I hope everyone finishes finals with a bang and enjoys the rest of May! I'll be back!
So it's the end of the semester which means this blog is technically over. However, I feel like researching and learning more about exercising is a great outlet for me. I truly enjoy this topic and never gave learning about it much effort. For those who follow and read my posts, I hope to continue this blog. With this being said, it's the end of the semester which means I am cramped for time finishing labs, projects and finals! (Yikes) I will be absent from this blog for a good two weeks due to finishing school, moving back to Texas and helping my family with a wedding. I will try to keep everyone updated with the blogs status.
May 4, 2011
Yesterday I read an article stating 25 reasons to exercise. Most of the reasons deal with strengthening the heart, which did not surprise me; however, it made me think of why it was good for the heart. This lead me to an article written by Dr. J Kelly Smith titled "Long-term Exercise and Atherogenic Activity of Blood Mononuclear Cells in Persons at Risk of Developing Ischemic Heart Disease." In other words: How long term exercise and physical activity helps prevent loss of blood circulation and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
The National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference recently came out with a statement claiming children and adults are recommended to acquire 30 minutes of "moderate intensity" physical activity daily. This is because there is a strong correlation between exercising and reduced CVD. Although the paper bluntly states, the reason for this correlation is unknown, it speculates it is related to the decreases the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) and insulin resistance (diabetes)- all increasing the chance of CVD.
A team of doctors combined their thoughts and ideas to create a study. They chose 52 subjects to participate in a 6 month long study where doctors regulated exercise. As the doctors monitored the subjects, they took readings on certain types of cells that are known to tear or/and clog arteries and the cells that repair the torn arteries. Over the course of 6 months of at least, 30 minutes of exercise a day, the "bad" cells' production decreased while the "good" cells remained constant.
Although the cause of this process is unknown, the correlation between the decrease in CVD and increase in exercise is too strong to disregard. In my opinion- it's not just a coincidence.
The National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference recently came out with a statement claiming children and adults are recommended to acquire 30 minutes of "moderate intensity" physical activity daily. This is because there is a strong correlation between exercising and reduced CVD. Although the paper bluntly states, the reason for this correlation is unknown, it speculates it is related to the decreases the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity, hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) and insulin resistance (diabetes)- all increasing the chance of CVD.
A team of doctors combined their thoughts and ideas to create a study. They chose 52 subjects to participate in a 6 month long study where doctors regulated exercise. As the doctors monitored the subjects, they took readings on certain types of cells that are known to tear or/and clog arteries and the cells that repair the torn arteries. Over the course of 6 months of at least, 30 minutes of exercise a day, the "bad" cells' production decreased while the "good" cells remained constant.
Although the cause of this process is unknown, the correlation between the decrease in CVD and increase in exercise is too strong to disregard. In my opinion- it's not just a coincidence.
With all jokes aside- pulling/straining your groin is a serious injury that is ranked (by most polls) #8 on most common sport injuries. Your groin is located between your hip and femur (thigh bone). It can also be called the Adductor Muscles of the thigh; however (if you look below) the pectineus and gracilis muscles are not technically a part of this group, yet they are included in the groin region.
If you do happen to pull your groin, it's not the end of the world. Try touching it- if it hurts (sends sharp pains) just touching it, you might have actually torn the muscle and you need to get to a doctor. If not, the hardest step comes next- rest. You have to stay off of it for several days. The first day, ice is important. When you undergo a strained muscle the first objects are to reduce edema (fluid that causes swelling), stabilize the area, and reduce the pressure (force). By applying ice, the muscles contract and the edema flow rate slows down. The muscles contracting and the less edema present causes the area to become more stabilized. The only way to reduce the force on the area is to rest. After the initial icing period, start applying heat to your groin. This helps the muscles loosen, and prepares them for stretching again. By the third or fourth day, try walking on your groin without limping. If this is too painful, get back on the couch and start heating it again. Make sure you realize your groin will be sore and stiff- this is a different pain than the actual injury. When it finally is not pain to walk, start off slow. Do not push yourself! Pushing yourself can actually set you back even further. Most groin injuries take at least two weeks to return back to normal.
Be sure to warm up every muscle group used in your body before you start exercising. It is better to spend the 10 minutes warming up than the 10 days to recover from a strained groin!
May 3, 2011
Swimming is a full body exercise- strengthening and stretching every muscle in your body. The activity focuses on your back and core muscles, helping improve your posture- preventing long term consequences. It does this in a low impact environment, using natural resistance to build muscle. Low impact means you save your joints, ligaments, tendons, and bones large amounts of stress, decreasing your chance of injury (see my post on stress fractures). Since humans are naturally buoyant, the body weighs 1/10th of its actual weight when in the water. This allows people of all ages and sizes to be able to work out. Studies have shown for senior citizens and obese individuals, swimming also increases the moral while working out since they are not as limited in the water as they are on land.
According to Science Daily, water exercises also improve the inner workings. They help strengthen the cardiovascular system; extreme asthma; snoring; and mouth breathing. Most of these cases are induced by the way the body uses oxygen and the heat and humidity of the pool (mainly for asthma). Because of the strict breathing regiment swimming enforces, it makes the body concentrate on the amount of air taken in, how that air (mainly oxygen) is used, and when to breath it out. This concentration relaxes the body, alleviating stress on the heart and maximizes the use of the intake of oxygen.
