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The Sun-Herald December 3 2006
If you want to know what makes Nathan Hindmarsh run, look no further than the family tree, writes Adrian Proszenko.
Scientists believe they have finally worked out the secret behind the incredible staying power of Parramatta workhorse Nathan Hindmarsh - it's all to do with genetics.
While he might not have the classical footballer's physique - he was once described by former Eels coach Brian Smith as having a "sway back, fat guy and funny bum" - Hindmarsh is the ulitmate rugby league machine, able to keep on keeping on long after teammates and opponents had packed it in.
In March he broke the record for most tackles in an Nrl macth with 63 in a loss to North Queensland. And when he's not putting blokes on their bums he's carting the ball forward averaging 15 hitups a game.
When University of Technonlogy scientist Aaron Coutts tested Hindmarsh two years ago, the Eel's sports science adviser was blown away by the back-rowers increcible endurance. Allthough Coutts had tested elite ahtletes from league, AFL and triathalon, the 27 - year old posted phenomenal scores he describes as "never seen before" on some of the Human Performance Laboratory's measures.
That was untill Hindmarsh's brother Ian returned this month after stints with Canberra and Super League club Les Catalans.
Like his younger brother, Ian posted some of the best figures for an NRL forward with the V02max text, an indicator of aerobic potenital. But the most stunning results were the unsually high blood lactate levels they were able to tolerate.
Running on a non-motorised treadmill desgined to simulate match-day exertions, Nathan produced a blood lactate level of up to 22mmol/L for 30 minutes. THat may sound complicated, but suffice to say other athletes struggle to maintain a reading of 15mmol/L for more than five minutes.
Ian, after a long break at the conclusion of the Super League season, is the only other person to come close to Nathan's mark.
"Nathan is able to facilitate a transfer where you move the acid out of the blood, which is a good thing when you have to repeat high-intensity effors," Coutts says "Most people can't even get as high [as his reading], yet he can maintain them for about 30 minutes. Ive never seen that before"
"From the numbers ive got, Ian is very similar to Nathan".
If you want to know what makes Nathan Hindmarsh run, look no further than the family tree, writes Adrian Proszenko.
Scientists believe they have finally worked out the secret behind the incredible staying power of Parramatta workhorse Nathan Hindmarsh - it's all to do with genetics.
While he might not have the classical footballer's physique - he was once described by former Eels coach Brian Smith as having a "sway back, fat guy and funny bum" - Hindmarsh is the ulitmate rugby league machine, able to keep on keeping on long after teammates and opponents had packed it in.
In March he broke the record for most tackles in an Nrl macth with 63 in a loss to North Queensland. And when he's not putting blokes on their bums he's carting the ball forward averaging 15 hitups a game.
When University of Technonlogy scientist Aaron Coutts tested Hindmarsh two years ago, the Eel's sports science adviser was blown away by the back-rowers increcible endurance. Allthough Coutts had tested elite ahtletes from league, AFL and triathalon, the 27 - year old posted phenomenal scores he describes as "never seen before" on some of the Human Performance Laboratory's measures.
That was untill Hindmarsh's brother Ian returned this month after stints with Canberra and Super League club Les Catalans.
Like his younger brother, Ian posted some of the best figures for an NRL forward with the V02max text, an indicator of aerobic potenital. But the most stunning results were the unsually high blood lactate levels they were able to tolerate.
Running on a non-motorised treadmill desgined to simulate match-day exertions, Nathan produced a blood lactate level of up to 22mmol/L for 30 minutes. THat may sound complicated, but suffice to say other athletes struggle to maintain a reading of 15mmol/L for more than five minutes.
Ian, after a long break at the conclusion of the Super League season, is the only other person to come close to Nathan's mark.
"Nathan is able to facilitate a transfer where you move the acid out of the blood, which is a good thing when you have to repeat high-intensity effors," Coutts says "Most people can't even get as high [as his reading], yet he can maintain them for about 30 minutes. Ive never seen that before"
"From the numbers ive got, Ian is very similar to Nathan".
