Barker, T., Schneider, E. D., Dixon, B. M., Henriksen, V. T., & Weaver, L. K. (2013). Supplemental vitamin D enhances the recovery in peak isometric force shortly after intense exercise. Nutrition & Metabolism, 10(1), 69. doi:10.1186/1743-7075-10-69 Introduction: Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which has been examined in a number of clinical fields. Early research identified vitamin D’s role in bone health. Since this discovery, the […]
Archive | Performance
Magnesium Deficiency: Impact on Performance
Reference Santos, D., Monteiro, C., Matias, C., Silva, A. (2011). Magnesium intake is associated with strength performance in elite basketball, handball and volleyball players. Magnes Res. doi: 10.1684/mrh.2011.0290 Introduction: Magnesium is considered a trace mineral required in small to moderate doses to optimize health and athletic performance. Increasing amounts of data support magnesium’s role in […]
Is binge eating for a day harmful?
Introduction: Binge eating is a behavior described as excessive eating which is not driven by hunger or metabolic need. This excessive eating pattern is associated with weight gain and obesity. Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Individuals whom binge eat tend to eat until they are uncomfortably […]
Relative Intensity: A better way to regulate training intensity. Here’s how to calculate it
Intensity in weight training is usually defined as the percentage of weight compared to your repetition maximum (RM). The equation for it looks like this (amount of weight being used/1 repetition maximum). If you are performing the bench press with 80 pounds and your maximum bench press is 100 pounds, the training intensity would be […]
Dieting? High Protein Diet Augments Gains in Lean Body Mass
Introduction: Calorie restricted weight loss results in approximately 20-30% of mass lost as lean body mass (LBM). The ability of an athlete to retain LBM is important for the athlete to maintain their physical performance. Diets which allow athletes to lose weight while either maintaining or gaining LBM are of significant importance. One such strategy […]
Vertical Jump: Is adding the glute-ham raise worth it?
Glute-ham-gastroc raise (image from http://www.your-workout.com/all-exercise-list/natural-glute-hamstring-raise/) A 2017 research study published in the journal of strength and conditioning examined whether adding the glute-ham raise to a typical training program would result in greater improvements in the vertical jump (Chiu, Yaremko, & VonGaza, 2017). Here’s how the authors conducted the study: Methods: The authors used female athletes 18 […]
Hip Thrust Exercise Fails to Produce Sprint Gains
The hip thruster exercise (google it if you’re unfamiliar) has been all the rage over the past few years. It has exploded onto the scene mainly due to Bret Contreras, “the glute guy”, whom has researched the exercise and has enthusiastically promoted its usage for building better buns, rehabilitating/preventing injury, and possibly for performance. He […]
Muscle Architecture Changes: Implications for Baseball/Softball coaches
Introduction: Investigating longitudinal changes in an athlete’s muscle architecture helps coaches recognize physiological underpinnings associated with performance. Typically during a competitive season athletes sports performance increases, while standard descriptions of fitness such as maximal strength remain at a baseline or even decline. This leaves coaches to hypothesize why their athletes’ standard fitness measurements have declined […]
Rate of Force Development: Influences of Training Interventions
Effects of various training interventions on rate of force development Introduction: Athletic success often depends on an individual’s ability to exhibit explosive strength. Explosive strength is the ability to rapidly generate force, often from a state of complete muscle relaxation. One way to analyze an athlete’s explosive strength is to measure their rate of force […]
Can bracing prevent tommy john surgery?
A new research study done by a group of researchers in Japan was published in The Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine examining the effects of bracing on the ulnar collateral ligament (the tommy john ligament)( Hattori, Akasaka, Otsudo, Takei, & Yamamoto, 2017). Background: It’s fair to assume at this point pretty much everyone knows pitching is […]
Where do strength gains come from? Study
Muscular strength, the maximal force a muscle group can produce, is an important physiological variable for both athletic and daily tasks. In athletic populations, muscular strength has been identified as a key contributor to performance and injury prevention. In nonathletic populations, increasing maximal strength helps improve mobility (gait, stairs, etc.), prevent or reduce the progression […]