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Article: THE 400-METER MAN THE RACE LASTS ONLY ABOUT 44 SECONDS. BUT WHAT HAPPENS TO AN ATHLETE'S BODY IN THOSE 44 SECONDS IS A MIRACLE OF CONDITIONING.(LIFE & LEISURE)
- Article from:
- Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)
- Article date:
- July 16, 1996
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Albany Times Union. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: JON MORGAN Baltimore Sun
Poised liked a coiled spring on the starting blocks, the sprinter sets his feet, cocks his legs and stares down the track.
He is 5 feet 10 inches and 175 relatively fat-free pounds. He has the same set of organs and limbs as the rest of us. But years of training have imbued this hypothetical Olympic athlete with lungs that process oxygen more efficiently, a heart that is larger and pumps blood faster, and leg muscles that store more energy and tolerate more pain. Every system respiration, circulation, how the runner thinks has been refined.
The event? The 400-meter race.
The time? For the winner, the ...