Sports Medicine Myths

Few areas of medicine today are fraught with as many "experts" as is sports medicine. Every former high school star has an opinion as to what might be wrong with you. Most parents will subscribe to their favorite cure for their childrens' ailments. Coaches are often guilty of treating their team's injuries in the same manner in which they treated their own injuries 20 years ago. Every weekend athlete has his or her own favorite treatment or method of getting in shape.

Certainly every well-meaning parent, coach, friend, and physician has only the health of the individual in mind and feel that they are passing on reliable and time-tested cures and exercise routines. There are many exercise programs and treatment routines that are beneficial and reliable. However, there are also many that as worthless or even harmful.

Myth #1 - When I stop exercising, all my muscles will turn into fat.

It is not possible to convert muscle tissue into fat. When you exercise in order to develop increased muscle size or strength, you must overload the present capacity of the muscle or muscle group. The muscle responds by increasing the size of the individual muscle fibers and you get bigger and stronger depending upon the regimen you are following.

Most athletes will find that they will eat more food when they are involved in an exercise routine. In large muscle, aerobic activities, i.e. swimming, running, skiing, cycling, this increased caloric intake is necessary for energy expenditures. When any active person stops exercising and they continue to eat the same amount as they did when they were exercising, they will gain fat tissue. This is caused by a POSITIVE caloric balance. As their inactive muscles disappear through non-use (atrophy), they will gain fat through the consumption of too many calories. This will make it appear that the muscle tissue has been replaced by fat tissue.

Myth #2 - No water during practice, makes you tougher.

Nothing could be further from the truth! Water is essential for heat regulation and dissipation. Fluid content is an important factor in the length of time required to recover from bruises and strains. Dehydration is directly related to the incidence of premature muscular fatigue, cardiovascular endurance and even diminution of skill.

Myth #3 - No pain, no gain. The more you train, the more fit you are.

Many athletes of all ages make the mistake at assuming that if the exercise doesn't hurt, it is serving no purpose. You can make a mistake by training too hard or by training too much. The human body is a marvelous piece of machinery; it will accept almost anything in moderation. Commonly athletes and non-athletes are MENTALLY impatient in their desire to acquire results and will attempt to accelerate the acquisition procedure. However, PHYSICALLY the body senses the proper rate at which changes, both gains and losses, can occur. If you attempt to alter this rate, you are approaching the area in which fatigue, injury, staleness and boredom are located. For example, rapid muscle growth via steroid usage does result in tremendous gains, however, the changes occurred too rapidly and the body rebels in the form of liver, kidney or reproductive maladies. Runners often find that if their mileage exceeds 30-35 miles a week, that the occurrence of injuries increases dramatically; again, the body needs time to accept and recover from exertion.

Myth #4 - Steak and potatoes are best before a game or exercise.

Meats are a poor source of immediate energy. They are often high in calories and fat. Fat digests slowly which means that it is often still in the stomach during the game. Pre-game meals should be high in carbohydrates such as potatoes, crackers, breads, pancakes, waffles, etc. Carbohydrates digest relatively quickly and with little metabolic waste products left over.

In most sporting activities, liver and blood levels of stored energy are crucial. It is wise to ensure adequate levels of stored glycogen by eating your pre-game meal 12 hours before the game!

Myth #5 - Athletes are born, not made.

While it is true that each of us are born with varying degrees of an inherent capability for greatness, both physically and mentally, few of us ever reach our potential. The presence of genetic predisposition for greatness is useless without the application of hard work, dedication to goals and emotional commitment to the activity.

Myth #6 - Weight training causes one to be musclebound.

Anyone who has ever lifted weights has felt that muscle tightness that accompanies the exercise. This "pump" produces increased definition and size in the affected muscle or muscle group. However, this "pump" also disappears with time, the greater the "pump" the longer it takes to dissipate. This may have led people to believe that those individuals who lift weights seriously have produced a permanent tightness as evidenced by the manner in which they walk and carrying their body.

Anyone who is seriously lifting weights to improve their strength and/or size should also be a serious practitioner of a stretching routine. Gymnasts and dancers, for example, are routinely very strong and have exception muscle definition, while they are clearly extremely flexible athletes. Weight lifting does not cause inappropriate joint stiffness, lack of stretching three or four times a day causes tightness and a decreased range of motion.

Myth #7 - Soak a new injury in hot water to improve circulation.

While it is true that soaking in hot water will improve the circulation in the body part immersed, in the case of a new injury a REDUCTION in local circulation is needed. When an injury, i.e. bruise, strain, sprain, dislocation, fracture, is sustained the integrity of the cellular wall is disturbed making it more susceptible to the influx body fluids. This increased permeability of the cells will result in swelling and will seriously hinder the performance of the affected area. To reduce the occurrence of swelling, cold should be applied to the injured area. Cold should be applied for 10-30 minutes only, since after 30 minutes the body will react in the same manner as it would in extreme cold exposure outdoors and improve the circulation to the area to avoid frostbite.

Myth #8 - I know someone who smoked and drank everyday and he lived to be 95 years old!

Each of us are born with a capacity to ward off disease. We can do our best to assist our natural defenses by living a healthy life style which includes proper diet, exercise and rest habits. Someone who tempts the hand of fate by not eating properly, smoking and drinking alcohol excessively may live to a ripe old age; however, they did it DESPITE their habits not BECAUSE of their habits.

Myth #9 - If I exercise to increase my muscle size, how much extra protein should I eat?

Muscle tissue is composed of protein, however studies have shown that protein requirements do not rise significantly with exercise, even body building exercises. The cells of the body, like the engine of a car, have limits of materials that can be used. In the case of protein, amounts beyond the body's requirements are either stored as fat or excreted in the urine. Teen-age boys need approximately 54 grams of protein per day and teen-age girls about 48 grams per day. This number changes by approximately only 10 grams with older or younger men, women, boys or girls.

The presence of protein is not what causes muscle development; rather, it is hard work which causes a change in strength or size. In the cases of extremely intense weight training programs, a slight increase of only 10-20 grams per day is sufficient to allow for increased muscle development.

Myth #10 - In order to lose weight, I must not eat bread nor potatoes.

Excess body fat is a result of excess caloric consumption. In nutritional guidance and weight reduction it is important to remember that CALORIES ARE CALORIES. Bread and potatoes are important sources of vitamins, minerals and are not high in calories. Their fiber content is important for regulation of body processes. Foods promote thinness or fatness by the number of calories they contain. It is important to remember while cutting down calories, not to cut out nutrients.

Myth #11 - Weight training will make females masculine.

The female is about 23% muscle tissue and the male is about 40%. Studies have shown that due to the lower levels of androgenic (building) hormones, females can improve their strength levels 50-75% with no increase in muscle bulk. The benefits seen from a strengthening program by females are increases in muscular strength, endurance and tone.