Is the triathlon too gruelling to be safe?

More than 100,000 people took part in more than 700 triathlon events in the UK last year and it is one of the fastest-growing Olympic sports, but also one of the most gruelling. A series of deaths among competitors in the triathlon has raised concerns about whether the demands of the race are too great.

A record number of competitors took part in events in the UK last year, organised under the auspices of the British Triathlon Association and that total is set to be exceeded this year.

Now a study has revealed that the risk of dying in a triathlon, though low, is nearly double the risk of dying in a marathon. A study presented to the American College of Cardiology Conference showed there were 14 deaths among almost one million competitors, a rate of 1.5 per 100,000. A further four deaths occurred among non-officially recognised events.

No study has been conducted in the UK, but two deaths have occurred in recent British triathlons, one during the bike race and one involving a competitor who died after the event, while asleep. Both had heart abnormalities.

Smarter training for improved triathlon skills and fitnessmult

The original edition of Triathlon 101 helped thousands of athletes take the guesswork out of multisport training and racing. Now, this best-seller returns, updated with more top-notch information enhancing its status as the essential guide for multisport success.

In this new edition there are techniques and strategies such as how to
choose the best equipment and advice on creating your own triathlon programme for various distances and events.

It also covers what and when to eat and drink when training or competing, how to prevent overtraining, recovery from common injuries and tapering your training for peak performance on race day.

Sample training programmes, the latest recommendations on equipment, correct technique, and expert advice from pros and coaches, Triathlon 101 will help you improve your skills and times in every event.

Price: £13.99 | €18.20
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The 14th Annual ECSS Conference, Oslo, Norway, 24-27th June, 2009

Sport Sciences: Nature, Nurture and Culture

Sport is a complex phenomenon that includes most dimensions of human life. The complete study of human activity in most sports must build a diversity of scientific approaches. The 14th Annual Congress programme will feature theoretical, applied and cross-disciplinary sport studies as well as research findings based on the natural, behavioural, social and human scientific disciplines.

ECSS 09 is a congress with a high quality scientific programme in an exciting urban and natural setting.

* 1500 – 2000 participants from approximately 70 nations.
* Four plenary sessions, 36 invited symposia.
* Top scientists from all over the world, including several Human Kinetics’ authors are invited as chairs and speakers.

Human Kinetics will be exhibiting at this event and we look forward to meeting you on stand 21 where you will be able to examine, evaluate and buy from a large selection of new and popular HK titles

More information >>

Cereal and milk – the new sports supplement

A bowl of whole-grain cereal is as good as a sports drink for recovery after exercise. New research has shown that the readily available and relatively inexpensive breakfast food is as effective as popular, carbohydrate-based “sports drinks.”

Exercise physiologist Lynne Kammer, from The University of Texas at Austin, led a group of researchers who investigated the post-exercise physiological effects of the foods. Kammer and her team studied 12 trained cyclists, 8 male and 4 female.

In contrast to many sports nutrition studies however, 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.

Sport Law for non-specialists

A comprehensive text on legal issues in sport, Introduction to Sport Law delivers the information that both sport management professionals and students require in order to navigate liability issues, protect the legal rights of their employees and athletes and manage legal risk in their professions.

The book presents legal issues in sport by using a topical approach that is easily understood even by readers with little or no legal background.

Using straightforward, jargon-free explanations, Introduction to Sport Law guides readers through the major legal areas specific to the sport setting, including the legal system, tort law, risk management, contract law, agency law, employment law, constitutional law, gender equity, intellectual property and antitrust law.

Study sees transient heart dysfunction in some long-distance runners

A new study using advanced cardiac imaging technology indicates that cardiac abnormalities experienced by some marathon runners following competition are temporary and do not result in damage to the heart muscle.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Manitoba, marked the first use of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, or CMR, in a post-marathon setting. Their research was presented at the 105th International Conference of the American Thoracic Society in San Diego.

Assessment of individual functional abilities

Functional Testing in Human Performance offers a unique and comprehensive reference for assessment of physical activities in sport, recreation, work and daily living. By presenting the theory and detailing the practice, this text assists clinicians in understanding and incorporating functional testing to identify their patients’ or clients’ limitations and go on to enhance their performance, rehabilitation and daily activity.

