Another young pro cyclist suffers night heart attack
- Thread starter CAMPYBOB
- Start date
I think they overdo it just a little bit, but enough to stress their body so much that their body couldn't compensate with the work and just stop working. It's really sad, because these guys didn't indulge in an unhealthy lifestyle to eat themselves into oblivion, it's just that they work so hard to train for an event that they forget that their bodies have limits too, and that they should take it easy once in a while so their bodies would have time to recover and repair any damage. I guess it's a lesson you learn the hard way - take a break once in a while, and you'll be better for it.
This is either going to be a case of an underlying heart condition coming out in an ugly way, or doping. It just doesn't make sense any other way.
By "Heart Attack" I wonder if they are referring to a myocardial infarct (blocked artery) or ventricular fibrillation? They are two very different causes. Vfib can come about in athletes of all ages, which is why many pubilc places and sporting venues have automatic external defibrillators.
Twenty one would be really young for an infarct. Too young for sclerosis - could be either a clot or aneurysm.
Twenty one would be really young for an infarct. Too young for sclerosis - could be either a clot or aneurysm.
This is not to belittle that news story but I think a person with a heart problem can suffer a heart attack whatever he is doing. Of course, riding can aggravate that condition and so is any other stressful activity. I have known several people who have inborn heart problems who could still engage in strenuous activities but some of them have died due to several causes like over-drinking alcohol, fatigue, etc.
For a young guy to suffer that, it's just sad.
For a young guy to suffer that, it's just sad.
Remember back in the nineties when all those Belgian and Dutch amateurs and neo-pros were dropping dead like flies from heart attacks in the night...with blood as thick as peanut butter?
I think I've gotten cynical in my old age.
It often has nothing to do with doping but with an existing, often not yet discovered, medical condition of the athlete. It happens in every sport simply because professional level athletes push their bodies to the extreme. The heart has to perform at maximum capacity for a longer period of time and any heart problems will surface. There are many cases in just about every sport, google is your friend.
He died...
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gijs-verdick-dies-a-week-after-double-heart-attack/
R.I.P. and God speed.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/gijs-verdick-dies-a-week-after-double-heart-attack/
R.I.P. and God speed.
I really do wish that this was the case, but unfortunately we know the sport has a doping problem.
I'm quite certain it is the case, I'll see if I can find some research on it. I mean, just this last weekend two professional football (soccer) players died from a heart condition while they were playing. One case was in Brazil and the other in Romania. There's not much doping in that sport and it happens to young players quite often as well.
I'm not discounting the possibility that some deaths may be the result of an undetected and underlying physiological problem.
However, our sport of cycling does have a widespread problem with doping.
In respect of soccer and in respect of every other sport, I have no doubt that doping occurs there.
The actual level of doping in those sports has not been disclosed therefore it is impossible to know if doping is as prevalent in those disciplines as it is in Cycling.
My gut tells me that those sports in which there is much more money, the chances are the amount of doping is higher.
I've strongly suspected that soccer and tennis must be as rife with doping as Cycling given the money involved.
But again that's just my gut feeling.
FIFA is corrupt, that is something different.
I would say non endure sports have a lot less doping abuse. In soccer for example being in shape matters but your technique, ball control and playing as a team have more impact on the result. If you can't kick a ball to your team mates doping isn't going to help you with that. It's a sport that relies on many things to be successful whereas endurance athletes instantly benefit from using dope. It can also be measured. Di Luca recently revealed he would improve 5 to 7% with doping and up to 12% in peak shape. For non endurance sports this is of course a lot less because there are many more variables. The money involved may then be what actually stops them from using it; they don't want to get caught and risk missing out on years of salary. But in the end I have the same gut feeling, doping is used in many sports. In tennis and soccer probably a lot less and mainly for recovery purposes instead of enhancement, but that's just my guess.
Back to the hearth issue. Maybe I'm just naive; I would like to believe these young riders don't put their lives on the line at such a young age.
I would say non endure sports have a lot less doping abuse. In soccer for example being in shape matters but your technique, ball control and playing as a team have more impact on the result. If you can't kick a ball to your team mates doping isn't going to help you with that. It's a sport that relies on many things to be successful whereas endurance athletes instantly benefit from using dope. It can also be measured. Di Luca recently revealed he would improve 5 to 7% with doping and up to 12% in peak shape. For non endurance sports this is of course a lot less because there are many more variables. The money involved may then be what actually stops them from using it; they don't want to get caught and risk missing out on years of salary. But in the end I have the same gut feeling, doping is used in many sports. In tennis and soccer probably a lot less and mainly for recovery purposes instead of enhancement, but that's just my guess.
Back to the hearth issue. Maybe I'm just naive; I would like to believe these young riders don't put their lives on the line at such a young age.
Look at the body shape of soccer players and see how the shape of soccer players has changed compared to even relatively recent times.
Look at rugby. The body shape of rugby players has changed drastically. Several rugby players have admitted that French rugby has a doping problem.
Look at Tennis. We see that Maria Sharapova case. How many more are there in Tennis.
Look at Athletics. That sport is riddled with doping.
Personally I arrived at the conclusion that Cycling is at the cutting edge of doping but that many other sports are not that far behind in terms of the scale of drug abuse
Ever hear of a doctor named Eufemiano Fuentes? Or Operation Puerto? Among Fuentes' clients were players from Real Madrid and Barcelona FC. He is also claimed to have assisted those clubs with "seasonal preparation plans".
Recently another doping story broke about players/teams in the English Premier League.
Soccer players play 45 minute halves, continually running in bursts, with few if any substitutions. Do you really think that they can't benefit from a few extra red blood cells carrying oxygen to their muscles?
OF all the blood bags in Fuente's freezer, most were supposed to be from/for soccer players. That is the only reason there was never any serious investigation into Operation Puerto.
Val-Piti is still racing...as are several other Fuentes clients.
Soccer is huge money. Huge. No one is going to tangle with that.
From pro firearm shooters to golfers to soccer to cycling to track and field to swimming to...they all dope.
Val-Piti is still racing...as are several other Fuentes clients.
Soccer is huge money. Huge. No one is going to tangle with that.
From pro firearm shooters to golfers to soccer to cycling to track and field to swimming to...they all dope.