So whether you take a dip for fun or for exercise- remember that you are doing your body a huge favor. If you want to learn better techniques of swimming there are websites that teach you proper techniques or even swimming workouts. Even if you don't like "just swimming", there are alternatives: water aerobics, water polo, or even just a fun game of Marco Polo with friends. Just remember water isn't too bad!
Apr 27, 2011
With the NBA Playoffs finally here, injuries could be considered the worst nightmare for players and coaches (outside of losing of course). Some injuries such as shoulder, ankle, or a broken bone can sit a player for the rest of the season; however, nothing is as threatening as a head injury. A head injury (or maybe even several) can mean the end of the career and/or permanent damage to your brain or spinal cord. The most common head injury is a concussion, in which 30,000 sports injuries occur each year.
So what happens when you get a concussion? When your head hits the surface (typically a stationary surface), your brain encounters a large amount force and torque causing the cells in the brain to all react at once. Side effects include: Confusion, Memory Loss, Unconsciousness, Headache, Dizziness, Nausea/Vomiting and/or Vision changes. These vary depending on the severity of the hit and the person's body. In most cases, athletes don't have any side effects except for a headache which is worrisome.
Recovery from a concussion can take from a few days to several weeks. There are symptoms that can appear weeks and even up to a year after the initial blow that are not understood. The reasons for these post shocks have been speculated to be physical or psychological. The symptoms include memory, sleep and concentration disturbances, fatigue, irritability and personality changes.
If an athlete doesn't allow enough time to recover they can endure a second blow to the head. This second occurrence is more dangerous than the first; typically resulting in death or permanent brain damage. If you do take a blow to the head, be sure to visit a doctor, even if you only experience a headache. Although there is no medical cure for concussions except for pain relievers, a doctor can evaluate the damage via MRIs and assess a proper recovery time.
Apr 26, 2011
A while ago I posted on steroid use, which sparked comments on the exact opposite- anorexia. There are some sports such as gymnastics and ice skating, which require a slender and lean body as well as a weight restriction. This can add extra stress to the athletes, forcing them to find alternatives ways to stay within their weight restraints besides working out. Many turn to anorexia or bulimia; two life threatening diseases, not only to athletes, but to every individual.
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| Kristie Henrich- Olympic Gymmast died at age 22 from multiple organ failure caused by anorexia. |
Athletes who suffer from anorexia or bulimia are putting themselves more at risk than an every day individual. Due to the high intensity of their workouts and the strain they put on their bodies, athletes can develop the symptoms at an early stage and more severe, and are susceptible to sudden cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest is spurred by abnormal heart rhythms caused by the eating disorder, which become more frequent with the increasing heart rate. Also, since osteoporosis (decrease in bone mass) and sleep disorders are also side effects, the strain the athlete endures can lead to fractures/breaks in the bone or high chances of tearing muscles. Other side effects are malnutrition, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and amenorrhea.
Eating disorders are becoming more popular in athletes and also in every day life. The people who suffer them can experience life long consequences and can even result in fatality. If you do know some who shows signs of excessive weight loss or obsesses over food intake, help them out by pointing them in the right direction. There are multiple hotlines or websites to help. The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders is a popular and established hotline.
Apr 20, 2011
It seems the closer summer comes, the less motivation I have. It could be everything is happening at once: projects, paperwork, packing, job finding... No matter what it is, I'm on my final stretch. Which made me realize, since I'm discussing sport injuries and improvements to exercise, I should start with the basics- stretching!
Those who have played on a team probably can relate to sitting in lines (or a circle), apathetically counting to ten- holding each stretch. Or perhaps you have observed most gym patrons head to the stretching mat upon arrival. Stretching has been preached to everyone; to some people it is more important than the workout itself. Today I'm here to say, most people stretch incorrectly. In fact, majority of people stretch in a detrimental way.
There are three different types of stretching according to The Gym Press' article "Stretching Scientifically Part II"- static, dynamic and active.
Today I'm only going to focus on static and dynamic stretching since active stretching only pertains to certain competitive activities. Everyone has been taught static stretching; this is the type of stretching where you hold a pose for a certain count and then move on to the next stretch. This is not the type of stretch you need before you start exercising. Static stretching helps with overall flexibility (which is still important), but it doesn't help warm up your muscles for the workout. To warm up before an exercise, you need to get your heart pumping, your lungs working, and your muscles moving. This can be accomplished by walking for 5 minutes at a faster pace than normal, or even riding the stationary bike for several minutes. Warming up in this sense is NOT stretching! After the warm up, you need to practice dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretching allows your body to stay warm, while controlling your motions to perform stretches. This parallels the motions you will encounter in your exercise, decreasing your chances of pulling a muscle. There are many websites that are similar to this one, that have a variety of dynamic stretches.
