A Case Study Series of the Health Status and Key Anthropometry in Very Large Strength Athletes
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CHAPPELL, A. and SIMPER, T. 2020. A case study series of the health status and key anthropometry in very large strength athletes. IUSCA journal [online], 1(1), article ID 2, pages 1-20. Available from: https://doi.org/10.47206/iuscaj.v1i1.2 A case study series of the health status and key anthropometry in very large strength athletes. CHAPPELL, A. and SIMPER, T. 2020 This document was downloaded from https://openair.rgu.ac.uk Chappell, A., & Simper, T. (2020). A Case Study Series of the Health Status and Key Anthropometry in Very Large Strength Athletes. IUSCA Journal, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.47206/iuscaj.v1i1.2 A Case Study Series of the Health Status and Key Anthropometry in Very Large Strength Athletes Andrew Chappell1 and Trevor Simper2. 1School of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, Robert Gordon University, Garthdee Road, Aberdeen, UK; 2Food and Nutrition Group, Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University, Howard Street, Sheffield, UK. ABSTRACT protecting cardiovascular health and the potential for 'healthy' weight gain. To our Strongmen are characterised by their large knowledge this is the first such nested mass which they use to perform feats of cohort study in the area of strongmen strength, the effect this large mass has on competitors. Larger studies are needed to the athlete’s health are unknown. The aim confirm and further elucidate this data. of this study was to: characterise a group Considerations for protecting the health of of strongmen and to compare observed strongman competition is made. values with established parameters for good health. We measured: resting Key Words: Strongman, Strength Athletics, metabolic rate, body composition, Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, Diet, Heart skinfolds, lipid profiles, fasted glucose, Disease blood pressure, power output, and grip strength in 6 competitive strongmen on INTRODUCTION three separate occasions over a six-month period. Blood pressure varied with 3 of the The first “World’s Strongest Man” (WSM) strongmen recording hypertensive values. competition took place in 1977 involving Fasted blood glucose levels aligned with strength and power athletes from different values for healthy adults, cholesterol/lipid sports including: American football, profiles varied with the suggestion that Olympic weightlifting, bodybuilding, values are generally poorer in strongmen powerlifting, wrestling and track and field. than in healthy adults. The large body mass Since the original WSM competition, of the strongmen corresponded with a strongman has become a sport in its own large amount of adipose tissue, which may right; competitors train specifically to incur risk for non-communicable disease. develop strength and muscular endurance Furthermore, the risk of disease may be to complete 5 to 6 events in the fastest further compounded by anabolic steroid time possible. Events are usually based use. Dietary considerations are made for upon mythical feats of strength combined International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association Journal | IUSCA.ORG 1 Chappell, A., & Simper, T. (2020). A Case Study Series of the Health Status and Key Anthropometry in Very Large Strength Athletes. IUSCA Journal, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.47206/iuscaj.v1i1.2 with conventional barbell tests, examples to traditional resistance training (7), albeit include: the ‘farmers' walk’ where some activities do place a greater competitors carry heavy objects (often emphasis on the cardiovascular system anvils), over a set distance and the “Atlas were individuals may acutely work at high Stones” where athletes lift 5 progressively heart rate intensities (>90% than age heavier stone boulders onto platforms (1). predicted) (4). There is a paucity of Strongmen are characterised as having a research however in investigate the health large stature and mass, for example, WSM status of large strongmen, and if this large competitor Brian Shaw is reported to be size might be a risk for the athlete’s health. 