Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Athletics – Men’s High Jump – Final- OLS – Olympic Stadium, Tokyo, Japan – August 1, 2021. Mutaz Essa Barshim of Qatar and Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy celebrate after winning gold REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Mental health continues to gather the attention it deserves. The travel and sporting event restrictions, e.g., participation bubbles, place athletes and support personnel in unprecedented situations. In addition, the social disconnect places strain on the relationships that are paramount for mental health, and thus performance.
Emotion fogs the nuance around performance. As athletes fight for glory, observers simplify the narrative of winning and losing. Instead, it is a complex interplay of physical and psychological capabilities. The outpouring of emotion on and off the podium is indicative of that. The pressure to perform creates an expectation that athletes are gladiators at the mercy of the crowd. Instead, they are humans with upsets and triumphs no different from our own. As athletes withdraw from events citing mental health reasons, the audience’s feeling should be compassion—empathy towards the person, not the performer.
As medical practitioners, we witness the lows of injury and are privileged to develop intimate relationships with our athletes. Challenging situations foster unity, and along with injury management, we provide athletes with psychological and emotional support.
Find out how you can maintain an athlete’s mental wellbeing, focus, and motivation during this unprecedented time by reading Trevor Langford’s article at Sports Injury Bulletin.
We have entered a period when the support teams will become increasingly crucial in athletic success. This success may come in the form of medals and championships, but more importantly, a sense of achievement and a spirit of togetherness.
Experiencing pain is a fundamental biopsychosocial phenomenon. However, practitioners typically treat pain in isolation with little emphasis on psychological influence. Carl Bescoby explores the psychological impact of pain and discusses how psychologically informed practice may offer benefits to managing the whole pain experience throughout rehabilitation. Introduction It is common for athletes to experience pain when... MORE
Researchers obtain qualitative data through first-hand observation, interviews, questionnaires, and other non-numerical sources of information. Jason Tee explores how clinicians can utilize the qualitative data and the athlete’s voice to improve rehabilitation outcomes. Sports injury research is clinical, impartial, and objective. It reduces athlete injuries to numbers and figures, removing the stories of the athletes... MORE
Artificial playing surfaces are contentious and remain a talking point in Sports and Exercise Medicine. Marianke van der Merwe uncovers the artificial surface injury risk and provides recommendations to mitigate the risk factors for athletes. Artificial turf was first introduced in the 1960s and has evolved significantly. There are three reasons for artificial turf. Firstly,... MORE
Menopause is the natural end of a female’s menstrual cycle and can have profound and diverse effects on women. Tracy Ward discusses how the female athlete can adapt and continue to train through the menopausal transition. Menopause is the natural end of a female’s menstrual cycle, and clinicians define it as 12 months after the... MORE
The role of deceleration on injury etiology and prevention continues to gather the attention of sports medicine practitioners. Understanding the deceleration demands of sport is essential in ensuring optimal prevention and rehabilitation of injuries. Helen Bayne uncovers the assessment of deceleration and provides practical tools for practitioners to improve the management of athletes. Deceleration is... MORE
Both isometric and eccentric training is vital for musculotendinous injury rehabilitation. However, practical recommendation on combining these two modes of resistance training into the rehabilitation program is lacking. Danny Lum discusses the adaptations to these modes of resistance training and how practitioners can include them in athlete rehabilitation. The increase in sports participation and higher... MORE