ENDURANCE IN SWIMMING

Evening Star, Issue 22413, 10 August 1936, Page 6

ENDURANCE IN SWIMMING

FACTORS TOWARDS SUCCESS JAPANESE SIMPLICITY IN LIVING . With the sAvimming events commencing at the Olympic Games at Berlin over the Aveek-end, it is interesting to. hear ivhat Thomas Kirk Cureton, jun., professor of applied physics and body mechanics and director of equatics and coach of swimming at the International Y.M.C.A. College (Springfield College), ‘ U.S.A., has to say of the factors governing the success in competitive swimming of the Japanese. He" says that tests at Los Angeles demonstrated that several of the Japanese champions gave heart reactions which were superior to the reactions of a group of the American Olympic men. He believes, after examination of the data at hand, that better endurance avus the outstanding factor in the Japanese victory in the men’s swimming at the 1932 Games. The splendid “ finish ” of the Japanese was obvious to everyone.

Tests on the relative speed of men on the crawl stroke showed that the Americans were just as fast as the Japanese sprinters, but were unable to hold the pace to the finish. The unusual success of the Japanese could not be due to any particular modification in stroke, because they won in all styles of swimming. The outstanding point of interest for coaches would seem to be the ways and means of developing endurance in swimmers. A. V. Hill has pointed out that four factors are known fo be related to developing endurance ! (1) Oxygen deprivation. Resulting from exercising at high altitudes. f2) Resulting from exercising to the point where oxygen is reduced in the bodily tissues. (3) Alkaline food. Eating predominantly food which burns and leaves an alkaline ash in the blood to build up the “ alkaline buffers ” which act to neutralise the products of severe muscular exertion (4) Oxygen breathing. A doubtful procedure, but which possibly may have some effect upon the epithelium of the aheoli, causing this tissue to become more permeable and thus permit a more efficient exchange of gases in respiration. Limitations in available time, a natural conservatism, and the reluctance of the men themselves to do so much work have been factors inhibiting the administering of workouts requiring extensive endurance work.

Gradual education to - the fact that swimmers do not “ hum out,” as reported in track work, is resulting in coaches giving more extensive workouts. Stiffness and loss of elasticity in the musculature results from overdosage to track sprinters. The absence of jarring and pounding in swimming is thought to bo one factor conducive to the maintenance of normal responsiveness of the muscle tissues. Staleness in swimming is more of tho mental variety, characterised by a loss of interest from the monotony of the work with a subsequent let-down in training. To prevent this coaches need to introduce better motivational methods and organisational schemes which will provide the incentive to “ train ” over a longer period of time and to induce the willingness to take more work Patriotism of the do or-die kind and the psychological fascination of special training sessions, ns held in Tokio, have provided a mental stimulus of a superior kind for the Japanese boys. A close study into the Japanese food would undoubtedly throw some light upon the way that the Japanese obtain such a high quality of endurance, ft is reported that the_ “ mochi ” food from the mochi bean is highly alkaline after digestion. It is a prominent part of the training diet of the swimmers. Lima beans and dry beans are among the most alkaline of American foods. Meat, white bread, eggs, and coffee arc amend the most acid foods. It is reported that the Japanese eat normally about four pounds of meat yearly, whereas the typical American averages about CO. There are many references

were going better than the scratch men, especially Douglas and Calder. Douglas bad 22 seconds to the_ good for junior fastest time at this point, while Calder had gained 12 seconds on Robinson. After the back wind came in favour of the riders the scratch men made up the deficiency. The following placings for the sealed handicap event are:— Handicap.—H. Jones (01 min) 1, (i. Homer (scr) 2, R. Atkin (s*min> 3. Senior Championship.— G. Homer (I)unodin), lb Srnin 4keo. 1 : A. Drury (I.A.A.C). Hi Bmin 36sec, 2; C. Robinson, Ih lOmin 5 l-sscc, 3. Junior Championship.—A. Calder (Ji Imin 54sec), 1; C. A. Robinson (Ih 12min 4sec), 2.

in the scientific literature to feeding experiments Avhich show that an alkaline diet builds endurance.

D. A. V. Hill in his paper, ‘ The Physiological Basis of Athletic Records,’ and Dr A. E. Kennedy in. his paper, ‘ An Approximate Law of Fatigue in the Speed of Racing Animals,’ have pointed out that fatigue is the governing factor in racing against time. Kennedy points cut that the pace should be an even one. In sprints shorter than 10% yards other factors become predominant, such as the mechanical application of poAver and the magnitude of the available poAver. Sugar feeding has come in for much study, Avith favourable results in increasing the available energy supply. Vogeler and Ferguson recently published an account of a study on this phase of diet as related to athletic performance. Its use, Avhen administered in a monosachride form, is indicated just before meets. Smoking and loss of sleep are harmful factors. Specific cases are knoAvn of swimmers Avno have tightened their leg muscles so much through excessive work on hard floors that efficiency has .markedly decreased in kicking the flutter kick. In the case of 271 subjects tested on a swim involving endurance and then divided into two groups—(l) smokers, and • (2) non-smokers—the non-smoking group gave a superior performance as an average by 21.2 per cent, in breath-holding time and 18 per cent, better average swimming performance over 100 yards. It ivas impressive to note the lack of sophistication among the young Japanese team members. Siniplicity in living in general Avas certainly a contributing factor in their success. They were, as a group, entirely nonsmokers.