United States Sports Academy
America's Sports University®
The Sport Digest - ISSN: 1558-6448
winter
ISSN: 1558-6448
- Did you Know?
-
- Red meat may be linked with colon cancer
-
Studies from around the world have suggested that a high consumption of red meat is linked to an increased risk of colon cancer. Diet has a powerful influence on many diseases, including America’s number two killer, cancer.
- Napping may decrease your risk of heart disease
-
According to studies from the University of Athens Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health – it has been shown that regular napping appeared to reduce the risk of heart disease by 37%
- Some people do not know their diabetic
-
About 21 million Americans have diabetes, but a third of them don’t know it. That means 7% of Americans are diabetic and many more have impaired fasting glucose, which is better known as pre-diabetes.
- American's waistlines are bulging
-
In the past 25 years, obesity among U.S. adults has shot up from 15 to 32 percent.
- Red wine may have a positive effect on your health
-
Harvard studies have shown that men who drink moderate to low dose alcoholic beverages like red wine enjoy substantial protection against, first heart attacks, recurrent heart attacks, sudden cardiac death, stroke, diabetes symptomatic benign prostate hyperplasia, and erectile dysfunction.
- Sleep deprivation affects performance
-
Recent studies have shown that sleep deprivation cuts into the academic and athletic performance of college students. Short-term side effects of sleep deprivation include delayed reactions and tendencies to make mistakes.
- Physical activity is a good investment in your health
-
Dr. Thomas H. Lee, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, has helped with writing of a special health report: The Healthy Heart states – that physical activity can take aim at America’s number one killer, heart disease. Sedentary living roughly doubles the risk fo coronary artery disease.
- Coaches and officials need protection
-
Verbal abuse can hurt more than physical assault. Although at least 22 states currently have laws protecting coaches and officials from physical assault, not a single state offers any kind of redress for verbal abuse. Certified and qualified coaches and officials are hard to come by these days. These competent individuals need some protection.
- Music-listening devices may be banned from USATF events
-
The USA Track & Field official committee has made a recommendation to ban iPods and other music-listening devices in all of its races due to safety concerns of runners being distracted and not aware of their surroundings. Although the concept of the music-listening devices being utilized as an ergogenic aid for sports performance was not the major concern it is something to contemplate.
- Exercise builds strong brains
-
Catherine Davis, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia presented research to the Obesity Society stating that children who vigorously play for 20-40 minutes a day are better at organizing schoolwork, doing class projects and learning mathematics.
- Girls are getting concussions in sports more than boys
-
US high school girl soccer players suffered 29,167 concussions in 2005-06. That is 8,238 more than US high school boy soccer players at 20,929. There are those that say that the boys have more-developed neck muscles which allows them to better absorb a blow to the head.
- Many parents of overweight kids are in denial
-
A startling number of parents may be in denial about their youngsters weight. A survey found that many Americans whose children are obese do not see them that way. That is a problem because obese children run the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol problems and other ailments commonly found in adults. Experts said doctors need to help parents better understand the health risks of childhood obesity.
- Alcohols health benefits must be taken with caution and control
-
Despite all the news in recent years about the health benefits of moderate drinking, excessive drinking causes more than 75,000 deaths each year which makes it the third leading cause of death (after smoking and the combination of poor diet and inactivity). 46% of those deaths are from liver problems; 54% result from acute conditions, including injuries from vehicle crashes; and 72% are in men.
- Helpful Hints
-
- 9 Ways to Live and Fight with Diabetes
-
- Control your blood sugar.
- Control your blood pressure.
- Control your cholesterol.
- Control your weight.
- Protect your kidneys.
- Protect your vision.
- Protect your feet.
- Stay active.
- Do not smoke.
- 4 Foods that may Increase your Risk of Gout
-
High-purine foods may increase the risk of gout, including:
- All meat, especially organ meats.
- Meat extracts and gravy.
- Seafood, especially sardines and anchovies.
- Yeast and yeast extracts.
- How to Manage your Medications
-
Managing several medications can be a burden. Here are some helpful hints on how to create a system for better healthcare.
- Take all medications as prescribed, whether scripted or over-the-counter- including vitamins, herbs, and other supplements.
