Editing Athlete

{{Short description|Person who participates regularly in a sport}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Redirect|Sportsmen|other uses of the term|Hunting{{!}}Hunters|and|Fisherman{{!}}Fishermen}}
[[File:Jim Thorpe, 1912 Summer Olympics.jpg|thumb|[[Jim Thorpe]] at the [[1912 Summer Olympics]]]]

An '''athlete''' is most commonly a person who competes in one or more [[sport]]s involving [[physical strength]], speed, power, or [[endurance]]. Sometimes, the word "athlete" is used to refer specifically to [[sport of athletics]] competitors, i.e. including [[track and field]] and [[marathon]] runners but excluding e.g. [[swimmers]], [[footballers]] or [[basketball]] players. However, in other contexts (mainly in the [[United States]]) it is used to refer to all [[athletics (physical culture)]] participants of any sport. For the latter definition, the word '''sportsperson''' or the gendered '''sportsman''' or '''sportswoman''' are also used. A third definition is also sometimes used, meaning anyone who is [[Physical fitness|physically fit]] regardless of whether they compete in a sport.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/athlete|website=[[Collins Dictionary]]|title=athlete in British English|quote=1. a person trained to compete in sports or exercises involving physical strength, speed, or endurance 2. a person who has a natural aptitude for physical activities 3. (mainly British) a competitor in track and field events}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/athlete|title=Definition of athlete noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary|website=[[Oxford Learner's Dictionaries]]}}</ref>

Athletes may be [[professional sports|professionals]] or [[amateur sports|amateurs]].<ref>Collins English Dictionary, Millennium Ed. - 'athlete'</ref> Most professional athletes have particularly well-developed physiques obtained by extensive physical training and strict exercise, accompanied by a strict dietary regimen.

==Definitions==
[[File:Three runners BM GR 1856.10-1.1.jpg|thumb|Runners, ceramics, S. IV a.C.]]
[[File:Armedforces crosscountry coppingerandballas.jpg|thumb|Athletes taking part in a race on a snowy park in the U.S.]]
The word "athlete" is a [[romanization]] of the {{langx|el|άθλητὴς}}, ''athlētēs'', meaning one who participates in a contest; from ἄθλος, ''áthlos'' or ἄθλον, ''áthlon'', meaning a contest or feat. The primary definition of "sportsman" according to Webster's ''Third Unabridged Dictionary'' (1960) is, "a person who is active in sports: as  (a): one who engages in the sports of the field and especially in hunting or fishing."

==Physiology==

Athletes involved in isotonic exercises have an increased mean left ventricular end-diastolic volume and are less likely to be depressed.<ref>MORGANROTH, JOEL, et al. "[http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1024.7587&rep=rep1&type=pdf Comparative left ventricular dimensions in trained athletes]." Annals of Internal Medicine 82.4 (1975): 521–524.</ref><ref>Oler, Michael J., et al. "[http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/7987512 Depression, suicidal ideation, and substance use among adolescents. Are athletes at less risk?]." Archives of Family Medicine 3.9 (1994): 781–785.</ref> Due to their strenuous physical activities, athletes are far more likely than the general population to visit [[massage]] salons and pay for services from massotherapists and masseurs.<ref>Jönhagen, Sven, et al. "[http://www.taichiqigongreikicentre.com.au/resources/Sports%20Massage%20after%20Eccentric%20Exercise.pdf Sports massage after eccentric exercise] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928215451/http://www.taichiqigongreikicentre.com.au/resources/Sports%20Massage%20after%20Eccentric%20Exercise.pdf |date=2020-09-28 }}." The American Journal of Sports Medicine 32.6 (2004): 1499–1503.</ref> Athletes whose sport requires endurance more than strength usually have a lower calorie intake than other athletes.<ref>{{cite journal|title=The effects of caloric restriction or exercise cessation on the serum lipid and lipoprotein concentrations of endurance athletes|journal=Metabolism|volume=33|issue=10|pages=943–950|doi=10.1016/0026-0495(84)90249-X|pmid=6482736|year=1984|last1=Thompson|first1=Paul D.|last2=Cullinane|first2=Eileen M.|last3=Eshleman|first3=Ruth|last4=Sady|first4=Stanley P.|last5=Herbert|first5=Peter N.}}</ref>

