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... NEWS SNIPPETS ... NEWS SNIPPETS ...

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Yao Ming Shoots Down Shark's Fin Soup

21 December 2009---NBA star and Shanghai Sharks owner Yao Ming has again urged his fellow Chinese to say no to shark's fin soup.

To stop the overfishing of some species amid growing demand for the dish, the Houston Rockets centre appeared in a TV ad aimed at wealthy Chinese which urges them to stop ordering shark's fin soup.

"We have species that need our attention and protection," Yao told reporters at a press conference launching the campaign. "They are endangered by excessive hunting by humans and deprived of habitats due to human greed."

The ad shows Yao pushing away a bowl of shark's fin soup that is served to him in an upmarket restaurant.

"If you could see how shark fin is made, could you still eat it?" a voice asks as Yao looks at an aquarium in the dining room where a bleeding shark flails after its fin has been cut off.

One by one, sharply dressed diners push their bowls away as Yao says: "When the buying stops, the killing can too."

WildAid President Steve Trent told reporters a recent survey in China found that two-thirds of respondents did not know shark's fin came from sharks.

However, a study indicated that a quarter of shark's fin samples sold at Hong Kong markets were unfit for human consumption. The high mercury levels commonly found in shark's fin increased the risk of infertility and brain damage.

Growing demand for shark fin - driven mainly by Chinese consumers - had caused populations of some shark species to collapse by as much as 99 percent, WildAid said.

"With China's leadership, we can save the world's sharks," Trent said. "With Yao's help, this will happen a lot quicker."

Yao has been a spokesman for shark preservation since 2006 and bought the Sharks basketball team in July.

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NSAIDs Not For Regular Use

17 December 2009---Athletes who take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) before and during matches may be doing more harm than good to their bodies.

"They may allow an athlete to exercise or train at a certain level, but pain occurs for a reason. [...] But to take the drugs before every run and throughout the year is a concern. You need to think of pain not as a hindrance, but as a signal that something is not quite right." says Stuart Warden from Indiana University.

NSAIDs are recommended for use after injury to reduce swelling or pain. However, some athletes take these over-the-counter drugs before matches and workouts to reduce the inflammation and soreness that may occur after the event.

Such misuse can cause problems, from interfering with healing and inhibiting the body's ability to adapt to challenging workouts, to the development of stomach ulcers and possibly an increased risk for cardiovascular problems, says Warden.

He added that NSAIDs should be taken as directed - in the recommended dosages and for no more than a week after an acute injury that involves swelling and pain.

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Northern Ireland Wins Nations Cup 2009

Singapore, 13 December 2009---At the Nations Cup 2009, Northern Ireland took the Nations Cup trophy for the first time after a battle against Scotland and a 49-34 victory.

This year, they were undefeated and managed to overcome their home nations rivals twice in two days. Winning coach Elaine Rice said, “We came here not sure what to expect with all the different playing styles but we kept our consistency all week and I am delighted how it turned out.”

Northern Ireland made a confident start following their 55-31 victory the previous night and closed the half 27-19 looking solid a focused on taking the title. They play a very similar style of play – hard and aggressive in attack and defence with the final clash being no different. 

Denise Holland, Scotland's coach, took away many positives from the competition: “We have a young squad and we have used this event to rotate the entire squad and our main goal is 2014 when we host the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.”

Third position went to Canada who overturned their defeat to Tanzania in the round-robin stages with a 37-53 win. Canadian Co-Captain and goal attack, Sabrina Versteeg was delighted with their third spot on their third time participating in the Nations Cup.

Earlier in the day, Singapore once again faced the Malaysian team in a battle for 5th and 6th spots. Confident and composed, the hosts have continued to improve throughout the week. The newly formed side have begun to gel and are excited about the developments they can make as a squad between now and the World Netball Championships in 2011.

Singapore's Coach Jill McIntosh said, “We improved from the first game, learnt a lot and finished in a good fashion. We now know how hard we have to work towards the World Championships in 2011 but today is the springboard for that next campaign.”

Indeed, not only are world ranking points on offer but it is the exposure to varying styles of play from around the world that this tournament offers. This helps teams gain experience and confidence as they prepare for glory at subsequent netball events.

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PE Teachers Play Key Role In Making You Like Sports

12 December 2009---Physical education (PE) teachers must encourage social interaction and avoid making comparisons between their students, according to a new study

The study analysed the factors that influence whether or not we have a "good vibe" towards PE. This ‘vibe’, technically defined as 'dispositional flow', is "an optimum psychological state that allows people to confront a task with the best possible psychic conditions".

It is a state in which people become totally absorbed by what they are doing, to an extent where they exclude every other thought or emotion.

"If a person manages to reach the flow state whilst performing the physical activity, he/she will obtain high levels of enjoyment, and entertainment, and will want to perform it more to experience these sensations again", David González-Cutre, main author of the study and researcher in the University of Almeria.
 
The investigation showed that the motivational climate transmitted by teachers, the relationship and responsibility goals, and the perceived competence are associated with enjoyment.

"The fundamental objective of physical education is to manage to make pupils play sport outside school hours and throughout their life. To achieve this, the person teaching physical education must focus on effort and personal improvement and not so much on comparison" González-Cutre points out.

Other recent studies have also confirmed that pupils who play sports outside school hours reflect better flow in PE classes.

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Singapore Wins Asian Clash On Day 2 Of Nations Cup

Singapore, 8 December 2009---On Day Two of the Nations Cup, Scotland and Tanzania opened proceedings with the African nation producing a composed and confident performance. They kept the pressure on the Scots until the final quarter, losing 52-39.

Tanzania’s coach Mary Protas was pleased by her team's performance: “It was a nice game for both sides today and our girls tried to play their best with just some small mistakes causing us to lose the match. With these two games, we are already gaining important experience and I think we can do better for the rest of the week.”

In the match between Canada and Northern Ireland, the Irish came away with a 45-81 victory that oozed confidence and composure that would surely make the other nations take note.

Both sides were evenly matched in height which tested Canada as they struggled to adapt their aerial style to make their moves around the team in green. The Irish defence worked hard to block the few opportunities that Canada created in the circle while Irish Captain Noleen Lennon kept clocking up the points at the other end.

Host nation Singapore faced Malaysia in the final match with crowds out in force to cheer on their own sides. This match proved to be the toughest match of the day as both teams tried to settle into their playing rhythm and assert control.

Just one point separated the two teams at half time (18-19) and the high tempo continued throughout. For the home side, Goal Keeper Premila Hirubalan leapt consistently in defence to prevent vital points being scored; and Chen Huifen in Wing Attack controlled the middle court with a stellar performance.

Taking a four-point lead into the final quarter, the atmosphere was electric with end-to-end play. In the dying minutes, Singapore nudged ahead and finished six points in front to give them a confidence-boosting win.

Coach Jill McIntosh was delighted with the team's improvement, saying, “I always thought they could win and we had more confidence, more flow in attack today which is what we wanted. Yesterday they were nervous but today our timing was back on form and I hope we’ll just keep improving for the remaining matches ahead.”

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Netball Nations Cup 2009 Kicks Off

Singapore, 7 December 2009---The Netball Nations Cup 2009 got off to a flying start on Sunday. Singapore opened the proceedings against Canada, losing out 30–45 while Scotland and Northern Ireland got off to winning ways, setting up an exciting week ahead.

The Canadian team's height and style of play appeared to intimidate Singapore from the whistle and despite a strong come back in the final quarter by the hosts (9-10), it was too late to close the gap.

“Singapore are a very skilled team. Their body movement and shooting is excellent so we have great respect for them but are delighted to get the victory today,” said Canadian Coach Anne Willcocks.

Analysing the match, Singapore coach Jill McIntosh said, “For the first match, we just lacked familiarity with each other and played too many high balls which is the Canadian’s strength. We need to learn to play the Singapore-style game against the different body types in this competition and we will take it one game at a time.”

The next match was between Nations Cup rookie Malaysia and Scotland. Scotland made a good start by winning 48-29. They were more physical and fought for every ball, working hard to intercept in all thirds and overturning crucial possession to keep in front.

Malaysia brought a group of vocal supporters with them as their team fought the whole way and tested the Scottish defence. Both teams played an open-style of game, using the space on court well and working the ball into prime shooting spots in the circle.

Last but not least, the crowd were entertained by the teams from Africa, Tanzania and Northern Ireland. The opening quarter was very close with Northern Ireland edging ahead by three points in the final minutes. They picked up their pace for the remainder of the match to win by the biggest margin of the night: 65-32.

Tanzania showed pace, good passing skills and agility in the air. This was their first international match outside of Africa, and they attacked it with gusto and determination showing what an emerging netball nation they are.

Teams have little time to relax as the action continues on Monday. Singapore will face Malaysia with McIntosh hoping for a strong performance. She said, “Malaysia will be tough tomorrow but we will look at their video and form strategies that we think will tackle them. We are ready for an exciting match.”

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Luke Kibet Triumphs At Singapore Marathon

7 December 2009, Singapore---Reigning Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon champion Luke Kibet has won the full marathon category race for the second year running.

It was an exciting climax to the 42km race as Johnstone Chepkwony mounted a late surge to pressure Kibet all the way to the finish line. Kibet, nevertheless, prevailed to finish with a winning time of 2:11:24, just eight seconds ahead of Chepkwony and 2 mins 37 seconds short of the 2:13:01 course record he set last year.

“I am thrilled with the outcome of today’s race as I really wanted to win again here. The conditions in Singapore are not the easiest for marathons but I enjoyed the race and I look forward to making it a hat-trick of wins next year,” said Kibet.

Coming in third in the men’s race was Vincent Krop Nyemw of Kenya. Albina Mayorova Ivanova of Russia emerged top of the field in the women’s full marathon category. Her winning time of 2:32:47 was exactly two minutes ahead of second-placed Lyubov Morgunova of Russia. Mary Akor Beasley of USA completed the top three with a time of 2:36:41.

In the Men’s Local category (full marathon), Mok Ying Ren clinched first place with a time of 2:43:42, with Ashley Liew finishing in 2:51:22 to secure the second place. Benny Goh took third place with a time of 2:56:44. Over in the Women’s Local category (full marathon), Qi Hui (3:15:25) piped Elaine Lim (3:23:00) to the finish line with Aileen Tan (3:39:16), rounding up the top three.

50,000 runners took to the streets for the eighth Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, with Guest-of-Honour Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr George Yeo flagging off the Full Marathon.

The annual event also saw people populating the streets as they cheered on the runners and enjoyed the various activities staged at the East Coast Park, the F1 Pit Building, as well as the Padang.

Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Sports Council Oon Jin Teik said, “The marathon is an excellent example of how sports events have the potential to contribute to society. It is fantastic to see so many involved in the event today and to witness this community spirit.”

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Physical Fitness Improves IQ Score

6 December 2009---Young adults who are fit have a higher IQ and are more likely to go on to university, reveals a study carried out at the Sahlgrenska Academy and Sahlgrenska University Hospital.

The study shows a clear link between good physical fitness and better results for the IQ test. The strongest links are for logical thinking and verbal comprehension. But it is only fitness that plays a role in the results for the IQ test, not strength.

“Being fit means that you also have good heart and lung capacity and that your brain gets plenty of oxygen,” says Michael Nilsson, professor at the Sahlgrenska Academy. “This may be one of the reasons why we can see a clear link with fitness, but not with muscular strength.

By analysing data for twins, the researchers determined that it is primarily environmental factors and not genes that explain the link between fitness and a higher IQ.

“We have also shown that those youngsters who improve their physical fitness between the ages of 15 and 18 increase their cognitive performance,” says Maria Ĺberg, researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy. “This being the case, physical education is a subject that has an important place in schools, and is an absolute must if we want to do well in maths and other theoretical subjects.”

The researchers have also compared the results from fitness tests during national service with the socio-economic status of the men later in life. Those who were fit at 18 were more likely to go into higher education, and many secured more qualified jobs.

The study involved 1.2 million Swedish men doing military service born between 1950 and 1976. The research group analysed the results of both physical and IQ tests when the men enrolled.

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Too Much Physical Activity May Lead To Arthritis

4 December 2009---Middle-aged men and women who engage in excessive physical activity may be damaging their knees and increasing their risk for osteoarthritis.

The study involved 236 asymptomatic participants who had not reported previous knee pain. They included 136 women and 100 men aged 45 to 55.

Subsequent MRI analysis by two musculoskeletal radiologists indicated a relationship between physical activity levels and frequency and severity of knee damage. Specific knee abnormalities identified included meniscal lesions, cartilage lesions, bone marrow edema and ligament lesions. Abnormalities were associated solely with activity levels and were not age or gender specific.

"The prevalence of the knee abnormalities increased with the level of physical activity," said Dr Christoph Stehling, M.D., research fellow in the Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at the University of California, San Francisco. "In addition, cartilage defects diagnosed in active people were more severe."

The findings also indicated that some activities carry a greater risk of knee damage over time.

"This study and previous studies by our group suggest that high-impact, weight-bearing physical activity, such as running and jumping, may be worse for cartilage health," Dr Stehling said. "Conversely, low-impact activities, such as swimming and cycling, may protect diseased cartilage and prevent healthy cartilage from developing disease."

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Say Hi To Lyo And Merly

24 November 2009---The official mascots for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (Singapore 2010), Lyo (pronounced as Leo) and Merly are ready to blaze the trail.

As mascots, Lyo, a lion cub, embodies the values of excellence and friendship, while Merly, a merlion, personifies excellence and respect. Through their acts and stories, they will promote the Olympic Values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect.  

Welcoming Lyo and Merly to the Singapore 2010 family, Mr Goh Kee Nguan, Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee, said, “As mascots for Singapore 2010, Lyo and Merly have to appeal to the international community and the youth. At the same time, they must also possess a strong Singapore’s identity. As the host city for the inaugural YOG, we hope to share our culture with friends around the world.”

From August to September 2009, the public were invited to name the mascots. About 375 entries were received from more than 20 countries. Lyo was named by Sean Pang, while Tung Chi Jun picked the name for Merly. Both Singaporeans, Sean and Chi Jun were amongst the first to meet Lyo and Merly in person.

Lyo is short for “Lion of the Youth Olympics”. A fun-loving sports lover, he hopes to inspire young people to keep fit and enjoy sports for life. He symbolises youth's boundless energy, their determination to live life to the fullest and zeal to strive for excellence.

Merly got her name from “mer” (meaning the sea) and “l y” stand for liveliness and youthfulness. A passionate advocate of the environment, she believes everyone has a role to play in working towards a sustainable future. She wants to encourage young people to play an active role in their communities and promote respect for one another.

Both Lyo and Merly will appear at many upcoming Singapore 2010 events to help create buzz and excitement for the Games. 

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More Than 50% Of Cheerleading Injuries In US Due To Stunts

16 November 2009---Although integral to cheerleading routines, performing stunts can lead to injury. Stunt-related injuries accounted for 60 percent of cheerleading injuries in the US from June 2006 through June 2007, according to a new study.

The study focused on general cheerleading-related injuries, cheerleading stunt-related injuries, cheerleading fall-related injuries and surfaces used by cheerleaders. Data showed that 96 percent of reported concussions and closed-head injuries were preceded by the cheerleader performing a stunt.

"In our study, stunts were defined as cradles, elevators, extensions, pyramids, single-based stunts, single-leg stunts, stunt-cradle combinations, transitions and miscellaneous partner and group stunts," said Brenda Shields, research coordinator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

The most common injuries were strains and sprains (53 percent) and injuries occurred most frequently during practice (83 percent). The top five body parts injured were the ankle (16 percent), knee (9 percent), lower back (9 percent) and head (7 percent).

The study also showed that nearly 90 percent of the most serious fall-related injuries were sustained while the cheerleaders performed on artificial turf, grass, traditional foam floors or wood floors.