2.03 m tall, with a body mass of 200kg To the authors knowledge only a single equating to a body mass index (BMI) of cross section reporting on health 48.5 kg/m2. parameters of strongmen (8). The large body mass of elite strongmen The previous cross section of strongmen and their astounding strength perhaps investigating health parameters (mean gives credence to the conventional body mass: 129.0 ± 14.7 kg, mean BMI 38.0 strongman wisdom that “mass moves ± 2.7 kg/m2) indicated that compared to mass”. However, a large body mass controls and endurance athletes, increases an individual’s body mass index strongmen had higher resting heart rates, (BMI), and where excess mass is fat mass haemoglobin and haematocrit levels, and a (FM), this may represent a significant risk lower V̇O2max scaled for body size (8). to health. Obesity, classified as a body Moreover, strongmen had poorer mass index (BMI) greater than 29.99 lipoprotein profiles compared to kg/m2, or a body fat percentage (BF%) endurance athletes and controls, despite greater than 25, may lead to insulin regular exercise (8). Changes in heart resistance, dyslipidaemia and arterial morphology were also reported to be hypertension increasing the risk of similar to those seen in other strength cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 sports, however strongmen were had diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (2,3). Moreover, impaired myocardial relaxation, and retrospective cohorts indicate that life reduced left ventricle function compared expectancy is reduced between 8 to 10 to endurance athletes and controls (8). The years when BMI is greater than 40 kg/m2 aforementioned may increase their risk of (4). Despite the high BMI, strongmen are cardiovascular disease in large strongmen regularly engaged in exercise and have and more research is warranted to high levels of fat free mass (FFM) which investigating the health parameters in may offer some protection against CVD these populations, and how risk might be and T2DM. Previous research conducted managed. on strongman has largely focussed, on physiology related to strongman training Studies of offensive linesman from the (4), prevalence of injury (5) and ‘tapering’ National Football League (NFL) are useful training prior to competition (6). The for making comparisons with large physiological changes associated with strongmen. For example, the mean body strongman training should be regarded as mass of offensive linesmen reported in positive for health. Acute and longitudinal literature is 140 - 143 kg, BMI 37.8 kg/m2 affects reported similar effects compared (9,10). These athletes are also similar in International Universities Strength and Conditioning Association Journal | IUSCA.ORG 2 Chappell, A., & Simper, T. (2020). A Case Study Series of the Health Status and Key Anthropometry in Very Large Strength Athletes. IUSCA Journal, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.47206/iuscaj.v1i1.2 stature to strongmen competitors (9). these populations and warrants research. Amongst 109 offensive linesmen recruited In the present investigation by Tucker et al. (10) nearly all (n - 104) had anthropometric measurements, a waist circumference (WC) over the 102 cardiometabolic measurements and cm World Health Organisation (WHO) CVD performance outcome markers are high risk cut off, n - 26 were hypertensive, measured in six strongmen at three time n - 70 pre-hypertensive, and n - 25 had a points over a six-month period. total cholesterol (TC) greater than 200 mg/dL. Interestingly, despite their high METHODS BMI’s just over half (n - 61) had a body fat % over 25, only n - 7 a waist to hip ratio Presentation of the Athletes (WHR) over 1.0, and all players had normal fasting blood glucose, suggesting a The present observation was performed possible protective effect associated with on 6 active male strongmen. One of the lean body mass (LBM) and exercise (9). The athletes competed international and had authors conclude that CVD risk for the previously placed in the top 3 of the UKs linesmen was similar to that of the similar Strongest Man and World Team to the general population, and that their Strongman Championships. Another physical activity output seemed to mitigate competed as a master’s strongman and the effect of their large size. Post was an international level IPF powerlifter, retirement however, the NFL linesman the remaining participants had all appears to be susceptible to developing competed at national or regional metabolic syndrome (11), which should strongman level. Participants visited the also be a consideration for strongman laboratory on three occasions separated populations. by 12 weeks (baseline, 12 wks, and 24 wks). At each visit the participant’s Finally, competitive strongman does not metabolic health, exercise performance, adhere to the World Anti-Doping Agency anthropometric characteristics and dietary Code, and like other non-Olympic sports, intake was assessed. Three of the six the use of androgenic anabolic steroids strongmen attended all three laboratory (AAS) and other prohibited substances is in visits, two visited the laboratory on two the first authors experience (a occasions and one participant visited the performance nutritionist who works with laboratory only once. Four of the international competitive strongmen) strongmen reported using AAS throughout widespread. Despite a lack of documented the observation, while another professed accounts of steroid use in the scientific to having previously using AAS. All literature, the lay media have speculated participants provided written informed several high-profile deaths in