Jason Boyle, Ph.DOur nervous system is highly adaptable in perceiving, analyzing and executing movements in relation to an ever-changing perceptual environment. We use vision, knowledge of limb location, and anticipation of force production while simultaneously recognizing variability in our judgment to execute movements through the world around us. Whether it is simple (reaching for a door knob) or complex (threading a needle), goal directed movement has been repeatedly shown to follow a speed/...

Nina Laidlaw Rumler, B.A.This is Amuhrica, right? We power-through, man-up, and tough it out. Well, that’s not always a good strategy. We hear constantly about the benefits of physical activity but often overlook the drawbacks. While physical activity has positive effects in prevention or reduction of a number of illnesses (diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, some types of cancer, etc.), there is also a strong association with injury. Some, such as spinal cord inj...

John Seawright, B.S.We’ve all seen it; the vicious collision that leaves a football wide receiver writhing in apparent pain; his strenuous, assisted walk to the locker room; and his eventual return to rejoin his team on the sideline with the accompanying statement from the sideline reporter, “The x-rays are negative.” X-rays are a form of high energy, ionizing radiation with a wave frequency much smaller than visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum. A medically ...

Andrew Jagim, Ph.D, CSCSIt makes sense right? It’s the day after a tough workout, you’re sore, it hurts to move but you have to move because you have another session with your trainer in two hours. So, what do you do? You pop some non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) to take the edge off and get back out there for round 2! The question is: Is this doing more damage than good? It seems as though there has always been some controversy regarding the administration of NSAIDs. Are t...

Steve Bui, M.S.If you look at any advertising in the media, you will notice constant bombardment by ads for performance enhancing supplements. The supplement industry is one of the most lucrative marketing fields. The promise of being able to perform bigger, faster, and stronger by drinking some special water, swallowing a small pill, or anything in between just sounds so appealing. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to the majority of consumers, most supplements do not work at all. Supplements are desi...

Ann Amuta, MPH, CPHI always teased my obese friend, Molly, who grew up in the ‘hoods’ of Houston until she told me about her life’s journey to obesity and all the health complications that have ensued. My friend was poor, lived in a dangerous area, had to ride the bus to school because there were no safe paths to walk, and couldn’t afford healthy food so she ate fast food and whatever was served in the free school meals.  It is easy to blame Molly and say “why ...

Vincent C.W. Chen, B.S. High fat and high cholesterol foods are delicious, but generally, they are not healthy. When we enjoy delicious meals that are high in fat and cholesterol, we are increasing the risks of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. However, does it really mean that we should not eat this kind of food at all? Fat and cholesterol, although they have such a bad reputation, are actually essential to life. The real problem is overconsumption, and too much of anything i...

Steve Bui, M.S.A much more popular part of the diet in East Asian countries, soy has been slowly increasing in popularity in the western diet as well. The soy bean is part of the legume family and can be grown in many different environments. Once mature, soy beans can be converted into a wide variety of other forms including: tofu, miso, oil, flour, meat substitute, and milk.Soy beans are considered to be one of the most nutritionally dense foods available. The Food and Drug Administration has o...

Majid Koozehchian, M.S. Childhood and adolescence are critical periods in the formation of cardiovascular risk factors. Many cardiovascular diseases are related to such risk factors as high levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides (TG), as well as low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL). The causes of cardiovascular risk factors are manifold, involving environment, lifestyle, and genetics. In adolescents, higher levels of exercise training are inver...

Deanna Kennedy, M.S. The ability to coordinate movements between the limbs is important for many activities of daily living and sport specific skills. For example, tying your shoes, slicing bread, driving your car, and serving a tennis ball are tasks that involve some type of coordination between the limbs. However, the role of each limb may vary with different task requirements. Some tasks, such as clapping your hands, require the limbs to produce mirror movements in both time and space. O...