Michael LaMantia, M.S., CSCSThe Crossfit Regionals event consists of seven workouts through three consecutive days.  The workouts include Olympic weightlifting, gymnastic movements, powerlifting movements, and overall athletic movements found in any athlete’s training regimen.   Crossfit Regional is highly anaerobic and partially aerobic at times.  The intensities for each workout are in the 80-95% range for VO2 max (maximal oxygen uptake), especially at the elite level...

Evelyn Yuen, M.S.In the condition known as osteoporosis, bones become weak and susceptible to fractures. This vulnerability results from low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue. Although it primarily afflicts the elderly, it can develop at any age. Osteoporosis is a growing public health threat that affects 55 percent of people 50 years of age and older; approximately one in two women and one in four men over 50 years old will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their rema...

Samantha Springer, M.S., CSCSThe title’s quote was published by the Global Healing Center as a clever introduction to the health benefits of the infamous chia seeds.  Chia pets have been a popular novelty since the 1980s, but as science advances, health discoveries are gradually shifting the purpose of this herb away from garnishing a ceramic display. It is now being classified as a superfood that should be utilized by everyone; however, endurance athletes ought to especially consider...

Deanna Kennedy, M.S.Often athletic performance seeks to improve accuracy and consistency. For example, while playing golf, we want to consistently hit the ball into the hole. However, many factors affect our ability to produce smooth and accurate movements. One such factor is motor output variability (MOV), defined as the unintentional variations in the output of voluntary contractions. It is a natural and inherent phenomenon that can be observed in every movement or contraction made or repeated...

Meredith Luttrell, Ph.D As we get older, a vibrant quality of life enables us to keep doing the things we enjoy and that bring meaning to our lives. Exercise is important for health, but it is also one of the best ways to stay energetic and independent with age. Aerobic exercise has numerous health benefits, including healthier blood vessels. While we tend to think of only the heart with cardiovascular health and disease, blood vessels play a very important role in maintaining cardiovascula...

Brittany Rosen, Ph.D, CHES          With the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine receiving much media attention in past years, there is talk about who should get the vaccine and what it prevents. Obviously, it prevents HPV, but what most people do not know is the vaccine helps protect against genital warts and cancer of the cervix, penis, vagina, and throat. More than 6,800 people die from these cancers every year. Unfortunately, with all these health ...

Ramon Boudreaux, M.S.A common misconception is that the skeleton is a relatively fixed structure that undergoes few changes during adulthood. In actuality, bones are an extremely active tissue that continuously rebuild themselves throughout an individual’s lifetime (referred to as turnover). Bone cells are in constant communication with each other to remove areas of damaged bone (resorption) and replace them with newer, healthier bone (formation). In fact, the entire skeleton is completely...

Sarah Renaghan, M.S. Magnesium – what does it do for – or to – us? As an essential trace element, it is vital to the human body. Magnesium facilitates over 300 enzymatic reactions in the human body in the areas of energy metabolism, electrolyte and ion balance, cell signaling, and protein synthesis, all of which relate to physical activity and fitness.  Magnesium plays both a direct and indirect role in the body’s physiological response to exercise conditions. E...

John Seawright, B.S.The national anthem has been sung, home plate has been cleaned, and the starting lineup announced. The athletes go through the final mental checklist before taking the field. Hat? Check. Glove? Check. Cup? Check. Insulin? Diabetes is a condition that affects close to 26 million Americans. A diabetic lacks the capability to adequately regulate glucose (sugar) in the blood. Normally, the body relies heavily on the hormone insulin to promote the uptake of glucose from the b...

Benjamin A. Tipton, M.S., SCCCCocoa and its derivative chocolate have been used for thousands of years by the cultures of Central America. Cocoa was such a fixture in the Aztec society that they used the beans as currency. Primarily, cocoa was brewed into a bitter drink until the beans were exported to Europe by the Spaniards. Europeans sweetened chocolate and later made it into bars during the industrial revolution. Today, dark chocolate, defined as having 60% cocoa content or greater, has rece...