I saw a horse race once where the winner was not declared
until the race people had a chance to look at the “photo
finish.”
Boy was it close. There was a bout 3 inches difference
between first and second place.
What could that second place horse have done in that
mile or so of endeavor? What little bit extra could have
won that race? How much extra energy or endurance did
that horse need? 5%, 10%??
For three inches in a mile race, the horse needed less
than 5% more performance to win.
What about a high school track star? How much extra do
they need to go to the Olympics?
Probably about 5% more energy; 5% more mental clarity.
Let's back up in time.
When the high school student [or professional athlete]
sat in the dressing room, what were they breathing?
When they were at home in their bedroom, what were
they touching?
Most people exposed to mold or some pollutants will
show somewhere between 5-10% performance loss.
http://www.canarycoalition.org/abby.html
This is due to:
1. Slightly impaired oxygen uptake
2. Scrambled neurotransmitters that confuse muscle
tissue
3. Interference with chemical cycles in the production
of energy
4. Mental acuity interference
Mold
Molds give off chemicals that mimic natural signal
chemicals in the body. These chemicals can cause
confusion inside the body. An athlete needs focus
not confusion.
http://www.themoldlab.com/mytcotoxins.htm
Mold loves moist buildings. Can you think of
anything wetter than a high school dressing room?
And many homes have wet basements or attics.
So if you get rid of the mold in the athletes
dressing room and home you can gain 5-10% extra
performance, right? Well almost.
Store cleansers
We also have to think about regular chemicals
in the home that can also interfere with
nerve/muscle junctions.
Most high schools try to get rid of mold and
bacteria with bleach. Well, bleach won't kill mold.
But that's the subject of another article. Bleach
will burn the lungs and mess up vision and cause
disorientation.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002761.htm
Some of the things you buy at the store contain phenols and
formaldehyde. Like bleach these cleaners scar the lungs and
decrease the person's ability to breathe efficiently.
http://www.parish-supply.com/chemicals_in_your_closet.htm
Does this contribute to an Olympic destiny? Hardly.
Ozone machines
Some people use ozone machines to disinfect the air in
locker rooms. The logic is that ozone is all natural.
Well, so is arsenic.
http://www.2bangkok.com/2bangkok/Scams/Ozone.shtml
http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=44567
Ozone has been traced to lowered lung efficiency. The
lungs become less elastic and so the amount of air
sucked in is less. Now there is something that will
decrease athletic ability. Probably more than the
5-10% we have been talking about.
Conclusion
Okay what will clean the environment and not harm
the potential sports hero?
Go to your health food store and look for cleaners
with tea tree oil [Melaleuca oil] or grapefruit Seed
Extract. They kill mold and bacteria but don't cause
changes in the body's ability to function at peak
efficiency. Our company motto is, “If You Can't Drink
It, Don't Spray It.”
Just changing your cleaning products and cleaning
up mold can add that 5-10% performance to an athlete.
And that, my friend, is the topic of this article.
© 2005 Dr GW Graham
Dr Graham graduated from the University of Tennessee
Medical Units at Memphis Tennessee. During a tour in the
Army he helped develop many of the concepts dealing with
Sick Building Syndrome. He currently is the CEO of
Tennessee Mold and chief researcher for Mold Lab Int'l.
He has linked moldy homes to ADHD, Lupus, CFS and several
other inflammatory diseases. He is currently doing
research into mold and Alzheimer's, arthritis and MS.
