Push Too Hard & You'll Fall
Players collapsing on the field is getting more and more common and we ask - Are we pushing ourselves too hard on the sports field, eating too right or pumping a bit too much?
© AFP
Tragedy struck Belgian Football when 24-year-old Gregory Mertens passed away from heart failure, 3 days after collapsing on the field during a match this Thursday. His artificial life support was removed when there was no hope of improvement. Mertens incident remind us of numerous such incidents on the field. Some were lucky to survive like Bolton's Fabrice Muamba, some weren't like Bangalore's D Venkatesh in 2012. The question begs to be asked- Why are high performance athletes, footballers in particular having heart attacks?
'Just do it' Syndrome
Sports are getting 'Stronger, Faster, and Higher' and the pressure on the athlete is ever increasing. Pushing the limits is one thing but sportspersons have to push even beyond that to survive today. Chasing records, chasing glory, chasin that contract; world class athletes today have to perform literally like super heroes.
A Workout = Being Fit?
It's in our nature to believe that if a person is working out, he/she is fit. While it is a major factor in determining fitness, Body to Mass index isn't the only way. So this assumption remains an assumption for all practical purposes. Many of these deaths could have been prevented if the victims knew their risk factors as well as the warning signs of an impending cardiac event.
The Vitamin Generation
Supplement A to supplement Z, They have something to offer for every unknown weakness and something for every body part. Protein shakes, energy bars and drinks, Are you really telling me that the synthetic stuff is what are body needs when it's being worked to beyond its fullest capacity.
Alongside the high pressure workouts must come as many mentally relaxing exercises; for it's all getting the elements right and having equilibrium.