volume 12 number 3
Childhood Obesity
The lowering of physical education standards and the closing of physical education programs in our schools, the lack of family time, the free access to video games and television, the fast food industry targeting children…the list goes on and on as to why the United States is facing the largest obesity problem in its history.
Skinny or Lean: Are They the Same?
Recently I heard that being ‘skinny’ and being ‘lean’ are not the same. What’s the difference? Being skinny and lean are indeed not the same in the world of fitness and understanding their differences may help in your athletic and/or fitness and health related goals. Skinny simply refers to being of small circumference size (diameter of arms, legs, etc.) and weight, especially when in relationship to your height. Believe it or not, skinny people often do NOT possess the low body fat one might expect due to their low muscle mass in relationship to what body fat they do have.
Manual Therapy and Athletic Injury Rehabilitation: Benefits of a Class of Therapy
By definition, “manual” refers to the hands, especially work done by the hands. Within the purview of athletic training, Houglum (2000, p. 154) sets forth the following definition: “Manual therapy is the use of hands-on techniques to evaluate, treat, and improve the status of neuromusculoskeletal conditions.” In the past few decades athletic training as a profession has become enamored with the large variety and apparent effectiveness of modalities that are more technologically advanced than human hands. However, as Denegar (2000, p. 176) notes, “the hands of the athletic trainer are powerful assessment and treatment tools.” Manual therapies are time-consuming in the light of the simple task of hooking an athlete to a therapeutic machine. However, they are recognized as important techniques in controlling pain, restoring normal range of motion, and treating specialized conditions such as myofascial pain syndrome.
Performance Detractors: Assesing the Low Carbohydrate Diet and Its Effect Upon Athletic Performance
The low carbohydrate diet plan has found increased popularity among U.S. adults due to its claims of rapid weight loss. It should be of no surprise that low-carb diets such as the Atikins’, South Beach and The Zone diet have resulted in top spots among The New York Times’ best-sellers. However, these plans may pose some risks for individuals that exercise regularly or participate in competitive athletic events.
The Incredible Babe Didrikson Zaharias
I had the great fortune to meet the incredible Babe Didrikson Zaharias in the early fifties at Metropolis Country Club, probably not too long before she died. Everyone was in awe of her; she was definitely the greatest woman athlete that ever lived, and possibly the greatest of all athletes. She was chosen Female Athlete of the Year six times by the Associated Press and female “Athlete of the Half Century” in 1950, also by the Associated Press.
The Peer Effect in the NFL draft
In this paper, I examine more than 300 NFL quarterback draft hopefuls between 1987 and 2003 and their offensive teammates to determine to what extent playing with NFL caliber teammates will have on the draft position and salary of the quarterback prospect.