"Only spring floors and 4-inch thick landing mats placed on traditional foam floors provide enough impact-absorbing capacity for two-level stunts," explained Shields. "There is a greater risk for severe injury as the fall height increases or the impact-absorbing capacity decreases, or both."

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 Playing Sports Has Benefits For Teenagers

10 November 2009---It has been found that playing team sports can have beneficial effects on both teenage boys and girls, according to a study.

Teen girls who played team sports said they fought less, were depressed less often and didn’t smoke as much. They showed 10 percent lower rates of fighting, 30 percent less depression, 50 percent less smoking and 10 percent less unhealthy weight loss habits compared with non-athlete girls.

Male athletes who played team sports also reported less depression and smoking. They showed 30 percent lower rates of depression and 20 percent less smoking.

“Sports team participation appears to have both protective and risk-enhancing associations,” said the study’s author, Susan M Conner from the Injury Prevention Center at University Hospitals' Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.

The study surveyed 13,000 US high school students to evaluate links between team sports and risky behaviour. About 60 percent of the boys reported they played team sports within the last year, compared with 48 percent of girls.

Some differences were also found. The boys who played team sports reported binge-drinking rates that were 40 percent higher and fighting 30 percent more often than non-athletes. The girls showed no link to drinking.

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Young Tennis Players Who Play Only Tennis More Prone To Injury

9 November 2009---Young athletes may find it a good idea to diversify their participation in sports, and not stick to only one sport.

Researchers who analysed 3,366 matches in United States Tennis Association junior competition found that players who specialised in only tennis were more likely to withdraw from tournaments for medical reasons, typically injuries.

Also, those who had experienced an injury or tennis-related illness during the past year were 5.4 times more likely to withdraw from a tournament for medical reasons.

"Parents, coaches and players should exercise caution if there is a history of prior injury," said Dr Neeru Jayanthi, lead author of the study. "And parents should consider enrolling their children in multiple sports."

The study is the latest in a series of studies Jayanthi and colleagues have conducted on young tennis players. Earlier studies found that:

  • Junior players are more likely to withdraw for medical reasons if they play five or more matches in a single tournament. "The heavy match volume takes its toll as the tournament progresses, and a relatively high number of these young tennis players not only sustain injury but are unable to compete any further," Jayanthi said.
  • Boys are more likely to withdraw for medical reasons than girls, and older teenagers are more likely to withdraw than younger adolescents.
  • Medical withdrawal rates are significantly higher in consolation and singles matches. In some cases, players withdraw for medical reasons - even when they are not hurt -to save their rankings or because they have lost interest in playing in consolation matches.

Injuries in young tennis players typically include muscle strains, ankle sprains, hip injuries, knee cap instability, stress fractures in the spine and tendonitis of the wrist and rotator cuff.

"But one injury you rarely see in kids is tennis elbow," Jayanthi said. "That's because they learn to hit the ball correctly."

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Athletes Of Youth Olympics To Learn About Going Green

31 October 2009, Edmonton, Canada---The Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) has partnered HortPark to share green initiatives and good environmental habits with the athletes of the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (Singapore 2010). 

HortPark will organise activities under “Exploration Journey”, one of seven Games-time Culture and Education Programme formats during the event. Athletes will explore HortPark’s themed gardens, learn about unique plants, and find out the impact of human intervention on the ecosystem.
 
“Environment protection and sustainable development is the third dimension of Olympism and the IOC‘s Sport and Environment Commission has been working with partners on programmes and activities that contribute to raising awareness about the importance of sustainable development in sport,” said Goh Kee Nguan, Chief Executive Officer, SYOGOC.
 
"Through the activities at HortPark, athletes will develop a greater appreciation for plants and understand the importance of caring for the environment. They will go on to become peer motivators to raise the awareness of environmental issues in their own communities," said Kong Yit San, Director of Parks, National Parks Board.

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Aerobic Exercise For Older Adults Helps Elasticity Of Arteries

26 October 2009, Edmonton, Canada---Just three months of physical activity reaps heart health benefits for older adults with type 2 diabetes by improving the elasticity in their arteries – reducing risk of heart disease and stroke.

"The theory is that aerobic activity makes your arteries less stiff and makes artery walls more elastic," said Dr Kenneth Madden, a geriatric specialist at the University of British Columbia. 

He studied adults aged 65 to 83 with controlled Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol to see how increased activity affected stiffness of the arteries.

The subjects were divided into two groups to either receive three months of vigorous physical activity (one hour, three times per week) or to get no aerobic exercise at all. They were classified as sedentary at the beginning of the study but gradually increased their fitness until they were working at 70 per cent of their maximum heart rate, using treadmills and cycling machines. 

An improvement was seen in the elasticity of the arteries of the group that performed the activity compared to those who didn't. "There was an impressive drop in arterial stiffness after just three months of exercise. In that time we saw a 15 to 20 per cent reduction."

Dr. Beth Abramson, spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, stresses the importance of lifestyle factors on heart health. "Almost everyone can benefit from active living. [...] The Foundation recommends that, like adults of any age, older adults – with the consent of their physicians − need 30 to 60 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week." 

Dr Abramson recommends that seniors choose activities they enjoy, such as walking, gardening, golfing, dancing, or joining a yoga or tai chi class. If weather is a barrier, she suggests climbing stairs at home, joining a mall-walking group, or strolling the halls of their apartment building or retirement residence.

Dr Madden added, "There seems to be a knee-jerk reluctance to getting these older adults to exercise yet we used a vigorous level of activity and didn't have any trouble keeping participants in our study. They enjoyed the activity. People always underestimate what older adults can do."

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Youth Presenters For Youth Olympics Revealed

24 October 2009---120 youth sports presenters for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games (YOG) have been introduced to the public.

Aged between 13 and 29, they will bring their personality and vitality to the Games. As sports presenters, they will be assigned to competition venues as announcers, commentators, hosts and mascot talent to enliven spectators’ experience during the Games.

The Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) organised 10 training camps between December  2008 and March 2009 where about 500 attended. From  this, 120 were selected. The selection is based on criteria such as overall   presentation skills, vocal quality and personality.

Said Cleo Chew, 16, chosen to be a presenter for gymnastics and volleyball, “What really got me is that this is the first YOG, it is quite cool  to be part of history. This is a first for me, to be able to interact with international youth athletes and huge crowds. I’ve learnt how to
handle spontaneous situations and pressure during competitions.”

Mr Goh Kee Nguan, Chief Executive Officer for SYOGOC shared, “As the faces of  the  Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, the presenters need to possess characteristics which  endear  them to the audience. Training will include how to be effective presenters as well as to equip the presenters with the relevant  knowledge  in  their  respective sports by going through National Technical Official courses. [...] They will be an important legacy for YOG after the Games  when  they continue to make sports more exciting and entertaining in future sporting events.”

Some  of  the presenters were provided with presenting opportunities at the Asian Youth Games (AYG) and Junior Hockey World Cup earlier this year.

Said Adam Osman, 23, who was involved in football and basketball presentations for the AYG, “I’m a big sports fan, I play sports, but I don’t think I  will be able to become a professional athlete. It is an amazing experience to become a sports presenter, it is the next best thing to me.”

Between  now  and  YOG next year, the presenters will continue to have opportunities to present at various sporting events and validation exercises.

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Supervised Strength Training More Effective

15 October 2009---Half of all Swedish elite volleyball players suffer at least one injury per season. One important reason may be that most players perform injury-preventing strength training without supervision.

All Swedish elite-level teams were invited to participate in the study, and 158 players returned the questionnaire that had been mailed out near the end of the volleyball season.

The responses show that about half of the players had been injured at least once during the season. Almost everybody performed some kind of injury-prevention activity, but a majority did it without supervision.

It was also shown that supervised strength training makes the athletes perform much better than when exercising alone. Two groups of volleyball players were given different exercise programmes. One group received personalised programmes that were performed under supervision, while members of the other group performed a standard programme unsupervised.

