Is Serum 25(OH)D the Best Indicator of Vitamin D Status for Athletes?

Vitamin D plays an integral role in bone health through multiple direct and indirect mechanisms, including the regulation of calcium and phosphate metabolism. It is also well understood that severe vitamin D deficiency is associated with rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. However, the relationship between vitamin D and bone is not straightforward. For […]

Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Use in Sports, Health and Society | ACSM Consensus Statement

As we were writing ACSM’s consensus statement on  “Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Use in Sports, Health and Society,” one piece of information that stood out to me was that users of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) spent an average of 268 hours researching AAS before initiating use! That is a LOT of homework, and there is no way that the vast majority of […]

The American College of Sports Medicine Statement on Mental Health Challenges for Athletes

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recognizes the importance of developing the whole athlete. To achieve peak performance, it is important to be equally attentive to both physical and mental health. Approximately one-in-five adults live with a mental health condition during their lifetime. While physical activity is excellent for brain health, sports participation is […]

New Recommendations Steer Doctors Away from Opioids to Treat Pain in Adolescent Athletes

Experts urge team physicians, pediatricians to use nonpharmacologic treatment first Athletes at all levels and ages commonly experience pain during practice and in competition. Identifying and appropriately managing acute and chronic pain is fundamental for short- and long-term health. This is especially true for adolescent athletes in whom inadequate or inappropriate pain management can lead […]

Strict Rest Slows Recovery after Sports-Related Concussions

ACSM, Five Sports Medicine Organizations Publish New Guidance on SRCs for Team Physicians (Indianapolis, IN) – Nearly 1.8 million sports-related concussions (SRCs) happen annually in youth under age 18 in the U.S. Accurate diagnosis and treatment are key for recovery and long-term athlete health. The Team Physician Consensus Conference (TPCC), a project-based alliance of the […]

ACSM Publishes New Guidance for Safer Practices in Weight-Category Sports

ACSM recently released new guidelines that support safer practices and more equitable competitions for athletes in weight-category sports. The new expert consensus statement updates and replaces previous guidelines released by ACSM in 1996. ACSM subject matter experts authored the statement, “American College of Sports Medicine Expert Consensus Statement on Weight Loss in Weight-Category Sports,” which […]