About Sports Medicine

How to Avoid Germs at the Gym

2009-11-20T17:15:18Z

Any time people gather indoors, the viruses and bacteria that cause the cold or flu are easily transmitted from person to person. You can reduce your risk of infection with the following basic safety tips.

How to Avoid Germs at the Gym originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 17:15:18.

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Preventing Snow Shoveling Injuries

2009-11-17T15:33:42Z

According to The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, snow shoveling and snow blowing can increase injuries to the back, shoulders and wrists. The improper use of equipment combined with performing unfamiliar exercises increases the likelihood of injuries form shoveling or snow bower use. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers the following safety tips for shoveling and snow blower use

Preventing Snow Shoveling Injuries originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 15:33:42.

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Do You Avoid the Gym?

2009-11-14T16:42:31Z

The American Council on Exercise took a poll of 1,500 web site visitors asking "What Keeps You From Going To The Gym?" Surprisingly, 46% of those answering claimed overcrowded gyms are the number one reason they stay away. Is your reason on the list?.

Do You Avoid the Gym? originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Saturday, November 14th, 2009 at 16:42:31.

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How to Prepare for High Altitude Vacations

2009-11-11T16:29:50Z

Active vacations are becoming increasingly popular and many flatlanders take high altitude trips every year. If you train at low altitude and plan to exercise at high altitude, there are some tips and precautions you might want to heed. Those who are active at home might need to modify their level of exertion or take added precautions that at sea level might seem unnecessary.

How to Prepare for High Altitude Vacations originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 at 16:29:50.

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Athletes Perform Better With More Sleep

2009-11-09T20:18:48Z

The amount of sleep an athlete gets appears to have a large impact on sports performance.

Cheri Mah of the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Laboratory has been following the sleep patterns and athletic performance of Stanford athletes for years. Her research continues to show that getting more sleep leads to better sports performance for all types of athletes.

Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Sleep experts recommend seven to nine hours of daily sleep for adults, and nine to ten hours for adolescents and teens. How do you know how much you need? If you fall asleep within 20 minutes of going to bed and wake up without an alarm, you are probably getting the right amount of sleep. If you fall asleep immediately upon hitting the pillow and always need an alarm to wake up, you are probably sleep deprived.

Sleep - Tips for Athletes

Make sleep a priority in your training schedule.
Increase your sleep time several weeks before a major competition.
Go to bed and wake up at the same times every day.
Take daily naps if you don't get enough sleep each night.

Athletes Perform Better With More Sleep originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Monday, November 9th, 2009 at 20:18:48.

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How to Train Like an Olympian

2009-11-06T15:40:56Z

Training like an Olympic athlete requires a plan and a lot of dedication. By borrowing a few training secrets from Olympic athletes, you, too, can train smarter and get fit faster.

Learn Olympic Workout Fitness Secrets

_{Photo (c) Ezra Shaw/Getty Images}

How to Train Like an Olympian originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 15:40:56.

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Start Training for Winter Sports Now

2009-11-03T17:52:39Z

Downhill skiing and snowboarding require specific preparations and conditioning routines to ensure safe winter fun. Learn how ski and snowboarding conditioning exercises may help you avoid injuries on the slopes.

If you do get injuries, fast treatment is important. You can be sure you know what to do by reading up on the most common skiing and snowboarding injuries.

Read More:

Start Training for Winter Sports Now originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 17:52:39.

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Abdominal Muscles - Where They Are and How They Work

2009-10-31T12:31:00Z

It seems everyone who exercises is looking for the best ab-exercise routine for developing flat, tight abdominal muscles. If you want to avoid falling victim to unproven and misleading abdominal exercise claims, it's important to have an understanding about the function of your abs, including where they are and what they do and how they can be exercised with the least risk of injury. Let's look at each of the abdominal muscles...

Abdominal Muscles - Where They Are and How They Work originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 12:31:00.

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Have You Had a Sports Concussion?

2009-10-30T18:25:18Z

Sports concussions are traumatic head injuries that can occur from both mild and severe blows to the head. Some head injuries may appear to be mild but research is finding that even a minor blow to the head can result in serious, long-term complications, especially if an athlete suffers repeated head injuries or cumulative concussions.

Share your story: What caused your concussion? What were your symptoms? Have you recovered fully? Could you have done anything to prevent your head injury? Share your sports concussion story so other athletes can learn from your experience.

Share Your Concussion Story

Have You Had a Sports Concussion? originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 18:25:18.

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Congress Reviews Head Injuries in Pro Football

2009-10-29T13:02:09Z

A long list of former NFL players, executives and lawmakers appeared before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday to discuss the long-term effects of head injuries on current and former NFL players and to determine if the NFL is doing enough to protect the players.

Despite growing evidence showing long-term affects of even mild concussion and head trauma in former pro football players, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell defended the league's policies on concussions during his testimony before Congress. He did, however, state that they can do more, and they are taking steps to make the game safer. Read more about the hearing in the NY Times article.

The long-term effects of head injuries in pro football is an important issue, but it has implications far beyond the NFL. The real significance of this story is that head injuries in sport -- any sport -- can have long-term, severe consequences and athletes, coaches and parents need to be aware of the signs and symptoms of concussions and other head trauma in order to minimize the risk.

Even Mild Head Injuries Are Serious

Research shows that even mild concussions can have serious long-term effects, but one of the most serious complications of a head injury, an epidural hematoma, can occur with little warning and, if not treated promptly, can result in death.

Head Injury Warning Signs

All experts agree that wear safely equipment, such as a helmet and mouth guard, can reduce the risk of serious head injuries. If you suffer any head injury, stop playing and sit out the rest of the game. Even if you think it's a mild bump on the head, you may have minor damage that can be repaired. If you return to play, you risk making that mild injury a permanent one.

Read More about Head Injuries

Head Injury Research

The latest research on the effects of head injuries continues to support the fact that concussions, and even mild head injuries, can cause lasting damage to the brain

In September, 2009, the National Football League Player Care Foundation released the results of their Study of Retired NFL Players which revealed that the rate of dementia and cognitive disorders among retired NFL players was five times higher than among the general population.

In 2007, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine reported finding structural changes in the brains of head injury patients that correlate to cognitive deficits in thinking, memory and attention. They found that mild head injuries caused damage only to the outer surface of the nerve (the myelin sheath of an axon), which may be able to be repaired if allowed to heal. More severe head injuries tended to cause damage to the axon itself, which may not be as easily repaired. Read the study abstract, published in the journal Brain or the Read the study press release from the University of Illinois at Chicago

Learn about myelin and nerve structure

Congress Reviews Head Injuries in Pro Football originally appeared on About.com Sports Medicine on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 13:02:09.

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