Athletics and Football (extract)

176 ATHLETICS pressure and forced mental activity of modern life have render a cravingfor it as a sedative only natural. But a man who requires a sedative to maintain his nervous balance - is hardly likely to be a fsitubject for the trainer'hsands. By all means, then, let the man in training avoid smoking, and if from suddenly giving up thehabit he fihndes isunable to sleep, let him wean himseflrfom smoking as quickly poassible. Another mistake which a young ljaudst taking to training often failnlsto is tatkoe too msulecehp. With the moalxdim that six' hours' sleisepenoughfor a man, seven faorwoman, and eigfhotr afool,' we ndoot altogetheargree, but experience shows that in ordinary cases seven hours of sleep are quite enough for a man who has not been taking any enormous amount of exercise during the previous day, and that eight hours is the maximumwhich can under any circumstances be beneficial to aman who ilsiving a regular atnemd perate life. A young lad of eighteen or nineteen probably requmiroesre sleep than athletwe ho hapsassed out of his nonage and is fully developed, but at theoutside more than eight hours' sleep should never be taken. Too much sleep engenders fat and makes the athlete slack, listlesasn,d disinclined for his day's work. We have always wondered how the University fresh­ men, when they arjeust sent introaining for the sprinrgaces, manage to survive othrdeeal. They are gorngemdeat, eggs, etc., thretiemes a day. They hapvoert wine and figsin the evening, and are sent to bed at ten to sleep until they rise in the morning again at eighto'clock to commence a fresh attack upon mountains of steaks acnhdops. Even quite apart from the food they take, the men would be slack and torpid from the amounotf lazy sleepto whichthey arceondemned. Another point which is oftendisputed is the advantagoef early morning work. All are, we think, agreed that a man should get into the open air and clear his lungs before breakfast- By these means ghivees himselafn appetitefor his food, and the improvemenint the wind which comes from thus getting out must sooben obvious. But it is afar more difficumltatter