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Study Finds Heart Abnormalities More Common in Athletes

A heart characteristic linked to sudden cardiac death is more common in athletes than non-athletes, and black male athletes are much more likely to have this characteristic than other athletes, a new study finds.

The characteristic -- left-ventricular hyper-trabeculation (LVHT) -- is a feature of certain types of cardiomyopathy (chronic disease of the heart muscle). The abnormality is the leading cause of exercise-related sudden cardiac death in athletes.

Read the full U.S. News Health article here.

 

Study: Positive sports climate promotes better adjustment in kids and less depression

Mary Fry, associate professor of health, sport and exercise science, co-authored a study that surveyed nearly 400 kids who took part in a National Youth Sports Program athletic camp.

They found that children who strongly perceived a caring climate both regularly felt joy in positive situations and were able to properly handle negative emotions and experienced fewer instances of depression. A positive environment allows adolescents to not worry about being judged, chided, laughed at for making mistakes, not being as physically gifted as peers or being able to express emotions.

“That’s a big deal for kids,” Fry said. “When you’re in an environment where you can’t express your emotions, you tend to be more guarded. It just reinforces the important role teachers and coaches play.”

Read the full Medical Xpress article here.

 

Risks of Overworking Young Athletes

Children’s bodies respond to training differently from adults. Growth plates in the knees, feet and shoulders make these body parts particularly vulnerable to overuse. And then there’s the awkwardness and lack of body awareness and control that is prevalent in growing children, all of which increases the risk of injury among young athletes.

This vulnerability to injury runs contrary to the repetition considered necessary to develop skill in young athletes. So, while coaches demand that athletes repeat the same movement patterns over and over again, health-care officials warn of the dangers associated with overuse.

Read the full Ottawa Citizen article here

Study Finds Female and Younger Athletes Take Longer to Recover From Concussions

New research out of Michigan State University reveals female athletes and younger athletes take longer to recover from concussions.

The study, led by Tracey Covassin of MSU's Department of Kinesiology, found females performed worse than males on visual memory tests and reported more symptoms postconcussion.

Additionally, high school athletes performed worse than college athletes on verbal and visual memory tests, and some of the younger athletes still were impaired up to two weeks after their injuries.

Read the full Medical Xpress article here

 

Study Finds Autograft ACL Repair Effective in Young Athletes

 A new study suggests young athletes who need knee ligament surgery do better over the long run when their own tissue is used for the reconstruction procedure, rather than tissue from a donor.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) connects the upper and lower leg bones and helps stabilize the knee. It gets the most use in athletes who play a sport such as basketball that involves quick cuts and changes in direction.

Read the full article from the Chicago Tribune here

Study: Women’s Higher Rate of Knee Injuries Linked to Nervous System

Women being more susceptible to knee injuries than men has alwasy been attributed to differences in muscular and skeletal structure. A new Oregon State University study suggests gender differences in the nervous system also may play a role.

The study suggests that men and women transmit nerve impulses differently. In particular, men and women differ in how they transmit the nerve impulses that control muscle force. Men control nerve impulses much like athletes trained for explosive muscle usage, like sprinters. Women control nerve impulses more like athletes trained for endurance, like cross-country runners.

Read the full Wired Playbook article here. 

 

 

Can EKG Screenings Prevent Sudden Death In Young Athletes?

 Fewer than 100 young athletes die every year from a hidden cardiovascular problem, P.J. Skerrett, editor of the Harvard Heart Letter, a monthly healthcare newsletter, wrote in a blog post.

The most common cause of sudden death in athletes is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, according to the Mayo Clinic. The diseased heart muscle becomes abnormally thick, which decreases blood pumping. The disease is often symptom-less and usually goes undetected.

American athletes undergo physical examinations but no electrocardiograms. The American Heart Association has routinely rejected proposals for mandatory electrocardiogram, citing cost and false-positive results. Electrocardiogram advocates say that mandatory tests allow young athletes to be screened to the best of a doctor's ability.

Read the full International Business Times article here.

 

Study: One Third of Young Athletes Suffer Preventable Injuries

According to parent reports in a new study released April 24, 1 in 3 children partcipating in team sports sustain injuries severe enough to require medical treatment.

The study reveals that common misperceptions and uninformed behaviors result in overuse injuries, dehydration, concussions or worse. In addition, 92% of parents surveyed reported that they depend on coaches to keep keep their children safe. However, when parents rely on coaches for the safety of their young athletes, only 2 in 5 parents know how much sports safety training their child's coach has received.

Read the full article from the Sacramento Bee here.

Advice On Preventing Shoulder Injuries

Shoulder injuries are the fifth most common injury in high school athletes. While many of them are collision injuries, as many as 42 percent of them are non-contact injuries. The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the human body and because of this, there is a fragile equilibrium between stability and mobility. This is referred to as the "throwers dilemma." 

As children grow, they can become less flexible, which can lead to less force production out of their bodies. So it is important to try and stay ahead of the growth curve with specific stretching and strengthening exercises.

Read the full Herald Dispatch Article here.