Sarkozy's 'downfall' while jogging offers lessons

French President Nicolas Sarkozy may be nicknamed Speedy-Sarko, L'Hyperpresident and even L'Omnipresident, but his collapse while jogging Sunday made clear he was not a super-stud athlete.

As the London Daily Mirror headline read: "Is keeping up with super-fit younger wife Carla Bruni the cause of Nicolas Sarkozy's health problems?"

The Le Monde daily newspaper chimed in with its headline: "Will the hyper-president have to change his lifestyle?"

The 54-year-old head of state was jogging on the lush grounds of Versailles. After 45 minutes in the 84-degree summer heat, he was "forced to lie down with the help of an aide." Sarkozy was immediately whisked via helicopter to a nearby military hospital where he was kept overnight for observation.

Sarkozy, known to be very mindful of his image (which is putting it mildly) was said in news accounts to have suffered from a "vasovagal episode" and "lipothymic" discomfort due to "overexertion at high temperatures in a context of fatigue linked to a large workload."

Which, according to our local experts, means he fainted.

'He overdid it'

"Basically a vasovagal episode means a person passed out due to a combination of heat, dehydration and strenuous exercise," says Dr. James Moeller, a sports medicine specialist in Auburn Hills. "It's named for the vagus nerve," which is responsible for lowering the heart rate and sweating.

"He overdid it," said Dr. Joseph Guettler, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak.

Since being elected in 2007, Sarkozy has kept up a frenetic work pace -- he has visited 65 countries in two years and is well-known for micromanaging all aspects of politics.

He also managed to divorce his second wife and then, in a matter of three months, romance and marry his third, Bruni, an Italian heiress, ex-supermodel and self-proclaimed "tamer of men," 13 years his junior.

While meeting Carla's expectations could be considered strenuous in and of itself, it should be noted that even stress-free runners risk cramps, exhaustion and heat stroke when heading out on hot days.

"We see a lot of baby boomers who don't want to hang up their sneakers and want to keep running, which is great," says Guettler. "You just have to be smart about it, especially in the heat."

For minimal exercise in the heat (less than an hour), Guettler advises: Drink lots of water ahead of time. If you exercise more than an hour, add citrus juice or a sports drink. You need the electrolytes.

Not only was Sarkozy probably dehydrated, but according to the Mirror, he also was on a diet. Evidently Bruni introduced her husband to a personal fitness instructor who is said to have told him to give up chocolate, cheese and puddings. He also was advised to lose nine pounds, which some might consider dramatic for a diminutive man who is just 5 feet 5 inches tall.

Recuperating in style

Factor in Sarkozy's extended family: three boys by two previous wives, one stepson (Carla's) and two former stepdaughters, running a small country and keeping on his toes for his tall, thin, glam, younger wife. Well, something's gotta give, right?

Sorry, Sarko, for the bruised ego, but as Patrick Rizzo at Hanson's Running Shop observed: "Running is a sport where everybody has their own learning curve and unique limits; we all have our own lessons to learn and this was probably his."

At last report, any wound-licking will be done in private. Medical orders to take a few days off just happened to coincide with the French president and first lady's scheduled vacation: three weeks at a villa owned by Bruni's family in the Riviera where, rest assured, as breathless celebrity chronicler Robin Leach would say, there will be plenty of champagne wishes and caviar dreams.

mkeenan@detnews.com">mkeenan@detnews.com (313) 222-2515