In the news: exercise and depression

Depression May Slow Exercise Recovery

December 1, 2011

By: Anahad O'Connor

Exercise and Depression

This article talks of how people that have clinical depression take longer to bring their heart rates down after some exercise. It is believed that this is connected to shorter lifespans. The shorter lifespan is due to heart issues in clinically depressed people or people with heart issues that develop clinical depression. This all may having something to do with the stress response not working properly. Exercise should still be done because it still does help to relieve some of the symptoms of depression and other mood disorders, the study was done on an acute stress test.

As some of my articles show, I am really interested in the nutrition and mental issues. This one fits in just well. Signs of depression are things we could see everyday and we could play a role in helping prevent it from developing further. High school is a time when these kids are going through lots of changes and are being exposed to different kinds of stresses. Even though we can't counsel them, we can be that listening ear and give them referrals to different services.

In the news: the lingering effects

Two Ex-Jets Have Moved On, but Concussion Effects Linger

November 20, 2011

By: William C. Rhoden

ex-Jets and postconcussions

This article talks about two former Jets players that were forced to retire because of the number and severity of the concussions that they sustained. They live their lives now with families and other jobs but still experience some post-concussion symptoms. However they don't want to talk of how serious they are or how often they experience them. One of the guys has two children that are playing flag football right now and knowing the risks of the sport makes it hard for him to allow his children to play. Neither of the guys would change anything and happy to have played.

Hopefully this article shows coaches, athletes and parents just how serious concussions are. It is very important to monitor the athlete and have them inform the athletic trainer of any changes they notice. As athletic trainers, we need to encourage coaches to make sure they are teaching proper tackling techniques and doing as much as they can to prevent and educate on concussions. From the article, the guys talk about how equipment may not be able to handle the hits that are coming from the players nowadays because they are getting faster and stronger. Would improving the equipment help prevent concussions or just give the athletes the feeling that they can hit harder?

In the news: there is an app for that

A new app for counting calories

November 3, 2011

By: Anahad O'Connor

An app for that

Technology is changing everything today. Smartphones allow for the capability to download apps to do almost anything and one thing that is being worked on is a new app to help count calories. I feel as though athletes are always wanting to know how to count their calories and how to control what they eat and this new app may seem like a step in that direction. The article does point out that this new app wouldn't be able to tell what is in some foods, however that could be something that is needed to be put in before it is sent off. I think that this would be a useful tool for athletes to use if they owned a smartphone. I still feel that knowing how to count calories on your own, with the aid of internet resources and books, is a good skill to have. Especially as an athletic trainer we should be able to help guide athletes in counting their calories and maximize their knowledge on the topic. Technology is a good thing to use and be familiar with but I don't think it should be the only source of information.

In the news: to rest or not to rest

When doing nothing is the best medicine

October 20, 2011

By: Danielle Ofri, M.D.

"Don't just stand there, do something!"

I feel this is something hard to do for an athletic trainer and even more hard for an athlete to accept. When an athlete comes in with a pain that has been going on for awhile, depending on the type of pain there isn't much we can do. I always want to help people right away and give them that instant fix but sometimes rest is the only answer. Yes there are some injuries that can have answers right away but just because some injuries have immediate answers doesn't mean that we have to try to find one for everything. Even though this article doesn't relate exactly to athletics, its message can be applied to the field. There will always be those athletic trainers that come up with an answer right away where as others may wait a little while before acting.

In the news: Number of visits to the ER rise

ER Visits For Kids With Concussions Up, Says CDC

Doctor: Early Detection, Treatment Are Key To Preventing Serious Complications

October 7, 2011

By Matt Sloane, CNN

ER visit numbers with concussions increase

Concussions have been a hot topic and they still are.  This article shows that coaches and parents are becoming more educated in the area of concussions.  When I first read the title of this article I was a little concerned.  After I read a little into the article, it was a nice surprise to see that the numbers have increased because of the knowledge people are gaining on concussions.  All of the hard work with the stress on education is starting to pay off and it is nice to read something about concussions that isn't connected to the injury.  Including the signs and symptoms is a nice way to continue the education to people reading the article that might not know otherwise.  To read the full article, click on the link above.

