Coach Smith here again.

Yes, Debbie, short intense sprints are more stressful and harder on the body
than longer events that can be paced. And more prone to injury since the
muscles don't get warmed up well. Muscle fibers can tear, causing injury and
pain. And sudden strong contractions are harder on the bony attachment sites
and ligaments. If a coach gives a sprint set, the rest periods are longer
between the bursts of activity, and sprint sets are never given too close
together because of the risk of injury.

Likewise in labor - I'm absolutely convinced that the pacing of labor - slow
and easy at first, then building in intensity - has many purposes and wasn't
designed by MOTHER nature (no pun intended) by accident. Sudden sex isn't
usually fun either - warmup (foreplay) has a physiological and psychological
purpose for all body parts involved.

When an athlete's muscles and bones are overstressed, it weakens their entire
body. That's why middle-age men get heart attacks shoveling snow - too-sudden
and too-intense activity is tough. Hence the analogy to birth - moms are
physically and emotionally stressed by artifically-shortened labors.
Exhausted, overstressed women will find the baby much more draining than
women who have more normal labors, which are physically challenging anyway.
(That's why the word labor - not "falling-out-of-babies") Moms who are too
drained to like their babies find BF more problematic. No surprise.

 We try to keep the athlete coming back next week by protecting his
motivation and body. If only mothers were treated with the same respect - but
what mother earns the same pay as a pro quarterback??

Linda Smith, glad to FINALLY be using my academic background a bit!
LC in private practice, Dayton OH