SPORTS AND EXERCISE.
Sports has been defined as an activity that one does for pleasure and that needs physical effort or skill, usually done in a special area according to fixed rules.
A person who plays a particular sport is called by the name of that particular sport e.g. Some one who plays football is called a footballer. Some one who plays basketball is called a baskeballer. Etc.
Hence, it has been noted that sports helps to improve our health conditions. This can be done through exercise. What is exercise?.Exercise, activity that results in contraction of skeletal muscle. The term is usually used in reference to any activity that promotes physical fitness. Although muscle contraction is the common element of all forms of exercise, many other organs and systems are affected, for example, the heart and lungs. Many people also find that regular exercise enhances their sense of mental well-being along with their general physical health.
THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE.
The benefits of exercise are far-reaching. Clinical and epidemiological studies have demonstrated that regular aerobic exercise reduces the risk of death due to heart disease and stroke, aids in reducing weight, helps prevent diabetes mellitus, strengthens bones, and enhances immune function. The psychological benefits are also broad, and most studies suggest a positive relationship between physical fitness and mental achievement.
The relationship between regular aerobic exercise and cardiovascular health and longevity is well established. Regular exercise leads to a reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease, in which fatty deposits (plaque) form in blood vessels supplying the muscular wall of the heart, compromising oxygen delivery to the heart muscle. In addition, with regular exercise the efficiency of the heart during exercise is increased.
Many people exercise to lose weight. A calorie is a unit that measures the energy content of foods and the energy expenditure by the body. When the daily calorie intake from food is the same as calories expended from exercise, weight remains the same. The number of calories burned during exercise varies greatly with the type of physical activity, but the key to successful weight reduction is to exercise regularly, without increasing food intake proportionally. For example, walking one hour per day may utilize only 300 calories of energy per day, a small fraction of an individual's daily caloric intake. But over a period of time, if food consumption is simultaneously reduced or remains the same, significant weight loss will result. One sound approach to reducing calories is to eat healthier foods that contain more fiber and less fat, and therefore fewer calories. This type of diet has also been proven healthier for the heart and blood vessels.
One area of controversy has been how much exercise is enough to improve general health, reduce the risk of heart disease, and increase longevity. Meaningful studies on this topic are very difficult to perform because they require large populations of subjects and many years of data collection, and because poor health sometimes results in limitations to physical activity. Despite these difficulties, it is clear that regular exercise, along with a generally healthy lifestyle, is beneficial. People who have sedentary lifestyles make up half the population of industrialized societies, and this group has the most to gain by exercising. One recent U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) panel suggested that as little as 30 minutes every day of purposeful, moderately strenuous physical activity—for example, rapid walking or lawn mowing—is sufficient to lower the risk of heart disease. There is no conclusive evidence to prove that an especially rigorous exercise routine, such as running many miles per day, as opposed to walking or jogging daily, will add years to a person's life.
SPORTS NEWS.
The Newcastle forward Obafemi Martins has been recalled to the Nigerian squad for the opening game of the final phase of the qualifying for the 2010 world cup this month.
The super eagles plays Mozambique on the 28 of this month.
Other players called are. Vencent Enyeaama,Taiwo,Yobo,Obinna Nwaneri, Chidi Odiah, Dele Adeleye, Onyekachi Apam, Yusuf Mohammed, Mikel Obi, Kalu Uche, Kaita, Osaze Odemwingie,Olufemi Ajilora KANU, Ikechukwu Uche, Chinedu Obasi Obinna Nsofor Joseph akpala.
Sports Medicine
INTRODUCTION
Sports Medicine, medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of athletic injuries and with the effects of exercise on the human body. Sports medicine is also concerned with the evaluation and enhancement of athletic performance. The practice of sports medicine is not restricted to physicians: athletic trainers, coaches, and specialists in exercise physiology, bioengineering, physical therapy, and chiropractic are also involved in the field.
