Excerpts taken from "Cycling and Health" compendium and interviews with Prof. Froböse

BACK PAIN Back pain is often the direct result of lack of exercise. This leads to a reduction in nourishment for the inter-vertebral discs. The result is that the function of the discs changes with the discs no longer able to fulfil their allotted task of supporting therequired weight. However, there are three ways in which cycling can help overcome back problems. Firstly, through set physical exercise, the discs receive more nourishment which aids their development. Secondly, the large muscles in the back strengthen and develop through cycling. Lastly, cycling aids the stabilisation of the individual vertebrae relative to one another. This is achieved by strengthening the 'small' muscles responsible for supporting the individual vertebrae.

KNEE JOINTS A general cause of knee pain is often attributed to the breakdown of cartilage. Excessive stress placed on the joint, for example by jogging, or being over weight, restrict or deny the supply of nourishment to the cartilage. Consequently the cartilage is weakened and starts to break down.




The knee starts to hurt as it denied minerals essential to the cartilage. Since the cartilage has no blood vessels of its own, the transfer of minerals occurs through diffusion. Movement of the knee joint therefore encourages the nourishment of the cartilage. Cycling is one of the least stressful ways of exercising the knee joint and therefore is an excellent way of strengthening the cartilage.

HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM The heart is our only "motor" and for this reason we should take particular care of it. Stress symptoms and hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis) for example have a detrimental effect on the heart resulting in high blood pressure. To get through the narrowed blood-vessels the same amount of blood has to travel faster and with fully-closed arteries a heart attack may occur. Cycling can improve the blood circulation in a large number of ways. Most importantly the heart will be working more economically because the pumping performance becomes more efficient - it leads to a drop in the overall blood pressure thus reduces the risk of heart disease.




IMMUNE SYSTEM Infections are one of the prime causes of absenteeism from the work place. One frequent reason is an ineffective immune system leading to allergic reactions and an inability to fight common colds. Cycling improves the quality of the immune system by allowing the body to protect itself against viruses and warding off bacteria. Consequently cycling is the most advantageous method of exercise for strengthening the immune system.

Life after sport? Counseling Professional Athletes Facing Retirement

I see a wonderful article written by Peter-Danton de Rouffignac.

Much of the early research into withdrawal from sport concentrated on the problems faced by younger athletes (all disciplines) retiring from full-time sport at high school or college (university) levels in America.A number of issues were identified which can affect the quality of the transition, and many of these have laid the groundwork for later research into the retirement of professional athletes, and have influenced the approaches increasingly being taken by sports federations and others to helping sportsmen facing retirement. This article examines the main trends and offers some conclusions.

Why athletes retire

As early as 1984, Ogilvie[1] cited three factors that may trigger retirement from professional sport, which he argued could have varying consequences on the young person’s ability to cope with retirement. They were: de-selection, injury and expiration of eligibility, any of which could precipitate the athlete’s (unwilling) exit from sport.

De-selection occurred when the athlete is suddenly dropped from a team or squad and can arise at any time, often without warning and coming as a rude shock to the athlete concerned. De-selection may be due to injury or loss of form, reduced quotas or the arrival of younger, fitter recruits. Later research by Ogilvie and Howe[2] also found that the numbers of young people making the transition from school or university to fulltime or professional sport were extremely low, and that a career at the top levels could be extremely short. According to their findings, as few as 0.021 per cent of American athletes (or 15,000 individuals) reached the level of a university team after high school, and 0.00007 per cent (50 individuals) reached the level of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Even those who made it to the professional ranks could spend an average of just 4.2 years in the national football league (NFL) and even less time in the NBA. The figures for black minority athletes were even more disturbing. Out of 30 million black men and women (population figures at the time of the survey), only one in 460,000 would end up making a career from major football, basketball or soccer leagues during that year; yet 43 per cent of all young black athletes polled believed they would eventually play professional sport as a fulltime career.The researchers placed much of the blame for thwarted ambitions on teachers and coaches who frequently encouraged unrealistic expectations in the young athletes, who in turn discovered that the transition, say, from high school to college level sport was beyond their capabilities, with a resulting shock to their self-esteem.

Another significant cause of retirement was athletic injury, which can strike at any time, and because of its unpredictability can cause additional problems of retirement planning. The level of injuries sustained by American sportsmen ranged from 21 per cent out of 21,000 athletes surveyed in 351 high schools by the University of Iowa in 1993, who were forced to retire from sport; to as many as 66 per cent of all NFL players whose retirement was the direct result of serious injury.

Other commentators have argued that as many as 50 per cent of college athletes retire early due to injury, and in sports such as professional skiing injury rates may reach an alarming one hundred per cent. . While the fulltime professional might be better prepared for an injury that may terminate his career[3], young school and college athletes tended to react either through denial (‘this can’t happen to me’) to ‘toughing it out’, disguising or denying their injury, and continuing to train and practice without informing their coach. Ogilvie and Howe cite examples of anger and resentment expressed by young athletes, against doctors, trainers and coaches who were sometimes imagined as obstructing the injured athlete’s return to competitive sport. Because the young people were single-mindedly dedicated to their sport they sometimes failed to develop other aptitudes and abilities which could provide a substitute when their athletic career came to an end. Lack of proper guidance and counselling, the authors argue, were to blame.

The third principal cause of athlete retirement was found to be expiry of eligibility – the young athlete’s time at school or college simply came to an end, together with the opportunity to remain as a member of the representative team[4]. Research by Blum[5] in 1995 found that academic emphasis was especially low for Black minority athletes – they were recruited on scholarships principally for their sporting prowess, with the result that withdrawal from sport often left them with few career alternatives. The research argued for higher academic standards on admission but noted that this policy might also have the effect of ruling many minority athletes out of sport at the university level.