As an athletic trainer this makes me feel good about the coaches and parents taking action on the prevention of concussions.  By sending these kids to the ER they are ruling out a very serious injury that could have lasting effects.  With the progress of concussion education, what other topics could use more education to coaches and parents and the athletes?

Here is some food for thought

Images: How Much Exercise Will Burn That Food? - Photos - WCVB Boston

Something in the news ....

Exercise and the brain


How exercise can strengthen the brain.
By Gretchen Reynolds
September 28, 2011


I found this article very interesting because the scientists thought to check the activity in the already existing brain cells and mitochondria and not the fact that new mitochondria's were being produced. The conclusions that they drew from the experiment on the mice was that there was more mitochondrial activity was taking place from the brain cells. With more mitochondrial activity it is believed that this could help with cell revitalization which would then in turn help with mental fatigue. I like how they also mention that they knew it was being performed on mice and that it may not be the same relation to humans but exercise will still be beneficial.


I felt like this would be helpful for high school kids because I feel as though they should all be exercising. If exercise was implemented more regularly then it could potentially help with school. High school kids are still growing and still developing so by keeping the brain active and gaining more mitochondria's they will be keeping more than just their bodies fit. Also this study showed that it could help with the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases which to me would be important because I believe in prevention and even though this hasn't been proven yet, exercise performed correctly wouldn't hurt. Working on preventing things can help to further an athlete's sports performance and work on their mental fatigue.

Just remember ....

What you see in the magazines and on the billboards isn't always what the model looks like.  Not everyone looks like this, but with the right technology and airbrushing, anyone could.  Don't let these images make you think you're not pretty!  

My Philosophies

Philosophies are important for professionals to have. They give them something to stand by as well as something to keep in mind when dealing with difficult situations. As I am going through this program, I am starting to develop my own philosophies towards athletic training while also thinking about the mission of the NATA's.

One of my first beliefs is that the best interest for the athletes needs to come first. If the athlete sustains an injury then their recovery needs to be progressed at a rate that is good for them. A swollen ankle could heal at a different rate for each person. These are all could be case by case. Some coaches could be really pushy and want to get their player back, especially if it is one of their number one players. I know this can be hard for an athlete or coach to hear when the player needs to sit for a few.

Another thing that I believe is that an athlete should strengthen the injured area after it has healed to help prevent re-injury. Strengthening could also begin before the area has completely healed, they would just have to make sure it was within the athletes tolerance and that they didn't push themselves too far. Athletic trainers need to get athletes back to competition as quickly as possible and strengthening is a way to help keep the athlete performing. The health of an athlete is very important.

Going along these lines, gaining the trust of an athlete is something I feel is very important as well. If an athletic trainer can gain the athletes trust then working with them and getting them to do rehabilitation exercises will be much easier. Also when an athlete trusts you then they will feel more comfortable coming up to you and asking you questions or talking about things going on in their life. Last year I spent the whole year at high schools and it was noticeable when they trusted you and felt more comfortable. It was like a light switch was turned on and they would ask me questions and just come up and talk to me.

Nutrition is an area that is changing and the most recent knowledge on it should be obtained. One way to try and gain the athletes trust is being able to help them when they come up with questions about what foods to eat and if they wanted to diet, what the safest way would be. I feel like high school kids have all sorts of questions about nutrition and an athletic trainer should be able to educate them on the questions they have.

Continuing education is an area that should also be followed up by the athletic trainer. This is very important because techniques are changing every day and so isn't the information in the health world. We need to be on top of our game and try our best to have the most up-to-date information for our athletes. Our main goal is to keep our athletes healthy and get them back to competition and if we don't stay current, then we may be using methods that aren't as effective. Each one of these philosophies draws on the others and by improving one, a chain reaction will occur helping to improve the others.