Those who have played on a team probably can relate to sitting in lines (or a circle), apathetically counting to ten- holding each stretch. Or perhaps you have observed most gym patrons head to the stretching mat upon arrival. Stretching has been preached to everyone; to some people it is more important than the workout itself. Today I'm here to say, most people stretch incorrectly. In fact, majority of people stretch in a detrimental way.  |
| Dynamic Stretching |
Today I'm only going to focus on static and dynamic stretching since active stretching only pertains to certain competitive activities. Everyone has been taught static stretching; this is the type of stretching where you hold a pose for a certain count and then move on to the next stretch. This is not the type of stretch you need before you start exercising. Static stretching helps with overall flexibility (which is still important), but it doesn't help warm up your muscles for the workout. To warm up before an exercise, you need to get your heart pumping, your lungs working, and your muscles moving. This can be accomplished by walking for 5 minutes at a faster pace than normal, or even riding the stationary bike for several minutes. Warming up in this sense is NOT stretching! After the warm up, you need to practice dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretching allows your body to stay warm, while controlling your motions to perform stretches. This parallels the motions you will encounter in your exercise, decreasing your chances of pulling a muscle. There are many websites that are similar to this one, that have a variety of dynamic stretches.
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| Static Stretching |
So why static stretch? Static stretching and dynamic stretching go hand in hand. Static flexibility you acquire by static stretching allows you to have more dynamic/active flexibility which dynamic stretching enhances. The more flexible your muscles are, the "longer" they are. When your muscles are "short", they create tension on your bones, which can lead to fractures. "Short" muscles are also more prone to extensive tearing, or being pulled. To keep your muscles long after a workout, complete a five minute cool-down (slight jog/walk). Allow your muscles to completely cool down, and then do a static stretch routine.
Apr 19, 2011
Spring break came and went extremely fast. Especially since mine was cut short due to my senior design and inversion projects. A large portion of my week was spent working on homework, but I was able to remain on my couch while still wearing my pajamas at two in the afternoon. Even though I was "relaxing" all week, by Sunday I felt more stressed than I did before spring break. This could have been because I had a major assignment due Monday that was not close to being completed. On the other hand, as a good friend pointed out, it could have been spurred by my laziness. My physical activities were close to none during the week. I always have known exercising induces endorphins- but what exactly does that mean?
Endorphins are a certain type of chemical in the brain that can be classified as neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters, found in various locations in the body, are triggered in times of high stress or pain. They are produced by the pituitary gland which is located at the base of the brain near the spinal cord, and react with the opiate receptors of the brain and spinal cord. When activated, the opiate receptors block pain and stress, resulting in temporary euphoric state.
So how does this relate to exercising? Only high intensity workouts induce endorphins. Studies show that simple weight training or casual workouts produce some, but not enough endorphins to notice a difference in pain levels. High intensity workouts, such as running, cause the body to undergo large amounts of stress, which can be difficult for the body to endure. The body kicks in and produces endorphins to numb the pain. Ever wonder why it's possible to jog away the soreness from a previous workout? Endorphins kick in and mask the pain for a couple of hours or even up to a day. Since everyone is different, the chemical reaction has various magnitudes and durations for everybody.
Endorphins are a great way to relieve stress and feel happy in a completely natural way with no adverse side effects. Next time you're feeling down, lace up and go for a jog.
Mar 28, 2011
After the last evaluation period, I tried to make noticeable differences with my blog. I attempted to take your constructive advice and apply it towards my blog and my blogging activity. I have focused my blog on the health aspect of sports including medicines and injuries. My intent is to keep my blog conversational with the reader, while educating them on the possible encounters in the world of sports. Not only have I focused my blog, I participate with other blogs now, which was a concern last evaluation period. I am actively following Bre’s gymnastics blog, commenting on her posts that interest me. Also, I am heavily involved with my Sports Scientists blog, commenting weekly; however, they show no interest in my blog. Blogs of similar material have been troublesome to find. I know my areas of improvement include the amount and the timeliness of the posts. As of right now, I am scheduled to have a guest post by the weekend. From here on out, I need to work on finding different medias of information, including more videos, pictures, interviews, guest posts and if possible, interactive content.
Mar 23, 2011
The most dreaded knee injury is an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. It just so happens that
women are up to 6 times more likely to endure this injury (depending on the study the chance ranges from 4 to 6)! Although the main cause is unknown, there are several speculative causes. An important fact to keep in mind while reading the following is a woman's ACL is much smaller than a male's ACL.
There are 4 main theories that attempt at explaining why women are more likely to injure their knees: intercondylar notch, pelvis, estrogen, and leg strength.
- The ACL runs in between the intercondylar notch (see picture to the right) in both sexes; however, a woman's notch is typically narrower than a man's. This causes (theoretically) a woman's ACL to be wore down easier, because the ACL rubs on the bone. This is magnified in sports that require fast direction change (basketball, volleyball, softball...). As a result, the ACL becomes weaker over time and is more prone to tearing all the way.
- Women also have much wider pelvises, which changes the angle of the femur (thigh bone) and the tibia (shin) at the knee. The more drastic angle can cause internal rotation of either bone which causes stress on the ACL.
- The effect of estrogen is not fully understood, but there are numerous studies that show females' tendons typically relax/loosen with higher levels of estrogen. This relaxing of the tendons causes the knee to become more flexible, increasing the risk of overextending the ACL.
- Leg strength can also incorporate men as well, but generally women have weaker leg muscles than men. Not only do they have weaker legs, women focus on their quadriceps and not their hamstrings. This unbalance causes uneven stresses on the knee, which can lead to a complete "blow out" of the knee (damage or complete tears on majority of the ligaments in the knee).