Athletic identity

Where an athlete has a strong identity with his chosen sport, additional problems of transition can occur at any time. A dominant or exclusive athletic identity occurs when athletes define themselves principally by their role in sport, sometimes to the detriment or exclusion of their personal or social identity.[6]

Levels of athletic identity can be measured by examining the attitudes of the athlete himself, his family, friends and peers to his role in sport.[7] Consequences of a strong athletic identity identified by Meeker et al. include characteristics such as absence or low levels of self-worth outside sport, significant time and energy spent pursuing sport, ignoring the realities of playing professional sport, failure to generate interests and activities outside sport, failure to identify career alternatives in the event of a withdrawal from sport, and experience of depression when unable to continue a career in sport.[8]

Further findings in America[9] have shown that a strong athletic identity can lead to a reduced level of alternative career research, and increased problems after withdrawal or retirement, whenever it occurs. Ogilvie and Howe noted that athletes with a strong sports identity often reported ‘more venting of emotions, mental disengagement, behavioural disengagement, denial, seeking of instrumental social support, suppression of competing activities, and seeking of emotional support during retirement’.[10]

In their research into players retiring from the Australian Football League noted above, Fortunato and Gilbert note: ‘Research suggests that, due to elite athletes’ typically being totally involved in their sport, the majority of their friends and acquaintances and their social activities tend to be found in the sports environment…..Difficulties arise when these athletes are no longer part of the team or organisation. It has been suggested that due to athletes’ restricted social identity and the absence of social support, they may experience feelings of isolation and loneliness, which may lead to significant feelings of distress’.[11]

In a personal account of his retirement from professional sport during his 40s, American world champion triathlete Scott Tinley[12] noted that athletes are strongly defined by their sport, and often their individual role within it (for example, as a goalkeeper or high jumper). Athletes he notes tend to be identified by recognisable external ‘badges’, such as the shaved legs of the professional cyclist or triathlete, their distinctive sports clothing and equipment or their collections of trophies. Reactions to retirement can accordingly include a refusal to give up these symbols, with some athletes attempting repeated comebacks or trying their hand at another sport.

Educational levels

Additional problems can occur on transition where athletes have pursued their sports career to the detriment of their general education. Graduation levels of all student-athletes have been reported as low as 15 per cent in some areas of America to below 30 per cent in others, compared with the overall student body. This has been graphically described as ‘the jock trap’ – the situation in which many student-athletes leave college without an adequate education to fit them for a career outside sport.

Researchers again argue that lack of guidance is to blame, with too much emphasis placed on sporting prowess (and the concomitant fame attached to the college concerned) and insufficient consideration given to developing the young athletes’ academic potential and preparing them for eventual withdrawal from sport. Practical recommendations include individual and group counselling about career options in and outside sport, the need for the athlete to continue lower levels of maintenance fitness and sports activity after retirement, and helping athletes ‘let go’ and make the transition out of fulltime sport and into an alternative life while they are still relatively young.

This theme has been developed by professor J Scott Hinkle of the University of North Carolina[13] who states: ‘Collegiate athletes rarely make it to the pro ranks or to the Olympics. In fact, the majority do not make it to graduation. This reflects a need for career development and life planning with student-athletes in the early stages of their careers. Student-athletes’ career decisions are often postponed due to the intense level of commitment required by their sport participation. Sports counsellors have been successful using interventions which focus on development across the lifespan. In these classes student-athletes are informed and educated about the need for awareness of difficulties that may lie ahead and are taught the skills necessary for problem management’.

Hinkle also notes that participants in minor sports – covering virtually all sports activities except college football and baseball that generate revenues for the university - and embracing swimmers, athletes or gymnasts, also suffer from neglect by their college but still have their share of stress and other difficulties. This is also noted by Dr John F Murray[14] in the sports psychology journal Mental Equipment in relation to athletes within individual sports such as tennis, who often lack the larger social support resources found in team sports. ‘No athlete is an island’ he notes. In another article in the same journal, Dr Murray notes: ‘When your whole life has been geared toward athletic excellence, the prospects of retirement can be dreadful! This is commonplace at collegiate level where 99 per cent of the athletes do not go on to play their sport professionally. Counselling is a way to prepare athletes for the inevitable loss that occurs after the glory is over and only memories remain. As with any loss, people need effective ways to cope. Going at it all on your own might work for some, but I’ll submit that the vast majority of athletes benefit from early discussion and planning for retirement. There is definitely life after sport. Not planning for financial retirement is ridiculous, and failing to plan for the emotional effects of retirement is just as silly’.

Making the break

In their study of athletes’ typical reactions to leaving sport Petitpas et al.[15] cite typical reactions as including feelings of sadness at leaving the sports arena; loss of self-identity; anger at the circumstances surrounding the decision to leave sport; loneliness at separating from team mates; fear of an uncertain future outside sport; loss of confidence towards life; frustration at no longer having a special status as an athlete; fear of being left behind in the career world and having to catch up; frustration over loss of entitlement to privileges such as sponsorship and free travel; and concerns about managing money.

A more recent study is the individual research of Musselman[16] and Planella[17] which included a number of personal case studies based on interviews with eighteen athletes. Similar themes arise and the two researchers jointly summarised their overall findings as follows: ‘All athletes had invested a long time in the sport and had a large part of their identity framed by their success.All athletes experienced the transition period uniquely through particular reactions to factors operating before and at their retirement. Approximately 60 per cent expressed the opinion that their experiences had been a mixed or difficult process.The most significant determinants of successful transition were voluntary departure from the sport, an easing out of the sport, strong social support (provided by family and friends but seldom by coaches and/or sports organisations), pre-retirement planning (although few either chose or were able to access such services), and establishing a new focus either within or outside the sport.The most significant determinants of unsuccessful transition were involuntary departure, loss of self identity, and lack of other replacement activities for the large amount of available time. Achieving specific goals showed mixed responses. Whether individuals felt that they had been recognised within the sport culture appeared to be of most importance. Transition took some time, usually up to three years before athletes felt that the effects were less important. Most of the female athletes had abandoned exercise and express serious concern for weight gains.Generally, athletes were satisfied with the sport experience and given the opportunity would have chosen the same path’.

