Guest Blog by Prof Caroline Finch: Implementation study design and a protocol example

There was considerable discussion at the IOC World Conference on Prevention of Injury and Illness in Sport about the need for implementation studies – one could even say there was a certain buzz about this.  In my keynote address about the art and science of implementation research, I emphasised that to be most useful such […]

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Ultrasound in the Sports Medicine Office – A Top Gear Review Series

Having just attended the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) meeting in Salt Lake City (see BJSM Warm Up Feb 2011) I couldn’t help but be impressed by the progress in ultrasound (US) technology. Smaller, cheaper, better – tremendous advances. Over the next four weeks we will review: i) The AMSSM curriculum for US […]

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News Flash: 30 minutes a day of physical activity for cancer prevention!

Media coverage of a recent BJSM article underscores the important role of physical activity in the prevention of cancer. The news headline reads: Brisk exercise ‘cuts cancer death risk. ’ The article refers to  Laukkanen, Rauramaa, Mäkikallio, Toriola, and Kurl’s study that defines “the intensity of leisure-time physical activity required to reduce cancer mortality in […]

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Androgen Levels to Override Gender Categories in Athletic Competition: New IAAF Regulations

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) recently approved new rules governing the eligibility of women with hyperandrogenism for competition. The IAAF aims to avoid future controversy similar to “the case” of Caster Semenya who won the World Championship in 2009 for the 800 m in Berlin (watch race here). 3 weeks prior to the […]

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Obituary for Professor Eric Arthur Newsholme, MA, DSc, (PhD, ScD Camb)

By Lindy Castell Eric Newsholme died peacefully in hospital from heart failure a few hours after slipping into a coma on 17th March 2011.  Although those of us who were close to him were well aware of his heart and circulation problems over several years, it was nevertheless a shock and, as many have observed, […]

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Good medicine: sports medicine. A response to recent criticism of sports medicine in BMJ

Guest blog by Dr. Malachy McHugh If the purpose of  Des Spence’s article Bad Medicine: Sports Medicine (British Medical Journal, March 30 2011)  is to strike a chord with sports medicine professionals then it has probably done its job. However, as a piece of scientific writing this lacks objectivity to put it mildly. The sports medicine […]

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Vicenzino’s Mobilization with Movement – at last my scientific mind can rest! Guest Blog by Erin Macri, PT

Book review of Mobilization with Movement: The Art and the Science (2011) by Bill Vicenzino, Wayne Hing, Darren Rivett and Toby Hall I clearly remember the first time I took a course in Mobilization with Movement (MWM). My entry level physical therapy training was purely biomechanical in its approach to understanding and explaining the effects of […]

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Dr Christopher Hughes on Safeguarding Patients – Whistleblowing in Sport and Exercise Medicine

Guest blog by Dr Christopher Hughes: VS. A footballer comes back from a trip abroad having undergone some questionable intervention from a dubious practitioner using an unconventional, non-evidence-based rationale (see example here )…. An independent healthcare practitioner recommends a costly series of procedures for an athlete for an indication when current evidence points to the […]

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EVIDENCE-BASED considerations for the Prevention of Heat related illness in Marathon Training (part 2)

Continuing our discussion of marathon issues, here are key guidelines from BJSM Associate Editor Professor Tim Noakes: 10 Recommendations for the Prevention of Heat illness: 1.   Perform adequate conditioning. The athlete must have trained appropriately and be conditioned for the planned activity. 2.   Undergo acclimatization if competing in unaccustomed heat or humidity. 3.   Avoid adverse […]

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