The former group improved their performance 50 percent more that the latter group. In addition, the proportion of injured players was smaller in the supervised group.

'I have a feeling that more athletes really stick to the programme and focus on the task if there is a coach present. Many players may feel that the strength and conditioning training is the boring part of their sport, which makes it tempting to "cheat" when nobody is watching,' says Augustsson.

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Exercise Improves Body Image For Everyone

10 October 2009---The simple act of exercise and not fitness itself can convince you that you look better, a new University of Florida study finds.

People who don't achieve workout milestones such as losing fat, gaining strength or boosting cardiovascular fitness feel just as good about their bodies as their more athletic counterparts, said Heather Hausenblas, a UF exercise psychologist.

The study by Hausenblas and graduate student Anna Campbell analyses the effects of exercise on body image by examining all intervention studies on the subject until June 2008. From 57 publications, they found conclusively that exercise buffed up the way people see their bodies regardless of the actual benefits.

"Body dissatisfaction is a huge problem in our society and is related to all sorts of negative behavior including yo-yo dieting, smoking, taking steroids and undergoing cosmetic surgery," she said. "It affects men and women and all ages, starting with kids who are as young as five years old saying they don't like how their bodies look."

The study found no difference in body image improvement between people who met the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines by exercising at least 30 minutes a day five days a week and those who did not.

In other results, the study showed slightly larger benefits from exercise in terms of improving body image for women than men.

"We believed the gap would be much bigger, but what could be coming into play is the rise of body image issues among men," she said. "We're seeing more media portrayals of the ideal physique for men rather than the overriding emphasis on women we did in the past."

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NFL Players Not More Likely To Develop Heart Disease Even After Retirement

30 September 2009, Dallas, USA---Former professional football players with large bodies don't appear to have the same risk factors for heart disease as their non-athletic counterparts.

Compared to other men in a similar age range, retired NFL players suffered less from diabetes, hypertension, sedentary lifestyles and metabolic syndrome, according to researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

"In fact, other factors such as age and high cholesterol levels were better predictors for heart disease than the body size of the former athletes in our study," said Dr Alice Chang, assistant professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern.

When body mass index standards are applied, more than half of all professional football players are considered obese, which is seen as an indicator for heart disease risk. Dr Chang said although a majority of them are not as fit and active after retirement, they still had fewer risk factors for heart disease than men of the same age and body size from the Dallas Heart Study.

Staying physically fit earlier in life might have offset the risks associated with a large body size, said Dr Benjamin Levine, a professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern.

The study examined 150 former pro athletes and 150 normal counterparts from the Dallas Heart Study with an average age of 55. The median BMI for both groups was higher than 31, which is considered to be in the obese range.

Retired NFL players didn't get a totally clean bill of health, however. As a group, they were found to develop similar amounts of coronary atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) as the group of non athletes. Although they were less likely to have diabetes, they had higher rates of pre-diabetes, high fasting blood-sugar numbers that increase their risk for developing diabetes in the future.

"The good news is that as long as you remain active and fit, even with a larger body, you can lower your risk for heart disease," said Dr Chang.

"The bad news is that being a professional athlete doesn't eliminate your risk for developing heart disease later in life. Even professional athletes may be at risk for developing heart disease as they age."

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Kids Have Fun At Sir Jackie's Golf Clinic

24 September 2009---What happens when three-time Formula 1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart and PGA Professional Coach Rick Stewart hold a golf clinic for dylexic youth?

The kids have lots of fun, that's what!

This was what happened when the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Group commemorated the second year of the 2009 FORMULA 1™ SingTel Singapore Grand Prix, with a golf clinic for dyslexic youth.

Organised by the Singapore Chapter of global golf charity, The First Tee, the clinic reflects Sir Jackie’s ongoing support for the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS).  It is also in line with RBS’ corporate sustainability objective which aims to help youth grow and develop through sports. 

At The First Tee Singapore’s chapter house at Minden Road, Sir Jackie, a RBS Ambassador and Stewart introduced golf to 15 youths from DAS. During the two-hour clinic, the children learnt basic golf shots such as chipping, putting and driving.

This golf clinic reinforces the relationship between Sir Jackie and DAS, of which he is a strong supporter. In his efforts to raise awareness of and improve teaching facilities for dyslexia, Sir Jackie – who is dyslexic – has cultivated contacts  within senior government ranks and key officials. He is also Vice President of the British Dyslexia Association and President of Dyslexia Scotland.

“I am very happy to be back in Singapore and to be with RBS for this event, using golf to reach out to dyslexic youth and helping them to grow and develop. [...] I am also very happy to once again meet the youth from DAS – it has always been a pleasure interacting with such promising young people,” said Sir Jackie.

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Exercise Good For Post-Menopausal Women Too

12 September 2009---Research has showned that postmenopausal women can get the same health benefits from regular, vigorous exercise as younger women do.

"The results are very encouraging for exercise without weight loss as an effective means for increasing vigour and controlling risk factors for chronic diseases in older women
," said study leader and exercise physiologist George Brooks, UC Berkeley professor of integrative biology.

Very few studies look at postmenopausal women, who are different because of decreased estrogen, decreased lean body mass and decreased aerobic capacity, said Zinta Zarins, a post-doctoral fellow at UC San Francisco.

"Despite changes in hormones and changes in body composition, postmenopausal women can make significant changes in their cardiovascular fitness without going on extreme diets."

Although the endurance training involved an hour's cycling on an exercise bike, five days a week, at 65 percent of maximum lung capacity, the researchers noted that less strenuous aerobic exercise would likely produce some benefit.

Participants increased their body's capacity to consume and use oxygen by about 16 % and dropped their resting heart rates by an average of 4 beats per minute. Brooks said after age 30, people lose the capacity to consume and use oxygen at about 1% per year.

"So, in effect, the women in our study had the cardiovascular and metabolic capabilities of women 16 years younger," he said.

The women's blood pressure during exercise dropped, while their heart rates were 19 beats per minute less when performing at the same intensity as early in the study. They also decreased their carbohydrate burning during exercise and increased their fat burning by about 10%.

Most participants noticed health benefits. Carol Nyhoff, who was 57 at the time of the study, said, "I pushed myself very hard to see how much I could do." Two weeks after the study ended, her acupuncturist told her she had the pulse of an athlete.

"I was really proud of my accomplishment and the fact that a lot of joint pain and malaise that I had been seeing the acupuncturist for was GONE two weeks after starting the study!"

Patti Owen, who was 54 when she participated, said: "Since we had to maintain our weight, the study taught me that losing weight isn't necessarily healthy, that exercise is what keeps us healthy and fit." "People were even noticing changes in my body shape, and I actually dropped about one size," she said. 

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Muscles Harder To Build As One Ages

12 September 2009, Nottingham, UK---As people age, their muscles get weaker, increasing the likelihood of falls and fractures.

A team of Nottingham researchers has shown that when older people eat, they cannot make muscle as fast as the young. They have also found that the suppression of muscle breakdown, which happens during feeding, is blunted with age. 

However, they think that weight training may “rejuvenate” muscle blood flow and help retain muscle for older people.

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Football And Wrestling Student Athletes Have Highest Rate Of Severe Injuries

3 September 2009, Columbus, Ohio---High school football and wrestling athletes experience the highest rate of severe injuries, according to a study.

These injuries caused high school athletes to miss more than 21 days of sport participation, among a nationally representative sample of high school athletes.

Overall, males experienced a higher rate of severe injuries. However, this difference was driven by the large number of severe injuries that occurred in football and wrestling. In directly comparable sports like soccer, basketball and baseball/softball, females sustained a higher severe injury rate.

In all sports studied, severe injury rates were higher in competition than in practice.

"Twenty-nine percent of severe injuries occurred to the knee, making it the most commonly injured body site," explained the study's co-author Christy Collins, CIRP research associate at Nationwide Children's Hospital. "The ankle accounted for 12 percent, followed by shoulder at 11 percent."