Occasionally it is the athletes themselves who reveal the traumas they went through on reaching retirement from professional sport. These were highlighted in January 2002, at the launch of a new programme involving the website monster.com and the US Olympics Team. Researchers found that 70 per cent of the athletes interviewed felt the time spent in training and competing had left them at a disadvantage in the job market; more than 60 per cent had or expected an emotional letdown after the Games; and 73 per cent had to work in low-level service jobs while training and pursuing their studies.

American hockey player A J Mleczko speaking of his impending retirement talked of ‘putting your life on hold to pursue a dream’ and adding ‘All of my peers have five years of post-college experience. I don’t know if what I’m doing qualifies me for anything’. Jimmy Pedro, a three-times Olympian and bronze medal winner in the 1996 summer games (judo) comments: ‘Most athletes don’t end up on a cereal packet. They don’t have a bank account. They don’t have a home. They need employment…..Right after (the Olympics) I was being pulled in lots of different directions. My speaking schedule was booked. I was exhausted and drained. When it all died down after three months I was empty, I was lost and I had three kids and had to put food on the table…An entry level salary, acceptable for a 21 year old recent college graduate, is a shock to someone in their thirties trying to catch up. It’s the kind of situation that just adds to the letdown’. But Pedro notes that former athletes make good employees but suffer from their late start and knowing where to begin. He goes on: ‘These are people who work well under pressure, are goal oriented, manage their time well, are used to a team environment, and know persistence and how to hustle. Unfortunately they rarely know anyone outside a small circle. Their network is their coach and their peers, who are going through the same thing’.[18]

Another US hockey player, interviewed[19] spoke of the difficulties he expected to face on retirement. Approaching 30, he admitted he had done little to prepare for his future: ‘I fell victim to it (the life of the professional athlete). Hindsight is 20-20. I am college educated but it’s still going to be a difficult transition for me at age 30….Guys have to take a serious look at the fact that they’re going to need a life after hockey. This isn’t the NHL and I don’t think anyone’s going to get rich playing in the IHL. You’re going to have to have a second career’.

Jean Lussier, a Canadian professional hockey player living in Quebec who had spent time playing in Lausanne (Switzerland) speaks of similar apprehensions.[20] Replying to questions about his plans for the future he notes: ‘I have gone through some difficult patches. I left a world I adored, for me hockey was more than just a simple passion. I have had to readjust. Life here in Quebec is not the same as Switzerland….Though I never wanted to push myself into the spotlight, I still found myself there! But you have to be able to turn the page. From being a public figure you become just another man in the street. Golf has enabled me to meet new people and make new contacts. Sportsmen who withdraw and cut themselves off can spiral into dark depressions. When you’re involved in sport everyone wants to shake your hand. When you become just another citizen, no-one is interested any more’.

Scott Tinley[21] in his personal account of retirement already cited sought recovery by talking to as many fellow athletes as he could during the immediate months of his own withdrawal from sport. He found that the ‘recovery process’ could last from as little as a few months to as much as ten years, with withdrawal symptoms including mental, emotional and physical illnesses. He encountered former athletes who had used drugs or alcohol as part of their survival mechanism, while some attempted or committed suicide, or suffered divorce and family break-up.

Many athletes reported missing their previously well ordered daily routine of training and competition, the foreign travel and the company and support of their team-mates. Without this many complained of the difficulty of ‘finding a reason for living’ or ‘a reason to get up in the morning’. Tinley describes feelings of isolation combined with that of knowing ‘you have to get through this on your own’. On a practical level, he records how his former income dropped by 90 per cent and how he gradually adjusted to his new life as a student and later a university lecturer in California.

Interventions

A number of researchers have also examined the role of interventions by counsellors and sports organisations and their effectiveness in helping athletes in transition, based largely on empirical evidence. Some of their conclusions are now examined.

In their report cited above, Musselman and Planella offered the following suggestions: ‘Prior to the retirement phase athletes:Must be made aware of the potential responses to transition through careful interventions during their participation.Must be encouraged to develop outside interests to provide some balance in their lives.Must be encouraged to recognise the life skills inherently involved in high level sport, such as commitment, time management and establishing long term goals.Should be encouraged to go through a period of reduced activity (detraining and less competition toward the end of their career).Should receive counselling in nutrition and the values of normal exercise. Should receive mentoring from former athletes in managing the experience’.[22]

The authors concluded that coaches and sports organisations should be more empathetic to the needs of retiring and recently retired athletes and institute career search assistance plans for those leaving sport.These sentiments are echoed by Emily Thompson, of Dalhousie University[23] who advises sports coaches as follows: ‘According to the research, the ease with which an athlete makes the transition out of competitive sport is intimately related to the experience they had during their competitive years. An athlete who has had a positive experience in sport and has accomplished what he or she set out to do in sport will be able to handle the challenges of retirement far better than the athlete who has unfulfilled expectations or feels they are being “pushed out” of their sport. To avoid the latter, we should be discussing retirement with our athletes as part of regular career planning sessions. Retirement should not be considered a finite moment in time – where one day the athlete is competing at high level, and the next they are not involved in sport any more. Training and competition at high level is a lot like an addiction – and just like other physical addictions, our bodies need time to adapt to the new demands – and going “cold turkey” can lead to serious and long-lasting side effects. Retiring athletes report having headaches, difficulty sleeping, irritability, a lack of appetite and even depression. By managing their transition we can reduce these unwanted side-effects. Instead, retirement should be viewed as a gradual process where initially the athlete gains an awareness that retirement is approaching, and then he/she experiences a pre-leaving interval, where the coach can offer modified training programmes to counter the physical/psychological side-effects of reduced training. This is followed by the actual act of leaving the sport, and then the athlete is free to explore “life after competition”. Depending upon the athlete, this process may take place over a matter of months or extend over a period of several years. Be aware that how you personally feel about retirement will be relayed to your athletes through words or your actions. Suggesting that it is “not my problem – you work it out” sends the message that you don’t care what happens to them once they stop competing. Avoiding the topic altogether sends the message that retirement is negative, and something to be dreaded and feared. By talking about retirement openly and regularly tells athletes that it is something they need to think about and they should embrace this transition and life after competition, with the same kind of commitment that kept them training throughout their career’.

