Tom Izzo Gets Monitored For Stress During Game; Results? Not Good
DETROIT (CBS Detroit) Sometimes, he looks like a roiling mass of angry anxiety on the sidelines, screaming, pointing and stomping around.
But what is that really doing to Tom Izzo's body?
"Nightline" took a look, hooking up monitors to read Izzo's vital signs while he was in the throes of a recent game -- to try to gauge whether his job is putting him at risk. "I don't think anybody understands all the things that you go through," Izzo said on the show. "Maybe the biggest one is stress."
His wife Lupe confirmed, "he's very stressed."
When the game started, Izzo had a heart rate of 68 beats per minute with a normal body temperature. His heart rate rises to 122 when the team starts losing and his core body temperature starts increasing to 100 degrees.
Eventually, his vitals reach those of a runner during a marathon.
TV's Dr. Oz finds it alarming, saying chronic stress is very detrimental to his health. But overall, his body's ability to quickly settle back to normal when the big moments are over means his heart is healthy.
What was the coach's reaction to all this news? "(It's) the Italian in me," Izzo said, adding he wears his emotions on his sleeve.