How much of an advantage does todays athlete gain.....

[Fine Vol]

from what we have learned through nutrition, muscle supliments, weight training?

Do you think say (Kareem abdul jabbar)would have been any better with todays knowledge?

[allvol123]

He could have had laser eye surgery.

[BigPapaVol]

given that the same info and technology would have been available to both sides, I don't think it would have made a tremendous impact on his overall game.

He might have found some supplement to keep him from being such a financial idiot, however.

[Fine Vol]

Originally Posted by BigPapaVol

given that the same info and technology would have been available to both sides, I don't think it would have made a tremendous impact on his overall game.

He might have found some supplement to keep him from being such a financial idiot, however.

[allvol123]

But seriously, the competitors are competing against guys that have the same access to nutrition, supplements, weight training etc...as they do. So it is not as if they have an easier road to winning.

[VolBeef88]

I think football players would have more of an edge compared to years before.

[BigPapaVol]

Originally Posted by VolBeef88

I think football players would have more of an edge compared to years before.

but again, so do all of the guys they're playing against.

[VolBeef88]

Originally Posted by BigPapaVol

but again, so do all of the guys they're playing against.

I took the question to mean would they be better than they were as an individual. And yes all players would have the same access.

[Fine Vol]

Originally Posted by VolBeef88

I took the question to mean would they be better than they were as an individual. And yes all players would have the same access.

[Business]

I'm with BigPapa. Given that the supplement was avaliable to all in a sport, then it would cancel each other out.

Baseball for example. A hitter could hit it longer but they were (or are) facing more frequently pitchers that can get it up over 91-93 and ones that could do that are now throwing 97-99.

Trust me there is a significant difference between 93 and 99 when in the box.

[BigPapaVol]

Originally Posted by Business

Trust me there is a significant difference between 93 and 99 when in the box.

that extra foot or foot and a half is a very big deal

[Rasputin_Vol]

Wilt Chamberlain with todays technology would have been a track and field star as well as a great basketball player. But then again, as i think about it, the trend nowadays is for us to get guys and make them "specialists" at a certain position or sport and not as well rounded.

Jim Brown would make the likes of Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher his b^tch if he would have been born in 1980 or later...

[Rasputin_Vol]

Another example of an athlete that might have been limited had he been born in this era is Babe Ruth. had he come up in the Red Sox organization now, he would have been a pitcher and probably would have ended up never swinging a bat because of today's focus on getting guys to focus in one area of a sport.

[milohimself]

I'm with the "The competitiveness is the same, the individuals are better" school of thought. I personally know people who train naturally with nothing more than a good work ethic and diet. They plateau, then start some basic supplements available to you and I at GNC or VitaminWorld or wherever, and then manage to lose another 3-4% body fat and gain another 20-30 pounds of muscle.

The playing field is still level as it has ever been, but there's no way that the athletes of yesteryear are even close to being the same physical specimens that we have today.

[crazyguy]

You could think about it two ways.
1. The better athlete would be much better than his peers and increase the gap with better weight training, nutrition, supplements etc.
2. The marginal athlete would be better because of the same reasons.
All in all I'd say it's a wash.