Sports Medicine News

April 17, 2025

Top Headlines

Running on Empty: Poor Nutrition Increases Injury Risk for Female Athletes

Apr. 10, 2025 — Proper nutrition is crucial for enhancing athletic performance, supporting recovery and overall health. Now, a new study reveals that proper nutrition is also key to reducing risk of injury, especially for ...

The Brain Resorts to Myelin When Other Brain Nutrients Are Depleted

Apr. 10, 2025 — Marathon runners experience reversible changes in their brain myelin. These findings indicate that myelin (a substance that surrounds the neurons) exhibits behavior that was previously unknown, and that it contributes towards the brain's energy ...

'Is That My Career Over?': Reflections of Elite Athletes During Pregnancy

Apr. 2, 2025 — Elite athletes have shared their worries about their sports career after ...

Preventable Cardiac Deaths During Marathons Are Down

Mar. 30, 2025 — New findings indicate that while the rate of marathon runners who suffer cardiac arrests remained unchanged, their chance for survival is twice what it was in the past. Now, far fewer marathon runners who suffer cardiac arrest are dying of ...

Latest Headlines

updated 10:51pm EDT

The Hidden Spring in Your Step

Mar. 27, 2025 — Researchers reveal the way our legs adapt to fast movements. When people hop at high speeds, key muscle fibers in the calf shorten rather than lengthen as forces increase, which they call 'negative ...

Smart Insoles That Could Change the Game for Sports and Health

Mar. 26, 2025 — Scientists have created a smart insoles prototype that can accurately measure the body's interaction with the ground, which has the potential to help athletes avoid injuries, or even assist doctors ...

How Family Background Can Help Lead to Athletic Success

Mar. 20, 2025 — Americans have long believed that sports are one area in society that offers kids from all backgrounds the chance to succeed to the best of their abilities. But new research suggests that this belief ...

When It Comes to ACL Injury, a Dollar of Prevention Is Worth More Than Seven Dollars of Cure

Mar. 13, 2025 — An analysis of high school soccer players suggests that incorporating a lower extremity injury prevention program results in fewer anterior cruciate ...

Do Brain Changes Remain After Recovery from Concussion?

Mar. 12, 2025 — For college athletes with concussion, brain changes may remain visible in brain scans up to a year after they are cleared to return to play, according to a new ...

GIFs Helping Footballers to Sleep Better

Mar. 7, 2025 — A recent study has found that short animations known as GIFs (Graphic Interchange Format) can improve the sleep of professional female ...

Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers Linked to Improved Recovery from Concussion

Mar. 5, 2025 — People who take over-the-counter pain relievers after a concussion may recover faster than those who do not take pain relievers, according to a preliminary ...

Nearly 4 of 10 Americans Report Sports-Related Mistreatment

Mar. 4, 2025 — Nearly 40% of adult Americans say they've experienced some type of sport-related mistreatment in their lives, a new study shows. Mistreatment ranged from psychological and emotional to physical and ...

First Female Runner Could Soon Break the 4-Minute-Mile Barrier

Feb. 25, 2025 — With ideal conditions and strategic pacing and drafting, Kenyan Faith Kipyegon is on the brink of hitting the fabled track and field milestone, a new study suggests. The authors are now calling for a ...

People With Certain Heart Conditions May Play Competitive Sports, Scientific Statement Suggests

Feb. 20, 2025 — Shared decision-making between clinicians and athletes of all ages who have cardiovascular abnormalities and want to participate in competitive ...

A Change in Child Concussion Management Policies Led to Improvements in Recovery Time

Feb. 25, 2025 — A concussion clinic changed its childhood concussion policies in 2017. A new study of this protocol change shows the approach, which recommended concussed kids begin rehab two weeks or less after ...

The Big Chill: Is Cold-Water Immersion Good for Our Health?

Jan. 31, 2025 — In a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis, researchers have taken a deep dive into the effects of cold-water immersion on health and wellbeing. Analyzing data from 11 studies with 3177 ...

