Training & Conditioning 16.7 by Momentummedia

October 2006 Vol. XVI, No. 7, $5.00

Checking the Windmill Overuse injuries in softball pitchers

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October 2006, Vol. XVI, No. 7

CONTENTS

25 29 4

Comeback Athlete Tyler Oliver Lexington (Ky.) Christian Academy

Bulletin Board Getting ready for the bird flu … Epley starts at NSCA … “Precooling” to stop heat illness … Steroid testing.

Sideline Protein in Sports Drinks

48 50 57 59 61 62

Product Pages Vibration Training Pain Management Product Launch Hot & Cold Massage Therapy More Products

Advertisers Directory

CEU Quiz For NATA and NSCA members

Treating The Athlete

The Windmill 16 Checking On a farm, a windmill can keep going forever. But on the softball diamond, windmill pitchers need to be watched closely for overuse injuries, which are becoming more prevalent in the game. By Dennis Read Leadership

& Clear 25 Loud Even when you think you’ve communicated loud and clear to your staff, why don’t they always follow through? By Chadron Hazelbaker Special Focus

Rattle, and Roll 29 Shake, The latest buzz in the athletic training world is whole body vibration, which holds promise for everything from strength work to prehab to rehab. By R.J. Anderson Optimum Performance

Foot Forward 37 Best Designing single-leg training programs means more than targeting specific muscles. It requires evaluating the athlete and using a whole-body approach. By Jeremy Boone & Gray Cook Sport Specific

On the cover: Florida State University’s Tiffany McDonald ranked second in NCAA Division I last year for innings pitched and appearances. Article begins on page 16. Photo by Ross Obley, Florida State Sports Information. ATHLETICBID.COM

43 At the University of Washington, strength training for middle distance A Great Finish

runners focuses on establishing a good base, improving leg strength through full ROM, and limiting muscle soreness. By Matthew Ludwig T&C OCTOBER 2006

Great Ideas For Athletes...

Editorial Board Marjorie Albohm, MS, ATC/L Director of Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Research, Orthopaedics Indianapolis Jon Almquist, ATC Specialist, Fairfax County (Va.) Pub. Schools Athletic Training Program Brian Awbrey, MD Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Instructor in Orthopaedics, Harvard Medical School Jim Berry, MEd, ATC, SCAT/EMT-B Director of Sports Medicine and Head Athletic Trainer, Myrtle Beach (S.C.) High School Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD Director, Sports Medicine Nutrition Program, University of Pittsburgh Medical Ctr. Health System Christine Bonci, MS, ATC Asst. A.D. for Sports Medicine, Women’s Athletics, University of Texas Cynthia “Sam” Booth, ATC, PhD Manager, Outpatient Therapy and Sportsmedicine, MeritCare Health System

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Maria Hutsick, MS, ATC/L, CSCS Head Athletic Trainer, Boston University Christopher Ingersoll, PhD, ATC, FACSM Director, Graduate Programs in Sports Medicine/Athletic Training University of Virginia Jeff Konin, PhD, ATC, PT Visiting Associate Professor, University of South Florida Tim McClellan, MS, CSCS Director of Perf. Enhancement, Makeplays.com Center for Human Performance Michael Merk, MEd, CSCS Director of Health & Fitness, YMCA of Greater Cleveland Jenny Moshak, MS, ATC, CSCS Asst. A.D. for Sports Medicine, University of Tennessee

Debra Brooks, CNMT, LMT, PhD CEO, Iowa NeuroMuscular Therapy Center Cindy Chang, MD Head Team Physician, University of California-Berkeley

Mike Nitka, MS, CSCS Director of Human Performance, Muskego (Wisc.) High School

Dan Cipriani, PhD, PT Assistant Professor, Dept. of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State Univ.

Bruno Pauletto, MS, CSCS President, Power Systems, Inc.

