Great article in Sports Medicine mag about how elite athletes can be unhealthy Abstract While the words “fit” and “healthy” are often used synonymously in everyday language, the terms have entirely separate meanings. Fitness describes the ability to perform a given exercise task, and health explains a person’s state of well-being, where physiological systems work in harmony. Although we typically view athletes as fit and healthy, they often are not. The global term we place on unhealthy athletes is the overtraining syndrome. In this current opinion, we propose that two primary drivers may contribute to the development of the overtraining syndrome, namely high training intensity and the modern-day highly processed, high glycemic diet. Both factors elicit a sympathetic response through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, in turn driving systemic reactive oxygen species production, inflammation, and a metabolic substrate imbalance towards carbohydrate and away from fat oxidation, manifesting in an array of symptoms often labeled as the overtraining syndrome. Ultimately, these symptoms reveal an unhealthy athlete. We argue that practitioners, scientists, and athletes may work towards health and alleviate overtraining syndrome by lowering training intensity and removing processed and/or high glycemic foods from the diet, which together enhance fat oxidation rates. Athletes should be fit and healthy. Read more here Sports Medicine - Open
Bingo! A lot of professional bodybuilders look great and are near systemic collapse at the same time from dehydration and a 100% fat-free diet. And a lot of other unhealthy things necessary for that super-cut & super-buffed look.
In the US professional baseball players have consistently tested out as being overall better physically fit than any other professional athletes. The big boys of the NFL have an average lifespan of 55 years, many famous long distance runners have keeled over from heart disease at an early age, prime examples are Jim Fixx, Grete Waitz, and Brian Maxwell, and there are many more. Autopsy reports from Otzi the Ice Man, whose frozen body was found in the Alps in 1991, show he had heart disease 5,000 years ago with pure air, clean water, and food much purer than what we are offered now at the grocery store. In my book a good example of being athletic and healthy would be Jack Lalanne who lived to be 96.
I don't doubt that modern NBA players are in good shape from all of the running and movement, but I'd think modern NHL players are in better shape. It's just my opinion, I've never seen any stats.
It's Alive!! Good zombie thread to revive, though. Fitness and Health are two different things. Although one might be fit and healthy, fitness doesn't equate to health. Poor eating habits, smoking, alcohol, and drug use are unhealthy and generally do not impact a person's fitness level unless taken in excess.
So much of what passes for physical fitness falls into two categories Cardo Training (runners) and Strength Training (weightlifters/body builders). The runners are afraid to lift weights because they might get muscle bound, and the weightlifters/body builders consider cardo a waste of time that could be spent in the gym! Reguardless of how much weight you can lift, you are not in good shape if you can't walk to the mailbox and back without having to stop and catch your breath! Also, you might run a marathon every weekend, but you are not in good shape if you can't lift a small child into the air without hurting yourself! Note: I considered myself a runner, but I also worked out with weights and swam. It's all about BALANCE!
Health is not guaranteed. Many things determine our relative health like environment, genetics, lifestyle, your job (stress and hazard exposure), and more. My current routine is like this 3 to 4 times a week... Cardio is always first, I walk or hike because the joints won't take running anymore. Light to medium weights for chest, arms and legs are after cardio. Then Tai Chi for relaxation and meditation. I try to eat healthy, but allow my indulgences because I'm old and deserve to have a scoop of ice cream or an adult beverage on occasion.