Mar 9, 2011
Below are two videos that continue on my discussion on technology vs nature. I'm still holding my grounds on running with shoes, but these two videos make me a bit more curious. The second one is for those who really want to know the full logistics/science behind running barefoot. It's a bit dry, but extremely informative!
Mar 8, 2011
Lately I've been trying to get back into running, which is becoming a bit difficult due lack of motivation. I prefer activities such as basketball and lacrosse to stay in shape, but I've been thinking about running another half marathon with my sisters in May. The other day a friend and I were discussing where to get shoes, when a third party interrupted and told me I should run barefoot. He went on and explained his side that stated shoes actually are the cause of most injuries and it is better for your body to barefoot. In all honesty, I didn't believe - so I decided to do some of my own research. Are shoes really the cause of injuries? Even though it's an older article (2006), Athletic Footware and Running Injuries seems to agree with most articles I've read. So let's start with the basics:Most running injuries are caused by impact, typically repetitive impact. As you are running, your heal takes an impact that is 2.5 times your body weight. This doesn't take into account the different road types, so the impact could actually be more than that. Most stresses are absorbed from the knee down, causing over half of all running injuries to be located between the knee and ankle.
There have been several attempts to create shock absorbers and cushions to alleviate the forces your feet and legs endure. There have been studies in the past that focus on the heal, sole, and ball of the foot; however, most research has overlooked the big picture: your entire body. Not to mention majority of the studies to improve shoes only focus on the physical mechanics of running. Even though these studies seem logical (we all wear shoes!) they go against the nature of the human body.
When walking/running barefoot, the contact your skin makes with the ground is the most important action. This informs the body how your heal should be struck down, or how your ankle needs to rotate. Another aspect of running barefoot is the runners consciousness to the area. The runner sees the areas that need to be avoided. While running with shoes, the sensory aspect is lost causing the body to become more comfortable, and in a way, lazy. The runner's foot does not rotate correctly, just habitually, and the runner is not as observant to where they are running because the shoe provides pseudo- stability. From everything I've read, shoes are counter productive (in all aspects: sports/running/walking). Even though they are designed to aid our feet and legs by transferring some of the forces, our bodies were actually designed to take that impact. By avoiding the forces, we actually do our body harm. With that being said, I found no studies on how torn up your feet become by running shoeless, or how many diseases will be spread by going barefoot in public. Even though it may be damaging in the long run, I am going to stick with shoes. I would rather take my chances with injury compared to coming down with some foot fungus.
Mar 7, 2011
One of the most interesting blogs I've come across is Sports Scientists. The blog is written by Ross and Jonathan, who met in Cape Town while obtaining their PhDs. They both are indulged in sports including rubgy, cycling, running, swimming and other endurance sports. A couple of days ago, the pair wrote a few articles obtaining to the cyclist vs rugby players doping incident.
Doping typically refers to take performance enhancing drugs- there is also "blood doping" which is another method of enhancing athletic performance. Since doping is used to get ahead in competitive sports, it is typically viewed as unethical; however, the severity of the punishment differs from each sport. I will be blunt and admit I am not for steroid use or any enhancing drugs, but the arguments about the subject cause questions to arise. Why is it unethical if people have the same access to these drugs? Isn't the purpose of competitive sports to try every method to better yourself against the competition?
In my opinion, the main focus of anti-doping is not the ethics behind the drugs- it is ultimately the health factor. Since there is a range of different types of substances, the side effects vary, and in some cases contradict themselves. There is a great article titled "Principal doping substances and their side effects" by Laurent Rivier, Martial Saugy and Patrice Mangin that discuss each doping mechanism; however, I will only discuss the side effects of steroids.
"Steroids" are the most well known, and the most readily available type of performance enhancing drugs on the market. They belong to the Anabolic Substances group- a fancy way of saying the chemicals target muscle mass. The main side effects for steroids include: liver tumors, excessive blood cholesterol, prostate cancer, diabetes, sleep apnoea, behavioral modification, addiction, irreversible masculinization in women, and feminization in men.
These side effects are due to the chemical imbalance steroids induce. When taking steroids, you are emitting high levels of testosterone into your body. At the same time, the steroids trick the body into creating more protein, and the excess amount of testosterone help process the protein. This is the main reason why muscles are built quickly when taking steroids. Because of this, steroids can be helpful sometimes, especially when recovering from an illness or accident where muscle is lost. With that being said, a body has a certain threshold for steroid use/muscle growth, and once that threshold is broken, the negative side effects begin occurring. There are no quick fixes when it comes to weight loss or creating muscle mass. The best answer is to monitor your diet and exercise. Working with a fitness trainer can help target your areas of interest, and keep you true to your workout. If that is too expensive, find a friend who wants similar results and find a workout schedule. There are thousands of work out schedules and articles online magazines include: Men's Health, Fitness, and Men's Fitness
Mar 1, 2011
Just to let everyone know, I have been informed about my comment box not working properly. Tonight I will be trying to find a better format so my comments work. Sorry about the inconvenience!!
Feb 10, 2011
Please note this blog is a side note: it only relates to sports (and people in general), but not to science.
Over the past day there have been several instances where I can't believe the actions of the people I am around. I'm not sure if it's my southern upbringing, or if others feel the same way I do, but people are just down right rude. Forget comedy, forget sarcasm, forget ignorance- there comes a point when the line has been crossed and the arrogant person should be slapped. I'm all for being respectful and confronting the person about their actions the first time around; however, the best lessons in life come from either embarrassment or physical pain.
