Hot Topic | Are Weighted Vests Worth the Hype?
Weighted vest use has garnered wide-spread popularity, with many internet influencers and social media proponents promoting health and fitness claims. Given the gap between testimonials and systematic research, distinguishing facts from stories is essential. In this commentary, we address common questions regarding verifiable physiological outcomes from their use and provide advice fitness professionals can give […]
Behind the Team: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Health and Performance of Elite Athletes | Infographic
Explore the economic cost of physical inactivity and discover how regular activity reduces healthcare expenses and boosts productivity. Infographic developed by the ACSM American Fitness Index.
Active Voice | Orthostatic Hypotension in Athletes with Spinal Cord Injury
Many perceive paralysis as the most devastating consequence of spinal cord injury (SCI). Yet, among athletes with SCI, autonomic dysfunctions, including impaired blood pressure (BP) control, are also critical, invisible health concerns that can impair cognition, daily activities, and athletic performance. In able-bodied individuals, when moving from lying down to sitting or standing, the autonomic […]
Hot Topic | Challenging Postural Control Through Stroboscopic Eyewear
Sight is one of the key sensory inputs for maintaining upright posture, regardless of whether a person is playing a sport or standing in line at the grocery store. Visual processing helps a person understand body position alongside the vestibular and somatosensory systems. If we compromise any of these key sensory inputs, the common result […]
Active Voice | How Exercise May Suppress Cancer Growth
Over the last decades, the field of exercise medicine has advanced dramatically. It is now widely acknowledged that exercise provides a broad range of health-related benefits for individuals with any type of cancer and at any stage, including improved muscle strength, cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, chronic inflammation, immune function, pain, fatigue, anxiety and depression. Exercise […]
Active Voice | New Insights on Motivating Factors and Muscle Strengthening Activity
It is well established that muscle-strengthening activity counters the effects of age- and cancer-related muscle loss and confers multiple health benefits across the adult lifespan, including improved physical functioning and psychological well-being. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PAGA) and American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) guidelines recommend adults of all ages participate in muscle-strengthening […]
Active Voice | Maximizing Football Safety: What is the Role of the Guardian Cap?
Over the last two decades or so, head impacts and concussions sustained during sports, especially football, have become a key safety issue. What are the implications of multiple concussions? How many head impacts are too many? Even if an impact doesn’t cause a concussion, could it be causing harm to the brain? How hard is […]
Active Voice | From Heart to Head: Improving Inhibitory Control through Cardiovascular Training in Physically Inactive Young Adults
Whether stopping a car in an emergency, biting your tongue in a heated moment, or holding back from a risky move in a game, inhibitory control helps us pause before we act. This essential mental skill allows us to resist impulses, stay focused, and make sound decisions under pressure — whether in daily life, social […]
Hot Topic | Exercise as a Pain Management Modality
Pain does not always need a pill, sometimes a barbell might be part of the necessary prescription. This idea may seem counterintuitive; when experiencing pain, the thought of exercising may sound daunting. However, exercise is a powerful stimulus, a fact routinely highlighted in health and fitness literature. There are countless studies and articles that cover […]
Active Voice | Combined Cold Exposure and Exercise Slows Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Progression
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become a growing health concern, affecting approximately one in four people worldwide. Despite its prevalence, effective treatment strategies remain limited. While diet and exercise are widely recommended, little is known about how combining cold exposure with exercise might influence NAFLD progression—and the molecular mechanisms behind it. To explore this, […]