Gray Cook, MSPT, OCS, CSCS Clinic Director, Orthopedic & Sports Phys. Ther., Dunn, Cook, and Assoc. Keith D’Amelio, ATC, PES, CSCS Head Strength & Conditioning Coach/ Assistant Athletic Trainer, Toronto Raptors Bernie DePalma, MEd, PT, ATC Head Athl. Trainer/Phys. Therapist, Cornell University

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Brian Goodstein, MS, ATC, CSCS, Head Athletic Trainer, DC United

Lori Dewald, EdD, ATC, CHES Athletic Training Program Director and Associate Professor of Health Education, University of Minnesota-Duluth Jeff Dilts, Director, Business Development & Marketing, National Academy of Sports Medicine

Boyd Epley, MEd, CSCS Director of Coaching Performance, National Strength & Conditioning Association Peter Friesen, ATC, NSCA-CPT, CSCS, CAT, Head Ath. Trainer/ Cond. Coach, Carolina Hurricanes Lance Fujiwara, MEd, ATC, EMT Director of Sports Medicine, Virginia Military Institute Vern Gambetta, MA, President, Gambetta Sports Training Systems Joe Gieck, EdD, ATR, PT Director of Sports Medicine and Prof., Clinical Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia (retired)

Stephen Perle, DC, CCSP Associate Prof. of Clin. Sciences, University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic Brian Roberts, MS, ATC, Director, Sport Performance & Rehab. Ctr. Ellyn Robinson, DPE, CSCS, CPT Assistant Professor, Exercise Science Program, Bridgewater State College Kent Scriber, EdD, ATC, PT Professor/Supervisor of Athletic Training, Ithaca College Chip Sigmon, CSCS Strength and Conditioning Coach, Carolina Medical Center Bonnie J. Siple, MS, ATC Coordinator, Athletic Training Education Program & Services, Slippery Rock University Chad Starkey, PhD, ATC Visiting Professor Athletic Training Education Program Ohio University Ralph Stephens, LMT, NCTMB Sports Massage Therapist, Ralph Stephens Seminars Fred Tedeschi, ATC Head Athletic Trainer, Chicago Bulls Terrence Todd, PhD, Co-Director, Todd-McLean Physical Culture Collection, Dept. of Kinesiology & Health Ed., University of Texas-Austin

October 2006 Vol. XVI, No. 7 Publisher Mark Goldberg Editorial Staff Eleanor Frankel, Director R.J. Anderson, Kenny Berkowitz, Nathan Dougherty, Abigail Funk, Dennis Read, Greg Scholand, Laura Smith Circulation Staff David Dubin, Director John Callaghan Art Direction Message Brand Advertising Production Staff Jonni Campbell, Jim Harper, Miles Worthington IT Manager Julian Cook Business Manager Pennie Small Special Projects Dave Wohlhueter Administrative Assistant Sharon Barbell Advertising Materials Coordinator Mike Townsend Marketing Director Sheryl Shaffer Marketing/Sales Assistant Danielle Catalano Advertising Sales Associates Diedra Harkenrider (607) 257-6970, ext. 24 Rob Schoffel (607) 257-6970, ext. 21 T&C editorial/business offices: 31 Dutch Mill Road Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 257-6970 Fax: (607) 257-7328 info@MomentumMedia.com Training & Conditioning (ISSN 1058-3548) is published monthly except in January and February, May and June, and July and August, which are bimonthly issues, for a total of nine times a year, by MAG, Inc., 31 Dutch Mill Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850. T&C is distributed without charge to qualified professionals involved with competitive athletes. The subscription rate is $24 for one year and $48 for two years in the United States, and $30 for one year and $60 for two years in Canada. The single copy price is $5. Copyright© 2006 by MAG, Inc. All rights reserved. Text may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without the permission of the publisher. Unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Periodicals postage paid at Ithaca, N.Y., and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Training & Conditioning, P.O. Box 4806, Ithaca, NY 14852-4806. Printed in the U.S.A.

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ATHLETICBID.COM

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Comeback

Athlete

Tyler Oliver Lexington (Ky.) Christian Academy Watching Tyler Oliver’s slick play at first base, you would never guess the Lexington (Ky.) Christian Academy (LCA) senior only recently learned how to catch with his right hand and throw with his left. By the time he was 16 years old, Oliver had undergone two surgeries on his right elbow—one as a 14-year-old to correct osteochondritis dissecan (OCD), an articular cartilage defect, and another two years later to remove a bone chip from the same elbow. After enduring two painful rehab experiences, the 6’1”, 215-pound NCAA Division I prospect was told by doctors that the elbow problems could affect his long-term goal of playing college and professional baseball. Not ready to abandon his dreams, Oliver began an unconventional comeback. He trained himself to throw with his left arm and returned to the diamond and the Division I radar. Oliver’s elbow problems started as a 13-year-old. “I was pitching and felt a weird pain in my elbow,” recalls Oliver, who was big for his age and threw hard for a 13-year-old. “I had poor throwing mechanics back then—I dropped down and that put a lot of pressure on my elbow.” Because of his age, the doctors put off surgery, hoping the injury would heal on its own. It only hurt when he threw—never when he batted or fielded—so Oliver gave up pitching. As an eighth grader, he was the starting third baseman on LCA’s varsity team. But the pain was still there after the school year ended, so he went in for surgery. Nicknamed “little league elbow,” the articular defect in Oliver’s elbow was basically a case of a small piece of bone in the joint dying. During the arthroscopic procedure, Timothy Kremchek, MD, Director of Sports Medicine for the TriHealth System of Good Samaritan and Bethesda Hospitals and Medical Director and Chief Orthopaedic Physician for the Cincinnati Reds, drilled tiny holes in the dead bone fragment to promote blood flow and smoothed the area around the injury. “It was an overuse injury exacerbated by the fact that he was growing,” says Scott Crook, PT, CSCS, a Physical Therapist at Drayer Physical Therapy Institute in Lexington, who helped Oliver through both of his rehab cycles. 4