The most severe and common injury diagnoses were fractures (36 percent), complete ligament sprains (15 percent) and incomplete ligament sprains (14 percent). Commonly fractured body sites included the hand and finger (18 percent), ankle (14 percent) and wrist (11 percent).

"Severe injuries negatively affect athletes' health and often place an increased burden on the health care system," said study co-author Dawn Comstock, PhD, a faculty member of The Ohio State University College of Medicine. "Future research is needed to develop effective interventions to decrease the incidence and severity of high school sports injuries."

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Give Team Managers Time To Prove Themselves

21 August 2009---Premier League clubs with long-term managers are more successful than those who change their managers frequently, according to research at The University of Nottingham and Loughborough University.

The study, which uses data from the inception of the Premier League in 1992 until 2004, focuses on the short-term and long-term impact of manager change.

The average tenure for a Premiership manager is 1.38 years, compared to 3.12 years in 2002. Hence, there is immense pressure on managers to succeed in the Premier League, with poor results resulting in a reaction by sacking the manager.

Paul Hughes from Loughborough University feels the research underlines the desire in top-flight football to achieve instant success.

“Those Premiership clubs who retain the services of their manager for a longer period of time are more likely to have successful results. Sam Allardyce’s tenure at Bolton Wanderers is an excellent example of this. More recently, David Moyes’ tenure at Everton shows how giving managers sufficient time and allowing them time to address the problems within a club can lead to far greater achievements.”

Co-researcher Mat Hughes, from The University of Nottingham, said: “It takes time for the managers to reshape the team, its infrastructure, the scouting network, learn about players and the opposition. 

“One of the dangers is that sacking the manager, and the almost inevitable rotation of the coaching staff that goes with that event, causes a lot of important knowledge about the team’s strengths, weaknesses, preferences and capabilities to be lost." 

Managers should be given time to improve the club, team and address underlying weaknesses, before any decision to sack them is made. Decisions to sack a manager should be based on their ability to correct weaknesses and thus improve long-term performance, rather than analysing the ratio of wins against results.

The illusion of a short-term reprieve — when results improve following an appointment of a new manager — makes managers and owners believe that things are improving at the club. However, underlying weaknesses and strategic problems would cause performance to drop to previous levels until they are resolved.

The studies suggest the approach of sacking managers early and replacing them in the hope of improved performance is a fallacy, with the Loughborough research suggesting that manager change may take more than a year to effect strategic change.

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Basketball Star Ginóbili Promotes Education For Indigenous Children

12 August 2009---Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF Argentina and NBA star player Manu Ginóbili visited a school in Fontana, home to a sizeable indigenous population, to promote the 'Cities for Education' initiative, which promotes the right of all children and adolescents to complete their elementary and secondary studies.

This initiative reaches out to thousands of students from preschool to adult night school, as well as all school administrators and teachers in the province.

During his visit to the school, Ginóbili took part in a language class with the children and emphasised the importance of sport as a powerful tool for child development.

“I am delighted to share this time with the children and to talk about the importance of sport as a way to bridge between studies and fun and in increasing the likelihood that children will remain in school,” he said.

 

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Beetroot Juice Gives Stamina Boost

10 August 2009---Drinking beetroot juice boosts your stamina and could help you exercise for up to 16% longer.

A University of Exeter led-study showed how the nitrate contained in beetroot juice leads to a reduction in oxygen uptake, making exercise less tiring. It showed how drinking beetroot juice reduces oxygen uptake to an extent that cannot be achieved by any other known means, including training.

The research team believes the findings would be of interest to endurance athletes, elderly people or those with cardiovascular, respiratory or metabolic diseases.

The researchers are not yet sure of the exact mechanism that causes the nitrate in the beetroot juice to boost stamina. However, they suspect it could be a result of the nitrate turning into nitric oxide in the body, reducing the oxygen cost of exercise.

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Physical Inactivity Causes Health Problems For Americans

10 August 2009---As many as 50 million Americans live sedentary lives that put them at increased risk of health problems and even early death, said Professor Steven Blair, PED, an expert in exercise science.

Research has shown approximately 25 to 35 percent of American adults are inactive, meaning that they have sedentary jobs, no regular physical activity programme. In addition, they are generally inactive around the house or yard.

"This amounts to 40 million to 50 million people exposed to the hazard of inactivity," Blair said in an interview. "Given that these individuals are doubling their risk of developing numerous health conditions compared with those who are even moderately active and fit, we're looking at a major public health problem."

Blair's extensive research comes primarily from an ongoing study that began in 1970 and includes more than 80,000 patients. The researchers periodically measured the participants' body composition and body mass index, and each patient underwent a stress test. They also looked at other factors including the participants' medical histories.

Blair also highlighted the benefits of exercise on the mind, referring to recent evidence that activity delays the mind's decline and is good for brain health. He thinks psychologists can help patients understand the health hazards of being inactive and encourage people to look for more ways to get moving.

The message should be simple, he said: Doing something is better than doing nothing, and doing more is better than doing less, at least up to a point.

"We need numerous changes to promote more physical activity for all, including public policies, changes in the health care system, promoting activity in educational settings and worksites, and social and physical environmental changes. We need more communities where people feel comfortable walking."

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US Study Finds Increase In PE-related injuries

5 August 2009---Physical education (PE) is a major tool used to increase physical activity and prevent childhood obesity. However,  PE-related injuries are on the rise in the United States.

Although increasing physical activity can reduce obesity, it may also increase the risk of injury. While recognizing that PE classes and physical activity are important, parents and school administrators should remain vigilant for injuries.

A study conducted by the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, found that the number of PE-related injuries to elementary, middle and high school students in the United States increased 150 percent between 1997 and 2007.

According to the study, the most common PE-related injuries were lower-extremity sprains and strains (23 percent), followed by upper extremity sprains and strains (14 percent) and fractures (14 percent). Middle school-aged children (11-14 years old) accounted for the majority of PE-related injuries (52 percent). Elementary school-aged children (5-10 years of age) had almost double the odds of a head injury, compared with other injuries.

Nearly 70 percent of PE-related injuries occurred while children were participating in six activities (running, basketball, football, volleyball, soccer and gymnastics). Injuries were caused by contact with another person, playing surface, equipment, stationary structures, pulled muscles, overuse and activity-related illnesses such as heat stroke.

"The 150 percent increase in PE-related injuries presenting to emergency departments was consistent across gender and age groups. It is unlikely that this increase was attributable to an increase in PE participation," explained Lara McKenzie, PhD, principal investigator at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital.

"Identifying patterns of PE-related injuries is the first step toward preventing them. Injury prevention education should be made a priority for all PE activities, especially for those activities with the highest injury rates."

 

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Protective Gear Essential In Lacrosse

27 July 2009---Kevin Plancher, a New York sports orthopaedist recently emphasised the importance of protective gear. When talking about the sport of lacrosse, he said, "More than 450,000 youngsters between the ages of 2 and 18 play lacrosse in the US each year, according to a 2008 participation survey. Add in college, post- college and club players, and the number rises to half-a-million, a 40 percent jump since 2001.

He added: "The bad news is that lacrosse players continue to be injured in significant numbers because it's a rough, aggressive game. Using protective gear is a big part of keeping players healthy. It's also what's required to reduce injuries in both professional and amateur players nationwide."  

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Previous Exercise Helps Stroke Patients Recover Faster

19 July 2009---A person who has exercised regularly prior to the onset of a stroke appears to recover more quickly.

Researchers reported that stroke patients who had previously exercised regularly before suffering a stroke were more likely to have milder impairments and, thus, were better able to care for themselves, compared to patients who rarely exercised.

"Many studies have shown that exercise can reduce the risk of developing a stroke in the first place, and this study suggests that if an active person does have a stroke, outcomes can be improved," says Mayo Clinic neurologist James Meschia, M.D.

He cautions, however, that a larger study is needed to validate these findings, because this study depended on recall from 673 people who had a stroke. A new study could also help clarify whether moderate or vigorous exercise is necessary to improve outcomes, he says.