ATHLETIC INJURIES
A primary focus of sports medicine is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of injuries that occur during sports or exercise. Acute athletic injuries are those that develop suddenly and last six months or less. Some acute injuries, such as dehydration, heat stroke, and exercise-induced asthma, can be quickly corrected, enabling the athlete to resume normal activity in a matter of hours or days.
Other acute injuries require more time to heal, sometimes as long as five or six months. These may include injuries to the musculoskeletal system—especially to the knees and ankles—such as bone fractures, tears in ligaments and tendons, sprains, and muscle strains. These types of athletic injuries typically result from twisting, such as when a gymnast lands improperly, tearing ligaments in the ankle, or from lateral force, such as the blows to the side of the knee commonly sustained by football and basketball players. Severe acute injuries, such as those to the head or spinal cord, and—rarely—cardiac arrest, usually result from accidents or extreme overexertion.
Chronic injuries are those injuries that develop over time and require more than six months to heal, and some may persist indefinitely. Chronic athletic injuries include aches and pain of unknown origin, tendinitis (swelling in the tendons), and stress fractures (hairline fractures of the bone due to overuse). Injuries of this type are common in athletes who consistently overuse muscles for extended periods—for example, long-distance runners.
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Sports physicians use a number of procedures to diagnose athletic injuries. Simple techniques, such as visual examination and manipulation of injured joints and muscles, are combined with more complex procedures that enable physicians and technicians to evaluate injuries hidden deep within bones and tissues. One such procedure, arthroscopy, enables physicians to examine the insides of joints. An arthroscope is a flexible, fiber optic tube equipped with a light source and a viewing lens. It is inserted into joints through a small incision in the skin (see Endoscopy).
Other diagnostic procedures used in sports medicine create visual images of internal injuries by manipulating sound waves or electromagnetic radiation. Common diagnostic imaging techniques include X rays, ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Treatment for injuries that occur during sports and exercise are as diverse as the injuries themselves. Treatments range from cryotherapy (cold treatment) and immobilization for simple sprains and strains to complex surgical procedures for fractures and tears in ligaments or tendons. Drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids can be used to lessen pain and inflammation. Treatment may include physical therapy, which is the supervised use of exercise, heat and cold treatments, and massage to rehabilitate injured muscles and joints. It is an integral component of treatment for most athletic injuries, and it is almost always combined with other treatments to optimize healing. Once a mainstay in the treatment of athletic overuse injuries, immobilization with braces and prolonged periods of inactivity are no longer recommended because if misused, these practices can lead to weakness and joint stiffness. Physical therapy and light exercise are now accepted as more effective methods in the healing process.
INJURY PREVENTION
Another primary focus of sports medicine is injury prevention. Sports medicine professionals advocate practices that increase physical fitness and endurance because many sports injuries occur when athletes are fatigued. They evaluate athletic performance, then develop training programs that incorporate exercises that target weaknesses in the athlete’s performance, such as weight programs to strengthen specific muscle groups or aerobic training programs to increase endurance. Another way to prevent fatigue is to optimize nutrition and ensure proper fluid intake, and many sports medicine professionals design and prescribe high-performance diets for athletes. Finally, some sports medicine professionals are active in designing better protective athletic equipment, such as face masks, helmets, pads, and shoes.
A primary focus of sports medicine is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of injuries that occur during sports or exercise. Acute athletic injuries are those that develop suddenly and last six months or less. Some acute injuries, such as dehydration, heat stroke, and exercise-induced asthma, can be quickly corrected, enabling the athlete to resume normal activity in a matter of hours or days.
