Enjoy!
can’t see the video? Click here!
A Friday video for you….
Category: Athletic Performance |
Is your athlete staying hydrated?
Today’s post comes from Melissa Reffitt, CPNP at the Borgess Blog. The weather is warming up and with tournament season in high swing, parents and coaches need to make sure athletes are well hydrated to keep them safe and playing optimally.
“As the days gradually turn warmer, those of you spending days sitting on the bleachers supporting your young athlete may be watching those sweaty faces and wondering,
Is my child staying hydrated enough?
Do I need to stock up on that sports drink I saw on sale at the grocery store?
Would buying sports drinks provide better hydration after the game is over?
Marketing campaigns for sports and energy drinks have been successful in advertising to our adolescents and young athletes with the message that these drinks offer superior hydration and fuel for athletic performance. Sports drinks, such as Gatorade® or Powerade®, are flavored waters that contain carbohydrates (calories) in the form of sugar and may contain other vitamins or additives. Energy drinks, such as Monster Energy®, Red Bull®, or Rockstar®, contain stimulants like caffeine and guarana. They may also include vitamins, minerals, sugars or protein.
In truth, WATER is the best hydration for the vast majority of children’s sports activities. Here is a rule of thumb to keep in mind: for every 20 minutes of sports activity, 8 ounces (1 cup) of water is required to replace fluids lost. If your child is involved in a soccer game for 1 hour, he or she needs 24 ounces (3 cups) of water after the game is done. Sports drinks are not necessary for most sports activities. Only during times when elite players are playing for extended periods of time that do not allow for rest or eating would a sports drink potentially provide benefit. Carbohydrates, protein and vitamins are best obtained from eating healthy foods at meal times. To provide best ‘refueling’ for your athlete, make sure he or she is drinking water before, during, and after the game, and make sure a balanced meal is provided after the activity is completed. For more information on providing balanced nutrition go to www.choosemyplate.gov.
Your athlete may also claim a need to ‘boost’ their performance with an energy drink. Most of these drinks contain caffeine or guarana, a plant extract that contains caffeine. Caffeine can have dangerous side effects to an athlete’s body, including increasing heart rate and blood pressure, and loss of fluids (diuresis). Caffeine can also cause headaches and sleep disturbances. Caffeine is not appropriate to give to a child or teenager before, during or after sports participation.
Does your child seem to tire or fatigue more quickly than his or her peers when playing sports? Dehydration has been shown to cause a decline in sports performance. Make sure your child is well hydrated before the game. Can they keep a water bottle at their desk at school? Do they use the drinking fountain at school? Do they drink from their water bottle during the game? Have they eaten a balanced meal before the game (including fruit, vegetable, carbohydrate, and protein)?
Routine use of sports drinks can also be associated with excessive calorie consumption and risk for weight gain. If your child is overweight, sports drinks add additional unnecessary calories to their diet. After the game, a glass of low fat milk is actually a great choice for post-sports rehydration and protein replacement.
In summary, water is essential for hydration–before, during, and after children’s sports activities. Keep a water bottle handy for your young athlete!
Reference: Sports drinks and energy drinks for children and adolescents: are they appropriate? Pediatrics, 2011, (127), pp. 1182-1189.
For more information about Melissa, click here. To visit the Borgess Blog, click here.
Category: Hydration |
Mud Runs — ready to get dirty?
Spring is in the air and mud runs are popping up everywhere! Have you successfully completed your 5k/10k/Half Marathon and are looking for a different mountain to tackle? Or do you just have the attention span of a gnat?
Mud Runs can be a great way to shake things up and give yourself a new training goal. With the emphasis less on the running part and more on the obstacles, you’ll need a whole extra set of skills for this style race.
Before you head off to your local mud run thinking it’s going to be a piece of cake (since you’re such a high mileage runner), make sure you spend some time training for this kind of event.
Out at the Muddy Patriot, participants can expect obstacles like:
Rope swing
Log Roll
Tire Run
Slip and Slide (this one doesn’t sound so bad right? You had fun doing it when you where a kid — don’t get too comfortable, it can’t be that easy!)
Something called the Cargo Net Nightmare and more….
all this comes at you over a course that traverses a ski area (so now we’re talking hills!)
