CHIROPRACTIC, APPLIED KINESIOLOGY AND OPTIMAL SPORT PERFORMANCE

Interview with Dr John Pirie, Hons BA, Bach Applied Science (Chiropractic), Applied Kinesiologist. Conducted by Brian Prong, Columnist, Victoria Times, Victoria, British Columbia Canada.

V.T: When did Applied Kinesiologists first get involved with elite level athletes?

Dr Pirie: To the best of my knowledge this would have occurred when DR George Goodheart DC, the founder of Applied Kinesiology worked with the US Olympic team at Lake Placid in 1980.

V.T: What has happened in this area since 1980?

DR Pirie: All athletes, not just elite ones and their coaches want to maximize performance. AK works with athletes so well because it helps keep muscles balanced and strong. If the athlete's body is in a state of balance, structurally, biochemically and mentally that athlete's should perform to his or her maximum potential. That has proven to be the case and now, chiropractic physicians and Applied Kinesiologists are working with teams and individuals at all levels of competition.

V.T: Can you mention some examples of this?

D. Pirie: The most recent example would be the Sydney Olympic Games where chiropractors and Applied Kinesiologists worked with numerous teams. Australia for instance, had official team Chiropractors for the first time thanks mainly to the efforts of DR Noel Patterson DC who has worked with the Australian Commonwealth games team and the Australian Swim team over the last decade. Australian Chiropractors will also be included officially at the Goodwill games in Brisbane 2001. And going back to the Sydney Games, probably the best swim I saw was by Misty Hyman USA in the 200 Metre fly when she beat Ozzie Suzie O'Neil to the wire in a great swim. Misty looked perfectly balanced, especially in the water shots. Misty was treated by DR John Moore, DC, Applied Kinesiologist, before she swam. Incidentally, DR Moore also treats Jenny Thompson.

V.T: Are there any other World Class A-K Connections you'd like to mention?

DR Pirie: Yes, one of the top sport AK Practitioners in the world is DR David Leaf DC who presently consults with the A.C Milan Soccer team. David also works with the New England Patriots Football Team and at last count has over the years worked with over 20 Olympic medal winners

V.T: What about Australia?

DR Pirie: A good friend of mine and colleague, DR Andrea Bisaz DC, a Melbourne Applied Kinesiologist is currently working with the Australian Davis Cup Team and is also Pat Rafter's Chiropractic Physician. DR Dale Richardson DC from Melbourne has recently relocated to the United States where he is the tour Chiropractic for the Men's Professional Golf Association. Closer to home DR Keith Maitland on the Gold Coast treats many top level athletes including Trevor Hendy and DR Chris Prosser also from the Gold Coast will be at the Goodwill Games. Chris is also the official Chiropractor for the World Surfing Tour when it hits Australia.

V.T: Can you tell us about your personal experiences with top level athletes and other sporting events?

D. Pirie: I've been really lucky over the years to get involved with some great teams and athletes. I've been studying AK since 1983 and it was that connection that opened the door to the Australian Open Tennis Championships. DR Don McDowell DC, a Canberra based Applied Kinesiologist was working with Ivan Lendl and Andrea Bisaz and I were asked to help out. We were final year students at the time so this was a great experience for us. Then DR McDowell's wife took sick, he couldn't make it to Melbourne so Andrea and I had to work on Ivan. We did a pretty good job and after I graduated from College and left Melbourne, Andrea became Ivan's personal chiropractic physician. Ivan used to fly him to Wimbledon for treatment and we met up there in 1991.

V.T: Did you work with any other athletes before you left Melbourne?

DR Pirie: Yes when I was a 4th year student I decided to organize chiropractic care for the competitors at the Rip Curl Bell's Beach Surfing Competition. I approached our College Principle, DR Andries Klenyhans who was keen on the idea so with his support I got in touch with Rip Curl and the competition organizers. They were all supportive so in 1983-84 we first began offering chiropractic/Applied Kinesiological care to professional surfers. The highlight was the year Nic Wood won. We treated both Nic and Richard Marsh before the finals. Bells Beach holds some good memories for me.

V.T: Can you outline your involvement with sports after you left Melbourne?