- Maintain a Personal Medication Record & Daily Log of all medications and dosing schedule.
- Always bring your Personal Medication Record when you go to the doctor, pharmacist and other healthcare providers.
- Use a weekly and daily pill box to organize your medications.
- Have all you scripts filled at the same pharmacy.
- Stay informed and read all directions and inserts.
- Discuss your medications with your physician on a regular basis.
- Be aware of your body reactions while on any medication.
- Risk factors for Diabetes
-
Risk factors for pre-diabetes are the same as those for diabetes, including:
- Being older than 45 years old.
- Being overweight.
- Being physically inactive.
- Being African-American, Latino, Native American, Asian-American or Pacific Islander.
- Having high blood pressure.
- Having diabetes during pregnancy or delivering a baby weighing 9 pounds of more.
- Walking Facts
-
- Americans walk an average of 5,300 steps a day.
- Many health experts recommend doing at least 10,000 steps a day.
- People who wear a pedometer walk about 2,000 more steps a day than those who don't.
- How Parents Can Get Kids Involved in Fitness
-
- Do your own exercise and set an example.
- Teach your child the sports and activities you know.
- Emphasize physical activity is fun.
- Encourage your child's school to amek physical activity part of their program.
- Exercise or do a physical activity as a family a few days a week.
- Coping with a Diagnosis
-
Millions of Americans are diagnosed with cancer and other potentially life-threatening ailments each year. Here are some tips on how to cope with such an illness:
- Learn as much as you can about the disease and treatment.
- Identify your needs, then line up friends and family members who can help.
- Find the right doctor and hospital and get a second opinion.
- Get treatment in a timely manner.
- Relieve the stress by maintaining a routine or spending time with friends.
- Getting a Good Nights Sleep
-
- Go to sleep at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning.
- Establish a relaxing bedtime routine. Dim the lights, listen to quiet music, soak in a warm bath or do some light reading.
- Avoid caffeine, tobacco and medicine with stimulates before turning in.
- Eat a small snack if your body is growling at bedtime.
- Avoid heavy nighttime snacking and smoking to the wee hours.
- Skip vigorous exercise before bedtime.
- Keep your bedroom quiet, dark and comfortably cool.
- Protect Your Heart
-
- Don't smoke.
- Control your bllod pressure.
- Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in saturated fats.
- Exercise regularly.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Control your blood sugar.
- Drink alcohol (red wine) in moderation.
- Get adequate sleep.
- Get regular medical screening tests for your age group and risk category.
- Close all
Coaching Association Participation Expands - Creates Need for Greater Say in Governance of Individual Sports
The Sport Act of 1978 created autonomous governing bodies for each participating Olympic sport. Through this Sport Act, the sport of track and field was organized into first the Athletics Congress and presently into USA Track & Field. Title IX, the women’s equality provision, was a tremendous impetus to the development and expansion of coaching associations. For instance, the volleyball coaches association has grown to (1,000 members) and softball/baseball (3,000 members). School based track and field is the largest participatory sport in the United States. 1.2 million scholastic cross country and track and field athletes participate, and this number grows to 1.5 million when the collegiate ranks are added to the mix.
Innovative Digital Technology Increases Coach's Insight into Player Performance
If you watched the telecast of the last Winter Olympics the simulation of one downhill skier with another competitor was intriguing. No your eyes were not deceiving you, they haven’t changed alpine skiing so that competitors race side by side, it is actually an inventive digital software that lets you view two performers simultaneously. The software product, called Dartfish, is representative of the new technologies that are revolutionizing the technical aspects of coaching. Where previously, team meetings were characterized by a coach struggling with a projector to find the correct sequence of play in quest of the teachable moment, this kind of technology digitizes it into exact segments so you can stop action the technique for further introspection of the recorded moment. Forty-five Winter Olympic medallists used the product in their training for the Winter Games in order to increase their chances for peak performance.
Digital Sport Psychology
Sport psychology is going digital. Modern applied sport psychologists are using digital cameras, computers and other devises to help coaches enhance the performance of their athletes. From a historical perspective, coaches have been leaders in the use of film and videotape to improve the teaching/learning process. Good coaches are good teachers! They know how to break complex skills down into their component parts and use a whole/part method of instruction. Experienced coaches know that a ‘good picture is worth a thousand words”. And, “show and tell” is always better than showing or telling.