Hinkle adduces similar arguments as Ogilvie, Blum and others and notes that all student-athletes suffer a number of anxieties arising out of ‘the threat of evaluation by others, lack of self-confidence, and unreasonable expectations from coaches and fans’. These are best treated, he argues, by specialist sports counsellors: the latter are not sport psychologists who focus on issues such as motivation and performances; nor are they coaches who are trained in physical education.

He notes: ‘The counsellor should not neglect the individual for the sake of sports performance or the organization/team for which the student-athlete performs. In contrast to sports psychology, sports counselling’s focus is on the athlete’s development as an individual, including personal and clinical issues associated with sport performance. For example, sports counselling assists student-athletes with reducing stress and anxiety, overcoming fear of failure and success, and burn-out. It also addresses interpersonal issues such as family and marital difficulty. In addition counselling can assist with problem prevention, coping skills; relaxation training; decision-making, life management and career planning; therapeutic strategies and crisis intervention.’[24]

Recognising the symptoms of athlete distress is an essential part of any retirement support programme, according to Petitpas[25] who notes: ‘Although many athletes choose to attend career transition programmes to acquire the knowledge necessary to position themselves to get a job or start a new career, they often have to deal with the emotional meaning of leaving elite sport competition. Our experience suggests that many athletes, particularly those in the midst of disengaging from competition, experience emotions such as fear, sadness and anger during their transition out of elite sport participation. Without getting into a lengthy discourse about the causes of these emotional reactions, they are often political, identity and support systems issues that must be addressed before these individuals are ready to engage in self-exploration activities. This does not imply that all these issues have to be resolved, but only that many athletes will need a safe forum in which to share their feelings.‘Unfortunately, many transitioning athletes believe that few people understand what they are going through. As a result, the first task in any sport career transition intervention is to give the participants opportunities to express their feelings in a forum in which they feel understood’.

Petipas also insists that advisors should be aware of sportsmen’s self-identity issues, and notes:[26] ‘A related issue is what has been called the Olympic self-image. Athletes at elite levels are often revered by fans and placed on pedestals. As a result, it is sometimes difficult for these athletes to imagine themselves in anything but high-paying high-visibility careers that will give them the same types of exciting and compelling experiences that they had during their athletic careers. It is often necessary to ask athletes to recall what it took for them to become elite performers. This will set the stage for looking at sports participation as a first career and for introducing the notion of transferable skills in order to accelerate their rate of advancement within a new career.’

Counselling the athlete in transition

It is clear from the research that the typical athlete faces a unique set of pressures that may require counselling help, especially during withdrawal, which can occur at any stage of his sports career. Elite athletes have invariably entered their sport at a very young age and have already spent several years in training and preparation before being identified by their local or regional federation as candidates for high level training. During their teenage years they have to adjust to a dual or triple role, as young people, as students and as athletes. These multiple roles produce a unique set of pressures, physical as well as mental, at a particularly vulnerable time in the young person’s development. Athletic advancement can often be at the expense of personal development.[27] Other commentators have argued that team welfare is often placed ahead of the personal welfare of the athlete, who may be encouraged to ignore injury and play on ‘for the good of the team’ to the detriment of his own long-term health.[28]

The high visibility of athletes can result in a variety of misconceptions and create further role confusion. Student athletes may be regarded by other students and faculty as ‘dumb jocks’ or a privileged and pampered elite that brings fame and notoriety to their school or university. Educational standards may have been waived to accommodate a promising sportsman and the high profile athlete may enjoy considerable indulgence from teachers and professors. Where this is not the case, the student athlete may have to face a choice of continuing his education or concentrating on the demands of high level sport (training, competition, travel) that may leave him too exhausted to study. Student athletes who participate in non-revenue generating sports may enjoy fewer privileges and yet be expected to perform well academically as well as in sport.[29]

External pressures include those of parents, coaches, federations, clubs and sponsors, who feel they have made an investment in the young athlete’s potential. Some athletes are reluctant to leave their sport because of these outside pressures and occasionally have been known to welcome an injury that offers a face-saving solution and enables them to retire.[30]

Media pressure can range from sudden and sometimes short-lived fame to criticism and violent attack when the athlete falls out of favour or suffers loss of form. The on and off-field exploits of professional soccer players, for example, are continually under a spotlight, as the media have a voracious appetite for alleged financial, marital or sexual scandals. The sportsman’s public profile can also lead to additional demands ‘to give something back to the community’ in the form of charity events or public speaking engagements for which he may have little time or appetite.[31]

As already noted, injury or loss of form can swiftly end a promising sports career at any time, forcing the athlete to disguise or downplay an injury in an effort to carry on and retain a team place, possibly to the detriment of his long term health. Such pressures may also come from irresponsible coaches and sponsors, whose reputations are built on the ability of their protégés to perform. This can lead to conflicts in counselling between team directors and coaches, and personal physicians more concerned about the individual athlete’s long term health.[32]

Barriers to take-up of counselling services

Not surprisingly some athletes turn to various coping mechanisms such as alcohol or drugs, either to enhance their performance or simply keep going, or to compensate for the pain of relegation or abandonment when their sporting career is threatened.[33]

Although several universities, sports federations and public bodies have initiated athlete assistance programmes, there are numerous barriers to their effective delivery. Among them is the sportsman’s own reluctance to use the services offered. This can be for a number of reasons including time constraints (real or imaginary); perceived loss of image (‘I can sort this out on my own’); pressure from peers or coaches; suspicion of outsiders (those not integrated into the athlete’s closed, protective world); misconceptions (the image of counsellors as ‘shrinks’ who deal with ‘head cases’); and the inappropriateness – real or imagined – of the range of services offered (for example an emphasis on career and job finding rather than dealing with emotional or psychological problems). Commentators such as Etzel and colleagues note that visiting a sports psychologist is regarded as acceptable by coaches and athletes if it is to do with performance enhancement or recovering from loss of form; but not if the athlete reports suffering from personal problems (regarded as an admission of failure by the coach).[34]

