20 Tips for Every Athlete

9.14This collection of Athletic TIPS™ provides the research and studies behind many of the common and uncommon recommendations for athletes.

  • Female athletes have a much greater risk of developing eating disorders than the average woman (20% vs. 7%). This is especially true with endurance sports (24%), aesthetic sports (42%), and sports with weight categories (30%).  Eating disorders reduce performance and provide risk to bone health, dental health, general health and during pregnancy. If you think you might be at risk of developing an eating disorder, seek good nutritional and coaching advice. Exercise and pregnancy in recreational and elite athletes:

2016 evidence summary from the IOC expert group meeting, Lausanne. Part 1—exercise in women planning pregnancy and those who are pregnant, Kari Bo et. al.  

 

  • Moderate exercise during pregnancy can help a woman maintain both strength and aerobic fitness during a low risk pregnancy.  Eating disorders reduce performance and provide risk to bone health, dental health, general health and during pregnancy. If you think you might be at risk of developing and eating disorder, seek good nutritional and coaching advice. Exercise and pregnancy in recreational and elite athletes:

2016 evidence summary from the IOC expert group meeting, Lausanne. Part 1—exercise in women planning pregnancy and those who are pregnant, Kari Bo et. al.

 

  • Following athletic injury, ice therapy can control excessive inflammation and pain, especially during the first 48 hours after injury.

Bleakley C, McDonough S, MacAuley D; The use of ice in the treatment of acute soft-tissue injury: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Am J Sports Med. 2004 Jan-Feb;32(1):251-61.
French SD, Cameron M, Walker BF, et al; A Cochrane review of superficial heat or cold for low back pain. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2006 Apr 20;31(9):998-1006

 

  • Ice has a more effective and longer lasting pain control effect following sports injury. Always be sure to treat no longer than 20 – 30 minutes and use some insulation to avoid frost bite. Additionally, never treat in regions with circulatory or sensory disorders.

Bleakley C, McDonough S, MacAuley D; The use of ice in the treatment of acute soft-tissue injury: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Am J Sports Med. 2004 Jan-Feb;32(1):251-61.
French SD, Cameron M, Walker BF, et al; A Cochrane review of superficial heat or cold for low back pain. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2006 Apr 20;31(9):998-1006

 

  • Drink plenty of water (but not too much) before, during, and after physical activity. This not only keeps the body hydrated but optimizes the potential of the body to accomplish physical and mental functions as fast and as strong as possible because it increases the flow of nutrients that are delivered to the tissues that perform actions. Use the urine to monitor hydration. Urine should be clear to extremely light yellow. Any dark yellow indicates dehydration.

American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and fluid replacement. (PMID:17277604)
American College of Sports Medicine Sawka MN , Burke LM , Eichner ER , Maughan RJ , Montain SJ , Stachenfeld NS
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise [2007, 39(2):377-390]

 

  • Shin splints are a very common injury in runners. Avoiding this injury can be a simple as finding the proper orthotic/insole for your shoes. Being fitted with the proper support for your specific foot shape can solve this problem. Shorter strides and softer landing can also help avoid shin splints

Debbie I. Craig (2008) Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome: Evidence-Based Prevention. Journal of Athletic Training: May/Jun 2008, Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 316-318.

 

  • Breath correctly. It should go without saying but it is important to breath deep with each breath allowing the belly to protrude out during inhalation and back in during exhalation. Expanding the belly during inhalation is more physiologically sound (less stressful on the thorax and rib cage) than expanding the chest during inhalation. 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2011/04/12/proper-breathing-can-improve-sports-performance-by-15-percent/#5911f102e7ef

 

  • Being hyper-mobile can put you at risk for injury during yoga. Proper alignment of the joints and maintaining muscular engagement during extremes of motion is key to prevention.

http://bych.sg/preventing-yoga-injuries-vs-preventing-yoga-part-ii-joint-hypermobility/

 

  • Diet can be a major factor that determines the amount of inflammation produced following injury. This can also delay healing following sports injury. Avoid excessive amounts of sugar, red meat, dairy, alcohol and artificial sweeteners to recover faster in the event of sports injury.

Joseph M, Jeffery B, Adara M; natural anti-inflammatory agents for pain relief. Surg Neurol Int. 2010 Dec13; 1: 80.
Marie Dunford, J. Andrew Doyle. Nutrition for Sports and Exercise

 

  • Diet can be a major factor that determines the amount of inflammation produced following injury. Consuming berries, salmon, walnuts, soy products, teas, sweet potatoes and leafy greens can assist recovery in the event of sports injury.

