When was your last anatomy lesson?The heart is an extraordinary muscle that pumps blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen and nutrients while removing waste. This process happens through a series of rhythmic contractions and relaxations known as the cardiac cycle. Understanding how the heart beats in a single cycle can help you appreciate how this vital organ keeps you alive.Phases of the cardiac cycleThe cardiac cycle consists of two main phases: systole and diastole. These terms might ...

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) recently updated their guidelines on 'Eligibility and Disqualification Recommendations for Competitive Athletes with Cardiovascular Abnormalities'. With respect to Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), a matter obviously close to my own heart and the single most common cause of sudden death in young competitive athletes in the United States, the new disqualification/eligibility guidelines do not differ that much from tho...

The Unforgiving Minute Ron Clarke AO MBE (1937-2015)Ron Clarke was a man who, indisputably, gave his whole heart to a race.Towards the end of the year, we contemplate the year gone by. Ron Clarke passed away in June this year. He is sadly missed by the athletic fraternity. Ron is regarded as one of Australia's most prolific world record breakers who revolutionised distance running on the world stage. During his running career, he set 17 world records between 2 miles and 20 kilometres. His mome...

If you are not familiar with the local athletics circuit, you will no doubt be gobsmacked to hear that, in this day and age, women don't get to run the same distances as men in cross-country running races sanctioned by the sport's governing bodies, here in Australia and overseas. This is an issue very close to my heart ... Read more here in an article I wrote for Athletics Exclusive, It's Time Males and Females Run the Same Distances  ...