"It makes complete sense that a person who exercised before a stroke would recover quicker," Dr Meschia says. "A brain that generally has good blood and oxygen flow from aerobic exercise will be in a better position to compensate for neurological deficits caused by a stroke."

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Preseason Shoulder Strength May Determine Injury Severity For Baseball Pitchers

11 July 2009---Athletic injuries can derail any player's ability to compete, but for a baseball pitcher, his shoulder strength and control is critical. A new study suggests that testing a pitcher's shoulder strength through a series of exercises during the preseason may help create a focused strength training programme to prevent serious injury during the season.

"The ability to identify pitchers at risk for injury could be extremely valuable to a professional baseball organisation. Our study examined the predictive value of preseason strength measurements as they relate to in-season throwing injuries," said Ian Byram, lead author and orthopaedic surgery resident at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville.

The study measured the preseason shoulder strength for pitchers in a professional baseball organisation. Over five years, 144 major and minor league baseball pitchers were analysed. Prone internal rotation (IR), prone external rotation (PER), seated external rotation (SER) and supraspinatus (SS) strength were tested during spring training prior to each season. The players were then followed throughout the season for incidence of throwing-related injury.

The study illustrated a significant association between PER, SER and SS strength with throwing-related injuries requiring surgery. There was also some evidence for an association between the ratio of PER/IR strength and the incidence of injury.

"The shoulder and elbow are subjected to significant stresses during the pitching motion, placing them at risk for injury. By demonstrating an association between shoulder weakness and throwing-related injuries, we hope that future injuries might be prevented by focusing strength training programmes on those areas that are weakest," said Byram.

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Parents Have Influence Over Children's Participation In Sports

10 July 2009---Parents who value strenuous team sports are more likely to influence their children to join a team or exercise, and spend less time in front of the TV or computer.

Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Duke University studied a sample of 681 parents of 433 fourth- and fifth-graders from 12 schools in Houston. They found that those parents who conveyed the importance of high-intensity team sports to their children had more active children. Both the boys and girls watched less TV and spent less time on their computers.

However, endorsing all types of exercise – both team sports and individual sports – increased boys' activity levels but not girls'.

"The difference between activity levels in the girls and boys had to do with the parents' attitudes. Parents encouraged sons to partake in vigorous- and moderate-intensity team and individual sports, and vigorous-intensity home chores, such as heavy yard work, more than they encouraged these activities for their daughters," said lead author Cheryl Braselton Anderson. "There still is gender bias on encouraging boys to participate in certain sports and strenuous activities more than girls."

Parents' attitudes toward household chores had unexpected influences on children's attitudes and activity levels. "Cleaning house and doing laundry was associated with a decrease in boys' sport team participation and more TV watching," Anderson said.

"Right now, we do not know why, but it could be that active boys spend less time inside and more time outside, so staying inside may detract from outdoor activity with friends. Boys shared their parents' attitude about the importance of vigorous household activities (yard work, moving), whereas girls did not. Parents did not believe girls should do these activities, but girls did not agree."

More educated parents placed higher value on both vigorous- and moderate-intensity individual or team sports for boys but did not place as high a value for girls. And having more children in the family influenced whether the parents valued sports for girls: More children led to more interest in the girls' being active.

"Playing team sports, especially the more strenuous ones, really makes a difference in decreasing both boys' and girls' media use and making them more active," Anderson said. "It is a good idea for parents to adopt a positive attitude toward all types of vigorous physical activities for boys and girls and know that girls can and want to do them."

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Joining Girls Guides Can Make Girls More Active

26 June 2009---Girls typically are less physically active than boys, but a researcher has found that organizations like Girl Scouts provide an ideal setting to get girls moving early in life and to develop lifelong healthy habits.

Richard Rosenkranz, assistant professor in human nutrition at Kansas State University, did a study using interventions with Girl Scouts aged 10 and 11 years old. He trained group leaders to instruct exercise sessions and promote healthful eating, and in effect taught the girls about a healthy lifestyle and increased their participation in exercise activities.

"We were striving to get the girls and parents to spend some of their leisure time together being active and taking steps together for fun and health," he said.

"What we saw in the control troops was an environment where girls were sedentary for the vast majority of time at the meeting, combined with snacks that were less than health-promoting. This is just one part of a girl's weekly or bi-weekly experience, but it offers the chance to provide an opportunity and a message for health promotion."

Rosenkranz trained the group leaders as part of the intervention. They learnt about the background of intervention activities, which included nutrition, family meals, physical activity and family connection. They were also taught the expectations of being role models and providing a healthful environment at Girl Scout meetings, as well as new physically active games.

They also participated in walking, dancing, active games and yoga. "The intervention was focused on physical activities that could be done in or around the home, without special equipment, ideally involving the parents," Rosenkranz said.

He said the girls in the intervention troops were less sedentary than those not in the interventions. Additionally, the girls involved in the intervention performed higher levels of both moderate-intensity and moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise during troop meetings.

An important step of the intervention was involving the adults. Rosenkranz said adults should be involved in promoting physical activity to children, which can be done through providing formal and informal opportunities for children to be active, being active along with them and encouraging physical activity - or at least not discouraging it.

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Aerobically Unfit Likely To Develop Diabetes In Middle Age

19 June 2009---Most healthy 25 year olds don't stay up at night worrying whether they are going to develop diabetes in middle age.

However, many of them should be concerned. Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have found that adults aged 18 to 30 years old with low aerobic fitness levels are two to three times more likely to develop diabetes in 20 years than those who are fit.

The study also shows that young women and young African Americans are less aerobically fit than men and white adults in the same age group, placing many of them at risk for diabetes.

"People who have low fitness in their late teens and 20's tend to stay the same later in life or even get worse. Not many climb out of that category," said Mercedes Carnethon, assistant professor of preventive medicine. "People who have low fitness in their late teens and 20's tend to stay the same later in life or even get worse. Not many climb out of that category."

In the study, the most important predictor of who will develop diabetes is the participants' Body Mass Index (BMI), a measure of the body's fat content.

"The overwhelming importance of a high BMI to the development of diabetes was somewhat unexpected and leads us to think that activity levels need to be adequate not only to raise aerobic fitness, but also to maintain a healthy body weight," Carnethon said. "If two people have a similar level of fitness, the person with the higher BMI is more likely to develop diabetes."

Carnethon stressed that unfit young adults can avoid a future with diabetes by exercising and losing weight. "Research shows that combining regular physical activity with a carefully balanced diet can help most people maintain a healthy body weight and lower the likelihood of developing diabetes," she said.

This is the longest observational study to focus on the relationship between aerobic fitness and diabetes. It is the first to look at the development of diabetes over a 20-year period. Because diabetes develops over a long period of time, the number of people affected rises with age. Previous studies that followed adults for a shorter period of time may have stopped short before diabetes was diagnosed.

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Sleep Extension Improves Sports Performance And Mood 

9 June 2009---Athletes who extend their nightly sleep and reduce accumulated sleep debt have reported improvements in various drills conducted after every regular practice.

A study has shown that sleep extension in athletes was associated with a faster sprinting drill (approximately 19.12 seconds at baseline versus 17.56 seconds at end of sleep extension), increased hitting accuracy including valid serves (12.6 serves compared to 15.61 serves), and hitting depth drill (10.85 hits versus 15.45 hits).

According to Cheri Mah, M.S., researcher at the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Laboratory at Stanford University in CA., many athletes who participated in the study realised the importance of sleep and how it impacts their performance during competitions.

"Traditionally, elite athletes dedicate numerous hours to daily practice, strength training, and conditioning as well as work closely with nutritionists in hopes of optimising their athletic performance," said Mah.

"However, very little, if any, attention is focused on an athlete's sleeping patterns and habits. While most athletes and coaching staff may believe that sleep is an important contributing factor in sports, many do not realise that optimal or peak performance can only occur when an athlete's sleep and sleep habits are optimal."

