Gretchen Bleiler, professional snowboarder from Aspen, CO and member of the women’s U.S. Olympic halfpipe team, talks to The New York Times about staying fit, her new workout, and how snowboarding’s “counterculture ethos” of partying and lackadaisical health awareness recently has given way to a more “professional athlete work ethic.”

“‘You have to be strong, and you have to know how to use your body properly and how to fire the correct muscles,’ Ms. Bleiler said during an interview here at the Center of Excellence, the United States Ski and Snowboard Association’s year-old training center. ‘All of these things are great for injury prevention. Not just that, but also confidence. When you’re up on the hill and you know you’re as strong as you can be, you’re more willing and able and confident to go and do bigger and harder and more technical tricks.’”

A recent study of heart health in 78 veteran Norwegian cross-country skiers (the Birkebeiner study named after the Birkebeiner ski marathon) has determined that cases of atrial fibrillation–a common form of cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm)–is showing up in athletes at earlier ages.

What’s interesting is that the common risk factors often associated with poor heart health–high blood pressure, heart disease, and excessive drinking–weren’t present with this test group, which is leading some researchers and doctors to the conclusion that excessive exercise may be linked to atrial fibrillation.

“‘We were surprised by the high incidence,’ said Dr. Jostein Grimsmo of The Feiring Heart Clinic in Norway, who led the research. ‘We knew that some cross-country skiers had developed atrial fibrillation, but we didn’t know how many,’” reports Frederik Joelving of Reuters.

“The link between endurance training and atrial fibrillation is still murky. Doctors have long known that intense, prolonged exercise causes the heart to grow, eject more blood and beat slower during rest — a phenomenon aptly called athlete’s heart.”

Michelle Quinn of The New York Times writes about the recent studies indicating that urban bike safety may be on the rise, and wonders if the “proliferation of bicyclists has made more car drivers (who are often also bicyclists) more conscious of bicycles.”

Still, riding while intoxicated and without a helmet continue to be the sport’s largest pain points as it relates to national fatality figures:

“Of all bicyclists killed in 2007 nationally, 92 percent reportedly failed to wear a helmet, according to another report. In addition, 28 percent of bicyclists over 16 who were killed had blood-alcohol concentrations at or above 0.08 percent.”

Ski Jumping

For almost three decades body weight has been a critical performance factor Olympic ski jumpers: The lighter they are, the further they fly.

Not surprisingly, competitive weight wars among the athletes has created health concerns–poor nutrition, cases of anorexia and bulimia etc.–and impetus in 2004 for the International Ski Federation to institute a “minimum body mass” index, helping to focus jumpers on healthier body compositions.

“‘The new rules are better, especially for children who want to be ski jumpers and start too early to get less weight,’ said Andreas Goldberger, a retired two-time Olympic medalist from Austria. ‘It’s a problem for the mind. You get fifth place or third place and someone says, ‘If you lose two kilos, you might win.’ You start to lose the feeling of what’s important,’” reports Jere Longman in The New York Times.

photo credit: tpower1978