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"Fit " & "Healthy" Are Not the Same Thing...

Friday, 14 April 2017 23:10

By Paul Laursen (triathlete.com)

We often use the words “fit” and “healthy” in our everyday language to mean the same thing. If you’re fit, then surely you must be healthy. The two terms go together in commonplace language. But in actual fact, as I’ve written recently with legendary coach and clinician Dr. Phil Maffetone, the terms have entirely separate meanings. Allow me to explain.

We can define fitness as simply the ability to perform a given exercise task. For example, an elite cyclist or triathlete might possess a maximal mean cycling power output of 5.5 W/kg over five minutes, which is indicative of a high VO2max power output. We can say that this athlete has incredible fitness. But that number actually doesn’t tells us much about the athlete’s health.

Health is defined distinctly as a person’s state of well-being, where physiological systems are working together in harmony to achieve a level of balance. While we typically view athletes as fit and healthy, more often than you think, they may not be....

In my past, I’ve had the privilege of working in a high performance Olympic environment, where I was part of a team charged with helping athletes win on the world stage. Doing so involved routine case conferences with coaches focused on day-to-day problems hindering athlete preparation and performance.  Reported athlete symptoms would vary, but could include anything from general persistent fatigue and muscle soreness, to mental-emotional issues ranging from depression and anxiety to a lack of motivation. Often these would be associated with insomnia, and eventually reductions in performance would be seen.  READ MORE