I recently learned that Michael Johnson, former USA 200m, 400m world record holder, had a stroke
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We call this phenomenon the Detraining Syndrome because this condition is usually seen in former athletes over 40 years old who continue to eat as if they were still actively training two times per day, five or six days per week.
In reply to Headley
I was a part of the documentary and had told him that based on a DNA analysis, he had similar copies (alleles) of the fast-twitch gene and that this genotype might be related to the history of diabetes in his family. Johnson went to his room at Strawberry Hills stunned that night, knowing that the very genes that helped him to set world records might one day predispose him to a stroke. Our lab at The University of the West Indies, Mona, has constructed a metabolic map that interlinked some inherited genes involved in sprinting and chronic diseases
Wow, this is the first I've heard that fast twitched muscles are linked to diabetes. Just because there is a link between people possessing a lot of fast twitch muscles and diabetes, does not mean that there's a direct correlation. We already know that diet plays a big part in people developing diabetes and in managing diabetes of people who already have the disease but linking it to fast twitch muscles might be a stretch. This article is also suggesting that the strongest and fittest are more prone to this disease, which is opposite of how we know disease affects the body.
To protect our future athletes, Jamaica will also need to examine the nutritional practices in schools. Athletes are fed lunch at 10:30 am - 11:30 am and start training at 3:00 - 4:00 pm up until 6:00 - 7:00 pm, without a banana or something to restore their energy stores. This practice is destroying the muscle energy balance and leaves the athletes prone to injuries and energy dysfunction
This paragraph basically answered the question as to why athletes are underperforming. Two of the main factors are nutrition and overtraining.
In reply to black
The genetics is playing a significant role in those cases. It is research of this nature that is now providing clearer evidence of processses and pathways to not onLY correct, but remedies to altering those processes SOME.
Such remedies may not change eventual outcomes ... but slow down processes.
Good work happening at UWI ...
The TMRU (Tropical Medicine Research Unit) has been a major player in such — blessings to some key research folks like Prof. Rainford Wilks and his working partners and others.
My GUT FEELING on this is as top athlete training hard you need carbs to refuel your glycogen stores.
When you are no longer active, eating a lot of carbs is detrimental to your health.
Our typical diet is super high in fats and carbs, a recipe for diabetes and other illness.
A low carb approach such as the Ketogenic diet could be the best solution.