When I say forget comedy and sarcasm: I'm not saying everything should be stiff and boring- I'm all for having fun and joking around. Comedy (especially today) is directed towards people's misfortunes, but when is it taken too far? Can a simple laugh and the phrase "just kidding" really fix it? Or is the person who got their feelings hurt just a sore loser? My favorite comedies are satirical and I, myself, can be sarcastic, but I also believe there is a time and a place.
Ignorance is the same way- no one knows it all and ignorant statements/actions are bound to happen. With that being said, when is it okay to hold yourself better than others? Is it ignorant to assume you are better than someone else? All my life I have been taught to question; just because someone has a PhD does not mean they are smart in every aspect of life and hold every answer. They are ignorant in some aspects as well. It goes beyond ignorance, in my opinion, to generalize statements. It also goes beyond ignorance to hold yourself higher than anyone else- is there any difference between a stupid question and a stupid action? If the top of the class is sent to Detox, is he really better than the person who asks a stupid question?
I am a long ways from being perfect, and I know I will never reach it. It's human nature to judge, criticize, and compete, but with that being said, I have learned a lot from sports. It's humiliating (going back to the best ways of learning) to lose your composure on the court and your coach takes you out of the game. It's frustrating to play against teams who sneak in cheap shots; however, it's the most amazing feeling to destroy the opposing team (and in some cases the refs) by walking off the court, and knowing you played your game, and the cheap-shot, dirty sons of biscuit-eaters lost.
The lesson of sportsmanship can't be taught by sitting down and reading a website (even though this one is very thorough). It slowly sinks in as you grow up or mature. I've played basketball since I was four years old, and it wasn't until my senior year of high school I fully grasped the concept. There is something to be said for thinking about how your actions display your true self. Before you act next time, think about who you truly are; what the action is really about (if it's even necessary?); and how it truly will affect the other person.
"Believe in yourself, know yourself, deny yourself, and be humble."- John Treacy (Irish Olympic and World Cross Country Medalist)
Self Interview:
Of course this blog is a class assignment in which I am supposed to communicate substantial scientific information and data in a more appealing view to the public; however, I also want to expand my knowledge on a subject I find interesting. This blog allows me to research a science I am not familiar with, even though sports have been a large part of my life.
Sports are typically a hobby to most- sure a good number of kids aspire to be professional athletes, but the dreams of being the star slowly diminish and the real world sets in. Even though they are no longer competitive athletes, these people still pick up the ball (or whatever equipment they are familiar with) and play around. Some, like me, are fascinated by the science behind the movements or the advances in technology. I hope the topics covered here reach out to any athlete at heart, including engineers, teachers, medical personnel, or the stay at home parents. The topics covered have been medically focused, which I am hoping to tweaked a small amount. My focus for this blog includes more than just sports medicine. The topics in mind branch out to the physics behind certain motions and the chemistry of enhancements.
Blogs resemble any social network: the more you talk to others, the more others will talk to you. Exposing my blog's url or my screen name on other websites via comments, will enhance the traffic on my posts. This means my posts need to be relevant and entertaining yet informative and scientific. My pictures and videos are eye catching, but can use improvement. My posts could be a bit shorter and more concise.
Of course this blog is a class assignment in which I am supposed to communicate substantial scientific information and data in a more appealing view to the public; however, I also want to expand my knowledge on a subject I find interesting. This blog allows me to research a science I am not familiar with, even though sports have been a large part of my life.
Sports are typically a hobby to most- sure a good number of kids aspire to be professional athletes, but the dreams of being the star slowly diminish and the real world sets in. Even though they are no longer competitive athletes, these people still pick up the ball (or whatever equipment they are familiar with) and play around. Some, like me, are fascinated by the science behind the movements or the advances in technology. I hope the topics covered here reach out to any athlete at heart, including engineers, teachers, medical personnel, or the stay at home parents. The topics covered have been medically focused, which I am hoping to tweaked a small amount. My focus for this blog includes more than just sports medicine. The topics in mind branch out to the physics behind certain motions and the chemistry of enhancements.
Blogs resemble any social network: the more you talk to others, the more others will talk to you. Exposing my blog's url or my screen name on other websites via comments, will enhance the traffic on my posts. This means my posts need to be relevant and entertaining yet informative and scientific. My pictures and videos are eye catching, but can use improvement. My posts could be a bit shorter and more concise.
Not having an English course for the past three years has taken a toll on my writing. Geophysical papers tend to contain dry and dull information, with no room for a voice. Having a blog allows me to express my interest in science with my own, informal voice. In most cases, sporting events coincide with social events. This blog is hopefully a hangout spot for those who enjoy sports and wish to know more about the physical and medical aspect of their hobby.
The strength of my blog is its uniqueness. There aren't many in the blogs that cover sports related topics. I feel that my posts are interesting enough, and cover a wide spread of topics. My main weakness is the amount of posting. My posts need to increase, and the time between each post should decrease. A strength and weakness (double edge sword) is my tone. I am very informal in my writing style, which might be too relaxed for scientific topics. I might need to find more in depth topics, instead of just skimming a subject.