Dr. Pirie: I started private practice in the Newcastle area of NSW in 1985 and became the official Chiropractor for the Newcastle City Pro Surfing Competition. I remember treating Nat Young and being amazed at how big his feet were. At this time also, I had put together an audiovisual presentation on maximising sport performance and again I was lucky. An old friend of mine from university in Canada, Pat Reid was heavily involved with Athletics Canada as a high jump coach and with the Canadian Institute of Sport. He asked if I would come over and give my presentation to a meeting of the top level coaches in Canadian Sport. Needless to say I jumped at the chance and flew to Ottawa where my talk was very well received. Much to my delight, I had the honour and privilege of being appointed the first official team chiropractor for the Canadian National Ice Hockey team at the 1991 World Championships. The highlight was beating Russia 3-2 in the Gold Medal Game. I worked with the team for a month leading up to the championship tournament concentrating on structural and nutritional balance. World Championships are stressful and the players' immune systems must be kept at a high level so they don't get sick. It was a tremendous experience and I'll always remember it.

V.T: You now live on the Sunshine Coast. What sports people have you got involved with there?

Dr. Pirie: Again I was very lucky. I met Gary Ireland soon after I arrived in Mooloolaba in 1995 and treated him for a shoulder problem that was caused by dairy products. Gary was a former Ozzie Pan Pac swimmer and current Australian Surf Lifesaving Coach who had gone through the "no pain, no gain" training routine too many times. Through Gary, I met and began to treat a number of iron men and women one of whom was Kirsty Holmes. Kirsty had been having recurring episodes of bronchitis, which I found were biochemical imbalances related to specific nutritional deficiencies. We were able to correct these and Kirsty went on to win her first Australian Iron women championship that year in huge unforgiving surf at Kurrawa, she also won the Australian Women's Board Race and is the current Australian Women's Ski Champion. Since that victory, Kirsty has won a second Ozzie Iron woman title. It has been both a pleasure and privilege to work with Kirsty. And interestingly enough one of my greatest satisfaction's in this work has been helping Kirsty balance her world class fitness with her health.

V.T: What do you mean by that?

Dr Pirie: I have found over the years that many elite athletes are fit but not healthy. This also applies to all other levels of sport. This imbalance sets up biochemical dysfunction in the athlete. For example, intensive training puts considerable stress on the body resulting in adrenal fatigue. But it's not just the training that wears out and tires the athlete. Many athletes at all levels rely on too many refined carbohydrates and sugars as their main source of fuel (calories). This is totally inefficient and this is why chronic fatigue syndrome affects so many sports people. An imbalanced diet (too many of the wrong kind of carbohydrates) will often depress the immune system and result in symptoms like recurring bronchitis. Once we got Kirsty's health improved and in balance with her fitness, as long as she continues to take care of her diet, she won't get chronic bronchitis any more. There is no doubt though that keeping elite athletes healthy through the whole season is a challenge.

V.T: Are the any other athletes on the coast you would like to mention?

Dr Pirie: Yes, Shane Dalziel, a two time Australian Men's Open Ski Champion and gold medal winner at the World Kayak Championships in Sweden in 1996 is an athlete I have tremendous respect for. Many elite athletes don't want to know about their diet and nutrition and undermine its importance in athletic performance. Shane took a real interest in the biochemical nutritional side of his health as it related to an ongoing back problem. Once he fixed his nutritional imbalances, his low back improved 100%. It is obvious that individual athletes need individual nutritional programs and not just the standard 60% carbohydrate approach as advocated by the bread and cereal companies which incidentally are usually the major Institute of Sport sponsors.

Another young athlete on the coast, Jesse Price who is the current Australian and Pan Pac 100 Metre sprint champion, has also been an inspiration to me and a great privilege to work with. Jesse is the epitomy of young athletes who overcome major structural and nutritional imbalances to become a true champion. His mum Leonie knows the story better that I do. Click on Jesse to hear this amazing account.

V.T: How would you like to close this interview?

Dr Pirie: Well, first I'd like to thank you for your time Brian and I'll leave this a closing thought. The key to maximise sporting performance and your potential is balance. It's so important to balance your health with you fitness. As an athlete recurring injuries, and other dysfunctions such as indigestion, low back pain, fatigue, headaches and many other symptoms are indications of this lack of balance. Attain and maintain this balance and you will maximise your body functions and your sporting performance.

V.T: Thankyou Dr Pirie.

Dr Pirie: Thank you Brian