-
Health Concerns for Students
Summer is coming to an end, and for most kids, that means back to school. Some kids thrive in the traditional school environment, but unfortunately, many kids are not cut out for the rigors of the traditional classroom. Long hours sitting in a chair, inactivity, lack of sunlight and natural surroundings, and often a diet
-
Why the Minimalist Footwear Trend Won’t Last
If you haven’t heard, the minimalist footwear industry has taken a turn for the worse. Shoe sales aren’t booming like they used to, and companies are starting to add more material to their shoes to stay with the current market trend. After all, that’s what it’s about—the trend. It’s the shoe company’s job to sell
-
Become a Better Athlete: Sex and Athletic Performance
What’s that? You’re too tired? Got a headache? Just not in the mood? Would you say the same thing for a workout and bail on that activity too? Just as a proper diet, restful sleep, and adequate exercise are necessary for optimal health and athletic performance, so is sexual activity. Hopefully you’re not following the
-
Are You on Drugs?
Doping in athletes and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) in sports is once again prevalent in the news. Not simply because of the recent London Games, but also the downfall of Lance Armstrong, who, as I write this, has stepped down as chairman of the Livestrong Foundation and was dropped by Nike, RadioShack, and Anheuser-Busch. ESPN recently
-
Let Your Kid Thrive Outside
I wrote this article for the June/July 2015 edition of Paleo Magazine. Grab one at Whole Foods or other locations, or a digital copy here. The typical kid in today’s world isn’t outside much, and when indoors, they’re not moving as much as they should, if at all. As a result of this immobility and
-
Grinding Away: Bruxism
The Night Grind: Bruxism Bruxism—it’s clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth, sometimes to the point of breaking a tooth. When you’re awake and conscious, the force your body can produce by grinding your teeth together is around 250 psi (pounds per square inch) in the back molars and 85 psi in the front teeth.
-
NSAIDs—I Still Say Never
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs—the infamous NSAIDs—are touted by many to curtail inflammation, accelerate healing time, and even improve performance. But over the past several years, there’s been more and more research supporting why you probably shouldn’t take an NSAID, due to the inherent dangers and the fact that they really don’t address the root of the
-
Aging Athletes: Your Excuse Is Getting Old
“Your joints ache because you’re old.” “You’re fat because you’re old.” “You don’t sleep well because you’re old.” “You can’t do that anymore because you’re old.” “This disease you have is common in old people.” “What? You’re only 40? Well, that’s old enough.” Blaming age for a health problem is perhaps the biggest “diagnosis” cop-out
-
Stress: Make You, Break You
Stress is that general term many use to describe something that poses some threat to their overall health and well-being. You probably won’t hear someone comment on their wonderfully stressful day; rather, they’ll discuss how burdened their day was due to all the stress they’re under. We associate stress with the negative, yet we forget
-
The Athlete’s Adrenal Glands
Your adrenal glands are small, walnut-sized glands that sit on top of each kidney. Though they only weigh three to five grams, they’re responsible for producing hormones to provide your body with sufficient energy, balance blood sugar, fight inflammation, regulate electrolytes, maintain libido, sustain blood pressure, and provide your body with a host of other
Athlete Health Concerns, Issues, & News
These articles discuss common athlete health concerns, current health issues, and related news. The aim is to provide insight as to why these athlete health problems occur and how to correct them rather than medicate the problem or pass it off as “just normal.” Athletes have concerns that will affect not just their health and fitness, but their overall quality of life. As fitness improves, ideally an athlete’s health should too, but unfortunately for many the opposite occurs — as fitness improves, athlete health suffers. Poor athlete health can manifest itself in various ways: low energy, sleep problems, medical symptoms such as asthma, allergies, low libido, and even mental problems such as irritability and concentration difficulties.