I don't believe I use to deficit model in my writing. I try to be interactive; however, writing these posts I feel that I am lecturing to the public. I have tried to take subjects typically not talked about, and open them to the public. An observation I made earlier is I don't ask any questions to the public. That is one way I can change to a non-deficit model of writing.
I try to make every day sport events interesting to the public. Answer questions I have asked myself in the past. By cover subjects such as medicine and the physical aspects of sports and athletes, I have brought in a side of science I have not studied here at Mines. I never think of medicine or anatomy as science; researching the possibilities and advancements has opened my eyes. I hope that people read my blog and view me as open and ready to discuss further if they so choose.
Self Evaluation:
First off, I have not been the best about keeping up with posting regularly. I get on kicks where I post several and then hold back for majority of the week. With that being said, I feel that I have a decent amount of posts. Since I am not an expert or a student of my topic, I research before I post. I try to incorporate videos and pictures to be visually stimulating, but also embedded hyperlinks for further reading. I am still trying to nail the perfect length of my posts; I have problems sometimes being concise!
Even though I have been bad about commenting on classmates' blogs, I have been searching for other sports related blogs. I have found a couple, which I visit when I have the chance. One is by two doctors called Sport Scientists and the other is on ESPN. The one on ESPN hasn't been updated and I have read all 10 of his posts. Even though he is not the best at blogging, he is great at responding to email!
I feel that most of my posts are not deep enough in the topics. I would like to find more complicated aspects of Sport Science to write about. There are times I have a hard time finding topics to cover. Other things I need to work on are (as said before) commenting and updating more frequently. I need to put my name out there on other blogs and hopefully draw in more attention to my blog!
The strength of my blog is its uniqueness. There aren't many in the blogs that cover sports related topics. I feel that my posts are interesting enough, and cover a wide spread of topics. My main weakness is the amount of posting. My posts need to increase, and the time between each post should decrease. A strength and weakness (double edge sword) is my tone. I am very informal in my writing style, which might be too relaxed for scientific topics. I might need to find more in depth topics, instead of just skimming a subject.
I don't believe I use to deficit model in my writing. I try to be interactive; however, writing these posts I feel that I am lecturing to the public. I have tried to take subjects typically not talked about, and open them to the public. An observation I made earlier is I don't ask any questions to the public. That is one way I can change to a non-deficit model of writing.
I try to make every day sport events interesting to the public. Answer questions I have asked myself in the past. By cover subjects such as medicine and the physical aspects of sports and athletes, I have brought in a side of science I have not studied here at Mines. I never think of medicine or anatomy as science; researching the possibilities and advancements has opened my eyes. I hope that people read my blog and view me as open and ready to discuss further if they so choose.
Self Evaluation:
First off, I have not been the best about keeping up with posting regularly. I get on kicks where I post several and then hold back for majority of the week. With that being said, I feel that I have a decent amount of posts. Since I am not an expert or a student of my topic, I research before I post. I try to incorporate videos and pictures to be visually stimulating, but also embedded hyperlinks for further reading. I am still trying to nail the perfect length of my posts; I have problems sometimes being concise!
Even though I have been bad about commenting on classmates' blogs, I have been searching for other sports related blogs. I have found a couple, which I visit when I have the chance. One is by two doctors called Sport Scientists and the other is on ESPN. The one on ESPN hasn't been updated and I have read all 10 of his posts. Even though he is not the best at blogging, he is great at responding to email!
I feel that most of my posts are not deep enough in the topics. I would like to find more complicated aspects of Sport Science to write about. There are times I have a hard time finding topics to cover. Other things I need to work on are (as said before) commenting and updating more frequently. I need to put my name out there on other blogs and hopefully draw in more attention to my blog!
Feb 9, 2011
In the Journal of Athletic Training there was an interesting article titled Mechanisms and Management of Stress Fractures in Athletic People. Stress Fractures are common in more socio groups than athletes. With the proper conditions, every day activities such as working out, walking or climbing stairs can cause stress fractures.
A stress fracture is a small break in the bone caused by repetitive action; it can not occur on one occasion. Although it sounds a bit unnatural, your bones deform in every day life. According to Newton's third law "for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction", just standing creates some force on your body because the earth is "pushing" back up. Your body can take most of it since your bones are slightly elastic meaning they bend a small amount, and your muscles also absorb some of the shock/forces. However, when a muscle is strained or overworked, it stops taking the shocks and your bones' force intake increases. Think about a car going over a speed bump: the shocks make it where you can't feel the bump, but if your shocks stop working correctly, the bump is more apparent.
Bones have a threshold with the forces they can withstand. If you don't allow enough resting time after your body is overworked, the bones will not fully return to their original state. This means the next time you work out, your bones start closer to the maximum force limit. Once the threshold is hit, your bones snap. It acts just like a tipping point. The snap usually is too minute to break the bone, which leads to a small "hairline" fracture.
Stress fractures typically occur in the lower leg (tibia or fibula) or in the feet (metatarsal). They are also known to occur in ribs of golfers and in the lower back for tennis ad basketball players. Since numerous people take up running for fitness, they expose themselves to high chances of stress fractures.
Even though this sounds elementary, the best way to avoid a stress fracture is to make sure your body gets the rest and nutrients that it needs. It will save you pain and 6 to 8 weeks of recovery time!
So what exactly is a stress fracture?
