All posts tagged Sports Medicine

The beverage industry produces enough soda for every American to consume 52-gallons each year. Although its a mind-boggling amount, the fact of the matter is their industry is stagnating. With soda sales flat, theyre turning to newer products. One of their most popular markets is the educational system. Marketed under the guise of being healthier than plain water, and an implication they are more efficient at meeting hydration needs, sports drinks have become a prominent fixture in many schools. But do they meet those claims, or are they just contributing to the obesity epidemic among U.S. children?

Research by the American College of Sports Medicine has shown that for exercise lasting less than one hour, water is the preferred method of meeting hydration needs. Their research suggests that the loss of electrolytes and carbohydrates from exercise meeting this requirement does not require the burst supplied by sports drinks that one typically gets from a modern sports drink. Their research also has shown that for activities lasting more than one hour, or occurring under intense heat, there are benefits to using sports drinks for hydration. The rapid and continuous loss of minerals under these conditions presents a risk to participants, and replenishing them rapidly improves hydration and athletic performance.

Interestingly enough, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the consumption of water, or a salt-containing flavored beverage to maintain hydration. Not only do they suggest such drinks, but the recommend children consume them regularly, regardless of whether they are thirsty.

Nutritional experts are beginning to question the need for having sports drinks available to kids during regular school hours. The logic of such an argument is that the activities occurring during regular school hours can not justify the extra calories kids consume when drinking these drinks. It has also been suggested that the extra electrolytes, which are just salt compounds, may even contribute to rising blood pressure among kids, when consumed in the absence of physical exertion. While the suggestions are controversial, most regulators are recommending limiting access during school hours, but making these beverages available during after school events and practices.

It seems inevitable that eventually, these drinks will be deemed of little nutritional or functional value for regular school day activities. After all, it doesnt seem reasonable to assume that kids or teens are at risk of becoming deficient in electrolytes while walking between classes. While they certainly offer benefits when consumed during intense exercise, theres little evidence to support the idea that they offer any positive benefits for normal day-to-day activity.

We all have our own preferences when it comes to work. They often say that people who love what they do are lucky because they get to fulfill their dreams and earn for their living, all at the same time. This is very applicable to those who have decided to go into a sports medical career. Aside from practicing their profession as a medical practitioner they also get a firsthand experience in watching their favorite sport and helping out athletes. This may be physically demanding and may involve a lot of travelling but the fact still remains that a lot of people enjoy doing it. If you are interested to learn more, here are some things that you look into:

A sports medical career covers a wide range of jobs. You can be a physical trainer, a rehabilitation specialist, nutritionist, physician, and so on. Before you do this you have to decide on the type of sport you want to be involve in, that way you can carefully study all the possible problems that you will encounter.

Before you get the title, you have to undergo a lot of schooling, training and specialization. Since there are different careers in this field, you have to decide on a particular area and go through residency training. A lot of universities offer this course, make sure that you choose an institution that can train you well and can give you what you need.

Sports medicine salary will depend on your specialty and on your experience. The possibility to earn a lot is quite big, since large amounts of money are invested in sports. There are a lot of factors that will affect your salary but what greatly affects it is the field that you decide to specialize in. For example people who are directly involved in injury rehabilitation will earn more than a nutritionist. Make sure you weigh these things carefully before making any decision.

People who are in this field usually take in a general responsibility for most athletes. They work on the holistic aspect of each person and they make sure that they cover all the concerns including the prevention and treatment of their injuries. They make sure that the athletes will be fit enough to play on the field so that they can maximize their capabilities.

At present, more people are venturing out in this career. People who are involved in sports are growing bigger and this means that the opportunity for sports medical career will also follow the same path. The business side of sports will always make sure that their players are in good condition and so they will make it a point to hire people who can efficiently handle different situations.

Its good to know that there are people who directly handle the health of athletes, considering the risk that they put in every time they go out in the field. Aside from that, this can also offer a lot of opportunities to those who are interested to work in the field of Sports Medicine.