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The Sweet Spot in Time: The Search for Athletic Perfection
An inquiry into how certain athletes can achieve moments of athletic perfection.
356 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1980
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 10, 2022
Still one of the best books ever written on athletics and the biology/physiology of achieving perfection in sports.
July 20, 2010
The sub-title to this book makes it sound like a self-help book for athletes, but it isn't full of tips on exercise and diet. It's an in-depth look at the (at the time) state of knowledge about human athletic performance. There's a chapter on how muscles work, on how the lungs work, on how fatigue happens and what counter-acts it. The simple message of the book is: there are no tricks, but you can get a free lunch.
(The last chapter, called "Free Lunch" sums up the vast store of facts in the rest of the book and points out that, no matter what, every time you exercise you get better. Your body will improve. It will heal. It's designed to do so. He saw that as the equivalent of getting something for nothing. Of course, you do have to exercise.)
The author is definitely biased toward tried-and-true, eager to point out that nutritionists consider a normal balanced diet just as effective as any protein-shake, carb-loading dance. But his tone is self-depricating and pleasant throughout, and he does seem to earnestly explore all options.
References to "Eastern Block" practices and cold-war Olympics drama particularly date the book, but much of what he says is still valid.
Incidentally, when he casually said, "Like pole vaulting, there is no women's ski jumping in the olympics" I went online to find out WHEN this had changed between now and then.
So.. let's hope that they really do have Women's Ski Jumping for the first time in 2014, like they currently plan.
*Grumble*
(The last chapter, called "Free Lunch" sums up the vast store of facts in the rest of the book and points out that, no matter what, every time you exercise you get better. Your body will improve. It will heal. It's designed to do so. He saw that as the equivalent of getting something for nothing. Of course, you do have to exercise.)
The author is definitely biased toward tried-and-true, eager to point out that nutritionists consider a normal balanced diet just as effective as any protein-shake, carb-loading dance. But his tone is self-depricating and pleasant throughout, and he does seem to earnestly explore all options.
References to "Eastern Block" practices and cold-war Olympics drama particularly date the book, but much of what he says is still valid.
Incidentally, when he casually said, "Like pole vaulting, there is no women's ski jumping in the olympics" I went online to find out WHEN this had changed between now and then.
So.. let's hope that they really do have Women's Ski Jumping for the first time in 2014, like they currently plan.
*Grumble*
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews