Why? The Science of Athletics

WHY?-THE SCIENCE OF ATHLETICS possible to analyse a man's physiological condition by the expression of his features when he is undergoing certain strains. Thus, violent effort is always charac- Effort terized by an expression which might well be mistaken for rage. This applies equally to the sprinter, particularly towards the conclusion of a close race (see A. W. Sweeney, R.A.F., Fig 3, Plate r) and to javelin, discus and hammer throwers and shot putters in that tense split second when the missile is actually being dispatched upon the path of its flight from the athlete's hand. When a man runs at top speed, or puts a missile in flight, he instinctively holds his breath, thus fixing his ribs and enclosing his heart and lungs more securely. The contraction of the muscles of the upper body con– stricts the contents of the chest and in this way the great muscles of the shoulder-girdle are afforded a firmer support. Thus, subconsciously-or should one say instinctively ? -the athlete mah~s preparation · for his effort; but it must not be forgotten that the lungs are intended to eliminate waste of breath and therefore the athlete'.s instinctive tightening-up process reacts by constricting the contents of the chest and by closing the path of elimi– nation, and waste products at once begin to accumulate. Pressure upon th<( heart and lungs is increased also, and the obstruction of the return flow of the blood causes the veins to swell. The extra work thus imposed upon the heart in driving the blood supply back to the extremities and by beating harder and faster to overcome the obstruction causes an increase in blood pressure from the normal r 30 to double that figure at l€ast. That increase in blood pressure is distributed all over the body, but affects some . parts more than others. And, since we are considering facial expressions and their meaning, we may examine first how the fragile muscles of the orbit of the eye t · ~