From Sharapova to Koukalova. The scary truth about sports stars. Myths about sports: our misconceptions Myths about sports

Surely not only followers healthy image life, but also ordinary people who like to keep themselves in shape use and profess truths that have been known for years, it would seem. But are they true and are they true? We will show you the most common misconceptions regarding sports and physical activity that still exist among the majority of people.

MYTH:
If the muscles hurt, then the training was successful and its goal was achieved.

IS IT TRUE:
If muscles hurt, this only indicates the presence of multiple microtraumas muscle fibers, and doesn't talk about anything else

MYTH:
The longer you train, the better the results

IS IT TRUE:
Long workouts do not mean a quality result at all. It’s not the length of the workout that will lead you to your goal, but its quality - the right time, loads and exercises.

MYTH:
The more often you train, the better the results.

IS IT TRUE:
Interval between effective training should be 2-3 days, otherwise the muscles will not have time to rest and recover. More frequent training ineffective and dangerous

MYTH:
If you train often and systematically, then the composition of the diet is unimportant, you can eat whatever you want

IS IT TRUE:
In fact, high-quality results can only be achieved by combining proper training with equally well-chosen nutrition

MYTH:
You can use the training plans of others, the training plans of stars are especially effective

IS IT TRUE:
In fact, effective results can only be achieved individual plans. Someone else's training plan in 99% of cases is not only ineffective for another person, but can also cause significant harm

MYTH:
First of all, fats are burned in problem areas

IS IT TRUE:
Fats are burned first where the body determines their presence is primarily inappropriate. This will probably not coincide with your ideas about the places where fat should decrease

The Greek Olympics gave birth to the sport we see today. Athletes of the distant past could not contact each other before the competition, so fixed matches were excluded. But victory could have been achieved in any way. Professor of the University of Pennsylvania Charles Yazalis speaks about this, in particular: the first Olympians prepared themselves with wine with special herbs, did not disdain hallucinogens and sat on a dense meat diet - but meat is in ancient Greece usually served only once a month. Several thousand years have passed since then, but the situation in sports has remained virtually unchanged. We will tell you where exactly the first doping came from, how it developed and how it became a real scourge of modern athletes.

The Romans also went to any lengths to win. Gladiators took strychnine, which had a stimulating effect in small doses. At chariot races, horses were fed alcoholic mead, trying to give them extra agility and fighting anger. Sports here were practically inseparable from military service, and soldiers before battles received special herbal decoctions in whole cohorts.

Wine for athletes

But doctors really developed their skills already in the 19th century. At that time, European and American athletes highly praised the so-called “Mariani wine” - a vigorous mixture of Bordeaux with coca leaves. Coca itself and cocaine chemically prepared from it were generally extremely popular among all segments of the population. The drug relieved fatigue, helped overcome hunger and gave stamina.

The history of our civilization has not seen pure sport - Charles Yazalis, Professor, University of Pennsylvania, Ph.D.

The beginning of the bans

The IAAF was the vanguard in the difficult battle against doping. In 1928, the set of its rules was first supplemented with a rather vague article prohibiting the use of stimulants. However, the sidebar itself was worded so vaguely that, with due diligence, it allowed experienced trainers to find loopholes in the ban.

Doping in attack

The post-war years, from 1945 to 1967, were marked by an unprecedented rise in the use of stimulants in big sport. In contrast, the legal commissions of international sports associations have become increasingly active and more thorough in developing effective control measures.

Echoes of War

The armies of many countries around the world supported the morale of soldiers with amphetamines and stimulants nervous system. USA, Britain, Germany, Japan - during the Second World War, the production of this drug (which has an incredibly harmful effect on the body as a whole) was carried out at the state level. By the 50s, the substance had become an integral part of the training of the vast majority of athletes. Now, when a drug that destroys humans is completely banned almost throughout the world, this is difficult to even imagine.

How were anabolic steroids invented?

American physician John Ziegler in 1954 met at a competition with his fellow doctor, who monitored the condition of the team from the USSR. In a table conversation, the Soviet aesculapian familiarly shared the recipe for victory: he, without further ado, injected honest communist athletes with honest testosterone. At home, Ziegler conducted several experiments on himself - testosterone gave good result, but in return gave the patient a whole bunch of side effects. In an attempt to synthesize a harmless analogue, an American doctor created the first anabolic steroid, FDA approved. Ziegler repented of this until the end of his days.