The point is — sure, it’s only 3.5 miles. But if you’re a road or trail runner, your training isn’t going to carry the day. Functional movements like squats, rows, good ole towel pushes across the gym, and super strong core muscles to support your back as you move, twist, push and climb are going to be mandatory if you want to finish this race injury free.
So, maybe it’s time to amp up your training and add some functional strength training to all those miles you’re logging. A summer of mud awaits you! Are you going to be ready for the challenge?
Interested in checking some of these races out?
The best way to have fun is to be prepared! Start your training now!
Category: Training Tips |
Thoughts on paying the price for fitness…from Garrett Weber-Gale
Today’s post comes from Olympian Garrett Weber-Gale at Athletic Foodie….
“Starting a new season and/or exercise regimen can be tough. I’m coming to the end of my ninth season swimming at the University of Texas. When I started high school swimming I thought it was really difficult, and at the time it was.
Swimming at Texas, however, was a whole new level of rigor that I was not used to, and didn’t expect. The first few months of my freshman season at Texas seemed like an insurmountable amount of work that I could not get out from under. Every week my body and mind got pushed harder and further than I thought possible. There were many times I questioned if that much exercise was even good for me, or if I could even keep up the pace. Over the course of the season I adapted to the strains of the training. What’s more, I became better because of it.
My coach at Texas, Eddie Reese, believes that in order to improve and gain speed, endurance, and strength we must stress our body in a new way, so that it is forced to adapt. I’ll be the first to tell you that this is likely not going to feel good, at first. You will feel physically tapped and mentally exhausted. Let’s face it though, if you want results, you’re going to have to pay for them. All good things come at a price. The trick is to make that price something you want to pay…something that is both enjoyable and invigorating.”
For Garrett’s tips to make paying the price worth it — click here!
Category: Motivation |
Motivational Monday
…things change, or more to the point, things evolve. New research becomes available, we question what we’ve been doing, try new things, and provided we’re not saddled with the debilitating need to be right about everything, we change our thinking. –Michael Boyle
Category: Motivation |
The FAQ’s about Baseline Concussion testing
Today’s post comes from the CDC. Many of you have become more educated about the importance of minimizing the risk for concussions. There has been a lot of coverage in the media about the need proper care should an athlete experience a concussion.
But what do you know about baseline concussion testing? It’s a great way to give your physician the extra tools he or she needs to test the severity after a traumatic event!
What is baseline testing?
Baseline testing is a pre-season exam conducted by a trained health care professional. Baseline tests are used to assess an athlete’s balance and brain function (including learning and memory skills, ability to pay attention or concentrate, and how quickly he or she thinks and solve problems), as well as for the presence of any concussion symptoms. Results from baseline tests (or pre-injury tests) can be used and compared to a similar exam conducted by a health care professional during the season if an athlete has a suspected concussion.
Baseline testing should take place during the pre-season—ideally prior to the first practice. It is important to note that some baseline and concussion assessment tools are only suggested for use among athletes ages 10 years and older.
How is baseline testing information used if an athlete has a suspected concussion?
Results from baseline testing can be used if an athlete has a suspected concussion. Comparing post-injury test results to baseline test results can assist health care professionals in identifying the effects of the injury and making more informed return to school and play decisions.
Education should always be provided to athletes and parents if an athlete has a suspected concussion. This should include information on safely returning to school and play, tips to aid in recovery (such as rest), dangers signs and when to seek immediate care, and how to help reduce an athlete’s risk for a future concussion.
What should be included as part of baseline testing?
Baseline testing should include a check for concussion symptoms, as well as balance and cognitive (such as concentration and memory) assessments. Computerized or paper-pencil neuropsychological tests may be included as a piece of an overall baseline test to assess an athlete’s concentration, memory, and reaction time.
During the baseline pre-season test, health care professionals should also assess for a prior history of concussion (including symptoms experienced and length of recovery from the injury). It is also important to record other medical conditions that could impact recovery after concussion, such as a history of migraines, depression, mood disorders, or anxiety, as well as learning disabilities and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
Baseline testing also provides an important opportunity to educate athletes and others about concussion and return to school and play protocols.