The same authors argue that by concentrating on motivation psychology and performance enhancement, sports psychologists and practitioners in exercise science may be ill-equipped to assist the athlete in dealing with related problems of anxiety, stress, depression and other psychosocial problems which some estimates suggest affect up to 25 per cent of the US athletic population.[35]

Further research noted by the authors indicates that as many as 70 per cent of the overall student athlete population have reported a need for counselling assistance from their coach.[36] This element is however lacking in a number of athlete support programmes studied by various researchers. A 1989 survey of American baseball and hockey players by Blann and Zaichowsky was critical of the emphasis on work placements, job search and self marketing techniques; while elements that were highly valued by the athletes included ‘seminars and individual counselling’. [37] These findings are again confirmed in the 2003 research undertaken by Fortunato and Gilbert among Australian rules footballers. They note:‘Players who involuntarily retired, that being through injury or de-selection, discussed not receiving adequate social support by their clubs, family or friends. While they obviously did not receive support from their clubs, these players all admitted to being offered support from their family and friends, but stated that their family and friends could not understand what they were going through. This seems to be a case of the players not being ready to accept support, rather than it not being offered. Further research should investigate:

1. factors which lead to perceived “lack” of social support;
2. factors that distinguish when one is ready to accept social support;
3. and the value of counselling from a person not attached to the club or player who is retiring’.[38]
4. 
   

Fortunato and Gilbert also cite three further independent research programmes which have highlighted the need for personal counselling of athletes undergoing transition. Hawkins and Blann’s study (1991) of American elite male and female notes that ‘both males and females agreed that programs using individual counselling or small group counselling would be most effective and that such programs would be most helpful if delivered both during and after their sport careers’.[39]

In designing the American CAPA programme (Career Assistance Program for Athletes) in 1988, the US Olympic Foundation emphasised that important element should include ‘counselling that allows athletes to share their feelings after, as well as before, a transition (eg. retirement) takes place’. A survey among athlete users of the programme noted that among the elements most valued by athletes were ‘small group discussions with other athletes, sharing feelings with other athletes’, which led to changes in the design of the programme (sadly, suspended in 1993 due to lack of funding).[40]

In the conclusion to their own study of Australian Rules football players, Fortunato and Gilbert note:‘A footballer needs to manage the transition experience from player to non-player effectively. This may be achieved through individual counselling which deals with some of the following issues:

1. self identity
2. social support
3. coping skills
4. managing change
5. developing a sense of control.

…….The nature of the counselling should take into account findings from this research that different issues are important to different types of retirees. For injured athletes the loss of career, the feeling of being “robbed” seemed to be paramount. For de-selected players, while this was an important issue, the focus of their anger and resentment was towards the club that had discarded them, often wrongly in their view. It is likely that the issues for voluntary retires at career end would be different from these groups’.[41]

Conclusion

During my own researches into retirement from sport, I have often been surprised and sometimes moved by the vulnerability of professional sportsmen, which is often at variance with their perceived tough-guy public image. Sports federations, professional clubs, coaches – and even dare I say sports psychologists – may sometimes fail the individual by not recognising that behind every dieu du stade there is a vulnerable human being. It is only through sports counselling that practitioners can start to address the many personal issues faced by professional sportsmen, not least at a time when they are experiencing a transition out of sport and into real life.


Peter-Danton de Rouffignac is a sports counsellor specialising in sports retirement and has researched many of the issues raised in this article, in association with INSEP, the French national sports training centre. ‘Life after sport,’ is available in draft by request to anyone interested in this topic and might like to contribute to ongoing research. Email peter-danton@orange.fr

http://istadia.com/article/peterdanton/110

Can there be an Iron man in reality?

A near indestructable armor over exoskeleton frame that gives speed and strength as well as ability to fly. As well as enough weaponry to take on tanks by him or herself.

We have known for awhile that the military has been investing in these technologies. Exoskeletons, jet packs, advance armor, etc.

Is it realistic? Maybe not?

Probably the cost, as well as technical nightmare to produce such a suit.

Personal body armor is a concept so integral to the human psyche that it's constantly manifested in fantasy and myth even when it's lacking in contemporary culture. Ironman is on such representation of the phenomena. KAI...

Aha....forget CDTRF....at least now. And give me a real ironmen sample xD

Ok here the one of the best shot as below;

This photo is really great...Mark Allen and Dave Scott going 'head to head' at the Hawai ironman. This was the most inspirational of images when to me when it come out on the front of the triathlon magazines. They look so fit/lean and were pushing themselves to the limit. They are purely REAL Ironmen.

Inside the Mind of a Serial Runner

For Pam Reed, a marathon is nothing — a morning warm-up before starting her day. Running through a desert for 28 hours in temperatures so hot the asphalt melts your Nikes? Now that's a race.

As she tells it in her new autobiography The Extra Mile (Rodale), Reed helped put ultrarunning on the extreme-sports map. In 2002 she became the first woman ever to win the Badwater Ultramarathon, a brutal 135-mile race across Death Valley in July. In 2003, she beat out all 80 competitors again and remains the only woman with the first-place title.

Last year, Reed became the first person to run 300 miles nonstop with no sleep. She holds the U.S. women's record for running the most miles in 24 hours (138.96), and she once completed the London Marathon and the Boston Marathon (she has run the latter twice) in 48 hours.

Is she crazy? "Maybe a little," says Reed, laughing. However, the 100-pound mom prefers the word "driven." "When a race is over, I'm definitely happy," she explains, "but within a couple of days or even an hour, I want to do it again. I want to see if I can do better."

In her book and in conversation, Reed comes off as complex, intense, even contradictory. She describes herself as an easily bored type A, yet she'll gladly run laps around the same quarter-mile track for two days straight. She claims to compete only with herself but has taken flack for supposedly dueling with 2004 Badwater champ Dean Karnazes.

