Optimal Race Weight for Endurance Sports: A Complex Issue
Sports performance is simple and definite. Someone wins, and someone else loses or comes second. Therefore, it is tempting to think in binary terms about other aspects of sports performance. The laws of physics predict that an increase in power-to-weight ratio will increase the speed of a body moving against gravity. If body fat (or […]
Physical Activity Guidelines Midcourse Report: A Q&A with Federal Lead Katrina Piercy, PhD, FACSM
Dr. Katrina Piercy, FACSM, is the director of the Division of Prevention Science within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP), having taken on the role in January 2022. Piercy earned a Ph.D. in exercise physiology and nutrition from Virginia Tech (in the department now […]
Eccentric Exercise as a Potent Prescription for Muscle Weakness after Joint Injury
Muscle weakness is difficult to treat after a traumatic joint injury as it stems from a multifaceted interplay of neurological and morphological processes that disrupt the muscle’s communication and regulation. Data from a large clinical database showed that four out of five patients who engage in anterior cruciate ligament rehabilitation (one of the most common therapeutic programs) […]
Recognizing Sudden Cardiac Arrest in Athletes
On June 2, Jonathan Drezner, M.D., director of the University of Washington’s Center for Sports Cardiology, delivered the 2023 John R. Sutton Clinical Lecture at ACSM’s annual meeting covering sudden cardiac arrest in athletes. Learn how to recognize and respond to these not uncommon events by viewing the video from Dr. Drezner’s lecture below and […]
Caffeine May Increase the Health Benefits of Exercise; Latte da!
Exercise is good for you. There are many ways by which exercise favorably modifies health. One way is through a chemical known as interleukin-6, usually abbreviated as IL-6. During and following exercise, skeletal muscles release IL-6 into the blood. It is then transported throughout the body where it can have positive effects. For example, the […]
First, You: Strategies for Self-Care in Health Care
“Painful feelings are, by their very nature, temporary. They will weaken over time as long as we don’t prolong or amplify them through resistance or avoidance. The only way to eventually free ourselves from debilitating pain, therefore, is to be with it as it is. The only way out is through.” ― Kristin Neff, Self-Compassion: The […]
We All Need a Good PAL on Most Days
Higher levels of physical activity are unquestionably important for maintaining good physical and cognitive health. Surprisingly, however, we know relatively little about the amount of energy United States (U.S.) adults expend in physically active behaviors each day. One way to estimate the amount of energy expended in physical activity is to calculate one’s physical activity […]
Exercise Improves Liver Health
The liver plays a crucial role in numerous metabolic processes necessary to leading a healthy life, including those essential to metabolism, such as storing energy and regulating blood sugar. Exercise has been shown to improve liver health by reducing fat in the liver, improving insulin sensitivity, reducing inflammation, boosting the immune system and improving mental […]
Women in the Workforce: How Can We Mitigate Occupational Risk in Physically Demanding Professions?
Women are increasingly filling work roles that were previously dominated by men. While a larger proportion of military service members, law enforcement officers, health care workers and aviators continue to be men, women in these trades experience occupational hazards differently than their male counterparts. As a profession, we have already seen similar findings within athletics. […]
Good Health is as Easy as a Walk in the Park!
I just found out that Thursday the 30th of March is “Take a Walk in the Park Day” here in the U.S., and although it sort of sounds like a “Go jump in a lake day,” I have to admit — on reflection — that the founders of this holiday are on to something good. […]