p. 16 | Evils of Athletics

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Apr 15, 1903

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 29, No. 15.

Evils of Athletics

A physician, writing in American Medicine, according to the Literary Digest of March 21, condemns “the athletic habit.” In other words, the abnormal muscular development, the enormous lung capacity, the demand for a large amount of food, are not needed in ordinary life. And when one ceases training a reaction and degeneration follows. The “large muscles unused are pernicious,” become flaccid and weak. The stomach and other organs of digestion demanding in training more food, especially abundant proteids, and their proper digestion and assimilation demanding vigorous exercise, when the training ceases, “visceral degeneracy.” follows. Immense lung capacity, necessary in the prize ring, is not of use in the counting room, and degeneration takes place, and therefore lack of resistance to disease germs. The writer says: “A big arm with fine biceps, triceps, and deltoid development may be very pretty to look at but such arms have ofttimes cost their owners their lives.” He gives his own experience, in harmony with the above, and declares that the abnormal training once begun fastens on one as a habit as hard to break as the habitual use of narcotics and alcohol in most individuals. He instances cases where pugilists have died, very soon after changing their habits, from physical degeneracy. The lesson to all is, Be normal, temperate in all things. Eat and exercise, not to minister to a life of brute strength, but to a life of usefulness in whatever sphere Providence may place you.