SPORTS MED: HOW DOES SPORTS MEDICINE ADDRESS THE DEMANDS OF SPECIFIC ATHLETES?

asthma description

Condition characterised by breathing difficulty as the airways leading to the lungs narrow

asthma implications

• More likely to be triggered during longer duration physical activity

• May affect performance but it should not be an excuse to avoid exercise

• Exercise is actually better than no exercise for asthmatics

manangement of asthma

• use of preventative inhaler

• avoid environmental triggers (such as pollen)

• gradual warm up

• swimming is generally the preferred method of exercise

type 1 and 2 diabetes

type 1: caused by the body’s inability to produce insulin
type 2: the body’s inability to produce sufficient insulin or use it efficiently

implications of diabetes

• Diabetes is a condition that relates to the glucose levels in blood, which affects sports engagement because glucose is also an important energy source for ATP production during sports participation

• Encouraged to take part in all sports, however, caution should be taken with overly strenuous activity

balance insulin by?

• Medication injection

• Diet

• Exercise

epilespy description

A group of medical conditions relating to disruption of normal brain activity that results in seizures → when the brain’s nerve cells misfire and generate sudden, uncontrolled bursts of electrical activity in the brain

implications of epilepsy

• Vary according to individual circumstances

• If seizures happen daily or weekly, collision sports should be avoided

• Avoid swimming alone

management of epilepsy

• Medication to reduce the incidence of seizures

• Avoid fatigue and extremes of body temperature

overuse injuries description

• Sustained from repetitive use of body part over long period of time

• Stress fracture = common overuse injury

• Children are more susceptible to overuse injuries as their bodies are growing and developing

overuse injuries implications

Encouraged to engage in a wide variety of sports and not to specialise in a sport at a young age → improves the variety of movements, helps ensure development and growth is holistic rather than imbalanced

overuse injuries management

• Avoid use of injured body part → especially high impact activities

• Rest (4-8 weeks) depending on how severe the fracture is

• Ice

• Anti-inflammatory medication

thermoregulation description

Body temperature control → children are less able to control their body temperature as they have less developed sweat glands meaning they produce less sweat which results in less evaporation and therefore less cooling → evaporation is the main cooling mechanism our bodies use

thermoregulation implications

appropriate clothing, time of day sports is played and access to fluid eg. soccer can be broken down into quarters and should be played in the morning

thermoregulation management

• lie the person in a cool place with circulating air

• remove unnecessary clothing

• sponge with cool water

• give cool water to drink

• seek medical aid

appropriateness of resistance training description

• Highly appropriate for children and young athletes and has significant benefit and little risk of injury if guidelines are followed correctly → no more dangerous than any other form of physical activity

• There is no evidence that resistance training slows the growth of children and young athletes → in fact it is more likely to have a positive impact on children’s and young athlete’s growth

appropriateness of resistance training implications

• Light resistance, high reps, full range of movement

• Body weight exercise

• Max lifting should be avoided

• Safe training environment

appropriateness of resistance training management

• Close supervision at all times

• Teaching correct technique

• Doing adequate warm-up prior to training

principles that those with heart conditions must follow

• Medical clearance before starting a program

• Exercise should be light-moderate intensity

• Progression should be gradual

alternative participation for those people with heart conditions

Aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling, swimming and golf are ideal as they are not too strenuous

Strength training should involve light weights and target major muscle groups → heavy weights and isometric training should be avoided as they increase blood pressure → dangerous to the health of someone with a heart condition

fractures and bone density

• Common in adult and aged athletes as bones become weaker and more brittle as we age → lead to osteoporosis (condition characterised by reduced bone density)

• People with osteoporosis have an increased risk of fractures as their bones become thin and weak, therefore adult and aged athletes should participate in strength training (eg. weights) → increases bone density, which makes their bones stronger and less susceptible to fractures

• Should also participate in balancing activities such as aerobics as this reduces their risk of falls → falls are a leading cause of fractures in this aged population

flexibility and joint mobility

• Mobility reduces with age = reduced independence

• To help prevent this, adult aged athletes should participate in flexibility training by doing daily stretching exercises eg. sit and reach

• Aqua aerobics → helps maintain joint mobility, low impact so its gentle on the joints and also the wetter provides a light resistance so it helps strengthen the muscles too

eating disorders

• Characterised by abnormal eating behaviours eg. anorexia, bulimia

• Common in sports where low body fat and ideal body size/shape expected or an advantage eg. gymnastics

• Females are more likely to develop eating disorders due to social pressure to conform to female physique and beauty standards

• Eating disorders decrease energy and nutrient intake, which negatively affects health and sports performance

iron deficiency

• Common in women due to losses through menstruation

• Iron plays a very important role in oxygen transportation

• Iron deficiency can cause anaemia, a condition characterised by abnormally low haemoglobin levels → means the blood is unable to carry as much oxygen to deliver to the working muscles → results in fatigue and loss of energy

bone density

• Following menopause, females experience a reduction is oestrogen levels → leads to increased calcium loss from bones → causing them to become brittle and therefore be at risk of fracturing

• To prevent this, it’s important that females have an adequate intake of calcium from their diet

• Because fractures are a significant safety concern, females with bone density problems should undertake low-impact activity such as swimming and cycling to allow them to keep exercising

pregnancy

While exercise is encouraged for pregnant women, it must follow a few principles

• Light to moderate intensity

• Must be performed in cool temperatures

• Adequate water must be consumed throughout

• relaxin —> hormone that the body produces during pregnancy which allows for greater flexibility which can actually help in sports participation