Nutrition | Health

Four Nutrition Myths Among Soccer Players by Dr. Don Kirkendall

There are more myths than coaches, players and parents may be following, but below four of the more common myths are dispelled. By following the nutritional guidelines below, players, coaches and teams can put themselves in an advantageous position before the match starts. Click for full article at  www.usyouthsoccer.org

 

Nutrition and Soccer Performance by Dr. Don Kirkendall

You wouldn’t put low octane gasoline in a racecar, would you? Yet, even today, with all the research on nutrition and athletic performance, athletes still fail to realize the connection between the food they eat and their ability to compete in sports. The time for a reminder is now. Click for the full article at www.ussoccer.com.

 

Eating to Playby Dr. Don Kirkendall

A letter was sent to the editors requesting information about eating around game times. With the new season nearly upon us, it is probably a good time to review some topics associated with nutrition and sports performance.  This has been one of the most intensely researched topics in the sports performance literature and there have been many advances from the "Saturday morning steaks" that dads might remember from their high school football days.  Click for the full article at www.usyouthsoccer.org.

 

Athletic Nutrition for Young Athletes  by Erin O'Neill

In a period when many parents enroll their children in organized sports, it is imperative that basic nutrition guidelines for young athletes be followed. This will help these children to progress to their desirable potentials. Along with their improvement in performance, a healthy diet may reduce injury, reduce recovery time between competitions, make them feel better both physically and mentally, and create healthy eating habits for life. Click for the full article at www.usyouthsoccer.org.

 

Water: The Athlete’s Most Important Nutrient

Forget about every other question that you have about nutrition until you’ve figured out how to stay hydrated. Being smart about water intake can separate good performance from great performance. You are mostly water. In fact, if you took the water out of a 180-pound lean body, there would be about 55 pounds left. Because your muscles, your brain, your blood and sweat are mostly water, your body doesn’t work like it should when it doesn’t have enough water. You don’t think as clearly, your endurance is compromised and your heart works harder. Click for the full article.

 

Fluids Sports Medicine Section at the Duke University Medical Center and UNC Hospitals

These days, drinking fluids during exercise is considered normal behavior.  The importance of drinking water was first documented during the construction of the Hoover Dam near Las Vegas in the mid-1930's. Unfortunately, the athletic community didn't catch on until the middle 1960's. In the late 60's and early 70's, the opinion of many began to shift and drinking water during exercise started to become commonplace. Nowadays, withholding water might even be considered negligent. Click for the full article at www.usyouthsoccer.org.

Muscle Cramps: Possible Causes and Prevention

Muscle cramping is not an uncommon problem among athletes. Although it is not entirely clear what causes muscle cramps, they are often instigated by loss of fluids and minerals during a hard workout or game. Sometimes muscle cramps can be serious enough to take a player out of a competition. According to U.S. Men’s National Team Strength and Conditioning coach Pierre Barrieu, even though the causes of muscle cramps are not entirely known, that does not mean measures cannot be taken to prevent them. Click for the full article at www.ussoccer.com.

 

ACL Injury and the Female Soccer Player Marc R. Bernier

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) has received a lot of press over the past several years, especially in how it relates to the female athlete.  Much of the attention has focused on the seemingly higher injury rates in female athletes as compared to males.  Numerous research studies that have been conducted over the past 10 years indicate that females are indeed more susceptible to ACL injuries; most studies report that females are 4-8 times more likely to tear this ligament.  The heavily pursued goal that many in the medical community have tried to answer is determining the specific reasons why females suffer from this injury more than males. Click for the full article at www.usyouthsoccer.org.

 

Benefits of Stretching Kim Stewart

An athlete can benefit in many ways from stretching. The most common reason taught to athletes is that stretching increases flexibility, the ability to move joints through a full range of motion, thereby reducing the risk of injury. Unfortunately, the majority of athletes believe that they are invincible and that an injury will not happen to them.  Click for the full article at www.usyouthsoccer.org.

 

A Report on Knee Injuries Dr. Don Kirkendall

Changing direction is a common mechanism of injury to the knee, especially in knee ligament sprains. Twenty-six percent (26%) of players with a knee injury were changing directions while 56% were not. Click for the full article at www.usyouthsoccer.org.

 

The Hamstring Epidemic - Pre-Game Preparation and Injury Prevention  Marc R. Bernier

Over the past several decades, the general public has been inundated with information from sports medicine practitioners regarding the prevention of hamstring injuries. One of the focal points of these injury prevention programs has been the use of static stretches as the primary deterrent for hamstring strains, or “pulls” (static stretches are defined as stretching a muscle to lengthened position and holding for a set time; for example bending over and trying to touch your toes and holding for 20 seconds). Unfortunately, the use of static stretches as an injury preventative measure has not been justified by clinical scientific research, which casts some doubt on its usefulness and effectiveness.  The goal of this article is to: discuss the appropriate use of static stretches; and discuss the role of the pre-event warm-up in preventing injuries. Click for the full article at www.usyouthsoccer.org

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