ATHLETICS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 12140, 30 December 1933, Page 11

ATHLETICS.

■ WHAT SHOULD AN ATHLETE ' EAT?. - MODERN OPINIONS. ON THE QUESTION. . . Success in athletics, or, indeed, in any form pf sport; depends far pore than most people ipagine upon two factors : right, feeding and sufficient sleep .(writes, in up English paper, l’. A. M. a. famous, authority on athletics, and honorary coach of British Olympic. teams). I was discussing this matter recently with Williani Miller, who holds the,, world’s pofe vault, record of, 14ft. Ish 1 -. ancl Hen .Eastman, who is about the b§s.t yards runper America has yef produced, and they were .both firmly of. the opinion fhat 10 hours uninterrupted sleep, a night., in an aiky room, .is absolutely essential to the coppeting athlete, ajnd is even more important., than lii.s syllabus of traTning.

Qin the matter of feeding the athlete, so that the very best may be got out of the human machine, opinions have changed' considerably since I started stiidying athletics scientifically more than a quarter of a century ago. That would be.just about- the period when trainers were abandoning the notion that the only' proper food for. an athlete was raw meat., and that it was necessary to purge him and sweat him- to exhaustion before you could get him fit. Even Strong emetics iVere not excluded from the unfortunate fellow’s regime. • Then there was the school that held fast by the notion that anything that \Vas sweet was certain to shatter the sportsman* wind. This was about a's sensible a notion as that of the Waka.mba savages of East 'Africa, who believe that by plucking out their eyelashes they make themselves long-sighted. V

To-day there is not a coach wbe doc.s not recognise the value of- sugar in the'dietary of men in training., Tfie study. of physical effort has taught us that strenuous endeavour creates, lactic: acid in the system, which produces exhaustion, and that id is sugar, drawn from tlie • store-house of.. the liver, which turns lactic acid into glycogen, thu s enabling the athlete to shake off his fatigue. ' Sugar, in. fact, is ’the fundamental basis of athlet'9 energy; that is why so many coaches give " their charges sufficient glucose to surcharge'tlie liver with energy some hours before they send them out to compete..

All athletes, incidentally, know that horriblefdryness of. the mouth which i's engendered hy the hei’vous excitement ‘ that precedes , competitipp. > The best'remedy is to he. found in smaLl s.ips of a drink composed of a tumbfer full of cold 1 water into, which a whole lemon is squeezed, the drink being by three or four table-, spoonfuls of glucose. Tho drink' is refreshing afid energising. Sneaking.’.generally, ib is a- mistake to give a'hnan traixiiiig' food, and he •fijust". never touch highly seasoned efishe's. ■ ■-■'!.■ . ■_■

The best breakfast for the athlete is'probably our ' old-fashioned bacon and*eggs, .with weak tea, crisp 1 reap. Or very dry toast, -and, contrary to popular' belief,- .plenty 1 of buttery finishing off’ with' frash fruit. For' luncheon: steak, chicken, roast beef or lafiib, stewed fruit, of a: .light, 'pudding, and tlie lemon' a/nd glucose drink- Afternoon, tea iis . hot a necessary meafi hut "supper should-he as appetising as possible, as a sort of reward for. a good • day’s ' training. Many''athletes like ‘a light mixedgrill at: night,* Vor some'-' fish lightly served'in. scallop shells, and lightly browned over. During the day the athlete" should' drink a" -fair* : amount of mfik, and an orange on waking is fair better tliah’.'a 'cup' of early mofning fiefi. ' ; '■ v • ’ ■'" -

■ Athlefes shonld' always he jjdlowcd tW.o hours, to digest; v thgif foodd>efpre doing, training work. On competition days breakfast should he as, usual; but luncheon, to be taken; at least two hours before the time of cne’-s

event, should consist of just tAvo lightly boiled eggs and a cup of weaii tea, or. a glass of ’the lemon and glucosC,drink, more, heavily charged A\;jth glucoso thain usual; ’or the’ glucose . may be taken in a. spoon.