Should Athletes Focus on One Sport?

Today’s athletes are some of the most versatile and naturally gifted people on the planet. They usually are quite good at a variety of sports, but should they try to compete professionally at multiple sports?

The most recognizable dual sport athlete of the past 50 years is without a doubt Bo Jackson. Jackson played both football and baseball. As a running back for the Oakland Raiders, he amassed over 2,700 yards and 16 touchdowns in a four-year career in the NFL. In eight years for the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, and California Angels, Jackson had over 2,600 plate appearances, 141 homeruns and a batting average of .250%.

courtesy of www.profootballfocus.com

Today, dual sport athletes are rare, but they do still exist. Much hype has been made this spring over Superbowl Champion quarterback Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks making a spring training appearance for the Texas Rangers. Another example of a dual athlete at the professional level is Jeff Demps, who in 2012 was an Olympic sprinter for the USA 4x100m relay team that finished second at those Olympic Games. He also played in the NFL as a running back for the New England Patriots and now the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No studies have been performed over the stress put on the body by playing professionally in two sports, but Bo Jackson himself gave his opinion on the subject when asked if Russell Wilson should try to play in the NFL and MLB.

“Stick to what got you in the headlines, not baseball. Twenty-five or 30 years ago when I did it, I'm not trying to say anything negative about other athletes, but the talent pool wasn't that deep. In this day and age, with all the high-tech training, computer-engineered workouts and the proper food and diet, if you try to concentrate on two sports, I guarantee you're going to ride the bench in both because the talent is that deep. Stick to whatever sport you're comfortable with and let everything else go." (Durrett & Padilla, 2014)

Durrett, R. & Padilla, D. (2014, March 19). Bo jackson offers qb wilson advice. Retrieved from http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/10630582/bo-jackson-says-russell-wilson-stick-football

Post-Operative Accelerated Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair Rehabilitation Protocols (Weeks 5-8)

Weeks 5-8 of post-operative Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) repair will be difficult weeks of post-op. At the beginning of the fifth week of post-op, the patient’s flexion should be improved to 115°.¹ The athlete should progress to a stepper machine, which simulates the motion of climbing stairs, and be able to perform wall squats to a comfortable level. ¹ The athlete can also perform the exercises listed below, as long as no increased pain or edema occurs. ¹

Lunges4

^·          lunges

^·          lateral step ups onto an elevated platform

^·          forward step ups also onto a platform

Side Steps5

These exercises can be done in both sets and repetitions (reps), such as 3 sets of 15 reps, or they can be timed, continuous reps for 1-3 minutes. If the athlete has the feeling of increased laxity, decrease the amount of activity. ¹ Finally continue with ultrasound, cryotherapy (cold therapy), and electrical stimulation (E-stim) for pain control. Ultrasound can be used as a thermal effect or as a stimulus of tissue repair, depending on the application.³ When applying to a post-op athlete, ultrasound's thermal effect will be used to break up the scar tissue and assist in increasing structural elasticity for manual manipulation.³ The stimulus affect will increase blood flow, which aids in tissue healing.³

During weeks 6-8, the athlete should be progressed. If the athlete is at 115-120° of flexion and has full extension and no evidence of swelling or increase in pain occurs, the athlete should work on ambulation without a brace. ¹  The athlete should begin strengthening exercises as soon as they have full flexion.² The athlete can be progressed into a treadmill walking program, utilizing the incline setting at 12% or more to activate the quadriceps muscle group but limit stress on the ACL and patella. ¹ As the weeks go by, continue to progress the athlete in weight, sets, and repetitions. ¹

¹ Houglum, P. (2010). Therapeutic exercise for musculoskeletal injuries. (3 ed., pp. 890-891). Greensboro: Human Kinetics.

²Shelbourne, D., & Klotz, C. (2006). What i have learned about the acl: utilizing a progressive rehabilitation scheme to achieve total knee symmetry after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Journal of Orthopedic Science, 11, 318-325. doi: DOI 10.1007/s00776-006-1007-z

³http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/treatments-therapies/electrotherapy/ultrasound-therapy

⁴http://www.medicinenet.com/butt_exercise_pictures_slideshow/article.htm

⁵http://exercise.about.com/library/blkneepainexercises.htm

PE Activities to Consider for Spring

Physical Education class is a time for kids to receive some much needed exercise, while having fun at the same time. This combination can be difficult for PE teachers to formulate when your kids are not interested in exercise at all. This time of year is the best opportunity for PE teachers to get kids to exercise. The spring temperatures make for a great opportunity to enjoy outside activities and games. High school PE classes are especially difficult to keep kids engaged because they are more interested in television shows. ¹ "As students move toward graduation, declines in participation with recreation programs is very evident.” Here are a couple of outside activities that even high school students seem to really enjoy.

