Health & Safety

The period between the end of physical therapy and the start of sports-specific conditioning is a critical time frame for young athletes after an an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear or rupture, reconstructive surgery, and months of rehabilitation.

Traumatic brain injury takes such a toll on individuals and society that federal legislation to protect youth athletes from the devastating impact of sports-related concussion is needed, experts from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Football League (NFL) said at a Congressional briefing.

Massage therapy is often an overlooked component of good athletic training, yet the benefits of including this type of "passive" modality into an athlete's routine can mean the difference between reaching training goals in a more balanced way and overstressing the body. Neglecting the body and just going for the "burn" can sometimes spell disaster and lead to injuries requiring months of recovery on the sports sidelines.

Dr. Lindsay Baker, a senior scientist at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute answers a few frequently asked questions about   why it is important for young athletes to stay hydrated and consume carbohydrates so they are healthy, safe and have an athletic edge.

 

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Researchers have found an association between physical fitness and the brain in 9- and 10-year-old children: Those who are more fit tend to have a bigger hippocampus and perform better on a test of memory than their less-fit peers.

Sports injuries are the result of three factors: age, degree of sport specialization, and training intensity:

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.  Here are some suggestions on how parents can help prevent childhood obesity, promote healthy eating and physical activity, and increase awareness of childhood obesity among individuals of all ages and walks of life.

As the U.S. launches its first-ever National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month today, scientists say the problem may be even more widespread than was thought.  Researchers have found that parents tend to underreport their children's weight.  Estimates of obesity and body mass index (BMI) based on parent-supplied data may miss one in five obese children.

Recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) on the evaluation and treatment of sport-related concussions in children and adolescents based on the latest consensus of experts.

The National Federation of State High School Associations' (NFHS) free online concussion safety course  "Concussion in Sports - What You Need to Know" has been taken by over 1 million people since it was introduced in 2010.