BRINGING SCIENCE TO TREATMENT
in Email Newsletters, Sports psychology
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of children diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the United States since the start of the 2000s has increased almost 50%, with some surveys citing the incidence up to 11% in children 4 to 17 years-of-age(1,2). It seems likely, then, that the number... MORE
in Improve, Power development, Strength
The debate continues surrounding appropriate timing and volume for implementing plyometric training in return-to-play rehabilitation. Pat Gillham looks at the latest thinking ‘Plyometric exercise’ was a term coined in 1964(1). Plyometrics exercises exploit the benefits of the plyometric regime and involve the Stretch-Shortening Cycle (SSC)(2). Thanks to the muscles’ pre-stimulation during the eccentric phase, plyometrics... MORE
in Anatomy, Improve, Musculoskeletal injuries, Overuse injuries
Tracy Ward discusses pelvic floor dysfunction in athletes, outlines the implications for rehabilitation, and raises awareness with a view toward prevention. The impact of female pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is a hot topic in women’s health but rarely discussed within the context of sport. This oft-ignored problem affects both men and women and impacts an... MORE
in Diagnose & Treat, Improve, Other
Athletes with asthma are typically encouraged to swim as the humidity helps with their breathing. However, many athletes, including swimmers, continue to struggle with breathlessness during exercise. Alicia Filley explains why for some, breathing remains difficult, painful, and triggers panic attacks, despite treatment with bronchodilators. Exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction Historically, athletes who presented with exertional dyspnea,... MORE
in Email Newsletters, Sports psychology, Tools and technology
March madness culminated in the NCAA men’s championship finals when Texas Tech met the University of Virginia. With both schools given the chance to win their first basketball championship, the Raiders of Texas Tech were celebrating what has been for them a comeback season. To what did they attribute their success? Sleep! After a three-game... MORE
Last year a landmark study revealed that vertical loading forces, long thought the scourge of injured distance and recreational runners, are likely not the causes of repeated injuries(1). Rather, Canadian researchers found that when evaluating kinetic variables in 65 healthy female runners, only peak braking force (PBF) significantly predicted repeated running injury (RRI)(1). Specifically, those... MORE
in Sports psychology, Tools and technology
Trevor Langford explores the physiological effects of stress, and the implications for athletes seeking to reduce pain and return to normal function. Figure 1: Stress and homeostasis Through its impacts on the CNS, endocrine and immune systems, stress can alter the physiological homeostasis in the body. Background Athletes at all levels of sport are exposed... MORE
in Agility, Email Newsletters, Improve, Power development, Speed development
Spring has sprung in the Northern Hemisphere while the mild days of fall are starting in the Southern. With the change in the weather, young athletes everywhere are getting out and playing footie. Meanwhile, coaches scrambling for best practices to give their team the edge often resort to technical training. Chilean researchers have just released... MORE
in Power development, Strength
In part one of this two-part series, Pat Gillham looked at injury incidence and prevention in golfers. In this article, Pat explores the role of strength and conditioning for enhancing golf performance. Simple physics tells us that by generating more force against the ground (vertical ground reaction force), we can increase velocity. This applies directly to... MORE
in Email Newsletters, Sports psychology
In our series on pain in athletes, we’ve explained how pain perception effects an athlete’s potential to return to their previous level of play. If an athlete has a tendency toward catastrophizing, they will see only the negative aspects of their injury. In addition, they may tend to focus more intently on their pain, increasing... MORE