Kickball is not a new game in any way, but this is a game that never seems to get old to even high school students. Setting up a tournament bracket with different teams is also a great way to add to the ² “spirit of competition by incorporating self-determination.” The kickball unit works best around April 1^st because this is also opening day for baseball. It is just another way to get the kids excited and in the mood to play kickball, which thus far has worked very well.

Another PE idea for spring time is a scavenger hunt. You can be as creative as you want with scavenger hunts and have different clues all over the school. Just be sure to give your principal’s a heads up beforehand. The kids really seem to enjoy scavenger hunts as long as you give them an incentive to win. They end up getting great exercise without even realizing it because they are tuned in to trying to solve riddles while running all over the place.

These two activities are great to incorporate in every high school PE class. Try them out this spring! Next week I will discuss some activities to avoid in PE class.   

 

¹Heath, G. W., Pratt, M., Warren, C. W., & Kann, L. (1994). Physical activity patterns in American high school students: results from the 1990 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, 148(11), 1131.

²Ntoumanis, N. (2005). A Prospective Study of Participation in Optional School Physical Education Using a Self-Determination Theory Framework. Journal of educational psychology, 97(3), 444.

Risk Associated with Improper Marathon Training

Marathon running has become a very popular sport. The challenge of running 26.2 miles is very taxing on the body and can lead to serious health problems if proper training does not occur. A study of ultra-marathon runners published by PLOS ONE indicated that 67% of the marathon runners had a running related injury, and most of the injured runners were younger and inexperienced. While a very small percent of the population runs ultra-marathons, the incident of injury is still similar to marathon runners¹. Though not as far as an ultra-marathon, marathons and half-marathons can still be dangerous for those who do not properly train. Many individuals who decide to run a marathon solely for a bucket list may have no prior experience in running or knowledge of the importance of training.

Exercise should make the body more efficient, but improper training can do damage to the body and cause a decline in the heart’s ability to function. The Canadian Journal of Cardiology conducted a study of 20 recreational, long-distance runners with no history of heart disease. Participants were tested before a marathon, twice on race day, and three months later. A “change in left ventricular ejection fraction was associated with VO2 max” and  “36% of segments developed edema, 53% decreased function and 59% decreased profusion”². Edema, or swelling, is a response to injury. Profusion, or a constriction in blood flow, is a serious concern because it can damage tissue. With time, these “changes” were reversible, but still a serious concern as it leads to an increased cardiac risk.

Training for a marathon is something that takes dedication, heart, and top physical fitness. In order to prevent injury, runners should have a good cardiovascular base before beginning marathon training³. Running programs, such as those from Hal Higdon,

offer experience-level specific and appropriate marathon training programs. Novice marathon runners should research proper training programs before training, or find a running coach to design a program for them. Even with proper training, injury is still a risk; however, the frequency and severity of injury is less.

¹Hoffman, M. D., & Krishnan, E. (2014). Health and exercise-related medical issues among 1,212 ultramarathon runners: Baseline findings from the ultrarunners longitudinal  tracking (ultra) study. PLOS ONE, 9(1), e83867. Retrieved from            http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0083867

²Gaudreault, V., Tizon-Marcos, H., Poirier, P., Pibarot, P., Gilbert, P., Amyot, M., & Larose, E. (n.d). Transient Myocardial Tissue and Function Changes During a Marathon in Less Fit Marathon Runners. Canadian Journal Of Cardiology, 29(10), 1269-1276.

³Hamstra-Wright, K., Coumbe-Lilley, J., Kim, H., McFarland, J., & Huxel Bliven, K. (2013). The influence of training and mental skills preparation on injury incidence and performance in marathon runners. Journal Of Strength And Conditioning Research / National Strength & Conditioning Association, 27(10), 2828-2835. doi:10.1519/JSC.0b013e31828a4733

The battle of Body Composition:

The blog posts over the last few weeks have been targeted at building muscle and gaining strength. However, the most common complaint made by gym members is that they want to lose weight. These clients want to lose weight, but more specifically they are wanting to lose their body fat.

What is body fat? What is it made of?  Body fat is stored as adipose tissue in cells called adipocytes (McDonald, 2008). Each adipocyte is comprised of a triglyceride and three free fatty acids (FAA). The two main types of body fat are visceral fat and subcutaneous fat.

The next question that needs to be answered is “what is the purpose of body fat?” To put it simply, body fat is energy storage. Whenever calorie intake is higher than the caloric need, they body will store the excess for a later time. The most common example of this is how bears will hibernate. The bear will eat larger amounts of food than needed to insure fat storage. Over the winter, when the bear is hibernating, no intake is needed and the bear will survive on the fat storages. After the math is calculated, one pound of body fat roughly holds about 3500-3600 calories of energy. To put 3,500 calories in perspective, an individual can run 35 miles on that amount of calories.  Body fat is used to survive without food intake.  This is also why body fat is so hard to burn off. Your body begins to regulate the amount of body fat used as energy to survive longer.

