We have entered an era of renewed excitement regarding human space travel. The international community has lofty goals for the future of human spaceflight: returning to the Moon, sending crewed missions to Mars and other planets, and even colonizing space to save the human race when Earth is no longer habitable. These goals are beyond exciting, but before we can safely accomplish any of them, we must understand the biological consequences of space travel. For instance, it is well documented that space travel causes muscle atrophy, or deterioration. What causes this atrophy, and can how it be prevented?
Continue reading “Do Humans Get Weaker in Outer Space?”Tag: prevention
Slipping or Tripping? Researchers Find Best Way to Regain Your Balance
Everyone has slipped or tripped at some point in their lives. Whether it is walking on an icy road to get to your car or tripping over the Lego set your kid refused to put away, everyday obstacles can cause us to lose our balance. Often this results in a brief moment of panic followed by the uneasy relief of regaining your footing, but for those who aren’t lucky enough to avoid falling, the results can be devastating. This is especially prevalent in populations more susceptible to falling. Falling in the workplace accounts for 16.8% of all non-fatal injuries leading to days taken off work. It is thought that this is due to the high volume of slipping or tripping obstacles encountered in some occupations. Additionally, 36 million falls resulting in 32,000 deaths were reported for the 65+ year old population of the US. Elderly individuals may lack the strength and reflexes necessary to recover their balance quickly. This is especially worrisome because the elderly are also the most at risk for the major health complications that can be caused by fall related injuries.
Continue reading “Slipping or Tripping? Researchers Find Best Way to Regain Your Balance”Falling for You: How to Reduce Fall Risks?
The majority of people know what a fall is and, in fact, many people have unfortunately experienced one or a few. But what would be a good definition for what a fall is? Simply put, a fall is something that happens when you lose your balance and cannot recover. Falls have the potential to ruin anyone’s day. For some, however, the risk is far more severe than that as falls are one of the leading factors in injury and death among the elderly population. This will continue to be a problem as the number of elderly people in the United States is expected to increase dramatically over the next fifty years.
Continue reading “Falling for You: How to Reduce Fall Risks?”Jumping into Better Bone Health: Impact Exercise and Your Bones
When exercising for overall health, the general public tends to disregard the importance of bone health. Often the focus is on consuming milk or calcium rich foods, but are there certain exercises that can increase bone health? Studies show that the presence of impact in exercise plays a major factor.
As we age, everyone loses bone mineral density, which is a determining factor in bone strength and stiffness. Decreasing bone mineral density can lead to bones that easily break and fracture, and will, in extreme cases, result in the disease osteoporosis. Women are at a higher risk of osteoporosis because they lose more bone mineral density as they age due to the process of menopause. Increasing bone mineral density at younger ages can ensure that even with the inevitable bone loss, peoples’ bones are still strong.
Continue reading “Jumping into Better Bone Health: Impact Exercise and Your Bones”Do your Foot Arches make you more or less likely to be injured?
Have you ever wondered how your arch type may affect your everyday life especially in physical activities such as running or playing sports? Well it turns out that without taking precautions, a higher arch or a flat foot may cause you to more likely be injured! People have all different types of arches, and each foot can be affected differently based on the type of arch.
Continue reading “Do your Foot Arches make you more or less likely to be injured?”Have you ever wondered how your arch type may affect your everyday life especially in physical activities such as running or playing sports? Well it turns out that without taking precautions, a higher arch or a flat foot may cause you to more likely be injured! People have all different types of arches, and each foot can be affected differently based on the type of arch.
Continue reading “Do your Foot Arches make you more or less likely to be injured?”The Benchmark of Upper Body Strength: Injury Prevention During the Bench Press
Who wouldn’t want to look like Captain America? This common desire to attain a strong Herculean physique, either for athletics or aesthetics, has led many ambitious men and women to weightlifting. An egotistical motivation puts these people at risk of injury, however, as they sacrifice proper form to achieve their next personal best. The bench press is one example of an effective but potentially dangerous lift.
Continue reading “The Benchmark of Upper Body Strength: Injury Prevention During the Bench Press”What Makes Someone More Likely to Tear Their UCL?
It takes a lot to make a professional athlete collapse to the ground during a game. After throwing a pitch on September 14, 2019, Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Tim Mayza knelt on the side of the mound while clutching his arm, expecting the worst. The next day, MRI revealed that what he had feared: Mayza had torn his Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL).
Continue reading “What Makes Someone More Likely to Tear Their UCL?”A Mystery: How Can Distance Runners Avoid the Most Common and Dreaded Injury?
Stress fractures are small cracks in the bone produced by repetitive stress. The most common locations include the tibia, fibula, and navicular bone. An article by Crowell and Davis on gait analysis stated the occurrence of bone stress injuries in track and field athletes (male and female) to be as high as 21%. Furthermore, approximately 50% of female track and field athletes have had at least one stress fracture. Bone stress injuries can have a devastating effect on the athlete, their team, and the willingness of these runners to continue to compete. The only treatment for stress fractures is to completely stop running for an average of 6-8 weeks. Runners have no clear and confirmed guidance on injury prevention or appropriate volume of training.
Continue reading “A Mystery: How Can Distance Runners Avoid the Most Common and Dreaded Injury?”Look Strong, Be Strong, or Be Safe?: The Perils of a New Deadlifter
So, you’ve started deadlifting, but you’re not sure if you’re just weak, or if you’re going to break your spine, and there are plenty of “gym bros” slamming the weights, grunting, and walking around wearing equipment (wrist straps and back belts) that says “I’m literally too strong for my own body.” So, what do you do? Do you need to buy that stuff too?
This blog post will walk you through a biomechanical analysis of the deadlift while wearing supportive equipment, in the hopes of helping you face this daunting task.
Continue reading “Look Strong, Be Strong, or Be Safe?: The Perils of a New Deadlifter”What an Optimized Running Gait Can Do for You
Running is one of the oldest and most common forms of exercise, but there are many ways that running mechanics vary from person to person. Identifying the different running gaits is important so that their efficiencies and effects on the body can be analyzed. Injuries in runners are common and having an understanding of how different gaits apply stresses on the body differently can be used to educate runners on how to run in a way that will reduce the risk of injury.
Continue reading “What an Optimized Running Gait Can Do for You”