• News
  • Life
  • TV & Film
  • Beauty
  • Style
  • Home
  • News
    • Celebrity
    • Entertainment
    • Politics
    • Royal Family
  • Life
    • Animals
    • Food & Drink
    • Women's Health
    • Mental Health
    • Sex & Relationships
    • Travel
    • Real Life
  • TV & Film
    • True Crime
    • Documentaries
    • Netflix
    • BBC
    • ITV
    • Tyla Recommends
  • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Make-up
    • Skincare
  • Style
    • Home
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
Submit Your Content
Olympic athletes' cardboard beds slammed by doctors over 'disastrous' impact

Home> News

Published 18:28 2 Aug 2024 GMT+1

Olympic athletes' cardboard beds slammed by doctors over 'disastrous' impact

Major league sport sleep consultant Dr Chris Winter has lifted the lid on the numerous ailments that Olympians could sustain

Rhianna Benson

Rhianna Benson

Ahead of last week's commencement of the 2024 Olympic Games, a lot of questions were raised regarding the living quarters that the athletes would be residing in.

An image of a standard bedroom supplied by sporting tournament bosses quickly went viral, showing a single bed made from cardboard, donned by some pretty hideous and heavily merchandised bedding.

And whilst some spectators had concerns regarding the logistics of the games' infamously raunchy post-performance antics, some sleep experts have been left concerned about the wellbeing of the athletes.

The beds have been slammed by sleep experts. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
The beds have been slammed by sleep experts. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

Advert

Despite the supposed environmental friendliness of the beds, as we say, some sleep experts have slammed organisers for the materials used, insisting they'll inadvertently be harming those sleeping in them.

Speaking to Fox News, US neurologist and sleep adviser Dr. Chris Winter - who is also a sleep consultant for major-league sports teams - slammed the beds.

"I was not part of the French Olympic planning, but given the overall theme of the games as being ‘more responsible, more inclusive and more equal,’ I think the cardboard bed checks those boxes," he initially explained.

The issue Dr Winter raises, however, is that sleep discomfort could prove detrimental for some sporting individuals.

Advert

"For an Olympic swimmer, weightlifter or gymnast to awaken with a tweak or catch in their back could be disastrous," he said.

"Lilly King missed a breaststroke medal by 1/100th of a second," Winter noted. "Could a cardboard bed be to blame? Without a doubt."

The cardboard beds could pose a health risk. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
The cardboard beds could pose a health risk. (VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

It's not just the issue of health that has had these cardboard beds on everyone's lips as when athletes at the 2020 Tokyo games saw them, many people wrongly assumed that Olympic organisers did so to prevent any sexual activity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Advert

Officials later made it clear, however, that the beds were in place because of their sustainability and sturdiness.

Which is just as well as a former Olympian previously revealed how getting 'down and dirty' is pretty much 'inevitable'.

Spilling the tea, ex-long jumper Susen Tiedtke explained the advice given by coaches surrounding sex - which was, basically, not to get involved before competing.

"When you have sex, the body first has to recharge itself energetically," she previously told press. "After the competition, however, roommates were considerate if you needed the room for yourself."

Advert

She noted that 'sex was always an issue in the village', despite there being a sex ban in place in previous years.

Featured Image Credit: Danielle Lerner/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images/Maja Hitij/Getty Images

Topics: Health, Olympics, Sleep, Sport, Sex and Relationships

Rhianna Benson
Rhianna Benson

Rhianna is an Entertainment Journalist at LADbible Group, working across LADbible, UNILAD and Tyla. She has a Masters in News Journalism from the University of Salford and a Masters in Ancient History from the University of Edinburgh. She previously worked as a Celebrity Reporter for OK! and New Magazines, and as a TV Writer for Reach PLC.

X

@rhiannaBjourno

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Ten signs you’re suffering from a porn addiction
  • Convicted child rapist given strict measures to follow during Olympics which most other athletes don’t abide by
  • ‘Bridezilla’ slammed after ordering friends to pay £4k for wedding after being dumped by fiancé
  • Sexpert reveals what happens when you stop having sex

Choose your content:

an hour ago
2 hours ago
  • Jordan Pettitt - Pool/Getty Images
    an hour ago

    Kate Middleton defended after being accused of ‘horrendous breach of protocol’ during appearance with Prince William

    A critic highlighted a potential 'breach of protocol' in a recent event

    News
  • Getty Stock Image/Britannica
    an hour ago

    Titanic passenger's tragic death could have been avoided if he wasn't given trousers for his 17th birthday

    Alfred Rush celebrated his 17th birthday the morning that the RMS Titanic sunk to the bottom of the Atlantic

    News
  • Aaron Chown - WPA Pool/Getty Images
    2 hours ago

    Donald Trump's behaviour while greeting Kate Middleton just breached major royal 'rule'

    It's not the first time Trump has seemingly broken royal protocol during his visit to the UK

    News
  • Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
    2 hours ago

    Prince William’s subtle behaviour next to King Charles sparks sad theory

    The Royal Family attended the funeral of the Duchess of Kent on Tuesday (16 September)

    News