Highly Cushioned Shoes Improve Running Performance Even in the Presence of Muscle Damage
From a physiological perspective, long-distance running performance is determined by the interaction of three factors: maximal oxygen uptake, the highest oxygen uptake that can be sustained (at steady-state) and running economy (the amount of oxygen required to transport the body mass over a given distance). While each one of these factors is important to performance, […]
Healthy Habits for Distance Running
Healthy Habits for Distance Running, infographic, article and list of published resources.
Glucosamine Beyond Joint Health: Effects on Physical Performance
D-Glucosamine is an amino sugar synthesized from glucose and glutamine. It is found in cartilage, tendons and ligaments in our body. It is a component of glycoproteins, proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans, which are the building blocks of cartilage. In human beings, glucosamine is synthesized endogenously from glucose but also may be obtained from exogenous dietary supplements. […]
Exercise and Energy Drinks: What Does the Research Say?
Should your clients use energy drinks to improve their exercise performance? The short answer is no. But it’s important to understand why. Energy drinks, or “EDs,” are fundamentally different from sports drinks (e.g., Gatorade) and traditional beverages like coffee, tea, soft drinks, juices and flavored water. Most contain three major components: high levels of caffeine, […]
Focus on Eccentric Loading for Enhancing Muscular Adaptation to Training
Resistance exercise is a fundamental aspect of athletes’ training programs, especially in sports where force- and power-production capabilities are keys for elite performance. In traditional strength-training programs, equal absolute load is applied during both the concentric and eccentric phases of muscle contraction. Skeletal muscle is capable of 30%, or more, force production during maximum eccentric […]
Supporting Athlete Mental Health
It has been remarkable to witness high-profile athletes advocating and educating the public about mental health support needs in elite-sport environments. In both National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Olympic settings, I have observed transparent efforts to bolster support for mental performance consulting services and/or mental health resources over the past 5-10 years. It is becoming increasingly […]
ACSM to Publish Official Pronouncements Regarding Athletes Who Are Transgender
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is an organization of more than 50,000 members and certified professionals devoted to inclusive and safe physical activity, sport participation and competition for all. We acknowledge that there are conversations happening among various organizations related to the inclusion of athletes who are transgender in physical activity and sport. […]
How to Get Started with a New Winter Sport
During the Olympics, we gather around our screens and watch in suspense as our favorite athletes battle it out for a spot on the podium. We say things like “that McTwist was insane!” or “I wish I could try that!” Some of us leap off the couch eager to practice. But for others, trying one […]
Exercising in the Cold: Chilled, not Shaking!
Ok, so, we’ve taken the liberty to slightly “stir” the famous James Bond line. Hopefully you get our point that chilly is ok, but bone-shaking cold isn’t. Particularly when referring to exercising safely in the cold. As we continue through winter, many of your clients will be physically active or working outdoors. While we want […]
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 […]