“Sport is murder” is a famous saying by Winston Churchill. Even if this was said by an otherwise level-headed and well-respected man, it can still be downright nonsense.
Regular, age-appropriate exercise is a vital motor and prevents many of the diseases that in our sedentary civilization not only fill our surgeries, but also shorten the years we can enjoy our health. We know that above 25 degrees our performance decreases and above 30 degrees outdoor sports such as running or cycling put a heavy strain on our circulatory system.
Since warm air absorbs more water vapour, the muggy hot weather impedes our temperature regulation, sweat can no longer evaporate properly in the water-vapour-soaked air and our skin can no longer cool down as a result.
There is also a risk that excessive physical exertion will cause the heart rate to rise and the blood to thicken due to the loss of fluids – especially if you don’t drink enough. This can lead to heat collapse. Muscle cramps are often harbingers that should be taken seriously, because only if you throw all these rules of reason overboard can I agree with Winston Churchill’s statement.
If you move your sporting activity to the cooler end of the day on hot days, drink enough fluids, watch your pulse or move your training to air-conditioned indoor rooms, sport is not murder, but an elixir for health into old age. In order to determine your individual performance, however, I recommend that you seek medical advice before excessive activities.
Do you have questions about health?
Write to OÖN doctor Johannes Neuhofer (dermatologist), who oversees this column with a team of doctors: Clemens Steinwender (cardiologist), Reinhold Függer (surgeon), Rainer Schöfl (gastroenterologist), Josef Hochreiter (orthopaedist), Werner Schöny (psychiatrist).
E-mail: doktor@nachrichten.at
Source: Nachrichten
