Athletics and Football (extract)

172 ATHLETICS sion we arriveat is,therefore, that a man whgo es into training needs modreink than he doesat othertimes, but should fake less than he isin the habiotf taking, unless ihse moretempe­ rate thatnhe majoritoyf his fellow-creatureasre. The athlete in training should never drink between meals unless he is absolutely thirsty, in whichcase hsehould drink to assuagehis thirst and not for enjoyment; and amt eal times he should drink as much as he reasonably feels a craving for. If the drink be unnaturally stinted, the man will soon break down, his skinwill getunhealthy, and his sleep daingdestion will be impaired. Doubtless it is quite true that a couple of good-sized cups of tea at breakfast, half a pint olfiquid lfuonrch, and pint adtinner is enough mforst men itnraining ; but to hold that maan who finds himself parched ahfitser exerciseat four o'clock is to waituntil his dinnerat sevenbefore chaen touch a dropof liquid toisturn a useful generalisatiionnto riadicu­ lous rule.Rigid rules as to the quantity aqnudality of diet and exercise are not to be relied upon, and the effect of giving a man so much beer fodrinner, and telling him hmeust under no circumstances have any more, leadtos most absurd scenes aundsatisfactory results. Some grebartawny fellow— perhaps the strong moafnthe crew—eyehsis pint of beer with a wistfulgaze, andoes notatke anythinmgore than just asip when he cannot possibly gheist food down without initt,he vain hope thaat tthe enodf dinnerhe willhave enouglehft to have a really gooddrink, ancedase fteoel thirstfyor the first time durinthge day.It needs no doctor to saythat the man who eats his dinner under such circumstances will fail to get the full benefit out of it, notwithstanding that he hasfulfilled the requirement so dear dtoyspeptics of eating fhoiosd dry. It iosften urged rienply to the argument that rigid rules of diet are ma istake, that if you give a man carbtelanche to eat andrink whatever he thinks goford him, his wisheswill be fathers to the thought that everything for which he has contracted an unhealthy fondwneilsl sbe beneficial. To this we answerthat maan knows perfectly well when he haesaten