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How does Lance Armstrong do
it?
Remember the jingle that went along with the ad for Wheaties, “Like
Mike, I wanna be like Mike,” in reference to Michael Jordan? Well,
I think if General Mills was still singing that song, the lyrics would
be altered a bit to reflect the new(ish) super hero of sports, Lance Armstrong.
After winning the Tour de France this July (his seventh win in a row),
covering 2,200 miles, Lance Armstrong is stepping aside to allow someone
else the honor. As a teen, Armstrong was active in competitive swimming
and running, as well as triathlons. At the age of 22 he was the youngest
winner of the World Championships in bicycle road racing.
At an early age, Armstrong, determined to maximize his performance, sought
the help of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Texas
at Austin. The director, Edward Coyle, PhD, studied Armstrong for 7 years,
completing his research in 1999, the same year Lance won his first Tour.
As part of Coyle’s study, Armstrong would ride a stationary bike
for 25 minutes reaching his maximal oxygen consumption point, called VO2max,
while breathing into equipment that measured his oxygen output. Armstrong’s
VO2max is extremely high, allowing him to take in large amounts of oxygen
into his lungs. After the workout, blood samples were taken.
When Armstrong and Coyle began their research, Armstrong’s muscle
efficiency – the percentage of chemical energy the muscles are able
to harness to produce power – was average. At the age of 21, his
muscle efficiency rate was 21%. But due to his intense training, Armstrong
was able to increase that efficiency by 8%. Prior to Armstrong’s
results, it was generally believed that muscle efficiency was something
humans are born with and unable to change.
These tests continued from 1992 until 1996, at which point Armstrong was
diagnosed with testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and brain.
Armstrong began chemotherapy and underwent surgery, and after a mere 3
months, he was cycling around five days a week for several hours. Eight
months after treatment, Armstrong continued his work with Coyle. At that
point he was cycling up to 2 hours every day. According to WebMD, Coyle
commented that Armstrong showed, “no ill effects from his previous
surgeries and chemotherapy.”
Lance Armstrong made a full recovery from his cancer, and went on to win
his first Tour de France within 3 years of diagnosis.
Coyle believes that people must have particular traits in order to excel
in any one sport. For example, being tall typically aids a basketball
player’s ability to succeed in the sport. Endurance athletes must
have high VO2max, low lactic acid levels, and high muscle efficiency –
all of which Armstrong proves he has. As quoted on NationalGeographic.com,
Coyle states, “"To be the best on the planet, you don't have
to be superhuman in any of these components, but you can't be weak in
any of them.”
Research suggests there are ways to improve efficiency through training,
which is great news for the non-superhuman athlete!
Sprinters train for higher maximum capacity, increasing the upper limit
of performance; whereas marathoners train for greater submaximal capacity,
expending less energy for sustained performance.
Armstrong somehow accomplished both, perhaps by converting fast-twitch
muscle fibers to slow-twitch muscle fibers. Fast-twitch muscle fibers,
good for sprinting and short burst of energy, are not as efficient as
slow-twitch muscle fibers, used in endurance sports.
Armstrong literally moves his legs faster than other cyclists, pedaling
105 revolutions per minute, with his increased muscle power. According
to NationalGeographic.com, sports scientists agree, that in addition to
his peak physical performance, “Lance Armstrong is one of the most
disciplined and focused athletes in the world.”
Moral of the story: You don’t have to be a superhuman to be a great
athlete. Intense training combined with focus, discipline, and personal
drive can help any athlete achieve and even surpass his or her goals.
In an interview with Outside Magazine Online, Lance stated, in relation
to his final Tour de France, “…if I train hard, and if everything
equates the way it should in terms of my preparation, and I know that
I'm where I need to be—if somebody beats me, hey, you get beat by
somebody better. That's sport."
In addition to training,
athletes can supplement their workouts with nutritional supplements (hence
the term). NOW Foods has just introduced and important new product, GliSODin,
which actually reduces the body’s response to lactic acid. GliSODin
is an antioxidant catalyst, that is, it increases and improves the function
of the antioxidants in your system, boosting your immune system. When
your body’s reaction to lactic acid is reduced, you’re able
to increase the length
and intensity of your workouts!
Another important supplement for athletes is Celadrin,
another new product. Celadrin is categorized under joint supplements,
but don’t think that it is only for people with bad joints. If anyone
needs to be concerned with joint health, it is the athlete, who places
increased stress on most every joint in the body. Celadrin should be used
as a preventative measure in protecting the joints from future break down.
And it even comes in cream
form to apply directly to the sore spots, and for those who don’t
enjoy swallowing a pill.
Wellfx.com has an entire department of supplements
created specifically for athletes, so be sure to check it out!
Sources:
WebMD
National
Geographic
Outside
Magazine
University of
Texas
(K. Partridge
2005)
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