Fitter Stronger Higher

d4cdba5f-bcd6-4a0d-9c9a-92a500106c6fWay back in 2003, Harsha Bhogle asked Adrian La Roux, one of the most respected crickettrainers in international cricket, “Do you think fitness could have made any impact in the game of world beaters like Garry Sobers and Ian Botham?” La Roux’s riposte was so precise. He said,”I don’t think it would have made any impact on their skill. However, their career could have been prolonged and injuries reduced.” We all know how fitness is now an integral part of modern cricket. For quite sometime world has acknowledged that almost every sport demands fitness. India’s very own Vishwanath Anand is a legend in the game of chess which needs all his grey matters to fire for each and every move. Anand jogs half an hour, practices yoga and even lifts weights.Physical training brings about a change in the brain chemistry by reducing secretion of hormones like cortisol and epinephrine that triggers anxiety. It helps in making one concentrate better. World’s most popular sport soccer demands fitness of highest level. One can see how the footballers run at a sustained intensity for ninety minutes in the English Premier league. While we appreciate the mesmerizing skills of a Lionel Messi or Christiano Ronaldo a few would know that there are some unsung heroes behind their supreme level of fitness. Sports scientists programme the pre and in-season fitness training with such precision that the fans can watch these masters unraveling their skills mostly on the pitch rather than cooling their heels in the bench with an injury. The speed and power of the European footballers like Wayne Rooney and Gareth Bale are results of advanced level of resistance training structured by the fitness experts. Athletics is the mother of all sports. Sports science has evolved more and more particularly because of athletics. Jim Hines was the first man to crack the 10 seconds barrier as he ran the distance in 9.95 seconds in 1968. At that time it was considered an incredible task. Nowadays a sub 10 seconds run is a piece of cake for most world class sprinters. Usain Bolt’s current world record at 9.58 seconds is achieved because of intense fitness work. All world class athletes have a team of support stuff consisting of sports scientist, fitness trainer, physiotherapist and nutritionist. The team works relentlessly on programming a training regimen that can outsmart his rival. Top level Indian athletes like P.T. Usha, Anju Bobby George used to train abroad under foreign trainers just to enhance their level of fitness. Be it the game of tennis or a serene sport like golf fitness can make a world of difference.

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Roger Federer and Serena Williams are having an extended run in an era of power tennis where injuries can cut short one’s career. Boom Boom Becker’s serve and volley or Rafael Nadal’s lightening court covering is possible because of hours of hard work in the gym and training ground. Our very own Leander Paes is going strong at the age of 42. And Leander has gone on record saying that fitness is the key to his durability. Golf demands softest of touches, supple muscles. Still a Tiger Woods lifts weight. The reason? It will enhance his T-drive and make his entire body stronger. Novak Djokovich, the Serbian has revealed how diet has transformed his game. It only testifies the impact diet and nutrition can have in one’s game. Put together it is well and truly conclusive that both fitness and nutrition is as important as one’s skill. In fact, it complements each other. If there are two sportspersons of equal merit whom would you choose? The answer is: of course, the fitter one.