Differences in Strength by Position Among Football Players

Jan. 13, 2025 — It's long been known that different positions on the football field fit different body types. A study led by the University of Kansas has gone beyond knowing that linemen are bigger with more ...

Study Shows Head Trauma May Activate Latent Viruses, Leading to Neurodegeneration

Jan. 7, 2025 — Researchers have uncovered mechanisms that may link head injuries and concussions to the emergence of neurodegenerative disease, pointing to latent viruses lurking in most of our brains that may be ...

Getting Rehab Earlier Improves Concussion Outcomes

Dec. 19, 2024 — People who suffer from continued symptoms of concussion should seek a referral to physical therapy as soon as possible, new research ...

For Optimal Marathon Performance, Check Training Plan, Gear, Nutrition, Weather -- And Air Quality?

Dec. 18, 2024 — When preparing for a marathon, runners don't usually think much about air quality. But maybe they should, according to findings from a new study. When the research team assessed the association ...

World Cup Soccer Is Getting Faster for Men and Women Alike

Dec. 17, 2024 — If the experience of watching a FIFA World Cup soccer final is intense, spare a thought for the players, who are competing at an ever increasing intensity, according to a new ...

Largest Study of CTE in Male Ice Hockey Players Finds Odds Increased 34% With Each Year Played

Dec. 4, 2024 — A large study, of 77 deceased male ice hockey players, has found that the odds of having chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) increased by 34% each year played, and 18 of 19 National Hockey League ...

Racial Disparities in Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Death Among Athletes

Dec. 2, 2024 — A recent major review of data shows that Black athletes are approximately five times more likely to experience sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and sudden cardiac death (SCD) compared to White athletes, ...

Soccer Heading Damages Brain Regions Affected in CTE, Study Finds

Nov. 27, 2024 — Soccer heading may cause more damage to the brain than previously thought, according to a new ...

Concussions Slow Brain Activity of High School Football Players

Nov. 27, 2024 — A new study of high school football players found that concussions affect an often-overlooked but important brain ...

Cardiologists Say Benefits of Sport and Recreation Physical Activities Outweigh Risks, Even for Individuals With Heart Disease

Nov. 18, 2024 — While exercise is generally beneficial for a person's overall health, physical activities may increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular disease events in certain susceptible individuals. ...

Professional Ice Hockey: Depressive Symptoms and Burnout Linked to More Concussions

Oct. 25, 2024 — Elite ice hockey players with a history of concussion report heightened mental health symptoms, according to a new ...

Dehydration Linked to Muscle Cramps in IRONMAN Triathletes

Oct. 23, 2024 — Contrary to previous research, a study of three decades of the IRONMAN's top competition found a connection between dehydration and exercise-induced muscle cramps. Based on medical data of more ...

'Brain Endurance Training' Promotes Healthy Aging

Oct. 11, 2024 — A new study finds that brain endurance training (BET) can improve attention and executive function (cognition), as well as physical endurance and resistance exercise ...

First Academic Study on Slap Fighting Highlights Risks to Participants' Neurological Health

Sep. 18, 2024 — The first academic study to provide quantitative assessment of the possible dangers of competitive slap fighting offers a starting point for conversations about ensuring participants' long-term ...

Sep. 17, 2024 — Sport-related stress may contribute to some NCAA Division One swimmers and runners failing to consume enough calories to fuel their ...

Backward Hopping May Be Better Indication of Recovery from ACL Reconstruction

Sep. 16, 2024 — People may not hop backward often, but a new study shows that having people hop backward on one leg can be a better way of measuring strength and recovery in the knee, as well as other joints and ...

Facemask Impacts Are Leading Source of Higher Severity Impacts in Professional American Football

Sep. 11, 2024 — Nearly one third of concussions in professional American football are due to impacts from the facemask, a part of the helmet that has remained mostly unchanged in the last decade. In a new study, ...

Study Shows That 'Super Spikes' Can Increase Track Running Speed by 2%

Sep. 4, 2024 — Research shows that super spikes, scientifically described as advanced footwear technology (AFT) spikes, can give runners about a 2% edge in middle-distance track races, like the 800- and ...