Reed credits ultrarunning with healing her relationship with food. For 15 years, she battled anorexia. "I look at food now as fuel," says the former triathlete, who ingests Ensure, Red Bull, noodles and oatmeal during a race (often while running). "If I don't eat, then I can't do what I want to do. I see food now as a positive thing."

She shoots down the suggestion that her anorexia actually prepped her for the deprivations of her sport. "A lot of people think that," she says, "but it didn't." Instead she points to a surprising secret weapon: her age. "A huge aspect of ultrarunning is patience," explains Reed, who is 45. "And patience comes with age. I am not a really fast runner. I broke three hours in a marathon once. But in ultrarunning, it's not about speed — it's about heart.

"It's about how strong you are mentally," she adds. "And that's where I draw from my experience. I know that the pain is going to pass. I know what's on the other end."

Gender, too, plays a role, she believes, in her ability to run with a throbbing hip or feet studded with blisters. "When you look at who finishes these races, there's a ton of women at the top," she says. "Mentally, women are really strong, because physically, we go through so much. We can endure a lot."

Still, Reed insists that she isn't "inhuman." Or amazing. She believes that with practice and dedication and a crew of race assistants, you, too, could be running, Gump-like, up 8,000-foot inclines in 130-degree heat.

"I want to bring ultrarunning to the average person," says Reed. "It's not so outrageous to say, 'I'm going to run 50 miles.' You just have to put your mind to it." Just make sure your doctor says you're healthy enough for this kind of exercise.

She compares each race to "living a lifetime," with ups and downs as dramatic as the terrain. The past year has been especially tough: Reed, who recently moved to Jackson, Wyoming, had to drop out of Badwater 2006 and reports that she is running with more pain. Yet don't count this gritty groundbreaker out of the race. She's talking about attempting a run of 500 miles straight.

By: Alicia Potter
http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/diet-fitness/inside-mind-serial-runner.html?pageNum=1

Top 10 healthy ways to beat the credit crunch

How to save money by getting fit

With the credit crunch still hitting the pockets of under-pressure Brits, health experts are urging the nation to beat their financial troubles by getting fighting fit through a lifestyle overhaul.

As fuel and home bills start to rocket, the crunch is proving the ideal spur for families to make changes to improve their well-being and their finances.

A top 10 list of simple changes that will help cut overheads – and create a fitter family… :)

1. Ditching the school car run in favour of healthier walking or cycling
With petrol prices soaring, cycling or walking the kids to school is an excellent way of saving money on fuel whilst improving your family’s general fitness through exercise and a much-needed breath of fresh air in the morning. Not only that, it will also be a great way to socialise with other parents who are also keen to fight the credit crunch through lifestyle change.

2. Cycling or walking to work – leaving the car in the garage
Driving to work is becoming an increasingly expensive habit and one that aggravates stress through the frustrations of rush hour traffic. Leaving the car behind and cycling or walking to work therefore offers a relaxing, energetic alternative that may even lead to new friendships with fellow exercising co-workers.
Even if you live too far away from work to walk or cycle there, why not car-share with fellow colleagues, taking it in turns to drive? This will help cut costs in the long-term, as well as helping the environment.

3. Turning off TVs, unplugging game consoles and going out with family and friends for walks or fun in the local park
With electricity consumers also hit hard by the rising bills of the credit crunch, turning off televisions, games consoles and DVD players and going for family walks in the park will help save you money and offer a refreshing fitness routine. Physical exercise doesn’t have to be arduous; why not take the kids for a game of rounders and turn the TV off? It’ll be good exercise, getting the family out of the stuffy house and into the fresh summer air.

4. Enjoying the summer evenings walking, running round the park, cycling or gardening… rather than in the pub
As well as being bad for your health, drinking can be an expensive habit and prices look set to increase during the credit crunch. So why not save yourself the money and gain a new lease of life by doing some recreational exercise? Running round the park, gardening and cycling are all simple, free and enjoyable pleasures that offer healthier alternatives to the pub routine.
And even if you do fancy a quick pint in the pub to catch up with friends or family, try walking there to balance out your drinking with a dose of easy exercise.

5. Scrapping the weekend takeaway and using some of the cash for a trip to the leisure centre or swimming pool
This weekend, why not ditch the junk food and spend the money productively on a trip to the local leisure centre or swimming pool? Takeaways are expensive and with recreational facilities offering cheap and fun exercise options, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t spend the money on something useful instead.

6. Cutting food bills by growing your own veg, even if it’s just a few pots on the patio or a windowbox
As food prices seem to rise each time you go to the supermarket, an alternative source of healthy eating is thankfully at hand. Even if you aren’t blessed with a large garden, you can quickly cut your food bills by growing your own fruit and veg. A good value, healthy answer to large food bills, it’s also great fun for the whole family and very satisfying to watch your own handiwork as it grows and develops.

7. Getting fitter by doing more jobs around the home – washing the car and cleaning windows yourself
Save heaps of money on cleaners by doing household jobs yourself. As well as cutting costs, carrying out tasks like washing the car and cleaning windows will also prove a useful way of keeping active, allowing you to exercise your body just by doing a good deed. Healthy and satisfying, you’ll never need a cleaner again!

8. Ditch the lunchtime fast food. Enjoy a healthy home-made packed lunch and a brisk walk
Fed up with sitting in the canteen through your lunch hour, moaning at the prices of the fast food they’re serving? No problem. There is a healthy and cheap alternative staring you in the face! Simply bring your own packed lunch into work and, instead of loitering in the canteen, go for a brisk walk to exercise your body and clear your head before the afternoon’s work. You’ll feel the health benefits in no time.

9. Instead of an expensive meal out, pack up a picnic then head out to the countryside for some ‘al fresco’ dining and a scenic stroll
Struggling to afford to treat the family to a slap-up dinner? Don’t worry, help is at hand. Instead of spending a fortune on an expensive restaurant meal, try packing a picnic, heading for the countryside and enjoying your homemade food – and the good company of your family – before enjoying a scenic stroll or some fun and games.

