Without belaboring this issue, let us list some of the effects of drugs in athletics. First, caffeine is believed by some to increase athletic performance. In one experiment on a marathon runner, running time for the marathon was reduced by 7 per cent by judicious use of caffeine in amounts similar to those found in […]

As much as a 5- to 10-pound weight loss has been recorded in athletes in a period of 1 hour during endurance athletic events under hot and humid conditions. Essentially all this weight loss results from loss of sweat. Loss of enough sweat to decrease body weight only 3 per cent can significantly diminish a […]

Oxygen Consumption and Pulmonary Ventilation in Exercise. Although one’s respiratory ability is of relatively little concern in the performance of sprint types of athletics, it is critical for maximal performance in endurance athletics. Normal oxygen consumption for a young man at rest is about 250 ml/min. However, under maximal conditions, this can be increased to […]