Controversy continues

Originally posted by thisgirl13 She said, "All athletes adapt to their sport's requirements." Well, I guess that proves that sex is not a sport. At least I've never "adapted." Drat! -LBJ

I could be wrong (it happens far more often than I like to admit), but the % body fat thing has issues both ways. Too much is not good, too little is not good. Some runners seem to have so little that they don't look healthy. I don't know how the numbers in the article compare to the accepted standards though. In the end, it may not matter too much. I have a friend who was a swimmer in high school and college. He's in his 40's Now he runs and swims. He is in good shape, not heavy at all, but also not too skinny. And he has a heart of gold. Yesterday his left kidney was removed - it is wrecked from cancer. He also has spots showing up on his left lung. They don't know what that is just yet. Test results are expected soon...... Swim hard. You don't know how long it will last..

Originally posted by knelson So does that mean if I start playing basketball I'll grow taller? :D :p Too cute everybody! Seriously, I think the coach meant that our bodies adapt to our sport AND our bodies self-select our sport in some way... tall folks play basketball, thin folks run (and become thinner)... Wasn't that pointed out in one of the articles?

Originally posted by Leonard Jansen Well, I guess that proves that sex is not a sport. At least I've never "adapted." Drat! -LBJ So, in your opinion, what would a body have to become to show that it has adapted to sex as a sport?:D

Originally posted by hrietz Personally I know that I swim better when I am heavier but I like to run and lift weights and I prefer myself as "ripped and lean" as opposed to "soft around the edges"... :p I don't even like to think of myself as "soft around the edges" but I am. Period. And I am faster now than I was in high school, by a decent gap, and I am heavier than I was in high school. Now, my work ethic may be a little better as a 21 year old than a 16 year old, but I hinge on doubting that. Just call me softie. :D

Originally posted by Scansy So, is it possible that the runner is not eating ice cream, beer, etc. because it's part of the whole pain and suffering mentality and the swimmer does eat those things because we are not into the pain and suffering thing? Don't know nuthin' about pain and suffering, but I do know that I don't know a single runner who likes a big bowl of Breyers Vanilla (With Real Specks of Vanilla Beans) drowning in Hershey's syrup backed with an ice cold Pilsner Urquell or Moretti or 6 as much as I do:D

Originally posted by Leonard Jansen So, about 27 lbs of food and anywhere from 27-135 lbs of water each day per horse and grass and treats. And, hence, also the phrase "pi** like a racehorse."

Originally posted by SwiminONandON ... Bottom line: swimmers are the best! Isn't that obvious?:cool:

There are certainly reasons why a certain amount of fat is likely to be less of a detriment in swimming than in running: 1) In running, fat puts extra load on the joints, increasing the likelihood of injury if you do a lot of running. This isn't true for swimming. 2) In swimming, fat tends to increase bouyancy, which makes it easier to master certain aspects of swimming. I can think of a triathlete I've coached who has had serious problems mastering freestyle breathing because he rides so low in the water due to his lean build. Bouyancy isn't a factor when you're running. 3) The body can develop fat as a means of insulation for swimmers who do a lot of swimming in relatively cold water. I remember seeing a program about a woman who swam the Bering Strait, and who had spent time beforehand acclimating herself to swimming in cold water, and it was found that she had developed a thin layer of fat all over her body. 4) If there are more female swimmers than male swimmers who are fat, this may be related to the embarassment factor. A guy who is fat is likely to have a lot of resistance toward being seen in a swim brief (which until recently was the standard swimsuit for male competitive swimmers). And I'm not at all sure that the increased prevalance of jammers is going to make much of a difference. I can think of one boy on the swim team at the YMCA where I do my workouts who is on the fat side. I've seen him in both briefs and jammers, and frankly, he looks fatter in jammers than in briefs because the jammers pinch in some of the fat, making it bulge out more noticeably over the top of the suit. Our bodies certainly try to adapt to the sports we do, although their ability to do this is limited. There's a teenage boy I know who used to play football in the fall and do swimming the rest of the year, and he put on a lot of weight every year during football season and then took it off afterward. The weight fluctuations ultimately led him to give up swimming. But I don't think that playing basketball is likely to make you any taller. But there is also a natural selection process at work in every sport that becomes more pronounced as you reach the elite levels. If your physiology isn't suited to a sport and you can't adapt, you're ultimately likely to give up that sport and to look for a sport at which you can excell.

Originally posted by BillS Originally posted by Scansy So, is it possible that the runner is not eating ice cream, beer, etc. because it's part of the whole pain and suffering mentality and the swimmer does eat those things because we are not into the pain and suffering thing? Don't know nuthin' about pain and suffering, but I do know that I don't know a single runner who likes a big bowl of Breyers Vanilla (With Real Specks of Vanilla Beans) drowning in Hershey's syrup backed with an ice cold Pilsner Urquell or Moretti or 6 as much as I do:D Damn, you have good taste! Around here, we have a place called Bruster's. They make their ice cream on site as well as their waffle cones. They have a flavor called Fudgie Cheesecake:D They also have one called Birthday Cake - it actually has cake icing in the ice cream (because ice cream isn't sweet enough afterall!)