10. Beat the cost of a posh birthday party, just invite a few friends round for a fantastic barbecue, with everyone bringing some food and drinks
Birthday parties can be expensive affairs, so this year beat the credit crunch by simply inviting a few friends round and having a barbecue in the fresh air. With everyone chipping in by bringing their own food and drink, the cost will dramatically decrease, leaving you to concentrate less on your finances and more on having fun with the people you love.

Great article for runners,fitters....not only for Brits also for Turks and anyone else....:)


http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/top-10-healthy-ways-to-beat-the-credit-crunch/#1

On 30.10.09 after logging 39 runs at an average pace of 8'44"/KM CDTRF-Ziya T. ran 250 total km with Nike + IPOD Congratulations.


http://nikerunning.nike.com/nikeplus/v1/html/milestones/print_certif.html?id=818287438®ion=emea&language=en&locale=en_gb&dateFormat=DD/MM/YY

CDTRF Nike Runner

Shin splints what are they?

Shin splints is an often debilitating injury that if not treated correctly can lead to months of pain.

The vague medical term shin splints has largely been replaced by the more accurate term medial tibia stress syndrome or MTSS but many athletes still use the older term. Shin splints are a painful condition in which the bone tissue and thin membranes of the lower shin bone become inflamed. The most common causes of shin splints are overexercising, biomechanical abnormalities and poor footwear. Shin splints / MTSS is one of the most common injuries reported by runners and professional athletes.

Shin splints starts with pain along the front or inside edge of the shinbone (tibia) is commonly referred to as shin splints. The problem is common in athletes who run and jump. Shin splints is usually caused by doing too much, too quickly. The runner with shin splints typically reports a recent change in training, such as increasing the usual pace, adding distance, or changing running surfaces. People who haven't run for a while are especially prone to shin splints after they first get started, especially when they run downhill. Shin splints on the front of the tibia are called anterior shin splints. Posterior shin splints cause pain along the inside edge of the lower leg. Boney shin splints cause general pain inthe lower leg

There are two main types of shin splints.

Muscular shin splints (anterior and posterior).
Boney shin splints

How playing squash gets you fit

The fitness benefits of playing squash

Squash is a fantastic racket sport that gets your body fit and healthy, as well as being a lot of fun. Here's the realbuzz introduction to playing squash, from what sports equipment to buy for squash through to whether joining a squash club could be right for you.

Introduction to playing squashSquash is an exhilarating racket sport and when you're playing a good match you can get as much of a buzz from this sport as from any other.
Squash is fast paced; unlike some sports it seems like it never stops, mainly because of the enclosed court area. This means the ball is never far away and you never seem to have an excuse for a break. Therefore, you do need a reasonable level of fitness before starting out in the game.

One of the great benefits of squash is that it's easy to get started and it's relatively cheap. There are thousands of courts all over the country; most local sports facilities will have at least one court and you don't have to have lessons to get going. Due to the popularity of the sport most people will know someone that plays and this is a great way to pick up the basics. Then, once you have grasped the essentials, a few lessons could be invaluable.

Furthermore as squash equipment requirements are fairly low it is not difficult to get the basic kit together to start playing. You only need a racket, balls and obviously your clothing but shorts, shirt and non-marking soled trainers are all you need to get started.

Of course if you want to improve, it's best to join a club and play against people of similar or a slightly higher standard as well as having the support of a coach to refine your skills and improve your game. It is also a good idea to join the Squash Rackets Association to get all the latest information on developments within the sport. It won't be long before you're hooked.
How playing squash gets your body fitPlaying squash can have a number of positive health and fitness benefits on your body. Here are some of its key exercise advantages:

Improves aerobic fitness, with more oxygen circulated around the body to better muscular endurance.

Burns off calories with energy being supplied to the muscles and not forming fat.
Boosting flexibility and sprint speed, due to the fast-paced nature of squash.
Improves hand-eye co-ordination with concentration required for serving.
Develops the strength and power of muscles, notably leg and arm muscles.
Furthers concentration and mental strength, with matches often lasting for some time.

Boosts a player's cardiovascular fitness (the heart and lungs organs), allowing more oxygen to be pumped around the body and help energise muscles.

http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/how-playing-squash-gets-you-fit/

Question and Answer

Question(s):

Is there any conection between mental health and physical fitness? What are the benefits to exercise? Why is Exercises Healty Life Style Features?

Answer:

Since a long time it is a fact, that excercising and fitness activities have a therapeutical effect on a lot of mental problems and deseases. Apart from other wholesome effects, physical fitness helps to reduce stress and symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders.
Especially endurance sports such as walking, jogging, swimming and cycling, are very effective. Regular excercise reduces the stress level and strengthens the immune system. Fitness helps to sustain certain happiness hormones (endorphines), which lowers the mental impact of psychological problems. Equally important is that you can aim higher and higher and experience the success. As well, sport activities can lead to new contacts and a deliberate distraction of the problems. So by exercising you improve your life and help on your health, as you don't have to worry about your problems all the time.
Try to find out, which sport activities you used to like, and start exercising again:
Swimming
To go for a walk
Regular Walking/Jogging
Cycling at the weekend
Golf
Badminton
Tennis
To go on a boat trip with your son
To play with the dog
Aerobics
Going to the gym
....

Benefits of Exercise

We all know that we should undertake exercise regularly, but what exactly are the benefits?

Exercise:

* Elevates your metabolism so that you burn more calories everyday.
* Increases your aerobic capacity (fitness level).
* Maintains, tones, and strengthens your muscle. Exercise also increases your muscular endurance.
* Increases the oxidation (breakdown and use) of fat.
* Increases HDL (good) cholesterol.
* Makes the heart a more efficient pump by increasing stroke volume.
* Increases hemoglobin concentration in your blood.
* Decreases the tendency of the blood to clot in the blood vessels.
* Increases the strength of the bones.
* Enlarges the arteries that supply blood to the heart.
* Decreases blood levels of triglycerides (fat).
* Improves control of blood sugar.
* Increases the thickness of cartilage in joints which has a protective effect on the joints.
* Increases the amount of blood that flows to the skin making it look and feel healthier.

