Hi Michael:
I can't tell you what is going on with these women but
pro-cyclists face similar issues. They need to calculate and
regulate a steady stream of intake of fluids, salts, and
calories. If one miscalculates (e.g., day is warmer than
predicted) then the person can suffer the dreaded "bonk" and the
body shuts down. These women look like they have bonked.
Lance Armstrong, the cyclist, had a couple of famous
almost-bonks. On one stage, he forgot to eat on a downhill run
(because he was concentrating on negotiating curves at 50+ mph)
and ran out of caloric energy on the final climb that ended the
stage. A second almost-bonk was on a time trial. The day was
hotter than predicted, he didn't adjust his fluid intake to
compensate, and he became dehydrated. You can see white patches
on his jersey that are salt residues from massive sweating.
Ken
Michael Britt wrote:
Here's an interesting video I came across the other day. It shows two
women competing to win the "Ironman" race 10 years ago. It's a moving
video in and of itself in that it shows their determination to cross the
finish line despite the fact that, as the announcer puts it, "Their
bodies have run out of fuel". It's difficult to watch them struggle as
their legs wobble underneath them and they are also disoriented. Just
wondering how our bio-psych folks would explain what's happening to
their bodies. I'm assuming that we're seeing the effects of the
depletion of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, but I'd like to hear
what others have to say. Also the disorientation - due to a lack of
oxygen to the brain?
Here's the link to the video on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTn1v5TGK_w&eurl=http://videos.komando.com/2009/02/04/a-crawl-to-the-finish/
also here:
http://bit.ly/Y4o7
Michael
Michael Britt
[email protected]
www.thepsychfiles.com
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Kenneth M. Steele, Ph.D. [email protected]
Professor
Department of Psychology http://www.psych.appstate.edu
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608
USA
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