Practical Guidance for Exercise and Pregnancy: 10 Take home messages from the BMJ Podcast

Exercise  during pregnancy provides many benefits to the mother and baby. Fortunately, clinicians and mothers have moved well beyond the view that women should be confined, or cannot initiate activity and be active at any stage of pregnancy. Here are 10 ‘take home messages’ for both clinicians and mums from a recent BMJ podcast with […]

Read More…

Born to run or shoes are made for running? Adding science to the strident debate.

Guest blog by George Murley There is an increasingly strident debate on the use of minimalist/barefoot versus traditional sports footwear in running, and there appear to be advocates for both sides who believe there is no need for a rational discussion. The debate appears to have escalated following publications by Richards and colleagues (2008) ‘Is […]

Read More…

Persistent dehydration MYTHS: Prof Tim Noakes comments on BJSM’s reader poll

BJSM reader poll results By Tim Noakes Only 12% of the BJSM readers who answered the poll were correct – this speaks to the power of the prevailing dogma and marketing messages. Readers have clearly been influenced by the “Science of Hydration.” This mythical concept developed by the sports drink industry during the late 1980s […]

Read More…

Shining a light on tendinopathy: expensive treatments vs established therapies

By Dr. Bert Fields   As a busy sports medicine physician I see an increasing number of patients pursuing unproven and often expensive treatments before they have tried established therapies with stronger evidence.  One example of this is a recent patient who saw advertising for a cold laser that they purchased from an internet site. […]

Read More…

Concussion: how do we reconcile risk-averse policies with risk-taking sports?

By @DrJohnOrchard   I have just started working in my 15th season as a professional NRL (National Rugby League, Australia) team doctor but with respect to one injury feel as uneasy as I ever have at any stage of working in sports medicine. In theory I should be more experienced and therefore more relaxed at […]

Read More…

To Strike or Not to Strike? That’s not the only question (for running and injury prevention)

Running biomechanics and footwear’s (from bare feet to orthotics) relationship to injury generates lively debate.  And not just among sports clincians. A recent NY times article boldly asked – Does Foot Form Explain Running Injuries? The article profile’s the running professor, Daniel Lieberman’s (Evolutionary Biologist, Harvard) and Mr. Daoud’s (Medical Student, Stanford) research on 4 […]

Read More…

Is the global movement ‘tipping’? Exercise IS medicine

Three exciting updates from the frontlines of health promotion through physical activity. First, congratulations to Professor Steven Blair for winning the Bloomberg Manulife Prize for the Promotion of Active Health. This international competition celebrates a researcher whose work promises to broaden understanding of how physical activity, nutrition or psychosocial factors influence personal health and well-being. Professor […]

Read More…

Cast your Nomination for the BMJ Award for Sport and Exercise Team of the Year (February 28th Deadline!)

Are you aware of (or part of!) an outstanding team project or initiative in the UK that promotes physical activity and the improved care of athletes? We want to know about it. The 2012 BMJ Group Improving Health Awards has a new category geared at Sports Medicine Practitioners. The award for Sport and Exercise Team […]

Read More…

A little less exaggeration, a little more science please! by Hilda Bastian

Figures often beguile me, especially when I have the arranging of them myself; in which case….’There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics’.  – Mark Twain A beguiling and artful video promoting exercise went viral: a good thing, right? Delighted tweets and emails came at me from people whose judgment I respect. […]

Read More…