How much further can professional Sports Men and Women go? (Pilly)

Over the past 20 years stresses on the elite athlete have increased dramatically. Schedules have become longer due to the presence of the media, pushed by the money that comes with TV rights and sponsorship. Advances in training techniques and nutrition have meant that athletes are bigger and stronger now than ever before. In essence athletes now play quicker and harder over a larger part of the year.

Rugby players have adapted over time to the slight changes in the game, they are taller, heavier and more powerful, designed to give out and take massive hits. These changes have come from spending more time in the gym and with the use of nutrition and more specifically supplements. It is not uncommon for Rugby players to experience forces equal to those in a car crash in tackles. Now obviously the effects on the human body over a career spanning many years are not going to be good! Players at International level in this day and age can expect joint replacements as early as 40 years old. Experts cannot be sure what the long term effects are to the brain after repeated concussions, although it is thought this could lead to dementia. Evidence suggests that most injuries are avoidable and come through over training or poor technique, which is something the International Rugby Board are looking into. How much further can players go in terms of athleticism?

Tennis is another sport where the top players are subjected to prolonged stresses. The ATP expect players to play in a certain number of tournaments in order to comply with ranking rules. This year Roger Federer has played in 83 matches over the 46 weeks of the season. That means he has played 1.8 matches per week for the whole year. This is a big task considering how competitive the sport has become and the amount of miles players have to travel to compete. Federer recently had to pull out of the prestigious Barclays ATP World Tour Final due to a back injury. This year fellow title contenders Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray have both suffered with injuries. Is this a sign that the schedule has become just too much for players? Nadal even went as far to complain about the schedule back in 2010.

Raheem Sterlings admission that he was tired made for a great talking point within the media and pubs up and down the country. It is open to debate whether footballers should allowed to be tired but they do have an ever increasing workload. Players cover 50% more than they did in the 1960’s and at a greater average speed. The tactics within the game have changed so much that players need to cover a greater area of the pitch. The number of sprints and high intensity runs have doubled in the game since 2002 and the amount of ground covered by players whilst sprinting went up 40% between 2002 and 2006 alone. Footballers have to be faster and have greater stamina whilst working at high intensity. These demands are only going to increase.

The schedules in Cricket have been debated for a long time. Much was made of the form of Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad and Alastair Cook over the summer. As a sport Cricket is very slow paced compared to Rugby, Tennis and Cricket, in fact the majority of time is spent walking around the outfield soaking up the sun. However International players are away from home for a majority of the year. The lure of lucrative 20 over competitions have added to the workload of players wanting to earn an extra pay packet. Can Cricket continue in this way?

It is interesting to see the developments in sports over time. Is there a limit to how far athletes can go? Or will we see the human body continue to adapt pushing the limits of strength and speed for years to come?

Pilly