Geographic Disparity of Female Athlete Triad Awareness and Access to Resources in the NCAA

The Female Athlete Triad is a pervasive, multifactorial morbidity among college athletes. The geographic disparity of female athlete triad awareness and access to resources in NCAA is unknown. PURPOSE: To determine geographic disparities in awareness of Triad components and resource access in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). METHOD: Division I-III NCAA compliance officers were sent an email containing a request to disseminate a web-based survey to cross country coaches in their respective conferences. The web-linked instrument included: a study synopsis; an informed consent statement, and; the IRB-approved survey tool. Respondents were grouped geographically based upon conference headquarters location, regions included; Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. Statistical analysis, using JMP software, included frequency distributions and chi-square tests for categorical association. RESULTS: Coaches (n = 143; age = 40.7 ± 11.9 years; coaching experience = 14.1 ± 10.3 years) from 45 conferences participated. Location impacted coaches’ awareness of the term “female athlete triad” (p = 0.0183), which was highest in the West (90%), and; lowest in the South (74%). Geography did not influence Triad component recognition (p = 0.3907) (i.e. low energy availability, amenorrhea, low bone mineral density), however; only 54% of coaches correctly identified all Triad components. Coaches who had Triad awareness were more likely to possess understanding that menstrual irregularities are not a normal result of exercise (p = \u3c0.001). No relationship was identified between location and access to body composition technology (p = 0.2031), or; a registered dietician (p = 0.4869). However, only 30% and 53% of coaches had access to these biometric and dietetic resources, respectively. Western cross-country athletes (p = 0.0276) had the highest access to sport psychologists (50%); lowest access was in the Midwest (20%). CONCLUSION: Triad awareness and geographic resource disparities exist: Western coaches have a higher level of Triad awareness and superior access to psychological counseling, whereas; the South and Midwest had the lowest, respectively. Greater uniform access to resources amongst NCAA schools, regardless of geographic region, may positively impact Triad prevalence and outcomes

The Effects of Combined Aquatic and Occupational Therapy in Stroke Patients: A Retrospective Study

The purpose of this retrospective pilot study was to determine if aquatic therapy (AT) intervention concurrent with occupational therapy (OT) yielded greater functional gains in stroke patients than OT treatment alone. A retrospective chart review was conducted evaluating subjective data from an inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Morgantown, WV. Thirty-nine stroke survivor charts were examined. Patients who received OT with or without concurrent aquatic therapy were included. Differences in the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores in stroke patients who received (a) AT plus conventional OT or (b) conventional OT alone. Discharge bed/chair transfer (p = 0.009) and locomotion (p = 0.01) scores were higher for people who received OT and AT versus patients only receiving OT. Linear regression indicated that use of AT treatment predicted discharge bed/chair transfer FIM score (p = 0.02), discharge locomotion FIM score (p = 0.002), discharge stairs FIM score (p = 0.04), and change in bed/chair transfer FIM score (p = 0.02). These findings indicate that AT, combined with OT, may predict success on specific FIM outcomes (e.g., bed/chair transfer FIM score, locomotion [walking] FIM score) in stroke patients

Treating Pediatric Neuromuscular Disorders: The future is now

Pediatric neuromuscular diseases encompass all disorders with onset in childhood and where the primary area of pathology is in the peripheral nervous system. These conditions are largely genetic in etiology, and only those with a genetic underpinning will be presented in this review. This includes disorders of the anterior horn cell (e.g., spinal muscular atrophy), peripheral nerve (e.g., Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease), the neuromuscular junction (e.g., congenital myasthenic syndrome), and the muscle (myopathies and muscular dystrophies). Historically, pediatric neuromuscular disorders have uniformly been considered to be without treatment possibilities and to have dire prognoses. This perception has gradually changed, starting in part with the discovery and widespread application of corticosteroids for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. At present, several exciting therapeutic avenues are under investigation for a range of conditions, offering the potential for significant improvements in patient morbidities and mortality and, in some cases, curative intervention. In this review, we will present the current state of treatment for the most common pediatric neuromuscular conditions, and detail the treatment strategies with the greatest potential for helping with these devastating diseases

ISSN exercise & sport nutrition review: research & recommendations

Sports nutrition is a constantly evolving field with hundreds of research papers published annually. For this reason, keeping up to date with the literature is often difficult. This paper is a five year update of the sports nutrition review article published as the lead paper to launch the JISSN in 2004 and presents a well-referenced overview of the current state of the science related to how to optimize training and athletic performance through nutrition. More specifically, this paper provides an overview of: 1.) The definitional category of ergogenic aids and dietary supplements; 2.) How dietary supplements are legally regulated; 3.) How to evaluate the scientific merit of nutritional supplements; 4.) General nutritional strategies to optimize performance and enhance recovery; and, 5.) An overview of our current understanding of the ergogenic value of nutrition and dietary supplementation in regards to weight gain, weight loss, and performance enhancement. Our hope is that ISSN members and individuals interested in sports nutrition find this review useful in their daily practice and consultation with their clients

The effects of resistance training and oral creatine supplementation on muscle fiber morphology, strength and activities of daily living in patients with Charcot -Marie -Tooth disease.

Resistance exercise and creatine supplementation independently improve strength and function in patients with neuromuscular diseases, but the effectiveness of the two combined in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is unknown. Additionally, no study has examined gender differences in strength and activities of daily living (ADLs) in CMT patients before or after resistance training, nor has ADL performance been used for exercise prescription. Purposes. (1) To examine the effects of resistance training with and without creatine supplementation on muscle, strength and function in patients with CMT; (2) To compare effects of 12 weeks training on strength and ADLs in CMT men and women, and design an ADL-based resistance exercise prescription template. Methods. Twenty age-matched patients (11 women, 9 men, mean age 45 ± 9y) with CMT consumed 5g/d creatine or placebo while participating in resistance training for 12 weeks. Energy metabolites, muscle fiber type and size, body composition, strength, surface electromyography, timed activities of daily living, and peak oxygen consumption were measured before and after training. Results. Exercise training increased type I muscle fiber diameter (48.2 ± 14.2μm → 55.4 ± 14.8μm, p = .03), strength (p \u3c .05), bicycle exercise duration (506s vs. 563s, p = .05) and decreased ADL times (p \u3c .001). Training compliance was 87(±26)% with no gender differences. Absolute strength was greater in CMT men in only 4-of-10 baseline measures (p \u3c .05), but strength normalized by lean mass was not different. After training women had 80% of normal strength in 8-of-10 exercises while men only had one. Training volumes and strength change scores were not different between genders. ADLs did not differ between genders, but improved when genders were combined (p \u3c .05). An exercise prescription template was developed using chair-rise time to estimate starting weights for lower body, and supine-rise for upper body. Conclusions. Patients respond to resistance training with muscle fiber adaptations, and improvements in strength and function. Creatine was not beneficial. Resistance training improved strength and ADLs equally in men and women. An exercise prescription template was designed based on ADL performance

Training the shoulder complex in baseball pitchers: a sport specific approach

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