I wish I could just take this page out of the book of my life. -John Ziegler, inventor of steroids

First deaths

The doping wave rose to unprecedented heights and hit the athletes like an unstoppable tsunami. On August 26, 1968, Danish cyclist Knut Jenssen died on the track, becoming the first victim of sports stimulants. A significant amount of amphetamine was found in Knut's blood. Seven years later, a second death occurred: Briton Tommy Simpson, who washed down the same amphetamine with cognac, fell at the second stage of the Tour de France.

New stage

Finally, the number of dead athletes (and they can be counted in dozens) forced states all over the planet to take more stringent measures to combat stimulants. On November 10, 1999, WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency, was created. The following Olympic Games(Sydney, 2000) were held under the strict control of WADA. A couple of years later, chemist Don Catlin synthesizes the first test capable of recognizing synthetic anabolic steroids.

Current situation

For some time it seemed as if the situation had been completely resolved. However, already in 2012, American Lance Armstrong was deprived of all 7 victories for the previous Tour de France races. This same year is marked by our country: many athletes were found to have doping in their blood. It's funny, but WADA also accused the same IAAF - the association that was once the first to ban the use of stimulants.

Many people know that sport is beneficial. You can achieve a lot through physical activity. However, some beliefs are wrong and should be avoided in order to develop physically without compromising your health.

There are several common myths that mislead many people. Fitness and sports are inextricably linked, and if you decide to stay in good physical shape, you should thoroughly study the correctness and benefits of exercise, find your niche and achieve good results in it.

Myth 1.

In order to keep yourself in good shape, a couple of workouts a week is enough. This is not true, because the muscles need to be warmed up to prevent pain symptoms. Best choice there will be daily physical exercise, but if this is not possible, then you need to train at least three times a week. The rest of the time you can devote to long walks or home workouts.

Myth 2.

Training should be timed to coincide with the morning hours. Training should begin at the same time. Daily minimal exercise will tone the body, and you will be able to organize your day. In addition, many people simply do not physically have time to exercise in the morning, and for them the best option Evening training remains.

Myth 3.

Exercising with dumbbells will help you burn fat much faster. If you use additional weight during training, your muscle mass will increase. Fight with overweight- a complex event, and without proper nutrition It will be difficult for you to get rid of figure flaws.

Myth 4.

After each workout, you need to stretch to help your muscles recover faster. Such activities are certainly useful, but there is no difference between people who stretch and those who neglect them.

Myth 5.

Sports training reduces weight and helps fight excess weight. This is not true, because if you don't follow the rules healthy eating, then it will be difficult for you to achieve weight loss through exercise alone. Eating a balanced diet at certain times and drinking enough fluids will help you say goodbye to the shortcomings of your figure.

Myth 6.

Squats will help you get a flat stomach. If you want perfect slim stomach, then you need to train all the muscles. Do you need complex exercises, including push-ups, crunches, and planks. A consultation with a trainer will help you achieve results. gym.

Myth 7.

Power training are intended exclusively for males. If you are planning to start such training, then you need to consult a trainer. Gender makes no difference. However, it will be more difficult for women and girls to dial muscle mass, because their testosterone production is lower.

Myth 8.

A break of several weeks changes your figure, and the results of your work are lost. Each person is individual, so some people will be able to maintain results for a long time, while other people will notice deterioration after a short time.

Myth 9.

In order to stay in shape, it is important to consume specially formulated drinks. Many sports drinks contain only sugar and water, so protein drinks should be preferred. They are the ones that influence muscle growth and recovery after training. However, simple cocktails from healthy products will help you improve digestion and enable you to maintain your body in excellent condition.

Myth 10.

The longer the training takes, the more effective it is. If you do not follow the measures, then your muscles simply will not have time to recover and you will only be overworked. Follow a specific time and you will definitely achieve excellent results.

Health is directly related to movement. However, with the help of sports you will not only achieve excellent physical data, but you will also be able to work much more productively, become more organized and resilient, and get rid of insomnia and a negative attitude. We wish you good luck in all your endeavors, and do not forget to press the buttons and

Health

"Severe pain is the key to success!" "Your muscles will never grow without special supplements!"

All of these statements raise more questions than answers in the sports drugs and products market, which is a multi-billion dollar business.

