians. Three
years ago he was captain OF the
Thirteenth Regiment track team
and held records galore. Walter
| Hughes. the hurdler, OF the Seventh
Regiment, has been ordered TO stop
competing, but will! not DO 1t. Ger
man scientists were making a study
of the effect of a competition on the
heart at the last set Of Olympic
games at Athens. Before and after
every race they placed tissue paper
on my chest and traced my heart on
the paper. The result, though prom
iged, has not as yet been forwarded
to me.
DIR. Arthur j.. Derchfcld OF No,
1C1 West One Hundred and Sec0nt
street who in his college days wa'
captain OF the New York University
track team, was midd!e-distanc'
runner and intercollegiate point win
ner. said a few days ago: "Hy
Dertrophy of the heart Is the resul
of the continued excessive overlh
diligence in athletics. 1t seems t'
me that warning would be time'y
boys in the high schools, colleg'
men. athletic club members alter
nately train and race to the limit o
their endurance for few months
then lay off and dissipate in all man
nor OF ways for the greater portion
OF the year. The effect eventually /
enlargement Of the heart or a gener
all weakening Of the system,
every often latent weakness
developed by the excessive strain o
= draining or competing When al
athlete becomes exceptionally wei
known a place on the list OF com
petitors Is reserved for him at eac
meet and the result is too muc
racing.
"At first the falls Of the heart, es
= pecially of the left yentrlcle, becam
enlarged and finally n the work
not stopped In time, the organ fai
G completely to do its work and co
: lapses."
S "iUnderstand me- says the phys
e'an, there are men who know thf
d moderation Is the secret Of health
i The most beautifully developed ma
K of probably one hundred thousan
boys Is Fired Shepheard the oarsmal
4 Yet he does comparatively litt
;, training Four others, Charlie Set
k Pat Walsh, Harvey Cohn and Bill
FIenk, realized THAT moderation
y the secret and have been for yea
r and still are in prime condition
S In all the schools that have beJ
Organized for athletics there Al
L teachers who looll after the trainiJ
2 OF the boys who are to compete in u