A stress fracture is a small break in the bone caused by repetitive action; it can not occur on one occasion. Although it sounds a bit unnatural, your bones deform in every day life. According to Newton's third law "for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction", just standing creates some force on your body because the earth is "pushing" back up. Your body can take most of it since your bones are slightly elastic meaning they bend a small amount, and your muscles also absorb some of the shock/forces. However, when a muscle is strained or overworked, it stops taking the shocks and your bones' force intake increases. Think about a car going over a speed bump: the shocks make it where you can't feel the bump, but if your shocks stop working correctly, the bump is more apparent.
Bones have a threshold with the forces they can withstand. If you don't allow enough resting time after your body is overworked, the bones will not fully return to their original state. This means the next time you work out, your bones start closer to the maximum force limit. Once the threshold is hit, your bones snap. It acts just like a tipping point. The snap usually is too minute to break the bone, which leads to a small "hairline" fracture. Stress fractures typically occur in the lower leg (tibia or fibula) or in the feet (metatarsal). They are also known to occur in ribs of golfers and in the lower back for tennis ad basketball players. Since numerous people take up running for fitness, they expose themselves to high chances of stress fractures.
Even though this sounds elementary, the best way to avoid a stress fracture is to make sure your body gets the rest and nutrients that it needs. It will save you pain and 6 to 8 weeks of recovery time!
My surgeon cut incisions inside my lower eye lid and inside my upper lip to perform the surgery, leaving no visible signs of the accident. In less than four weeks, my appearance was back to normal, and I was able to return to sports. Miracles such as these for athletes happen every day. Broken bones, torn ligaments, dislocated joints very seldom keep an athlete from return to their sport.
A couple of new technological advances that aid athletes include:
Arthroscopy: Using a small fiberoptic scope, doctors preform arthroscopic surgery to diagnose the actual injury. The incision for this scope is small, only a couple of centimeters, and allows the surgeon to pinpoint the damage, without damaging any additional tissue. Depending on the injury, the surgeon can repair the ligament damage with no additional incisions. The athlete experiences less swelling and quicker recovery time with the smaller incisions and less damaged tissue.
Tissue Engineering: Torn cartilage, typically in the knee, can be life changing to an athlete. Cartilage does not heal like typical tissue and keeps an athlete from returning fully recovered. In fact, once cartilage is damaged, more than likely it is forever altered. With tissue engineering, scientists have found a method that uses a small amount of healthy cartilage to grow enough to replace a portion of damaged cartilage.
Targeted Pain Relief: There are new forms of pain medicine that can be applied directly to the area of discomfort. This allows a quicker reduction of pain and discomfort. The pain relief patches can be used for sore muscles, bruises, and tweaked joints.
These are just some of the advances used today. There are numerous other improvements in the medicine world that aid athletes, and more are being discovered and invented every day.
For more information on sport injuries visit this website!
Jan 31, 2011
Broken bones are fascinating... and a bit disgusting. I came across this video and found the idea for my next topic- so stay tuned for tomorrow's post!
Jan 27, 2011
Please Note: Because such a variety of sports exists, majority of the human population have some connection to at least one sport. Even though I have my own ideas on what is considered a sport, I will try to be fair and include all levels of physical activities. In other words: golf, cheerleading, dancing and running won't be excluded from this blog.
As time progresses, so do sports. The idea of competing in an athletic event started in the 6th century BC with the Greek Olympic Games. From there, society has developed numerous games; however, these games continue to evolve. New rules and regulations are appended and some are deleted every year across the board, especially as technology advances. These rules change the sport drastically by disrupting the dynamics of the game. The best example I can give is basketball. The first basketball was actually a soccer ball. Anyone who has played with a basketball and a soccer ball knows there is a noticeable difference between the physics of the balls due to variance of sizes, weights, and compositions.
The basketball's design has improved over the years to incorporate more friction for a better grip, a more elastic bounce to aid dribbling, and improved seams for over all effectiveness. These modifications developed with the increase of knowledge and the improvement in technology. The players today have developed new styles of basketball that include fancier dribbling and more elaborate dunks. These new aspects of the game have been, with no doubt, encouraged by the advances of the ball.
The evolution of the ball might not have changed the game as drastically for the observers; however, it changed the performance level of the players. Today, there is a great debate in the swimming world. A new swim suit, known as the LZR, uses NASA's technology to minimize drag in the water.
The swimsuit was debuted in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games; however recently there have been allegations that the suit "swims itself."
Majority of the records broken in the pool are done so with a swimmer that dawns the LZR. A new regulation for the Olympic games bans non-textile suits as well as minimizes that amount of coverage the suit supplies. Even though FINA's ban includes the LZR, other swim competitions still allow the super suit. The question that arises is: "Is it fair for competitive swimmers to be able to use this new swimsuit?".
Swimsuits, just like basketballs, have evolved over the years. In 1912, swimsuits worn were cotton, Spedo style garments. It wasn't until recently when swim suits changed from cloth to polyurethane, rubber and other less resistive material. Once again, an increase of knowledge and the improvement in technology allowed swimming to advance.
Is there any difference in the improvement of the basketball and the swimsuit? Both modified the sport, in order for the participant to excel to a new level. With banning the LZR, is FINA forbidding science to help improve sports?