Part of this market consists of various sports gadgets and DVDs with incredible promises that losing weight and looking attractive is easy and simple.

Meanwhile, a well-designed daily routine and simple truths with which you can lose weight are hidden behind attractive advertising.

All this leads to misinformation regarding sports loads and principles of healthy eating. Below we will debunk the myths associated with the training process, and scientific experiments and research will help us with this.

Myth 1. No pain - no result

Undoubtedly, a person must constantly increase his endurance during training. But at the same time, a person should not feel severe pain (as if he was beaten) after training or the next day.

For your information! Excessive strength training leads to burning in the muscles, causing the pain to become very severe. The so-called “pain threshold” sets in, which some athletes can increase, but others cannot, which is fraught with serious disruptions in the functioning of the body.

Therefore, you should remember that discomfort during sports is a natural condition, but pain is by no means. It is false to say that exercise must be painful. Severe pain can signal the body that an injury has occurred. However, some pain in the body is inevitable, especially if you are a beginner athlete.

This myth has been debunked by physical therapists and other researchers, but many today still believe that pain during exercise is normal. Of course, training should be intense, but if you experience severe pain, you should reduce the load or stop going to the gym altogether.

Myth 2. Lactic acid in muscles

So why do muscles hurt a day or two after a sports workout? This is called delayed onset muscle pain (LMS), although many people mistakenly believe that the pain is due to a buildup of lactic acid in the muscles.

This statement is based on the fact that during intense strength exercises the muscles create an impetus for anaerobic (without oxygen) contractions, which actually leads to the production of lactic acid.

The same thing happens when practicing athletics(we are talking about walking or jogging), but the only difference is that lactic acid is produced in small quantities.

The idea that lactic acid causes MSD is incorrect because it is actually lactic acid that the body produces during sports exercises, comes out soon after completing the exercises, that is, long before the ZMB develops.

This soreness is caused by microscopic tears in the muscle during physical exercise(especially if you are just starting your training regimen). In turn, ruptures lead to muscle inflammation and soreness.

Our muscles are made up of protein strands that continually contract during exercise, resulting in the creation of new, healthy, and strong muscle tissue. This is also the reason why it is necessary to regularly increase power load, because this is how our muscles grow and strengthen.

If you want to avoid too painful sensations during training, you should start with small loads, which should be gradually increased.

If you feel severe pain after training, it is recommended to increase the interval between training sessions. In addition, it is best to combine physical exercise (for example, lifting weights) with jogging, because the same type of exercise contributes to loss of interest in the training process itself.

Here are some tips to help relieve severe muscle pain:

• Take ibuprofen in small doses (no more than twice a day).
• Slowly and gently stretch the muscles in the area where the pain was localized, because the muscles after sports training contract, and with a light massage you can stretch them a little. In addition, the massage will improve blood circulation in the muscles, saturate them with oxygen and nutrients, which will ultimately alleviate pain.
• Take a warm bath, which also helps improve blood circulation.
• Apply ice to the sore muscle for 15 minutes, then remove the ice for 15 minutes and repeat the procedure. Studies have proven that this procedure improves blood circulation.

In general, medications for muscle pain, provoked by exercise, have not yet been found. However, on the other hand, there is nothing wrong with your brain signaling that your muscles are tired and requiring rest. In addition, it must be admitted that real fans of “muscle pumping” enjoy such pain.

Myth 3. Regular training

To get in shape (not to be confused with weight loss), a person should not spend too much time on physical exercise. You need to understand that there are no magic spells for quick success in sports.

If you are engaged in any advanced program that involves a normal training regimen, this does not mean that you have to spend long hours in the gym every day.

Research conducted by scientists at McMaster University in Ontario in 2012 proves that even twenty minutes of physical activity a day is enough to maintain muscle and body tone.

There is another way to achieve desired result with minimal time investment, which implies an increase in training intensity. This method is called Intense Interval Training.

For your information! Human muscles are composed of fast and slow fibers. Slow ones help general endurance body, while fast ones contribute to the rapid development of muscle speed and strength (though for such increased speed energy will have to be paid for by fairly rapid fatigue of the body).

Therefore, the muscle tissue of sprinters consists of 70–90% fast fibers, while that of marathon runners consists of 70–90% slow fibers. When training using the Intensive Interval Method, a person uses both types of muscles.

However, not everyone can withstand high loads during training, so it is recommended to consult with a specialist in this field who will help you find the “golden mean” between intensity and training time.