It is a comprehensive learning tool for students and an essential reference for advanced clinicians. The text defines the role of function in physical performance and how it can be appropriately tested.

Especially helpful for inexperienced practitioners, the text explains testing criteria, testing terms relevant to research and selecting the most appropriate test and testing sequence.

Sprained ankles cause lasting muscle damage

Ty Hopkins, Brigham Young University researcher

Whether out jogging, at the gym, or even on the bedroom stairs, what happens inside the ankle in the milliseconds following a single miss-step could lead to a lifetime of ankle trouble.

But it’s more than just the ankle ligaments that are left with lasting damage according to Brigham Young University researcher Ty Hopkins and collaborators from the University of Michigan. Their new study points to a leg muscle whose speed and quality of protective response is permanently compromised after an ankle sprain.

Fundamentals of Sport and Exercise Psychology

Fundamentals of Sport and Exercise Psychology provides a preparatory look at the opportunities and goals in the field of sport and exercise psychology.

Rather than focus on theory and concepts, this text answers basic questions for newcomers to the field by providing information on what sport and exercise psychology is and what it has to offer.

Fundamentals of Sport and Exercise Psychology will leave students with a clear understanding of what sport and exercise psychology professionals do and where they work. Just as importantly, the book will motivate them to continue their exploration of the many rewarding career paths the field has to offer.

Price: £17.99 | €23.40
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Massage actually impairs blood flow to the muscle after exercise

A research team at Ontario’s Queen’s University appears to have blown open the myth that massage after exercise improves circulation to the muscle and assists in the removal of lactic acid and other waste products.

“This dispels a common belief in the general public about the way in which massage is beneficial,” says Kinesiology and Health Studies professor Michael Tschakovsky.

“It also dispels that belief among people in the physical therapy profession. All the physical therapy professionals that I have talked to, when asked what massage does, answer that it improves muscle blood flow and helps get rid of lactic acid. Ours is the first study to challenge this and rigorously test its validity.”

Health clubs gain muscle in downturn

Private health club operators have seen no let up in membership levels in spite of the downturn, according to figures published by leisure consultancy, The Leisure Database Company.

In a sign health-conscious Britons may be more reluctant to forgo their gym memberships than would have been expected, LDC said private health and fitness clubs had seen a 1 per cent like-for-like increase in membership numbers during the 12 months to the end of March.

“The industry is showing remarkable resilience,” said David Minton, director of LDC. “In times of a recession, people are seeing exercising as a way to release stress and the gym as a place to network. This is especially true for those who are unemployed or working fewer days.”

Vitamins may undo exercise boost

Antioxidant vitamins can undo some of the most important health benefits of exercise, research has shown.

Taking vitamins C and E after a workout appears to prevent physical exercise improving the body’s energy regulation, a study found and ironically, it is the supplements’ health-boosting properties that appear to be to blame.

Weakened hip muscles may cause overuse running injuries

As most runners know, aches and pains are a common part of training.

However, according to a new study, the real culprit for overuse running injuries, such as Achilles tendonitis may have more to do with weakened hip muscles than how many miles run.

“Various studies have estimated that up to 70 percent of runners sustain an overuse running injury each year with more than 80 percent of those injuries occurring below the knee.” said lead author Reed Ferber, Assistant Professor and Director of the Running Injury Clinic from the University of Calgary.

Bigger, faster, stronger now better

The new edition of Bigger Faster Stronger shows you the fundamental exercise techniques and drills necessary for developing strength, power, agility and speed for any sport.

It teaches how to coach complex performance-optimising lifts, including the squat, deadlift, power clean and bench press in order to
improve speed, agility and flexibility to complement existing power.

It also shows how to optimise performance, in the gym or on the field, with nutrition and meal plans to meet the body’s needs.

Determine and achieve your optimal competitive weight.

In The Athlete’s Guide to Making Weight, sport dietitians Michele Macedonio and Marie Dunford have analysed today’s top athletes, competitive trends and positional demands across 21 sports to help determine and achieve optimal competitive weights.

It enables coaches and athletes to assess body composition, nutritional requirements and the athlete’s current training programme and then customise the book’s meal plans to provide a personalised approach to maximising performance.

Elite athletes already understand the impact that body weight and composition have on performance. They know that if they gain too much they can lose that all-important first step or alternatively, drop too much and risk being overpowered by the opponent.