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Detraining – why a change really is better than a rest

whatsnew — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 16:54:53 +0000

The old adage that ‘what goes up must come down’ applies just as much to fitness as to gravity. But although athletes have come to accept detraining as a depressing but inevitable consequence of an injury or illness, few are aware of just how profound and rapid these changes are. And according to Richard Godfrey, new evidence suggests that the magnitude of these changes means that elite athletes need to plan their return to full fitness after a lay-off very carefully indeed.

Ankle Sprain - Injury management: How to heal a serious ankle sprain

whatsnew — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 17:22:01 +0000

What is the most common sporting injury? Chances are that anyone who has done any kind of weight-bearing sport has had it happen: a sprained ankle. But there is a vast difference between mild sprains and moderate to severe lateral ankle sprains which actually damage the ankle.

Incorrect management can easily turn a recovery time from 3-4 months into a 12-18 month epic. I’ve seen it happen and made the mistakes myself as a younger clinician!

Female Triad: Bone recovery after female athlete triad

whatsnew — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 12:28:27 +0000

Women whose bone development is interrupted in adolescence by the so-called ‘female athlete triad’ of disordered eating, delayed menstruation and osteoporosis can still catch up on bone growth well into their twenties.

Who, how and what gets injured?

whatsnew — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 14:25:19 +0000

Snowboarding

Forward falls commonly result in shoulder-girdle injuries: anything from rotator cuff (shoulder) strains to collar bone fractures. Falls backwards more commonly produce wrist fractures or strains, spinal injuries (low back and/or neck area) and head injuries, usually from a direct blow to the back of the skull during a fall. All can happen at any ability level.

Skiing

Marathon Tips

whatsnew — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 17:55:07 +0000

Dear editor

As a 56 year old recreational athlete for some 30 years with a marathon personal best of 2hrs 44min and a personal worst of 3hrs 29min, I found Sean Fyfe’s tale of marathon woe somewhat amusing (SIB50, June 2005). An unimaginable number of athletes have run good marathons over careers spanning decades without knowing what hyponatraemia is.

Dumbbell Exercises : Supine dumbbell straight arm pullover

whatsnew — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 19:30:48 +0000

Muscles involved: sides of upper back (latissimus dorsi), backs of shoulders (posterior deltoids), backs of upper arms (triceps).

Joint motion: shoulder extension.

Sports applicability: sports involving an overhead hitting/throwing motion, eg tennis, the javelin and football throw-in.

Conditioning benefits

Female Boxing Injuries: Female boxing safer than expected

whatsnew — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 17:14:29 +0000

Female boxing is no more dangerous than any other female impact sports. That is the encouraging conclusion of a new survey from Italy, where female boxing has been permitted since 2001 but is still regarded as ‘an experimental sport’ (‘Medical survey of female boxing in Italy in 2002-2003’, Br J Sports Med 2005;39:532-536).

The survey of all female boxing competitions in Italy between January 2002 and October 2003 was made up of two elements:

Arm Strength: Transfer of arm strength works one way only

whatsnew — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 11:56:25 +0000

The transfer of strength from a trained limb to an untrained one is a well-known phenomenon, thought to be due to neural adaptations, and offers potential benefits for athletes seeking to maintain strength in an injured limb while it is out of action. But does this apparently miraculous transfer of strength affect both sides equally? Probably not, according to a team of Canadian researchers, who studied transfer of arm strength in right-handed people and found it operated only from right to left – ie from the dominant to the non-dominant side.

Stitch Pain: New light on stitch

whatsnew — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 13:59:55 +0100

A new Australian study offers valuable insights into the common but potentially disabling sport-related condition known colloquially as ‘stitch’ (‘Epidemiology of exercise-related transient abdominal pain at the Sydney City to Surf community run’, J Sci Med Sport 2005; 8:2:152-162).

In a previous study – the largest published on the subject – the researchers found that 60% of runners had experienced exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP) while running within the past year, but this was a retrospective study based on recall.

Record-breaking preditcions : What are the absolute limits to human performance levels?

whatsnew — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 17:59:39 +0100

Everything’s up to date in Kansas City – they’ve gone about as far as they can go!

The song in question, in a musical set in the 1890s, was actually written a hundred years later; the irony lay in the hindsight. In each generation over the last century we have seen new records set, with performances once regarded as superhuman becoming routine and unremarkable, writes Bruce Tulloh.