On the other hand, regular repetition of exercises will have a beneficial effect on your health, but if you think that there are more important events in your life, then you should not neglect your affairs.

Meanwhile, even a half-hour walk has great importance to maintain health.

Myth 4. Sports drinks

This is one of those myths that no longer has its original meaning. Sports drinks are consumed to enhance the performance of exercises that last more than an hour.

Composition of standard sports drinks:

• Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, bicarbonate, phosphate, sulfate).
• Glucose.

Why can't professional athletes just drink water? Long-term drinking of ordinary water will simply suppress thirst, but will not saturate the body with energy.

Sports drinks, by and large, are needed only by professional athletes who need to constantly replenish their supply of fluid and sugar (glucose). These fluids come out in sweat and provide fuel for the muscles.

If a person just goes for a run in the evening after work on the treadmill, then he does not need professional sports drinks (especially if the goal of the training is to lose weight).

Myth 5. Stretching exercises

The myth that stretching prevents injury is controversial. There are both supporters and opponents of the idea that you need to stretch before training, but the whole problem comes down to the fact that many people confuse the term “stretching” with the concept of “warm-up”.

It is very important to do a warm-up before training, which will prepare the muscles for intense physical activity and help prevent injuries, while stretching, at best, will not be beneficial. It has been proven that even with stretching, injury cannot be avoided.

Therefore, it is better to focus your attention on proper warm-up before training, while the warm-up may include stretching elements, which will help increase flexibility, but then the training should be short.

Myth 6. Building muscle mass

There is an opinion that exercises on machines build muscle mass without affecting weight loss. But this only happens because certain rules are not followed during training. Unfortunately, such people do not see the benefits of physical exercise, believing that without a diet they are useless.

Meanwhile, this is a common misconception that is not true. Research shows that people who want to lose weight solely through exercise lose weight slower than those who want to lose weight through diet alone or those who do both.

The reason is that it is easier to get rid of calories by cutting back on your diet than by burning the same amount of calories through exercise.

You can get noticeable results by changing your diet while exercising and gaining muscle mass without affecting your overall body weight gain. The fact is that a person who adheres to a diet loses both fat and muscle. At a minimum, exercise promotes muscle retention and fat loss.

A decrease in muscle mass during a diet can lead to a reduction in the level of metabolism (chemical reactions that provide the body with energy and those substances that support its vital functions), so it is recommended to give physical activity to the body, both during and after the diet.

If you want to lose weight, then you can study the experiences of other people who have achieved success in losing weight and were able to maintain the result. The main thing is not to feel lonely or doomed, especially since you can get rid of this problem.

Diet and exercise are a great combination for losing weight and maintaining overall health. In addition, studies have proven that exercise also helps reduce the risk of diabetes, most forms of cancer, and helps cope with depression.

Myth 7. Effective exercises for losing weight

It often happens that people give up physical activity completely when, after hours of exercise, they do not see the results they were hoping for. The problem is that physical activity, although it helps you lose calories, may not be enough for effective weight loss.

For example, a simple walk can burn 100 calories per hour, and if you sit in a chair, the loss will be 60 calories per hour. Productive results in losing weight depend on the willpower of a person, the intensity and duration of the activities that the novice athlete does.

It is also important to note that the benefits of exercise for weight loss are undeniable, affecting a person's overall health.

Myth 8. Protein shake for muscle growth

This is another myth that only applies to professional athletes(and not for everyone, as the advertising of such dietary supplements is silent about).

Special supplements are created to help professional bodybuilders or powerlifters (strength lifters), while the average person who works out two or three times a week to stay in shape and build some muscle mass does not need to take some newfangled protein cocktail, the composition of which is given below.

Standard protein shake composition:

• Whey protein.
• Milk.
• Eggs.
• Peas.

A person who takes care of his body receives all the necessary ingredients in the right quantities with food, that is, supplements are not a necessity for him.

It should be noted that most of these supplements are made from milk or soy, that is, products that contain a lot of protein, so it is not economically profitable for non-professional athletes to buy expensive protein shakes.

Also, from natural foods the body receives a lot of energy (calories) and carbohydrates, which are necessary for productive training.

If you find a protein shake delicious, then no one forbids you to eat it. But a delicious dinner made from “healthy” products can replace any dietary supplement.