Other acute injuries require more time to heal, sometimes as long as five or six months. These may include injuries to the musculoskeletal system—especially to the knees and ankles—such as bone fractures, tears in ligaments and tendons, sprains, and muscle strains. These types of athletic injuries typically result from twisting, such as when a gymnast lands improperly, tearing ligaments in the ankle, or from lateral force, such as the blows to the side of the knee commonly sustained by football and basketball players. Severe acute injuries, such as those to the head or spinal cord, and—rarely—cardiac arrest, usually result from accidents or extreme overexertion
Chronic injuries are those injuries that develop over time and require more than six months to heal, and some may persist indefinitely. Chronic athletic injuries include aches and pain of unknown origin, tendinitis (swelling in the tendons), and stress fractures (hairline fractures of the bone due to overuse). Injuries of this type are common in athletes who consistently overuse muscles for extended periods—for example, long-distance runners.
Sports physicians use a number of procedures to diagnose athletic injuries. Simple techniques, such as visual examination and manipulation of injured joints and muscles, are combined with more complex procedures that enable physicians and technicians to evaluate injuries hidden deep within bones and tissues. One such procedure, arthroscopy, enables physicians to examine the insides of joints. An arthroscope is a flexible, fiber optic tube equipped with a light source and a viewing lens. It is inserted into joints through a small incision in the skin (see Endoscopy).
Other diagnostic procedures used in sports medicine create visual images of internal injuries by manipulating sound waves or electromagnetic radiation. Common diagnostic imaging techniques include X rays, ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Treatment for injuries that occur during sports and exercise are as diverse as the injuries themselves. Treatments range from cryotherapy (cold treatment) and immobilization for simple sprains and strains to complex surgical procedures for fractures and tears in ligaments or tendons. Drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids can be used to lessen pain and inflammation. Treatment may include physical therapy, which is the supervised use of exercise, heat and cold treatments, and massage to rehabilitate injured muscles and joints. It is an integral component of treatment for most athletic injuries, and it is almost always combined with other treatments to optimize healing. Once a mainstay in the treatment of athletic overuse injuries, immobilization with braces and prolonged periods of inactivity are no longer recommended because if misused, these practices can lead to weakness and joint stiffness. Physical therapy and light exercise are now accepted as more effective methods in the healing process
Sports has been defined as an activity that one does for pleasure and that needs physical effort or skill, usually done in a special area according to fixed rules.
A person who plays a particular sport is called by the name of that particular sport e.g. Some one who plays football is called a footballer. Some one who plays basketball is called a baskeballer. Etc.
Hence, it has been noted that sports helps to improve our health conditions. This can be done through exercise. What is exercise?.Exercise, activity that results in contraction of skeletal muscle. The term is usually used in reference to any activity that promotes physical fitness. Although muscle contraction is the common element of all forms of exercise, many other organs and systems are affected, for example, the heart and lungs. Many people also find that regular exercise enhances their sense of mental well-being along with their general physical health.
THE BENEFITS OF EXERCISE.
The benefits of exercise are far-reaching. Clinical and epidemiological studies have demonstrated that regular aerobic exercise reduces the risk of death due to heart disease and stroke, aids in reducing weight, helps prevent diabetes mellitus, strengthens bones, and enhances immune function. The psychological benefits are also broad, and most studies suggest a positive relationship between physical fitness and mental achievement.
The relationship between regular aerobic exercise and cardiovascular health and longevity is well established. Regular exercise leads to a reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease, in which fatty deposits (plaque) form in blood vessels supplying the muscular wall of the heart, compromising oxygen delivery to the heart muscle. In addition, with regular exercise the efficiency of the heart during exercise is increased.
Many people exercise to lose weight. A calorie is a unit that measures the energy content of foods and the energy expenditure by the body. When the daily calorie intake from food is the same as calories expended from exercise, weight remains the same. The number of calories burned during exercise varies greatly with the type of physical activity, but the key to successful weight reduction is to exercise regularly, without increasing food intake proportionally. For example, walking one hour per day may utilize only 300 calories of energy per day, a small fraction of an individual's daily caloric intake. But over a period of time, if food consumption is simultaneously reduced or remains the same, significant weight loss will result. One sound approach to reducing calories is to eat healthier foods that contain more fiber and less fat, and therefore fewer calories. This type of diet has also been proven healthier for the heart and blood vessels.