Joseph M, Jeffery B, Adara M; natural anti-inflammatory agents for pain relief. Surg Neurol Int. 2010 Dec13; 1: 80.
Marie Dunford, J. Andrew Doyle. Nutrition for Sports and Exercise

 

  • For the best results in strength training incorporate compound, whole body movements into one’s exercise program. Exercises such as the bench press, squat, and deadlift use the most muscle groups to perform the movement, thus enhancing the ability to increase overall strength. For strength purposes, reps/sets should be performed in the area of 3-5 sets of 3-6 sets for major compound exercises.  Compound exercises are those that involve several joints, muscle groups and the core. They often mimic real life activity and are most effective to improve real life function. Isolated exercises involved just one joint/muscle group and are often used following injury until compound exercise is safe and appropriate.

Thomas R. Baechle, Roger W. Earle. Essentials of Strength and Conditioning, 3rd edition. National Strength and Conditioning Association.
American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 8th edition.

 

  • Mobility and flexibility are crucial to prevent injury and increase overall performance in active individuals. A proper warm up is key to aid in the prevention of injury during training. Low intensity, steady state aerobic exercise such as jogging, bike riding, jump rope, or any other cardio equipment should be used for 10-15 minutes before resistance training to increase the blood flow to the muscles, allowing a better range of motion during the exercise and decreasing the risk of injury while performing weight training. 

Thomas R. Baechle, Roger W. Earle. Essentials of Strength and Conditioning, 3rd edition. National Strength and Conditioning Association.
American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 8th edition.  

 

  • Flexibility is key for injury prevention. Static stretching (a stretch held in one place for an extended period of time, with a purpose of lengthening a muscle) is helpful with increasing the overall mobility of the joint involved. Static stretching is most effective after the muscle being stretched is warmed up and exercised. The best time to perform mobility work in your training program is after your initial warm up or after aerobic exercise when the muscle has an increased blood flow. Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds, performing 3-4 sets for each stretch. This will cause the greatest increases in flexibility and improve mobility.

Thomas R. Baechle, Roger W. Earle. Essentials of Strength and Conditioning, 3rd edition. National Strength and Conditioning Association.
American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 8th edition.  

 

  • Stronger necks may prevent or reduce brain injury or concussion. Local sports chiropractors can direct your team for pre-season, safe and effective neck strengthening exercises. 

The Journal of Primary Prevention October 2014, Volume 35, Issue 5, pp 309-319
Neck Strength: A Protective Factor Reducing Risk for Concussion in High School Sports Christy L. Collins, et. al.

 

  • Are your concussion symptoms lasting longer than should be expected? It could be due to neck trauma. Perhaps your doctor should refer you to have that carefully evaluated.

Clin J Sport Med Volume 0, Number 0, Month 2014
Brain or Strain? Symptoms Alone Do Not Distinguish Physiologic Concussion From Cervical/Vestibular Injury John J. Leddy, MD

 

  • The elimination of body-checking in 11 & 12-year old hockey players reduced concussion at that age by two-thirds, or one-third of the rate in provinces that allowed body-checking at younger ages.. It had no effect in the risk of concussions at later ages. This may be due to the sensitivity of younger brains and/or the weaker musculature at those ages. 

Br J Sports Med 2016;50:55-61 doi:10.1136/bjsports-2015-095103
Policy change eliminating body checking in non-elite ice hockey leads to a threefold reduction in injury and concussion risk in 11- and 12-year-old players  Amanda M Black, et al

 

  • Early specialization in a young athlete can increase the risk of sports injury. It is recommended that young athletes first develop integrative strength and motor skill before specializing in a particular sport.

British Journal of Sports Medicine; 2016, Vol. 50 Issue: Number 1 p3-7, 5p
Citius, Altius, Fortius: beneficial effects of resistance training for young athletes: Narrative review, Faigenbaum, Avery

 

  • Do you exercise in a hot environment? Does cooling before and during your activity effect your performance? Yes it does. Cooling prior to a sprint can actually reduce performance but cooling prior to long or mid-distance efforts will enhance performance. Any activity that enhances performance during exercise will also increase the results of exercise.

Tyler CJ, et al. Br J Sports Med 2015;49:7–13. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2012-091739
The effect of cooling prior to and during exercise on exercise performance and capacity in the heat: a meta-analysis

 

  • Regular exercise is beneficial to health for many reasons. This study suggests that regular exercise can reduce the risk of stomach cancer

British Journal of Sports Medicine Feb2015, Vol. 49 Issue 4, p1 7p.
Physical activity and risk of gastric cancer: a meta-analysis of observational studies. Abioye, Ajibola Ibraheem

 

  • Men, want to have children? Then turn off the TV and get up off the couch. Studies show that men who are more active and watch less television have higher sperm counts. 

British Journal of Sports Medicine Feb2015, Vol. 49 Issue 4, p1 7p.
Physical activity and television watching in relation to semen quality in young men. Gaskins, A

 

Author and reference: Edward Feinberg, DC, DABCSP, ICCSP Professor – Tips4sports.org