Myth 9. Health and longevity

It's never too late to start playing sports and thereby improve your overall health and prolong your life.

This is evidenced by a study that involved more than 1,800 older people who played sports (whether throughout their lives or just in the last few years).

As a result, the subjects lived longer than their peers who did not engage in sports, and their health noticeably improved.

The main thing is to correctly distribute the load, taking into account age and general health. When properly organized, training will help improve memory, reduce joint pain, and eliminate depression.

Myth 10. Workout at home

Many people believe that training at home is less effective than training in the gym. Well, this myth has two sides to the coin.

It is irrational to argue about where it is better and more effective to practice- at home or in the gym, because both options have their advantages and disadvantages, which has been repeatedly confirmed in numerous studies. This is a purely individual question, the solution of which everyone approaches differently.

One study found that a home gym may be easier to get started with, but the long-term benefits of working out at home are questionable.

Of course, it’s more interesting to work out in the gym (and over time, interest in home workouts disappears). But! It is a mistake to believe that the effectiveness of training depends on the location of training., since everything depends solely on the motivation and willpower of a person.

Essentially, if a person can really tune himself into training process, believes in himself and can adhere to a certain schedule of classes, then sooner or later he will reach his goal, studying in a normal home atmosphere.

And if a person is not confident in his capabilities, if he can cope with the problem alone excess weight fails, then It's better to buy a gym membership, thereby making training a part of your life.

To tone yourself up, lose weight, gain muscle mass, or simply recharge your energy and mood - everyone has different motivations on the way to the gym. But many, instead of vigor and new vitality, are disappointed, not seeing results. What's wrong? And the fact is that among the hundreds of “proven” facts and “practical” advice that beginners most often take into account, there are a lot of misconceptions and outright nonsense. Let's figure out where the truth is and where the lies are together with the scientific editorial staff of Business Insider.

1. Exercise is the most important thing if you want to lose weight quickly.

Most studies show that in the first stage, when short time needed visible result, much more important proper diet. And in the future, sport takes the main place, helping to maintain the desired weight.

2. Strength training will turn fat into muscle.

If only it were that simple! In fact, fat does not turn into anything, but barbells and dumbbells will help you build muscle tissue under any fat layer.

3. Morning is the best perfect time for charging and jogging

Although daytime and evening exercise is no less useful, morning exercise is especially good because it charges you with energy for the whole day, accelerating weight loss. It is also important to get more daylight. Set your internal clock to natural mode - and you will soon notice how your metabolism has improved.

4. Weightlifting turns women into “jocks”

Those who believe in this are in the majority, a recent survey by gym equipment company Nautilus Inc. showed. They apparently are not aware that the ability to build mountains of muscle directly depends on the level of testosterone, and in the female body, as is known, there is much less of it than in the male. So, if a woman is not in the mood to participate in the Olympics or a bodybuilding competition, but just wants to strengthen her muscles, then go ahead!

5. Treadmill promotes rapid fat burning

To lose a pound of weight, you need to burn 3,500 calories - can you imagine how much that is? This is much more than the average adult should consume in a whole day! Now look: according to the same average calculations, after 20 minutes of running on a treadmill at a moderate speed, an adult man gets rid of only 330 calories.

6. The best way self-control in food - write down everything you eat

Not certainly in that way

Even if we sincerely try to control ourselves, our opinion is biased. All people, one way or another, tend to overestimate their physical activity and underestimate the amount of food they eat. That is, it sincerely seems to us that we trained “very hard” and ate “just a little.”

7. To lose weight, you need to go on a diet.

Not certainly in that way

All fashionable diets in the world have one common flaw - they are temporary. The very expression “go on a diet” suggests that sooner or later you will “get off” it. And in order to lose weight once and for all, you need to find your ideal diet and stick to it throughout your life.

8. Marathons are healthier than sprinting.

5-10 minutes of fast, vigorous running a day brings the same benefits as a multi-hour marathon. Moreover, research recent years showed that intense exercise in “short bursts” helps health no less than long-term endurance training.

9. One or two workouts a week is enough to stay in shape.

Even if you are in good shape, couples training days few. Ideally, you need to exercise at least three times a week, and according to a program that should include a full variety of exercises. And this is subject to daily physical activity when you are moving and not sitting. Scientists have found that inactivity neutralizes all the benefits brought by activity.

10. After each workout, you need to consolidate your success with a “sports drink”