Sports Injury Pain : Pain and brain – a revolutionary approach to chronic injury

whatsnew — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 17:45:20 +0100

Injury and pain are a competitive athlete’s worst nightmare, scuppering even the best-laid training plans. And when injuries become chronic, they can destroy confidence and even end athletic careers. But a revolution is taking place in our understanding of pain, which has profound implications for the treatment and rehabilitation of many chronic injuries. As Stephen Robson and Louis Gifford explain in the first of a two-part series, it’s time to throw away many of our existing preconceptions about pain and injury.

At a glance:

Creatine: is it really safe for long-term use?

whatsnew — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 17:35:37 +0100

Creatine is the number one choice of sports supplement for athletes at all levels – and with good reason. Unlike most products that compete for space on the shelves of health food stores up and down the country, creatine does precisely what it says on the tin: namely boost the body’s phosphocreatine energy system, thereby enhancing short-term, high intensity anaerobic efforts. But, while there are few, if any, remaining concerns about short-term use, there are still no guarantees of long-term safety, writes Andrew Hamilton.

Pregnancy Weight Training: Pregnancy, strength and fitness

whatsnew — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 13:18:40 +0100

The theory that pregnancy, being a form of graduated weight training, actually improves subsequent performance in women has been dealt a blow by a major new US study suggesting that both fitness and strength decline significantly during pregnancy and are still not fully restored six months after birth.

Resistance Training Exercise : For that extra edge all you need is variety

whatsnew — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 18:22:29 +0100

Most athletes in search of that elusive extra edge in strength and power look to resistance training in one form or another. Often they think they need a new exercise to sharpen them up. But what they may not realise is that considerable improvements in training outcomes can be achieved without changing the content of their routines but simply by altering the sequence of exercises and varying the rest times between exercises.

Stress fractures and genes

whatsnew — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 11:11:59 +0100

A stress fracture is a partial or complete fracture of a bone, not associated with a significant traumatic injury, and resulting from the bone’s inability to withstand stress applied in a rhythmic, repeated manner. It is one of the most common and potentially serious overuse injuries.

Caffeine dehydration : Caffeine and alcohol – just how dehydrating are they?

whatsnew — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 11:05:54 +0100

Do you do drugs? Think long and hard before you answer, because the answer is, very probably, yes! Like it or not, alcohol and caffeine are drugs that most of us consume regularly as part of our diet. Like all drugs, they have side effects, one of which is common to both – a ‘diuretic’ (waterloss) effect. But how strong is this effect, and is a diet containing these drugs detrimental to the goal of optimum hydration?

Growing Pains

whatsnew — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:42:10 +0100

‘Diseases or complaints of growth’ were first described by Duchamp (1) in his treatise ‘Maladies de la Croissance’ in 1832. These aches and pains were initially thought to be manifestations of rheumatic fever requiring prolonged bed rest, a notion that gave way to the ‘fatigue theory’ proposed by Bennie in 1894 (2). This declared that ‘little legs have performed an unusual amount of work during the day’ and may therefore hurt at the end of the day.

The glycaemic index: how athletes can make it work for them

whatsnew — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 16:15:55 +0100

Unless you’ve been living on Mars for the last 15 years, you’ll already be aware that carbohydrate nutrition is just about the most important weapon in your nutritional toolbox for maximising sport performance. In recent years, the ‘glycaemic index’ – the rate of carbohydrate energy release – has become an important consideration for athletes seeking to consume the ‘right’ type of carbohydrate for a particular mode of training or recovery. But why is this index important and how can you use it to plan your carbohydrate intake?

Sports drinks and teeth

whatsnew — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 12:09:54 +0100

There is no doubt that properly formulated fluid and/or carbohydrate drinks can enhance sports performance. However, more recent research has discovered that regular sports drinks users may be putting their dental health at risk; in particular the protective tooth enamel has been found to erode 30 times faster with regular usage of sports drinks (which tend to be quite acidic) by comparison with plain water!

Vibration Platform: New training aids Good vibrations?

whatsnew — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 16:27:12 +0100

Move over, wobble board – the vibration platform is here. In the past 10 years there has been an increasing interest in the somewhat strange concept of vibration training and its potentially positive impact on athletic performance. Can simply standing on a vibrating platform improve one’s strength, power and flexibility? Is this a gimmick providing a short-term fix, or can athletes and coaches expect to see some valuable long-term training adaptations? Is vibration a useful rehab tool? Here’s the balance of research to date.

