How to Help Keep Golfers Healthy

Golf is a sport played by millions of people worldwide. It is unique in the fact that it can be enjoyed by people of all ages and skill levels.  And notably, with our recent pandemic, golf provided us a great way to stay active outdoors while still practicing safe social distancing, which has only increased […]

Sprint Interval Training and Its Effects on Central Hemodynamical Factors

In the last decade, various forms of interval training have gained popularity. In fact, high-intensity interval training has been in the top five in ACSM’s Annual Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends since 2014. Sprint interval training has also gained popularity in recent years. These two forms of interval training are used in many different populations, including patients […]

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, […]

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

ACSM logo on black background

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. […]

GSSI Pre-Conference

The Physiology of Hydration: More Than Water Alone

This session explores the physiology of hydration through an integrated lens—examining how carbohydrate, sodium, flavor, and fluid interact to influence intake, absorption, retention, and performance. We’ll review current research on fluid balance, osmotic drivers, and palatability, highlighting mechanisms that underpin voluntary intake and thermoregulation. Attendees will gain insight into individualized strategies, including sweat profiling and timing approaches, to optimize euhydration and mitigate performance decrements associated with >2% body-mass loss. Practical applications will be linked to laboratory- and field-based research, ensuring translation from bench to field. This pre-conference equips you with evidence-based tools to support athlete hydration across diverse environments and sporting contexts. 

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  • Session 1: Sweating the detail: New insights on hydration considerations for athlete performance
    • Lewis James, PhD, Associate Professor in Human Nutrition in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University
  • Session 2: Functional ingredients in fluid replacement beverages for athletes
    • Lindsay Baker, PhD, Director at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute
  • Session 3: The hydration toolkit: Practical approaches to athlete support
    • Floris Wardenaar, PhD, Associate Professor at the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University