Johnathan Oliver, M.Ed.

Due to their intense training and physical abilities, athletes are assumed by many people to be healthy individuals. However, this may not always be the case. Studies have recently shown that football athletes, particularly linemen, are...

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Sanjeev R. Bhatia, B.P.T.

Human memory and the ability to recall vast amounts of trivia and unrelated information have intrigued scientists and researchers for quite some time. However, sometimes memory is inconsistent in its retrievability. 

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Priscila Caçola, Ph.D.

Have you ever wondered why a child learning to strike with a tennis racquet has trouble “finding” the ball? For adults, research shows that holding a racket or any tool that increases the ability of the body to reach further makes the....

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Jason Boyle, M.S.

Our muscles are controlled by “motor units”, which each consist of a neuron, and the muscle fiber(s) it activates or “innervates”. The muscle that responds is termed an “effector”. Brain mapping studies have shown that a disproportionate area of the motor cortex governs certain effectors of the body. 

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Brad S. Lambert, B.S., CSCCA-SCCC
Has there ever been a time when you decided to begin an exercise program or turn your current exercise program up a notch with an increase in workout time or intensity? Also, have you ever experienced prolonged muscle soreness days after doing so?

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Majid Koozehchian, M.S.

Homocysteine (Hcy) is a non-proteinogenic amino acid (i.e., an amino acid not used in proteins) normally present in the blood. Hcy is a by-product of normal diet but high levels in the blood can endanger cardiovascular health.

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Chang Woock Lee, B.A.

Cholesterol is perhaps the most notorious biological molecule of all. To many people, cholesterol is simply a synonym for heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular disease because...

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David Ferguson, MS RCEP

I am always amazed at the flavor of the moment products in health and fitness. I am sure we are all familiar with the shake weight, six minute abs, and Tae Bo. Truth is some of these infomercial products do offer a health benefit while others do little for you...

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Teak V. Lee, B.S.

What’s the first thought that comes to mind when the word “cholesterol” is mentioned?  More often than not, it’s probably going to be negative.  This is probably due to the bad reputation that cholesterol has gained because of its involvement in conditions such as cardiovascular disease.  However...

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David Ferguson, MS RCEP

Have you ever watched a marathon and wondered how individuals can run for over 26 miles? Have you ever wanted to be the one who runs for 26 miles? Do you find yourself saying that you can’t run for 26 miles because you don’t know how?

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Nina Laidlaw Rumler, B.A.

Headlines about vitamin D abound. Is it as good as they say? How does it impact exercise and athletes?

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David Ferguson, MS RCEP

In today’s sporting environment, great importance is placed on the health education of the athlete. This includes proper nutrition instruction, health assessment, and the application of proper treatments and rehabilitation modalities to injured athletes. However...

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Travis Irby, M.A., M.Ed

The concept of dog years lets us quantify how man’s best friend ages. The popular myth is that a dog ages every seven years for one human year. While that is not necessarily the most scientific explanation for the canine aging process, the idea of aging many years in one is something that many people can relate to. 

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Vincent C.W. Chen, B.S.

Metabolic syndrome, a condition including insulin resistance (causing diabetes), obesity, hyperlipidemia (high blood lipids), hypertension, and heart disease, is mainly due to high fat diets and lack of physical activity. It has become a major health concern in modern society...

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Nina Laidlaw Rumler, B.A.

You might not have heard of sarcopenia, but it touches everyone – everyone who lives long enough to undergo this normal physiological process. A lessening of muscle mass and function, its cumulative effect is becoming a significant public health concern.

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David Ferguson, MS RCEP

One of the best parts of my job is that every day is different. I recall one day in particular when I received a phone call from a woman interested in coming into the lab to have a fitness assessment done.   The interesting part was that she said she did not want to do a VO_2­ max tes...

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Travis Irby, M.A., M.Ed.

Many athletes compete in sports year round. Sometimes the athlete is involved in one sport with one long season spent with various school and club teams throughout the year. Other times, an athlete is involved in several different sports over a year. Whatever the case, it is important that the year-round athlete prevent the mental and physical burnout that can come with the rigors of never-ending competition.  

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Greeshma Prabhu, MS

Several decades ago, the US Government passed the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which eliminated sex discrimination in any education program or activity receiving Federal aid. This law led to a rise in the female participation in sports over time, up to more than 150,000 women playing sports today...

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Steve Bui, M.S.

Oh, glorious caffeine, one of man’s best friends! For typical college students and other active individuals, it is a commonly required form of nourishment for any function before 10:00 AM. While we all know the basic immediate effects of caffeine (decreased fatigue, increased energy, and decreased appetite), it might be interesting to look at how that cup of coffee might affect other parts of your day.

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Justin Dobson, MS, CSCS, SCCC 

Inflammation is a natural response to stress put on the body. It is the first step in the body’s healing process, in which repair cells are directed from the blood into the injured tissue. Acute (short-lived) inflammation is necessary, but problems arise when inflammation persists (chronic inflammation)...

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Kwame J.A. Agyemang, Ph.D

For quite some time, businesses and large corporations have used corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a management strategy for day-to-day operations. In summary, CSR offers a template for the way corporations should conduct business (e.g., their economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities to society).

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Faith A. Lightfoot, BSE

With the introduction of Redbull to the United States in 1997, many athletes started consuming these drinks for additional energy and a reduction of fatigue. However,...

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Majid Koozehchian, M.S.

In our bodies, oxygen constantly produces toxic substances called reactive oxygen species (ROS), also known as oxidants. Antioxidants, biomolecules that combat oxidant damage, are produced by the body and can also be taken in supplement form. 

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David Ferguson, MS RCEP 

We have all heard the late night talk show hosts joke about an athlete’s inability to retire. In fact, there seems to be a consensus that once an athlete reaches a certain age, he should retire from the sport...

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Faith A. Lightfoot, BSE 

What do gymnasts Kathy Johnson, Nadia Comaneci and Cathy Rigby have in common? Over the past years they have all come forward and admitted to fighting an eating disorder. Cathy Rigby, a 1972 Olympian, battled anorexia and bulimia for 12 years. She went into cardiac arrest on two occasions as a result of it.

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Kaleigh Camp, MS Nutrition Student

The American College of Sports Medicine refers to the female athlete triad as the interrelationships among energy availability, menstrual function, and bone mineral density. The new Triad model has each component of the female athlete triad on a continuous spectrum...

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Emily Schmitt, MS

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Andrew Jagim, MS

It has long been accepted that exercise, specifically resistance training, is the primary way to increase muscle mass. However, an often-overlooked component of this process is the importance of nutrition and even more importantly, the timing of nutrients. Without the proper combination of nutrients, timing and exercise, one may not reach full potential.

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David Ferguson, MS RCEP

In the competitive sport world, athletes are required to train year-round in order to maintain a state of physical conditioning that will optimize performance during game day. With certain sports having longer seasons than others, this idea of year-round training can lead to the athlete becoming “overtrained”. Overtraining is described as a decrease in lean muscle mass...

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