One area of controversy has been how much exercise is enough to improve general health, reduce the risk of heart disease, and increase longevity. Meaningful studies on this topic are very difficult to perform because they require large populations of subjects and many years of data collection, and because poor health sometimes results in limitations to physical activity. Despite these difficulties, it is clear that regular exercise, along with a generally healthy lifestyle, is beneficial. People who have sedentary lifestyles make up half the population of industrialized societies, and this group has the most to gain by exercising. One recent U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) panel suggested that as little as 30 minutes every day of purposeful, moderately strenuous physical activity—for example, rapid walking or lawn mowing—is sufficient to lower the risk of heart disease. There is no conclusive evidence to prove that an especially rigorous exercise routine, such as running many miles per day, as opposed to walking or jogging daily, will add years to a person's life.
SPORTS NEWS.
The Newcastle forward Obafemi Martins has been recalled to the Nigerian squad for the opening game of the final phase of the qualifying for the 2010 world cup this month.
The super eagles plays Mozambique on the 28 of this month.
Other players called are. Vencent Enyeaama,Taiwo,Yobo,Obinna Nwaneri, Chidi Odiah, Dele Adeleye, Onyekachi Apam, Yusuf Mohammed, Mikel Obi, Kalu Uche, Kaita, Osaze Odemwingie,Olufemi Ajilora KANU, Ikechukwu Uche, Chinedu Obasi Obinna Nsofor Joseph akpala.
Sports Medicine
INTRODUCTION
Sports Medicine, medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of athletic injuries and with the effects of exercise on the human body. Sports medicine is also concerned with the evaluation and enhancement of athletic performance. The practice of sports medicine is not restricted to physicians: athletic trainers, coaches, and specialists in exercise physiology, bioengineering, physical therapy, and chiropractic are also involved in the field.
ATHLETIC INJURIES
A primary focus of sports medicine is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of injuries that occur during sports or exercise. Acute athletic injuries are those that develop suddenly and last six months or less. Some acute injuries, such as dehydration, heat stroke, and exercise-induced asthma, can be quickly corrected, enabling the athlete to resume normal activity in a matter of hours or days.
Other acute injuries require more time to heal, sometimes as long as five or six months. These may include injuries to the musculoskeletal system—especially to the knees and ankles—such as bone fractures, tears in ligaments and tendons, sprains, and muscle strains. These types of athletic injuries typically result from twisting, such as when a gymnast lands improperly, tearing ligaments in the ankle, or from lateral force, such as the blows to the side of the knee commonly sustained by football and basketball players. Severe acute injuries, such as those to the head or spinal cord, and—rarely—cardiac arrest, usually result from accidents or extreme overexertion.
Chronic injuries are those injuries that develop over time and require more than six months to heal, and some may persist indefinitely. Chronic athletic injuries include aches and pain of unknown origin, tendinitis (swelling in the tendons), and stress fractures (hairline fractures of the bone due to overuse). Injuries of this type are common in athletes who consistently overuse muscles for extended periods—for example, long-distance runners.
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Sports physicians use a number of procedures to diagnose athletic injuries. Simple techniques, such as visual examination and manipulation of injured joints and muscles, are combined with more complex procedures that enable physicians and technicians to evaluate injuries hidden deep within bones and tissues. One such procedure, arthroscopy, enables physicians to examine the insides of joints. An arthroscope is a flexible, fiber optic tube equipped with a light source and a viewing lens. It is inserted into joints through a small incision in the skin (see Endoscopy).
