ATHLETE’S HEART

Opotiki News, Volume II, Issue 161, 22 March 1939, Page 3

ATHLETE’S HEART

. OPINION OF DOCTORS NO EFFECT ON FIT RUNNER, As the result of a suggestion from the Otago Centre that secondary schoolboys should be prohibited from competing in more than four events at an athletic meeting, owing to the danger to- their hearts, the council oi the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association decided at a recent meeting to obtain an opinion from medical authorities on tlio matter. The replies were forwarded to the Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay Centre and were discussed at a recent meeting. Dr. Malcolm Grey, in lii.s reply, stated that it was generally agreed that- no amount of exertion could injure a healthy heart. The trouble arose when boys, with a sense of rivalry, forced themselves to mm when they were not fit. “In my experience,” said Dr. Grey, “even a dose of influenza, or a cold, combined with over-exertion, is sufficient to cause serious injury to the heart; such an injury is quite capable of causing a year’s invalidism. “If this fact- is emphasised to headmasters and sports masters,” he said, “I am sure that this variety of heart trouble could bo cut out. I would emphasise to them,” be said, “that no boy should be allowed to run unless he is absolutely fit.” Replies were received from seven other medical authorities, mostly in agreement with the opinion of Dr. Grey. On the motion of Mr. E. D. Lynch, it was decided to suggest to the New Zealand association that the opinion of the medical authorities should be passed on to the educational authorities.