Why? The Science of Athletics

CHAPTER VIII CONSIDERATIONS IN RELATION TO COMPETITION Stiffness-Staleness (Symptoms of; Prevention and Cure of; Is Curable)-Limbering-up (Informal Movements, Stretching Exercises, Formal E~ercises)-Second Wind-Heart and Nervous System Potentials-Stitch. DuRING, and by means of, the process of preparation for athletic competition which is known as "training" the athlete has been slowly accustoming his muscles, and possibly his respiratory centre, to tolerate larger concen– trations of lactic acid than a man leading a sedentary life could possibly bear. , According to Professor A. V. Hill, it may well be that this ability of a human being to tolerate a high lactic acid content of the muscles is the characteristic which distinguishes the really great athlete from the athletic mediocrity and the untrained man. · During training the· athlete's lungs have developed a large capacity and high permeability and his muscular and nervous systems have developed to such a degree that he is now ready to face maximum strain. A question may well be asked as to why the trai11ed athlete is able to tolerate these larger concentrations of lactic acid in his muscles, especially as we know that the moment exercise becomes sufficiently violent, or prolonged, for the oxygen-– debt to exceed the oxygen-income, lactic acid is released in the tissues and, again according to Profes~or Hill, "may reach as much as 4 ozs.", which is about equivalent to half its weight of concentrated sulphuric acid. · I think the answer to the question is that, during train– ing, the athlete builds up in his muscle fibres a large reserve of neutralizing alkali. I20