Blog Guy, what’s it like when you win at the Olympics? I mean, do athletes go through physical changes?
For sure. Sports doctors say most athletes totally lose control of their tongue. You’ll see photos of winners with their tongues flopping like they just had a quart of Novocaine. This can last for months.
I had no idea! I always thought that was just because they’re obnoxious!
No, it’s involuntary. When the really big superstar Olympics winners are in TV commercials, they shoot them from behind or wearing ski masks, or sometimes they use a tongue stunt-double. Surely you’ve noticed that?
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REUTER photos: above, Arkady Vyatchanin by Jerry Lampen
below, clockwise, Stephanie Rice by Jerry Lampen, Arkady Vyatchanin by David Gray, Deborah Gravenstijn by Kim Kyung-Hoon and Leandro Guilheiro by Dylan Martinez
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4 comments so far
As a masters swimmer and physician, I have for 50 years of competitive swimming noted post race tongue ache and numbness of gums and mouth .It lasts some minutes and is mostly numbness and does not appear to be a movement disorder. I have always thought of it as sort of a tongue migraine equivalent. If it were to last months as stated in the article I would think there must be evidence of nerve damage rather than as I have always thought simply blood flow changes.
- Posted by Dpiercesearch of wikipedia google and medline fail to show articles on this as a previously reported phenomenon. Either this report in the first taste of a new awareness or it is somewhat “tongue-in-cheek”
- Posted by DpiercePretty quick there eh Dpierce?
- Posted by Will ClayThe tongue is the strongest muscle in the body. It just wants its share of glory! LOL
- Posted by Dee T