In basketball, there are regulation sizes and weights for men's and women's balls. These regulations do not specify a certain material or inflation, nor do they enforce a certain brand or style. Bottom line: not every team plays/practices with the same type of ball. However, they have the same opportunity to buy the best ball available, and the same resources to keep the basketball in the perfect condition. The best ball can give the player better control of their dribble, a better feel for the ball on the shot, and a better, perhaps stronger pass; but to be the best, the player has to practice their dribbling, shooting, and passing. The best ball does not create the best player.
In the swimming world, many different types of suits exists. There may be restrictions on swim aids such as hand and feet slippers; however swimsuits should be the swimmers' choice. The swimmers have the same chance to buy the best swimsuit. The best swimsuit might help reduce drag, but the best swimsuit does not make the best swimmer. Swimmers, just like any other athlete, must practice and train to compete.
In my opinion, the LZR may give a swimmer a slight advantage, but that is the nature of sports. An athlete or team, for some reason, is pushed to the next level, and it's the competition's responsibility to step up. This is the sole reason sports always evolve. It is the same concept with a new set of golf clubs, an improvement in baseball bats, a better brand of basketballs, and more flexible running shoes. These slight advantages change the sport minutely; it is the athlete's job to embrace the change and arise to the next level.
As time progresses, so do sports. The idea of competing in an athletic event started in the 6th century BC with the Greek Olympic Games. From there, society has developed numerous games; however, these games continue to evolve. New rules and regulations are appended and some are deleted every year across the board, especially as technology advances. These rules change the sport drastically by disrupting the dynamics of the game. The best example I can give is basketball. The first basketball was actually a soccer ball. Anyone who has played with a basketball and a soccer ball knows there is a noticeable difference between the physics of the balls due to variance of sizes, weights, and compositions.
The evolution of the ball might not have changed the game as drastically for the observers; however, it changed the performance level of the players. Today, there is a great debate in the swimming world. A new swim suit, known as the LZR, uses NASA's technology to minimize drag in the water.
The swimsuit was debuted in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games; however recently there have been allegations that the suit "swims itself."
Majority of the records broken in the pool are done so with a swimmer that dawns the LZR. A new regulation for the Olympic games bans non-textile suits as well as minimizes that amount of coverage the suit supplies. Even though FINA's ban includes the LZR, other swim competitions still allow the super suit. The question that arises is: "Is it fair for competitive swimmers to be able to use this new swimsuit?".Swimsuits, just like basketballs, have evolved over the years. In 1912, swimsuits worn were cotton, Spedo style garments. It wasn't until recently when swim suits changed from cloth to polyurethane, rubber and other less resistive material. Once again, an increase of knowledge and the improvement in technology allowed swimming to advance.
Is there any difference in the improvement of the basketball and the swimsuit? Both modified the sport, in order for the participant to excel to a new level. With banning the LZR, is FINA forbidding science to help improve sports?
In basketball, there are regulation sizes and weights for men's and women's balls. These regulations do not specify a certain material or inflation, nor do they enforce a certain brand or style. Bottom line: not every team plays/practices with the same type of ball. However, they have the same opportunity to buy the best ball available, and the same resources to keep the basketball in the perfect condition. The best ball can give the player better control of their dribble, a better feel for the ball on the shot, and a better, perhaps stronger pass; but to be the best, the player has to practice their dribbling, shooting, and passing. The best ball does not create the best player.
In the swimming world, many different types of suits exists. There may be restrictions on swim aids such as hand and feet slippers; however swimsuits should be the swimmers' choice. The swimmers have the same chance to buy the best swimsuit. The best swimsuit might help reduce drag, but the best swimsuit does not make the best swimmer. Swimmers, just like any other athlete, must practice and train to compete.
In my opinion, the LZR may give a swimmer a slight advantage, but that is the nature of sports. An athlete or team, for some reason, is pushed to the next level, and it's the competition's responsibility to step up. This is the sole reason sports always evolve. It is the same concept with a new set of golf clubs, an improvement in baseball bats, a better brand of basketballs, and more flexible running shoes. These slight advantages change the sport minutely; it is the athlete's job to embrace the change and arise to the next level.
Jan 26, 2011
Hey there- welcome to my blog!
Most likely you're a fellow student in my Communicating Science course; however, by any that that you're a complete stranger let me inform you about this site. Geological topics dominate my studies at Colorado School of Mines to the extent there are time I forget science includes more than just Earth's properties, structures and compositions. It is easy for me to get in a niche and stay there until something causes me create a change and experience something new. Even though sports are not new to me, the science of sports is. It is time for me to step back as a participant/player and observe the technical side.
This blog will explore the various advances made in sports and sports medicine. Some of the posts will include controversial topics, so please keep in mind others if posting comments. Comments can be deleted with my discretion.
Hope you enjoy!
Most likely you're a fellow student in my Communicating Science course; however, by any that that you're a complete stranger let me inform you about this site. Geological topics dominate my studies at Colorado School of Mines to the extent there are time I forget science includes more than just Earth's properties, structures and compositions. It is easy for me to get in a niche and stay there until something causes me create a change and experience something new. Even though sports are not new to me, the science of sports is. It is time for me to step back as a participant/player and observe the technical side.
This blog will explore the various advances made in sports and sports medicine. Some of the posts will include controversial topics, so please keep in mind others if posting comments. Comments can be deleted with my discretion.
Hope you enjoy!
Jan 25, 2011
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