Many doctors agree that carrying excess body fat will increase your risk of heart disease and diabetes (National Institutes of Health, 1998). Many times our emotional self-image is connected to our body weight. Continued next week, this discussion will dissect how to make your body want to burn that body fat.

McDonald, L. (2008). The stubborn fat solution. (1 ed.).

Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. Obesity Education Initiative. 1998. National Institutes of Health.

The Tragic End for Jovan Belcher

In the last decade, suicide has become a nasty theme across the NFL. The September 2013 suicide of former San Diego Charger Paul Oliver made a total of 11 player and former-player suicides since 2005. Among the most devastating was the murder-suicide of Kansas City linebacker Jovan Belcher (December 2012).

Prior to shooting himself in front of his head Coach Romeo Crennel and General Manager Scott Pioli at the team’s facility, Belcher shot his daughter’s mother, Kasandra Perkins. Like multiple examples before him, the linebacker is suspicioned to have suffered head injuries. These suspicions even led to a lawsuit waged against the Chief’s organization by Belcher’s mother, Cheryl Shepherd.

According to close friend Pierre Walters, the unknown D-end from the University of Maine was “a real genuine guy.” Walters described Belcher as being particularly generous and sensitive to others. Nothing from his descriptions indicated the heinous violence displayed by Belcher on December 1, 2012.

Jovan Belcher. Photo courtesy of foxsports.com.

Generosity seemed to characterize the external look of the relationship between Belcher and Perkins, one destined for marriage according to some. The two even shared an interest in handguns and made visits to gun ranges together. Turbulence brought on through arguments and the emergence of another woman seemed to calm in September 2012 when the two welcomed a baby girl, Zoey.

The field of play revealed a different version of the former Division I-AA athlete. Belcher proved to be fierce and violent and a fan favorite, always willing to give an autograph or hug.

On the field, a particularly violent hit laid on Bengal running back BenJarvis Green-Ellis, the last of his career and life, appeared to have marked a turning point for Belcher. In the days following the November 18 game, an “off” Belcher seemed zombie-like in practice and exhibited a mood punctuated by random surges of anger.

In what would prove to be the final months of his life, Belcher was observed by close friends to be drinking more, engaging in arguments with Perkins, and lacking fulfillment from his career.

Spotty to say the least, Belcher’s behavior leading up to the shootings was distant from his former self. Walters still remembers texting his friend the morning of the tragedy, and receiving no response only to turn on the TV to his death. The cause of death was a single .40 caliber shot to the head, the final shot Belcher would ever take.

            

Regulating NCAA Recruiting Rules: Unofficial and Official Visits

Regulating NCAA Recruiting Rules: Unofficial and Official Visits

According to the NCAA Compliance Manual, unofficial visits can be taken any time by a prospective student athlete during the school year.¹ Athletes can also meet the coaching staff and visit them about their interest in their athletic programs since it is an on campus visit.¹ Today many prospective student athletes choose to take as many unofficial visits as they can in order to see what school they may possibly want to attend.² Student athletes are allowed to take these visits, as early as their freshman year, without any violation occurring.¹

With the ability of athletes to take these visits, it brings up the debate of whether or not the NCAA should step in and keep coaches from having contact with student athletes on unofficial visits. Yes, student athletes should be able to take as many visits as they wish, but should there be a rule on contact that can be made with coaches on these visits?

Student athletes can also take an official visit during their senior year.¹ Student athletes are allowed 5 official visits to institutions, but how many athletes actually get to go on their official visits?¹ Due to the amount of athletes who take early unofficial visits, many athletes have already chosen what school they would like to attend.² But, what if athletes could take official visits during their junior year? Would this help more athletes proceed to take their official visits instead of taking so many unofficial visits? Overall should college coaches be able to email and contact student athletes at the end of their sophomore year so they can recruit them as juniors. Would this allow each student athletes to develop athletically?

If the NCAA changes the rules on unofficial and official visits, a drastic change in the landscape of the early recruiting process could take place. No matter how you put it, college coaches will still find ways to communicate with student athletes at an early age through travel ball coaches, and will continue to bring athletes on their campus. If the NCAA can step in and regulate some of these rules, hopefully it can change the future of college recruiting and athletics.

 

¹NCAA Academic and Membership Affairs Staff. (2013). NCAA Division I Manual. (pp. 75-81). Indianapolis, Indiana

²Hewitt, P. M. (2009). The Recruiting Process. College Student-Athletes: Challenges, Opportunities, and Policy Implications.