Dr. Jesse, B.A.

Author: Jesse Davidson

What do babies and rioters have in common? Yep, they both deserve to get put behind bars when they act up - either in cribs or in jail cells. But more importantly, rioters also find themselves crawling, drooling, and boo-hooing, thanks to the College Chemistry Department. In 1928, two Middlebury professors, Ben Corson and Roger Stoughton, created CS (Corson-Stoughton) gas, or what we know today as tear gas. These two teachers were a bit more courageous than the contemporary research scientist though. Instead of testing this chemical on a mouse, or an uppity lab T.A., they decided to self-experiment. As they attested in their report, the gas made their noses and mouths "smart considerably," and the sneezing and coughing was "disastrous." Today, CS tear gas is used globally as a riot control agent, and their work certainly deserves ample recognition. What I really wanted to discuss, though, is the process of tearing up, and how it can actually be a healthy undertaking.

Let's first think about some situations that elicit tears. Cranking out a thesis in one semester (mildly sad). Hiding out in the library bathroom at 1 a.m. so you can keep working there (somewhat sad). Using wadded-up paper as a pillow while sleeping under your carrel (rock-bottom). If you find yourself in any of these situations, crying will probably be the last thing to pull you out of your academic pothole. I have some good news for the athletes of Middlebury, however: science says that crying may make you a better competitor.

A group of researchers from the University of Michigan determined that crying and sweating can prevent a breathing disorder known as exercise-induced asthma (EIA). EIA is a problem that adversely affected many medal hopefuls in Beijing this past summer, and is most commonly observed at elite levels of competition. It is also estimated that one in three collegiate athletes suffer from EIA, even though many of them have no medical history of asthma whatsoever. Splendid. If I do my math correctly, using my calculator watch, this means that 33 percent of athletes at Middlebury may have some degree of exercise-induced asthma. That is a surprisingly high number. Before you start crushing inhalers, though, do know that EIA is extremely mild in most cases. It is also transient. Once strenuous activity has ended and an athlete comes to rest, his or her air passages will relax back to normal. But how do tears and sweating have anything to do with asthma?

Excretions that come from your sweat and salivary glands, tear ducts, and the inner lining of your respiratory tract are under the same nervous control in your body. That is why, when you eat something sour, you salivate and tear up simultaneously. These researchers suggest that the amount of tears and sweat you produce can be indicative of the water volume secreted in your airways, and this moisture keeps your airways from getting irritated when you breathe heavily during exercise. Without moisture, as in EIA, your airway can swell and constrict, and your athletic performance can suffer. So, the best way to get ready for a game? Cry it out brah. Keep it in the locker room, though.