Study Skeptical on Echinacea's Benefits
Echinacea, a popular but largely untested herbal remedy for the common cold, showed no benefit when given to a small group of college students with sore throats and stuffy noses, researchers say. University of Wisconsin researchers gave capsules of the herb to 73 students suffering from cold symptoms. Another 75 got a placebo, or dummy pill, made of alfalfa. After 10 days, both had gotten equally ill, the study said.
What you Can do to Create the Athletic Edge
Editor note: Dr. Lou Pack has been a Podiatrist for 30 years. Involved in teaching his entire career, he is a nationally known lecturer and author and has done presentations abroad as well. Dr Pack has many credentials attached to his name, not the least of which is Director of Certification, Functional Foot Orthodics, Division of Enhanced Performance, United States Sports Academy- to say that Dr. Pack is the leading developer of the most effective orthodic devices in the world- an expert performing a service at the top of his game. Utilizing his devices, and working through his intelligence can be both a service to yourself and your athletes and as well as a means of furthering your business career.
My early interest in biomechanics was born of recovery of my own running injury problems. Fortunately, in the early 1970’s the epicenter of knowledge regarding biomechanics was in Northern California, and although I was training to become a surgeon, using orthotics to solve my running problems began a 30-year interest in lower extremity biomechanics and orthotics. During this period, I became amazed at two specific facts: First, that most athletes are not examined biomechanically as thoroughly as they could be prior to an injury, and secondly, the dramatic difference a good, properly casted and fabricated set of functional foot orthotics can make, both in injury prevention and in optimizing performance.
Colleges Specifying "Mercury-Free" Running Tracks
Mercury, a potent neurotoxin capable of damaging the central nervous system of adults and impairing neurological development in fetuses and children has been used as a manufacturing catalyst in urethane-based running track surfaces since the 1970s, and most tracks built today continue to use mercury in their construction. But recently, influenced in part by rising litigation, stiffer federal regulations, and more clearly defined health risks from mercury exposure, colleges are becoming more socially conscious and having running tracks built without the use of mercury.
Steve Scott - American Miler Extrodinaire - A Role Model for the Future...
SI recently reported on the epidemic decline in the number and quality of individual sport stars presently representing the United States. Even though sport fans are well aware of some outstanding performers, on reflection this apparent state of affairs is alarming. The only way to combat this demise is to reexamine the qualities of our former champions to understand how future aspiring American individual athletes can adopt their greatness. In looking back to the great individual performers of generations past, no luminary is more representative of what we should revert back to than super USA miler Steve Scott.
Resistance Training - The Stotan Way - Training to be a Champion Like Percy Wells Cerutty
It is 42 years since Australian miler Herb Elliott broke the world’s record for the mile by the largest margin in history. His coach, Percy Wells Cerutty, was a pioneer in many aspects of training. His most well known approach was to have his athletes run up and down a long sand dune till they were completely fatigued. I was the last coach to train with Cerutty as I set up a tour for him in 1974 when I was Director of the Esalen Sports Center in San Francisco and Big Sur California. By then, an elder sage, I learned his training principles and was the last person to receive the synthesis of his complete program for training athletes to become world champions. One of the wonderful things that will occur in 2003 is a new biography on Cerutty’s life and work. The biography is written by Graem Sims, the editor of InSport, the largest sport magazine in Australia. The long overdue publication will cover Cerutty’s work in training over 30 world record holders, and his innovative resistance training methods.
The Healing Nature of Light
CURRENT STATE OF TECHNOLOGY
Light has been used for healing for many centuries, starting with the Greeks and Romans who recognized the positive effects of sunlight. Ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates even had patients recuperate in roofless buildings where they could soak up the rays of the Sun. Nils Finsen won the Nobel Prize in 1903 for “Physiology of Medicine” for his treatments of Lupus and Tuberculosis patients with ultraviolet light. And just recently modern-day scientists have come to understand more about the nature of light and its restorative capacity, and medical researchers have been able to develop techniques and devices that use light as an integral element of the healing process.