=== "Athlete Genes" ===
While athleticism is largely influenced by environmental factors, it has been theorized that genetic expression may play a moderate role in an athlete's abilities as well.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sportsbay alternatives |url=https://www.newscitech.com/sportsbay/}}</ref> Exploring this claim, [[Meta-analysis|meta-analyses]] of studies regarding two specific genes, [[Angiotensin-converting enzyme|angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)]] gene and [[Alpha-actinin-3|ACTN3]], concluded that certain variations in expression may have a moderate effect on athletic performance; the former being more prevalent in endurance-based events and the latter in power-based events.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Puthucheary |first1=Zudin |last2=Skipworth |first2=James R. A. |last3=Rawal |first3=Jai |last4=Loosemore |first4=Mike |last5=Van Someren |first5=Ken |last6=Montgomery |first6=Hugh E. |date=2011-06-01 |title=The ACE Gene and Human Performance |url=https://doi.org/10.2165/11588720-000000000-00000 |journal=Sports Medicine |language=en |volume=41 |issue=6 |pages=433–448 |doi=10.2165/11588720-000000000-00000 |pmid=21615186 |s2cid=42531424 |issn=1179-2035}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Ma |first1=Fang |last2=Yang |first2=Yu |last3=Li |first3=Xiangwei |last4=Zhou |first4=Feng |last5=Gao |first5=Cong |last6=Li |first6=Mufei |last7=Gao |first7=Lei |date=2013-01-24 |title=The Association of Sport Performance with ACE and ACTN3 Genetic Polymorphisms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |journal=PLOS ONE |language=en |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=e54685 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0054685 |issn=1932-6203 |pmc=3554644 |pmid=23358679|bibcode=2013PLoSO...854685M |doi-access=free }}</ref> Further studies on these and other genetic polymorphisms linked to athletic performance were recommended.

== Titles ==
{{See also|Athlete of the Year}}

==="All-round athlete"===
An "'''all-round athlete'''" is a person who competes in multiple sports at a professional level. Examples of people who played more than one sport professionally include [[Jim Thorpe]], [[Lionel Conacher]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Burnett|first=Red|author-link=Red Burnett|title=Testimonial for Bob Abate|work=[[Toronto Star|Toronto Daily Star]]|page=17|date=April 26, 1963|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-toronto-star-bob-abate/145648327/|access-date=April 19, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OzllAAAAIBAJ&pg=2002%2C5752698 |title=Lionel Conacher easily wins half century athlete award |work=Vancouver Sun |date=1950-12-30 |access-date=2011-01-24}}</ref> [[Deion Sanders]], [[Danny Ainge]], [[Babe Zaharias]] and [[Erin Phillips]]. Others include [[Ricky Williams]], [[Bo Jackson]] and [[Damon Allen]], each of whom was drafted both by [[Major League Baseball]] and by professional [[gridiron football]] leagues such as the [[National Football League|NFL]] and the [[Canadian Football League|CFL]]. Another female example is [[Heather Moyse]], a multiple Winter Olympic gold medalist in [[Bobsleigh|bobsled]] and member of the [[World Rugby Hall of Fame]] who also represented Canada internationally in [[track cycling]] and competed at [[U Sports|university level]] in basketball and track and field. Japanese athletes such as [[Kazushi Sakuraba]], [[Kazuyuki Fujita]], [[Masakatsu Funaki]] and [[Naoya Ogawa]] have successfully performed in [[professional wrestling]] and competed in [[mixed martial arts]]. All these athletes are equally great at what they do. Whether it's on the basketball court, the [[baseball field]], the [[tennis court]] or whatever sport, each of these athletes left an impact in sports

==="World's Greatest Athlete"===
The title of "'''World's Greatest Athlete'''" traditionally belongs to the world's top competitor in the [[decathlon]] (males) and [[heptathlon]] (females) in [[track and field]]. The [[decathlon]] consists of 10 events: [[100 meters]], [[long jump]], [[shot put]], [[high jump]], [[400 meters]], [[110 m hurdles]], [[discus]], [[pole vault]], [[Javelin throw|javelin]], and [[1500 m]]. The [[heptathlon]] consists of seven events: the [[100 m hurdles]], [[high jump]], [[shot put]], [[200 meters]], [[long jump]], [[Javelin throw|javelin]], and [[800 meters]]. These competitions require an athlete to possess the whole spectrum of athletic ability in order to be successful, including speed, strength, coordination, jumping ability, and endurance.

Although the title "World's Greatest '''Athlete''' seems a natural fit for these two events, its traditional association with the decathlon/heptathlon officially began with [[Jim Thorpe]]. During the 1912 [[Olympic Games|Olympics]] in Stockholm, Sweden, Thorpe won the gold medal in the [[Decathlon]] (among others). Thorpe competed professionally in [[baseball]], [[American football]], and [[basketball]]; and competed collegiately in [[track and field]], [[baseball]], [[lacrosse]], and did [[ballroom dancing]]. King [[Gustav V of Sweden]], while awarding Thorpe the decathlon gold, said: "Sir, you are the greatest athlete in the world."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Flatter |first1=Ron |title=Thorpe preceded Deion, Bo |url=https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/features/00016499.html |website=espn.com |access-date=11 December 2020}}</ref> This title has been associated with the decathlon event ever since.
[[File:LeBron James, 25 November 2023 02 (cropped 2).jpg|thumb|LeBron, one of the best athletes of the modern day.]]

== See also ==
{{EB9 Poster|Athletæ}}
*[[Sport of athletics|Athletics]]
*[[Sportswear (activewear)]]
*[[Outdoor enthusiast]]
*[[Jock (stereotype)|Jock (athlete)]]
*[[Athlete of the Year]]
*[[Women's sports]]
*[[Olympic Games]] athletes are also known as 'Olympians'

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{National Sportsperson of the Year}}
{{Sport}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sports occupations and roles]]
[[Category:Sports terminology]]