Load Carriage for Female Military Personnel
This article reviews the physiological, biomechanical, and health impacts of load carriage on the female soldier and includes issues impacting on the female athlete and hence female soldier. Physiological factors (e.g., mass, strength, and aerobic endurance) and biomechanical factors (e.g., forward trunk lean and step length) have the potential to increase the energy cost of load carriage and injury risk. Optimal load carriage conditioning guidelines are presented while considering issues specific to the female soldier, including the female athlete triad and pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, which can likewise reduce perfor...
Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal - July 31, 2020 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Invitation Source Type: research
Injury Prevention Programs in Youth: A Narrative Review Targeting Females
Injury prevention (IP) programs have been developed to reduce sports-related injuries and risk factors for injuries and to improve athletic performance in youth. This review aims to provide an overview of IP programs in youth females, males, and both sexes and then provide recommendations for those working with female athletes. Independent IP training programs with a high session attendance, of greater than 20 minutes in length, and completed 2–3 times per week have shown the greatest benefit. In addition, programs with multiple components, progressed according to the technical competency of the participants, are the mos...
Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal - July 31, 2020 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Article Source Type: research
Historical and Social Considerations of Strength Training for Female Athletes
Female athletes may be hesitant to fully engage in the weight room. Common concerns include violating social norms through their muscularity, or a lack of competence in strength training. These concerns are rooted in historical efforts to constrain the intensity of female competition and traditional societal assumptions about the attributes of femininity. This work seeks to help strength coaches understand the historical and social background of female concerns about strength training and provides a psychological framework that may be useful in helping female athletes overcome their trepidation about the weight room. (Sour...
Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal - July 31, 2020 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Article Source Type: research
Exercise Benefits and Recommendations for the 6-Week Postpartum Period
The postpartum period is the stage after childbirth and is associated with many physical and psychological changes. Exercise has been shown to be beneficial for both the physical and psychological health of a new mother. Previous literature has examined the effect of both aerobic and resistance training in this period; however, there have been no clear guidelines and recommendations provided. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to review the benefits of exercise in the postpartum period, and to provide guidelines and a sample 6-week aerobic and resistance training program after exercise initiation after delivery and ...
Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal - July 31, 2020 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Article Source Type: research
Connecting Energy Availability and Iron Deficiency with Bone Health: Implications for the Female Athlete
An inability to meet the energy demands of sport and support physiological functioning can be the result of chronic energy deficiency. Resting energy expenditure, endocrine disruption, menstrual disturbances, and poor bone health are outcomes of low energy availability (LEA). Iron deficiency (ID) can be an outcome of inadequate intake as well as hepcidin activity and its role in the development of exercise-associated ID and anemia. The purpose of this article is to discuss the effects of ID and anemia in combination with LEA and the implications for a female athlete's bone health. (Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal)
Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal - July 31, 2020 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Invitation Source Type: research
Female Athlete Special Topic Issue
No abstract available (Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal)
Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal - July 31, 2020 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Editorial Source Type: research
Technical Aspects and Applications of the Low-Bar Back Squat
This article aims to discuss the anatomical and technical differences between the high-bar back squat and LBBS, define LBBS-specific technique, and provide practitioners strategies to select the best version for their lifters. (Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal)
Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal - June 1, 2020 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Exercise Technique Source Type: research
Home-Based Exercise Prescription for Congestive Heart Failure
This article will explain the pathophysiology and benefits of exercise in those with the condition, as well as provide recommendations for home-based training for individuals with CHF. (Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal)
Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal - June 1, 2020 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Special Populations Source Type: research
Health Ramifications of Smart Devices
Smart devices, such as smartphones, smartwatches, and tablets, have rapidly become more popular in the fitness industry and provide a variety of benefits ranging from tracking barbell velocity to displaying online training programs. These devices use cellular data and Wi-Fi to transmit information, which have shown to potentially pose risks to our health. The purpose of this article is to both (a) provide the reader with researched information on how the use of smart devices may pose a risk to our health and (b) provide practical applications for how to reduce the health risks from using these devices. For a video abstract...
Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal - June 1, 2020 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Article Source Type: research
The Threats of Small-Sided Soccer Games: A Discussion About Their Differences With the Match External Load Demands and Their Variability Levels
Small-sided games (SSGs) are regularly used in soccer training. SSGs are used because of their capacity to replicate the demands of a real match or control the overall workload of players. However, some threats may result from the use of SSGs. Thus, it is important to highlight those threats to improve the effectiveness of SSG implementation. Based on that, we examine and discuss comparisons between external load SSGs and real-game scenarios, the intra- and interplayers physical variability during the smaller formats of play, the consequences of SSGs in terms of the proper physical stimulation of players, and injury preven...
Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal - June 1, 2020 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Article Source Type: research
Rehabilitation and Return to Sport After Nonsurgical Treatment of Achilles Tendon Rupture
This article presents an overview of the rehabilitation and return to sport following a nonsurgical Achilles tendon (AT) rupture. A brief description of the recognition and diagnosis of the injury, selection of nonoperative treatment, outcome measures, importance of range of motion, purpose of functional rehabilitation, description of the rehabilitation phases, and return to play progressions are included. A well-designed early functional rehabilitation program is more important than the method of treatment in outcomes and functional performance with AT ruptures. (Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal)
Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal - June 1, 2020 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Article Source Type: research
Progression of Combat Sport Activities for Youth Athletes
Combat sport activities can play a role in the development of children and adolescents, and they are often a part of physical education classes and extracurricular activities. In addition to the psychological and social benefits these activities offer, they are also highly beneficial in physiological terms, as they are based on intermittent, metabolically demanding activities that help participants improve their physical fitness. The aim of this work is to propose a logical progression of game-based activities that reproduce different technical-tactical and physiological requirements of combat sports. The 5 phases become p...
Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal - June 1, 2020 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Article Source Type: research
Physical and Energetic Demand of Soccer: A Brief Review
Soccer is a complex and exhaustive team-sport requiring a high level of tactical, technical, and physical ability to succeed. During a competitive match, a random combination of explosive and powerful activities, together with technical and tactical gestures, is performed in an intermittent manner over a 90-minute game. This review presents a detailed analysis and up-to-date synthesis of the literature describing activities and energy system contribution during soccer to provide to strength and conditioning coaches a clear understanding of soccer players' physical needs during competition. (Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal)
Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal - June 1, 2020 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Article Source Type: research
High-Intensity, Non-Sport-Specific Strength and Conditioning for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Athletes: Theoretical and Practical Considerations
Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is a grappling-based combat sport with a growing recreational and professional athlete population. The sport is notoriously hard to master, which requires practitioners to maintain a high BJJ-specific training volume. High-intensity training is a well-established approach to rapid improvements in strength and endurance. Recent studies show that concomitant BJJ and high-intensity strength and conditioning training can improve several physical and physiological attributes. The present article briefly reviews literature pertaining to BJJ and its athletes and provides training recommendations based on...
Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal - June 1, 2020 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Article Source Type: research
Hamstring Strain Injuries: Incidence, Mechanisms, Risk Factors, and Training Recommendations
Hamstring strain injury (HSI) is one of the most commonly reported sports injuries. This has led to a substantial amount of research aimed at identifying factors that increase the risk of an athlete suffering a HSI. The identification of risk factors allows practitioners to plan intervention programs with the aim of reducing the rate and severity of HSI. As a multitude of factors contribute to the risk of HSI, interventions should be multifaceted in nature. This review outlines the incidence, mechanisms, and risk factors for HSI and provides evidence-based training recommendations to reduce the rate and severity of HSI. (S...
Source: Strength and Conditioning Journal - June 1, 2020 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Article Source Type: research
