In this blog article we explain the findings of our recent meta-analysis where we compared the effects of exercise and caloric restriction for reducing visceral fat in individuals with overweight and obesity. Why is this study important? Obesity is a growing global public health concern, with 39% of adults being overweight and 13% being obese […]
Category: General
The Psychological Impact of Traumatic Events in Sports
Psychological Aftermath of Trauma Extends Beyond Athletes Introduction Risks are inherent in sports. Athletes engage in training and competition with an awareness that injury may occur. Certain sports (e.g. combat, collision, high speed or extreme) are intuitively associated with a greater potential for more severe injuries; however unexpected medical events can occur at any time. […]
Making Every Move Count: Answering the World Health Organization’s Call to Implement the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity
April 6th is World Physical Activity Day. Established in 2002 by Agita Mundo with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), it is a perfect opportunity to reflect on where we are around the world and highlight bright spots for improvement. Here we present a Canadian example of answering the WHO’s call to action on […]
Simple hop tests after ACL injury are prognostic for future outcomes
Keywords: Rehabilitation, Anterior cruciate ligament, Hop test We recently published our systematic review in BJSM investigating the prognostic capacity of unilateral tests of lower-limb function following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and reconstruction (ACLR).1 The summary of this study is outlined in this blog. Why is this study important? Functional or physical performance tests, such […]
Why does it hurt? Pain assessment of upper and lower limb pain in athletes.
Keywords: Athlete, Pain, Assessment In this blog we address the clinical challenge of assessing pain in athletes. We discuss our recent publication in the BJSM which examined how pain in the upper and lower limb in athletes has been assessed over the past 50 years (1). We highlight some of the gaps in research and practice […]
The Blue Card in Rugby
Is it being used out of proportion and how can we make it more effective? Key words: Blue Card, Rugby, Concussion Introduction Rugby-related concussion has become one of the most controversial topics in sport, with many former professional players coming forward to discuss the long-term impacts concussion has had on their health and well-being. To […]
Cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index: What are their associations with restrictive spirometry impairment?
Keywords: Body Mass Index, Lung, Physical fitness. Introduction The role of the respiratory system is to move air in and out of the lungs to facilitate the process of gas exchange. Impairment of this system increases the likelihood of lung disease, a leading cause of death worldwide (1). Major risk factors of respiratory impairment include long-term […]
The Ramadan fasting athlete; competing in good health and for optimum performance.
A pre-participation evaluation medical questionnaire to support the fasting athlete. Introduction The month of Ramadan presents a unique challenge for Muslim athletes, with regards to planning for competition and training, whilst fasting. During this month, many Muslim athletes abstain from consuming food and fluid during day light hours (from dawn to sunset), increasing their focus […]
Excess is a fatal thing: Nothing succeeds like moderation for optimal health
Author: Dr Nicky Keay, Honorary Clinical Lecturer, Division of Medicine, UCL Oscar Wilde quipped that “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” However, when it comes to enjoying a healthy lifespan, nothing succeeds like moderation. Illustration from “Hormones, Health and Human Potential” Personalising Health through Lifestyle Hippocrates advocated that giving each individual just the right […]
Not all bone stress injuries are the same: Accounting for anatomical location should become a clinical standard
In this blog post we summarise the key points of our systematic review about low- and high-risk bone stress injuries (BSIs). Our study (recently published in BJSM) was a collaboration between the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Harvard Medical School, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg and Indiana University [1]. Why […]