Zinc & Performance: Why athletes may need more zinc in their diet

whatsnew — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 13:55:22 +0100

Although it plays a role in protein metabolism and growth, zinc has never really been associated with enhanced aerobic performance. But all that may be about to change following a recent American study carried out for the US Department of Agriculture.

Maltodextrin-plus-fructose Drink: Carb combo drink produces most energy

whatsnew — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 10:26:25 +0100

UK researchers have found that ingesting large amounts of two simple carbohydrates during prolonged cycling exercise allows for significantly greater conversion of carbohydrate to energy than ingesting one alone.

Eight trained cyclists performed three exercise trials in random order. Each trial consisted of 150 minutes of cycling at 55% maximum power output while ingesting a total of 2.4 litres of one of the following:

An 11.25% maltodextrin (glucose polymer) drink;
A drink containing maltodextrin and fructose, providing the same amount of energy as the first drink;

Cycle Injury overview

whatsnew — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 11:03:17 +0100

In 2003 I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to venture into the Pyrenees mountain range in the south of France to witness the penultimate mountain stage of the Tour de France. It was one of the greatest stages in recent years, when Lance Armstrong fell off his bike in the final ascent only to remount, attack and put the winning time on Jan Ullrich to clinch his fifth consecutive tour victory. I had watched the tour on TV before, but it wasn’t until I was on the mountain that I could grasp the passion and fanaticism surrounding the sport of cycling.

Warm Up Activity : The dynamic alternative to static stretching

whatsnew — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 13:15:15 +0100

Strength and conditioning coaches and trainers are engaged in a constant search for the best ways to improve sport performance. All things being equal, a bigger, faster, stronger, more conditioned athlete will rule supreme on the playing court or field.

Posterior Cruciate Ligament

whatsnew — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 18:00:55 +0100

It took Ryan Shulman 10 years to discover he had damaged his knee

My visit to the Brisbane Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Clinic was the culmination of more than 18 months of physiotherapy, general practice and orthopaedic reviews. I had developed an interest in triathlon and wanted to get serious about training, particularly some longer distance running. However, after increasing my training load and intensity I had started to develop a vague pain along the antero-medial joint line in my right knee, as well as spasm in my right popliteus muscle.

Cyclists Warm Up

whatsnew — Fri, 28 Jul 2006 18:27:51 +0100

A new UK study has shown that cycling performance is boosted by prior moderate and heavy exercise, but not by sprint exercise.

The researchers set out to determine the effects of three different warm-up regimes on cycling work output during a seven- minute performance trial. Although it is widely accepted that prior warm-up exercise should be performed before the main bout of sporting or exercise activity, previous studies have tended to focus on the physiological effects of warm-up rather than on its potential performance benefit.

Articular cartilage

whatsnew — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 14:02:02 +0100

Articular cartilage covers the ends of long bones. This highly specialised tissue is principally made up of hyaline cartilage secreted by chondrocytes. Because of the poor blood supply at the ends of the bones, these cells work in a low oxygen environment and are vulnerable to injury.

Hyaline cartilage has a complex structure arranged in layers. This allows it to carry out its functions of load-bearing and reducing friction, but it means the task of restoring this structure after injury is particularly difficult.

Pre-competition exercise: does timing matter?

whatsnew — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 17:26:11 +0100

Cycling time triallists gain a significant performance advantage if, on the day before competition, they train at exactly the same time as the competition is scheduled to start. That is the important conclusion of a new study from the UK.

Eight male recreational cyclists completed two separate 16.1k time trials on cycle ergometers at 7am. On the day before one of the trials, they performed a submaximal workout at 60% VO2max for 30 minutes at 7am; on the day before the other, they performed exactly the same workout at 12 noon.

Marathon Cramp: A marathon to remember

whatsnew — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 14:58:38 +0100

Last November I set out to achieve one of those lifetime goals: to complete a marathon in less than three hours, considered by many to be the Holy Grail of social distance running. What better occasion to do it than at the 25th anniversary of probably the greatest race in the world, the London Marathon.

Public Sports Injury Treatment

whatsnew — Thu, 06 Jul 2006 13:32:14 +0100

If ever I had been in doubt about the need for the public health service to integrate sports and exercise medicine into mainstream practice, my recent visit to my local A&E (rated excellent) clinched the argument for me. Not exactly a sporting injury, I had been floored by an out-of-control teenager careering downhill on a mountain bike (minus brakes). In need of an emergency stop, he decided I was his best bet – not a bad choice, given the alternatives of preschool kids and seniors bearing white canes…