The study included five students aged between 18 and 21, members of the Stanford Women's tennis team. Athletes maintained their habitual sleep/wake patterns for a two- to three-week baseline during their regular tennis seasons. Athletic performance assessments were reported after every practice throughout the study, including sprinting and hitting drills.

Athletes then extended their sleep, aiming for 10 hours a night for five to six weeks. Mood and daytime sleepiness were monitored and daily sleep/wake activities were monitored. The study was conducted during the regular tennis season to provide data during weekly practices as well as during tournaments and competitions.

Mah believes the findings would be pertinent to other sports, in that daytime sleepiness would be reduced and mood and athletic performance would improve, based on findings from initial trials of this study.

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Scientific Method Of Evaluating Basketball Players 

7 June 2009---Spanish and American researchers have developed a way to evaluate basketball players that will, they say, better meet the needs of trainers and players. This technique uses mathematical models to measure productivity.

"Efficiency and productivity in companies is often measured using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) technique, and what we have done is to apply the same method to basketball players," José Luis Ruiz, a researcher at the Miguel Hernández University.

"We have based this new technique on the same data used by the ACB League (the Spanish basketball league) in order to assess players, but we obtain more information, and this is better adapted to what basketball trainers and experts are looking for", he said.

Until now, the evaluation index for players has been calculated using statistical performance indicators. Each positive aspect (shooting, rebounds or assists) is scored as +1, while negative aspects, like losing possession of the ball, result in a point being removed.

"This traditional form of evaluation assigns the same value to all the factors, but people from the world of basketball do not believe that all faults merit losing the same amount of points to those gained for scoring or recovering a rebound, and that's why we've incorporated the opinion of these experts", explained Ruiz.

The mathematical models applied encompass aspects such as points scored, hat tricks, free shots, scoring percentage, rebounds, assists, "ball stealing" and other factors, as well as their relative importance. In addition, the position of the player (whether a centre, point guard, etc) is also considered.

The researchers used the method to analyse all the players in the ACB League, by position, for the 2003-2004 season, although it could be applied to any other. The results showed that of the 41 players analysed in the point guard position, Elmer Bennett and Louis Bullock were the most effective, while the best centres were Kornel David, Rubén Garcés, K. Kambala, Brent Scott and Kevin Thompson.

"In general, the DEA classifies companies or, as in this case players, as efficient if they produce the best results with equal or less resources, and as inefficient if their performance is far behind that of the first group", Ruiz concluded.

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Exercise More If You Have Lower Back Pain

1 June 2009---People with lower back pain are better off exercising more, not less.

A University of Alberta study of 240 men and women with chronic lower-back pain showed that those who exercised four days a week had a better quality of life, 28 per cent less pain and 36 per cent less disability, while those who hit the gym only two or three days a week did not show the same level of change.

"While it could be assumed that someone with back pain should not be exercising frequently, our findings show that working with weights four days a week provides the greatest amount of pain relief and quality of life," said Robert Kell, an assistant professor of exercise physiology at the University of Alberta, Augustana Campus.

In the study, groups of 60 men and women with chronically sore lower backs exercised with weights in two, three or four-day weekly programmes, or not at all. Their progress was measured over 16 weeks. The level of pain decreased by 28 per cent in programmes that included exercise four days a week, by 18 per cent three days a week and by 14 per cent two days a week. The quality of life, defined as general physical and mental well-being, rose by 28 per cent, 22 per cent and 16 per cent respectively.

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Cereal And Milk: The Next Big Thing In Sports Supplements?

14 May 2009---Before you reach for that pricey fancy-looking sports drink, consider the humble cereal and milk.

Researchers led by exercise physiologist Lynne Kammer from The University of Texas at Austin investigated the post-exercise physiological effects of the foods. The subjects included 12 trained cyclists, 8 male and 4 female.
 
The exercise protocol was designed to reflect a typical exercise session. After a warm-up period, the subjects cycled for two hours at a comfortable work rate, rather than the more frequently seen test-to-exhaustion.

"Our goal was to compare whole grain cereal plus milk — which are ordinary foods — and sports drinks, after moderate exercise," said Kammer.

"We wanted to understand their relative effects on glycogen repletion and muscle protein synthesis for the average individual. We found that glycogen repletion, or the replenishment of immediate muscle fuel, was just as good after whole grain cereal consumption and that some aspects of protein synthesis were actually better".

"Cereal and non-fat milk are a less expensive option than sports drinks. The milk provides a source of easily digestible and high quality protein, which can promote protein synthesis and training adaptations, making this an attractive recovery option for those who refuel at home".

The researchers concluded that, for amateur athletes and moderately physically active individuals who are trying to keep in shape, popping into the kitchen for a quick bowl of whole-grain cereal with a splash of skimmed milk may be a smarter move than investing in a high-priced sports drink.

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Extra Support Leads To More Daily Exercise

6 May 2009---Increased daily exercise can prevent diabetes and cardiovascular disease in obese women, but getting started and maintaining new habits is a challenge.

However, a study by Karolinska Institutet shows that extra support and encouragement can help more women to exercise to and from work.

"Physically active transport is probably our best bet for helping populations at risk of heart disease and diabetes to increase physical activity levels, since we have to spend time getting to and from work anyway," says Dr Erik Hemmingsson, who led the research.

The study involved 120 obese and unfit women between 30 and 60 with a waist circumference of at least 88 centimetres. They were randomly assigned to a control group that focused on walking and an intervention group that focused on cycling.

The control group was given pedometers and attended two two-hour group meetings, at which they were encouraged to walk to and from work to attain a daily step count of 10,000. The cycling group received the same support plus three individual consultations with a physician, who provided each women with a Physical activity on Prescription (PaP) specifically encouraging them to cycle to and from work. They also attended group meetings and were lent a bicycle during the 18 months.

The results show that a larger proportion of the women in the intervention group (39%) cycled two kilometres or more per day than the women in the control group (9%).

"Bearing in mind that many of the women in the cycling group hadn't been on a bike since they were children, it was gratifying to see that so many of them actually managed to cycle regularly to work," says Dr Hemmingsson.

Roughly the same proportion of women in both groups achieved the goal of 10,000 steps a day which suggests that cycling does not have to detract from daily walks.

"The support programme given to the intervention group was deliberately not particularly expensive since we wanted the programme to be a feasible option for primary care," adds Dr Hemmingsson. "A positive side-effect was that car-driving dropped by 34 per cent."

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Emotional Support Can Lead To Sporting Success

2 May 2009---Athletes can get the edge on their opponents by accepting more emotional support in their personal and professional lives.

A study by the University of Exeter shows the extent to which a sympathetic ear or regular words of encouragement can improve sports performance.

Previous studies by the university have linked 'social support' to performance in golf and other sports. Now, for the first time, researchers have tested the importance of social support by providing individually-tailored support to sportsmen and then measuring its impact on performance.

The study focused on three male golfers, who competed at regional, national and international level. For half of the study, they were each given regular one-on-one support by the lead researcher, Dr Paul Freeman of the University of Exeter.

Dr Freeman offered a range of support including listening to the golfers as they talked through their problems, offering encouragement and reassurance before competitions, and helping with practical issues, such as organising accommodation during competitions. To provide comparative data, the researchers recorded the performance of the three golfers prior to receiving the support from Dr Freeman.

All three golfers performed better when they were receiving support. The players improved by an average of 1.78 shots per round, which could be significant at high-level golf.

Dr Freeman said: "The benefits of social support on sports performance have been demonstrated in previous studies. In this study we have taken our understanding of the significance of social support a step further. By actually providing support to the golfers we were able to measure the actual improvement in performance. It is significant that the support I offered, as a relative stranger, had such a marked influence on their results. The findings suggest that amateur and professional athletes would benefit from seeking social support, whether this is from a friend or family member or even from a professional."

The researchers believe their findings would be relevant for other sports. Social support has been shown to influence other areas of life, including work performance. Previous research has also identified its role in addressing health issues such as weight loss and smoking cessation. Therefore, these findings could have wide-reaching relevance.