Who should administer baseline tests?
Baseline tests should only be conducted by a trained health care professional.
Who should interpret baseline tests?
Only a trained health care professional with experience in concussion management should interpret the results of baseline exam. When possible, ideally a neuropsychologist should interpret the computerized or paper-pencil neuropsychological test components of a baseline exam. Results of neuropsychological tests should not be used as a stand-alone diagnostic tool, but should serve as one component used by health care professionals to make return to school and play decisions.
How often should an athlete undergo baseline testing?
It is recommended that most components of baseline testing be repeated annually to establish a valid test result for comparison. Baseline computerized or paper-pencil neuropsychological tests may be repeated every 2 years. However, more frequent neuropsychological testing may be needed if an athlete has sustained a concussion or if the athlete has a medical condition that could affect results of the test.
Interesting in how to obtain baseline testing for your team or school? Check out the ImPACT testing website.
Category: Injuries |
When Rest Doesn’t Help
Today’s post comes from Borgess’ own Julie Rogers, PT, Cert MDT.
Congrats to all the runners who completed the Kalamazoo Marathon, Borgess Run for the Health of it half marathon, and 5k events this past Sunday! We have begun hearing from athletes whose soreness is not going away.
Remember, rest, ice, and anti-inflammatories are key in the first few days following a major sporting event. However, if your soreness and pain don’t start decreasing by day 4 or 5, you might want to consider trying physical therapy for your problem.
Michigan is one of 3 states that requires a physician or physician’s assistant (PA) referral for physical therapy. At Borgess, we have physical therapist specialists in sports medicine and running injuries at both our Borgess Health and Fitness Center (BHFC) Campus as well as our Woodbridge Hills location. Additionally, we have physical therapists specializing in spine care for back and neck strains at both the Borgess Spine clinic within BHFC and also at Woodbridge Hills. They can all be accessed to make an appointment by calling 226-7265.
No pain, no gain does not always hold true. Get your ailment taken care of!
Category: Athletic Performance |
Is anyone else worried about this trend??
Calm in a can. Really?
For a while, we’ve been subjected to marketing that makes triple shot espresso drinks, “energy boosting beverages”, and caffeinated gummies a performance “must have”. But all those stimulants can take a toll on our sleep patterns if we’re drinking them all day to keep up with out busy schedules.
We fear not, high performing friends! We can get out chill out beverages to counteract our caffeinated uppers.
And this is the trend I’m worried about.
Why is it that we’re so worried about high performance (and let’s be honest, most of us who want this in our sport life tend to be habitual high performers — or at least want to be!) that we are willing to lose the war (high rates of optimal health and long injury-free periods) to win the battle (staying up all night to finish this or that project after our long, intense training session).
High intensity performance on and off the field requires rest. Thinking that we can burn the candle at both ends (and employing the caffeination/calming drug cycle) and pay no price for this behavior is short-sighted at best and dangerous thinking at worst.
Just like the body needs natural fuels (whole fruits, grains, minimally processed meats, etc) in balance, the body needs natural activity and rest patterns. Hopefully, you’re not out there living on diet Mountain Dew and doughnuts — most of you know it is a dangerous choice to fuel yourself that way and expect to perform optimally.
In the same way, we can’t keep up a cycle of chemically bringing ourselves to wakefulness and then chemically putting ourselves to bed. Like the MD and doughnuts, you can do it for a while but your body is going to pay the price.
Let’s get back to common sense! Forget what the marketers tell you! Cut back on your caffeine during the day. Create a calming bedtime routine. Limit your screen time before bed (the light of the screen can upset your sleep rhythms). Make sure you’re going to bed close to the same time every evening. This sets your biological sleep clock so your body knows what it is supposed to do when you lay down.
You don’t need to chemically induce your wakefulness and sleep — you’re built to do it on your own. And much like other aspects of your performance, the more you practice good sleep patterns, the more effective sleeper you’ll become.
giving us permission to relax? We don’t need permission! Our bodies need relaxation and recovery time as much as they need times to be pushed!
Category: Training Tips |
Motivational Monday
“If we’re growing, we’re always going to be out of our comfort zone.” — John Maxwell
Category: Motivation, Quotes |