What are you waiting more you morning man ? :)

What is Nike+ Active?

Nike+ Active is a digital tool designed to help motivate you to take more steps and burn more calories every day. It works with the new iPod Nano (5th generation), which doubles as a Pedometer by using its built-in accelerometer to keep track of your steps. Use it when you work out to follow your activity, or set it to Always On so it counts all the steps you take, all the time.

When you connect your iPod Nano to your Mac or PC, iTunes automatically sends your workout data to nikeplusactive.com. There you can see your daily and weekly steps and calories, and work toward a variety of energizing goals.

See how long it takes you to reach the top of a 100-story building or burn your way through a sprinkled-covered doughnut. Each goal you achieve unlocks a slightly more challenging one that's designed to get you moving more often, covering more distance and reaching new heights.



You can also see how you stand compared to the entire Nike+ Active community, work to beat your personal best and share your accomplishments with your Trainer, your family or your friends. Each week you have a new opportunity to match or beat your step count, and keep on track.


Nike+ Active and the new iPod nano are the perfect exercise partners.

Cardio Timing: The Secret to Burning Fat Up To 300% Faster - Early Morning Workouts

When is the best time of day to do your aerobic exercise? The answer is any time! The most important thing is that you just do it. Continuous cardiovascular exercise, such as walking, jogging, stairclimbing, or cycling, sustained for at least 30 minutes, will burn body fat no matter when you do it. However, if you want to get the maximum benefits possible from every minute you invest in your workouts, then you should consider getting up early and doing cardio before you eat your first meal - even if you're not a "morning person." Early morning aerobic exercise on an empty stomach has three major advantages over exercising later in the day:

Early in the morning before you eat, your levels of muscle and liver glycogen (stored carbohydrate) are low. If you eat dinner at 7 p.m and you eat breakfast at 7 a.m., that's 12 hours without food. During this 12-hour overnight fast, your levels of glycogen slowly decline to provide glucose for various bodily functions that go on even while you sleep. As a result, you wake up in the morning with depleted glycogen and lower blood sugar - the optimum environment for burning fat instead of carbohydrate. How much more fat you'll burn is uncertain, but some studies have suggested that up to 300% more fat is burned when cardio is done in a fasted, glycogen-depleted state.

So how exactly does this work? It's quite simple, really. Carbohydrate (glycogen) is your body's primary and preferred energy source. When your primary fuel source is in short supply, this forces your body to tap into its secondary or reserve energy source; body fat. If you do cardio immediately after eating a meal, you'll still burn fat, but you'll burn less of it because you'll be burning off the carbohydrates you ate first. You always burn a combination of fat and carbohydrate for fuel, but depending on when you exercise, you can burn a greater proportion of fat relative to carbohydrate. If doing cardio first thing in the morning is not an option for you, then the second best time to do it would be immediately after weight training. Lifting weights is anaerobic (carbohydrate-burning) by nature, and therefore depletes muscle glycogen. That's why a post lifting cardio session has a similar effect as morning cardio on an empty stomach.

The second benefit you'll get from early morning cardio sessions is what I call the "afterburn" effect. When you do a cardio session in the morning, you not only burn fat during the session, but you also continue to burn fat at an accelerated rate after the workout. Why? Because an intense session of cardiovascular exercise can keep your metabolism elevated for hours after the session is over. If you do cardio at night, you will still burn fat during the session, so you definitely benefit from it. However, nighttime cardio fails to take advantage of the "afterburn" effect because your metabolism drops like a ton of bricks as soon as you go to sleep. While you sleep, your metabolic rate is slower than any other time of the day.

Burning more fat isn't the only reason you should do your cardio early. The third benefit of morning workouts is the "rush" and feeling of accomplishment that stays with you all day long after an invigorating workout. Exercise can become a pleasant and enjoyable experience, but the more difficult or challenging it is for you, the more important it is to get it out of the way early. When you put off any task you consider unpleasant, it hangs over you all day long, leaving you with a feeling of guilt, stress and incompleteness (not to mention that you are more likely to "blow off" an evening workout if you are tired from a long day at work or if your pals try to persuade you to join them at the pub for happy hour.)

You might find it hard to wake up early in the morning and get motivated to workout. But think back for a moment to a time in your life when you tackled a difficult task and you finished it. Didn't you feel great afterwards? Completing any task, especially a physically challenging one, gives you a "buzz." When the task is exercise, the buzz is physiological and psychological. Physiologically, exercise releases endorphins in your body. Endorphins are opiate-like hormones hundreds of times more powerful than the strongest morphine. Endorphins create a natural "high" that makes you feel positively euphoric! Endorphins reduce stress, improve your mood, increase circulation and relieve pain. The "high" is partly psychological too. Getting up early and successfully achieving a small goal kick starts your day and gives you feelings of completion, satisfaction and accomplishment. For the rest of the day you feel happy and you feel less stress knowing that the most difficult part of the day is behind you.

So, you say you're not a morning person? Take heart; neither am I. I can sleep in like you wouldn't believe! But I get up anyway because I know the effort is worth the results. When I have a bodybuilding goal that I am clearly focused on, such as reaching 4% or 5% body fat for a competition, I'm on my Stairmaster for 45 minutes every morning at the crack of dawn without fail. Sure it's a challenge at first, but you know what? After a few short weeks, It's no longer a chore and I'm "in the groove" - and you will be too. Just try it. Make a commitment to yourself to do it for just 21 days. Once those 21 days have gone by, you'll already be leaner and you'll be on your way to making morning workouts a habit that's as natural as brushing your teeth or taking a shower. Once you start getting used to feeling that buzz, you'll become "positively addicted" to it. The more you do it, the more you'll want to do it. Before you know it, early morning cardio will your new habit; you'll be leaner, your metabolism will be faster and you'll feel fantastic all day long

- Tom

It is a great article and fine information to be applied by everyone really. Early morning workout must be a simple addiction for any healty person.

Ziya T. (CDTRF)