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Athletes With Asthma Need More Help

29 April 2009---For athletes with asthma, the dangers of the condition can be as mild as impacting athletic performance or so severe to be incapacitating or deadly.

“We wanted to see how well asthma is being managed in athletes competing at the NCAA level,” says Jonathan Parsons, clinical assistant professor of internal medicine at Ohio State University in the US. “Evidence has shown that outcomes are better when an athlete has an asthma attack and the proper help is available.”

“Since it’s impossible to predict an asthma attack, we need to be prepared for when it happens,” he adds.

Pulmonary and sports medicine researchers sent electronic surveys, with questions related to the diagnosis and management of exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB), to 3,200 athletic trainers in NCAA sports medicine programs. More than one-fifth of the 541 responses indicated that they had an asthma management protocol at their institution. Slightly more reported having a pulmonologist on staff.

Approximately 17 percent reported screening athletes for EIB, 39 percent indicated a rescue inhaler does not have to be available at all practices and 41 percent say an inhaler does not have to be present at all games.

The results suggest an overwhelming majority of NCAA sports medicine programmes do not adhere to national asthma guidelines.

“Research data supports testing athletes for asthma when it’s suspected, having inhalers immediately on-hand and asthma specialists as part of their care,” says Parsons.

Exercise-induced asthma occurs when airflow to the lungs is reduced due to narrowing and closing of the airways in association with exercise. This airway obstruction usually occurs just after exercise and is much more common in college athletes than in the general population. Symptoms include coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath.

According to Parsons, athletes often ignore symptoms of EIB, perceiving the condition as an indication of poor performance or simply being out of shape.

Exercise is one of the most common triggers of bronchospasm in patients with chronic asthma, with exercise-induced asthma occurring in approximately 80 to 90 percent of individuals with known asthma. Ten percent of the general population has an unrecognised history of chronic asthma and only experience symptoms of asthma during exercise.

Parsons says that costs associated with inhalers, staff pulmonologists and compliance should be viewed as minimal in comparison to protecting the health of our student-athletes.

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Keepimg Slim Is Good For The Planet

21 April 2009---Maintaining a healthy body weight is good news for the environment, according to a study.

Because food production is a major contributor to global warming, a lean population will consume almost 20% less food and produce fewer greenhouse gases than a population in which 40% of people are obese, according to Phil Edwards and Ian Roberts of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine's Department of Epidemiology and Population Health.

Transport-related emissions will also be lower because it takes less energy to transport slim people. The researchers estimate a lean population of 1 billion people would emit 1,000 million tonnes less carbon dioxide equivalents per year compared with a fat one.

In nearly every country in the world, average body mass index (BMI) is rising. Between 1994 and 2004, the average male BMI in England rose from 26 to 27.3, with the average female BMI rising from 25.8 to 26.9 (about 3 kg heavier). Humankind - be it Australian, Argentinian, Belgian or Canadian - is indeed getting fatter.

When it comes to food consumption, moving about in a heavy body is like driving around in a gas guzzler, say the authors. 'The heavier our bodies become, the harder and more unpleasant it is to move about in them and the more dependent we become on cars.

Staying slim is good for health and for the environment. We need to be doing a lot more to reverse the global trend towards fatness, and recognise it as a key factor in the battle to reduce emissions and slow climate change, they conclude.

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Obstacles To Walking And Biking To Work 

14 April 2009---Active commuting - walking or biking to school or work - can be an easy, effective and efficient way to integrate physical activity into the daily routine.

Pam Wittman, a K-State senior in kinesiology worked with K-State's Melissa Bopp and Andy Kaczynski, both assistant professors of kinesiology, on the active commuting research.

Just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day is enough for health benefits, and small bouts of exercise throughout the day (as little as 10 minutes) provide the health payoff, according to revised guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Among the campus findings: students were most likely to actively commute, then faculty members, and then staff. Women and men were equally interested in walking or biking. Older individuals were less likely to actively commute than younger individuals.

Depending on distance to campus, those living within a 20-minute walk actively commuted four times per week, and those within a 20-minute bike ride, biked to campus five times per week.

Many participants said they were willing to actively commute if they perceived they could travel to their destination in about 20 minutes -- or a distance of approximately one mile.

The K-State researchers found some things that facilitated people's choices to actively commute. "People who hold ecologically-friendly attitudes are more likely to actively commute and less likely to drive to work," Bopp said. The finding was interesting and she said future programmes promoting active commuting could emphasise the eco-friendliness of it as a selling point.

Some hindrances included a perceived lack of bike racks, showers or a place to freshen up before work or teaching, and an "office culture" where driving to work is the norm and there is limited support for walking or biking. Respondents also listed time constraints, weather, a need to go elsewhere before or after work or school; parking availability; parking costs; concerns about the environment, such as pollution; cost of gasoline; safety from traffic and crime; and the terrain they have to traverse.

Kaczynski said that if bike lanes and sidewalks are a consideration of city and county engineers whenever roads have to be renovated it could benefit public health. "Policymakers ought to weigh the cost of installing sidewalks or widening roads for bike lanes and the positive health benefits of physical activity.

"There are long-term economic costs to society of obesity, cancers and heart disease," Kaczynski said. "There are emotional costs of people suffering because physical activity is actually being engineered out of our lives by having poor streets and other factors related to urban design."

Mixed land use, where residential areas, commercial opportunities, parks, and workplaces are close and connected, provides more chances for people to engage in physical activity for leisure or for purposeful transportation, Kaczynski said. "We see some areas of Manhattan where people can live, work and play all within a relatively short distance, but for large portions of Manhattan, such opportunities are limited by the way the neighborhoods are developed," he said.

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Public Transit Users More Likely To Be Fit

28 March 2009, British Columbia, Canada---A new study by the University of British Columbia suggests taking public transit may help you keep fit.

The studyfound that people who take public transit are three times more likely than those who don't to meet the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada's suggested daily minimum of physical activity.

Doctoral student Ugo Lachapelle and Assoc. Professor Lawrence Frank of the UBC School of Community and Regional Planning used 4,156 travel surveys from metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, to examine whether transit and car trips were associated with meeting the recommended levels of physical activity by walking.

Because transit trips by bus and train often involve walking to and from stops, the study found that users are more likely to meet the recommended 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day, five days a week.

According to the study, people who drove the most were the least likely to meet the recommended level of physical activity.

"The idea of needing to go to the gym to get your daily dose of exercise is a misperception," says Frank.

"These short walks throughout our day are historically how we have gotten our activity. Unfortunately, we've engineered this activity out of our daily lives."

The researchers conclude that making transit incentives more broadly available may produce indirect health benefits by getting people walking, even if it's just in short bouts.

"This should be appealing to policy makers because it's easier to promote transit incentives - such as employer-sponsored passes or discount fares - than to restructure existing neighbourhoods," says Frank.

The research could have major implications for urban planning and public transit development, Lachapelle says.

"You don't necessarily have to rebuild communities or make major investments in infrastructure to promote public health," he says. "There are things we can do in the interim, such as encourage people to drive less, and adapt their lifestyles which will get people more physically active and generate fewer greenhouse gasses."

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Indoor Cycling Found To Reduce Migraine Suffering

28 March 2009---While physical exercise has been shown to trigger migraine headaches among sufferers, a new study found that indoor cycling is well tolerated by patients. The findings show that the activity decreased the frequency of headaches and improved quality of life.

The study used a sample of migraine sufferers who were examined before, during and after an aerobic exercise intervention. The program was based on indoor cycling (for continuous aerobic exercise) and was designed to improve maximal oxygen uptake without worsening the patients’ migraines.

After the treatment period, patients’ maximum oxygen uptake increased significantly. There was no worsening of migraine status at any time during the study period. During the last month of treatment, there was a significant decrease in the number of migraine attacks, the number of days with migraine per month, headache intensity and amount of headache medication used.

Individuals with headache and migraine typically are less physically active than those without headache. Patients often avoid exercise, resulting in less aerobic endurance and flexibility.

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Updated 21 December 2009.
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