Other diagnostic procedures used in sports medicine create visual images of internal injuries by manipulating sound waves or electromagnetic radiation. Common diagnostic imaging techniques include X rays, ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Treatment for injuries that occur during sports and exercise are as diverse as the injuries themselves. Treatments range from cryotherapy (cold treatment) and immobilization for simple sprains and strains to complex surgical procedures for fractures and tears in ligaments or tendons. Drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids can be used to lessen pain and inflammation. Treatment may include physical therapy, which is the supervised use of exercise, heat and cold treatments, and massage to rehabilitate injured muscles and joints. It is an integral component of treatment for most athletic injuries, and it is almost always combined with other treatments to optimize healing. Once a mainstay in the treatment of athletic overuse injuries, immobilization with braces and prolonged periods of inactivity are no longer recommended because if misused, these practices can lead to weakness and joint stiffness. Physical therapy and light exercise are now accepted as more effective methods in the healing process.
INJURY PREVENTION
Another primary focus of sports medicine is injury prevention. Sports medicine professionals advocate practices that increase physical fitness and endurance because many sports injuries occur when athletes are fatigued. They evaluate athletic performance, then develop training programs that incorporate exercises that target weaknesses in the athlete’s performance, such as weight programs to strengthen specific muscle groups or aerobic training programs to increase endurance. Another way to prevent fatigue is to optimize nutrition and ensure proper fluid intake, and many sports medicine professionals design and prescribe high-performance diets for athletes. Finally, some sports medicine professionals are active in designing better protective athletic equipment, such as face masks, helmets, pads, and shoes.
A primary focus of sports medicine is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of injuries that occur during sports or exercise. Acute athletic injuries are those that develop suddenly and last six months or less. Some acute injuries, such as dehydration, heat stroke, and exercise-induced asthma, can be quickly corrected, enabling the athlete to resume normal activity in a matter of hours or days.
Other acute injuries require more time to heal, sometimes as long as five or six months. These may include injuries to the musculoskeletal system—especially to the knees and ankles—such as bone fractures, tears in ligaments and tendons, sprains, and muscle strains. These types of athletic injuries typically result from twisting, such as when a gymnast lands improperly, tearing ligaments in the ankle, or from lateral force, such as the blows to the side of the knee commonly sustained by football and basketball players. Severe acute injuries, such as those to the head or spinal cord, and—rarely—cardiac arrest, usually result from accidents or extreme overexertion
Chronic injuries are those injuries that develop over time and require more than six months to heal, and some may persist indefinitely. Chronic athletic injuries include aches and pain of unknown origin, tendinitis (swelling in the tendons), and stress fractures (hairline fractures of the bone due to overuse). Injuries of this type are common in athletes who consistently overuse muscles for extended periods—for example, long-distance runners.
Sports physicians use a number of procedures to diagnose athletic injuries. Simple techniques, such as visual examination and manipulation of injured joints and muscles, are combined with more complex procedures that enable physicians and technicians to evaluate injuries hidden deep within bones and tissues. One such procedure, arthroscopy, enables physicians to examine the insides of joints. An arthroscope is a flexible, fiber optic tube equipped with a light source and a viewing lens. It is inserted into joints through a small incision in the skin (see Endoscopy).
Other diagnostic procedures used in sports medicine create visual images of internal injuries by manipulating sound waves or electromagnetic radiation. Common diagnostic imaging techniques include X rays, ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Treatment for injuries that occur during sports and exercise are as diverse as the injuries themselves. Treatments range from cryotherapy (cold treatment) and immobilization for simple sprains and strains to complex surgical procedures for fractures and tears in ligaments or tendons. Drugs such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and corticosteroids can be used to lessen pain and inflammation. Treatment may include physical therapy, which is the supervised use of exercise, heat and cold treatments, and massage to rehabilitate injured muscles and joints. It is an integral component of treatment for most athletic injuries, and it is almost always combined with other treatments to optimize healing. Once a mainstay in the treatment of athletic overuse injuries, immobilization with braces and prolonged periods of inactivity are no longer recommended because if misused, these practices can lead to weakness and joint stiffness. Physical therapy and light exercise are now accepted as more effective methods in the healing process