Friday, October 2, 2009
I consider myself something of a foodie. Add exercise and health to this passion and there is an interesting combination that relates to Kansas sports.
In particular, I read a rather humorous story last week about men’s basketball preseason morning practices being so intense that players sometimes lose their breakfast. I understand that both Kansas football and basketball teams take their strength and conditioning practices very seriously. Sometimes I wonder though, if these athletes are aware of the fact that nutrition may have a bigger effect on overall physical ability than those vomit-inducing hours of practice.
The Aug. 17 issue of Time Magazine reported on the relationship between one’s eating habits and how much exercise can truly make one healthy and fit. For example, if a typical preseason men’s basketball practice is two hours long, then a player could burn well over 1,000 calories in that session. However, if he should go home and gulp down a few sodas and burgers, then his body might get mixed signals.
On one hand, these signals mean his body is glad to have received a strenuous workout, but, on the other hand, its synthesis of overly processed, fatty or salty foods will blunt the benefits of lifting weights or hours of cardiovascular cross training.
What is more worrisome is the fact that one pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories. Mathematically speaking, a student athlete would have to attend two or three morning practices to lose one pound.
I must admit I don’t know the dietary regimen of our football and basketball players, but as a busy senior in college, I know well the pitfalls of going several days without eating meaningful servings of fresh organic fruit, vegetables and whole grains. The National Center for Health Statistics did a study on college student habits that indicated repeatedly that we don’t sleep enough, eat food too high in sodium and processed corn sugar and drink too much high calorie soda and fruit juice.
Perhaps our star athletes are completely avoiding these dietary hazards and that’s why they’re so fit. However, I’m inclined to believe that these student athletes are humans, and subsequently, college kids, who may not be perfect examples of health and nutrition. Throw in other factors that usually undermine the good health and fitness of young twenty-somethings, including smoking, drinking or injury due to over-exercising along with poor sleep and eating habits, and it’s a wonder that any university in this country has an athletic program with exceptionally fit athletes.
— Edited by Jonathan Hermes
Mallot and Haworth Halls, two of the larger ...
1 comment
Lawrence Settles Lawrence graduate student “I like T-Pain ...
1 comment
Mallot and Haworth Halls, already two of the ...
1 comment
It was the symmetry of this sidewalk that ...
1 comment
Texting while driving is the cause of many ...
1 comment
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.