T&C OCTOBER 2006

After a second surgery on his right elbow, Tyler Oliver learned to throw left-handed as part of his rehab. He completed his junior season as a lefty, and hopes to play college ball after high school. “Something in his mechanics probably caused that articular cartilage to have extra compression. You usually see people have that kind of tension on the inside of their elbow, which sometimes requires Tommy John surgery. But in Tyler’s case the tension was on the anterior.” After the surgery, Oliver’s elbow was immobilized in a straightarm brace for two months. Still, he immediately began working with Crook. “We started hip and core work right after the effects of the anesthesia wore off—but nothing that involved his elbow or arm,” says Crook. “We wanted to really concentrate on his hips, and later his shoulder, because when somebody has an elbow problem, they usually have a weakness somewhere else in the kinetic chain. ATHLETICBID.COM

Circle No. 103

Athlete

Comeback

“Oftentimes it starts in the hips, and it’s usually the hip that a baseball player pushes off from when throwing,” Crook adds. “All of their energy comes up from their legs through their hips and core, where it transfers to their shoulder and then to their arm. But if they have a weak link in that chain, they put stress on other areas—and a lot of times it’s the elbow. So we concentrated on strengthening Tyler’s hips and core.”

Despite a lot of hard, often painful work, Oliver never did regain full extension … “Before the surgery he was about 25 degrees from being able to straighten the elbow. After the surgery we got it back to five or six degrees from being straight.” Crook says a lot of that work involved isolated and multihip exercises including box steps, lunges, and single-leg squats, as well as general low-impact abdominal exercises like crunches. Resistance for most exercises came from bodyweight or exercise bands. About four weeks post surgery, Oliver began doing limited ROM exercises, including isometrics. At six weeks, he began minor strength building for the shoulder. “We started some scapular work that didn’t involve the elbow,” says

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Crook. “We didn’t want to do anything that would cause rubbing and grinding in the joint.” Oliver was able to regain most of his ROM, but extension came around more slowly. Despite a lot of hard, often painful work with Crook, Oliver never did regain full extension—but he got close. “Before the surgery he was about 25 degrees from being able to straighten the elbow,” says Crook. “After the surgery we got it back to five or six degrees from being straight.” Oliver’s persistence and pain threshold during these stages impressed his physical therapist. “A lot of the stretching we did to get motion and extension back can be pretty uncomfortable, but he took it very well,” says Crook, who worked with Oliver three days a week for two hours per session. “He was the best kind of patient—hardworking and cooperative.” With plenty of time to rehab, Oliver was more than ready by the time baseball season began. And the results of his hard work were impressive. As a freshman, Oliver established himself as one of the team’s top hitters, earning regional alltournament team honors during the team’s deep postseason run. The next season, as a sophomore, Oliver led his team to the 2005 Kentucky state championship, batting third and playing a very smooth first base. During those two years, Oliver felt occasional postgame discomfort, but says his elbow never bothered him while he was on the field. He was encouraged and looking forward to a pain-free career.

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Circle No. 106

Athlete

Comeback That optimism ended abruptly in the summer following LCA’s championship season. While attending a baseball camp at Florida State University, Oliver’s arm again began to bother him. X-rays revealed a small bone chip, and Oliver prepared for another surgery. “There were small calcium deposits around the original injury site, and a small piece of the bone that was drilled earlier broke off,” says Crook. “So Dr. Kremchek cleaned up the deposits and smoothed the area again.” This was a minor surgery with a shorter rehab, but the continued stress on Oliver’s elbow had his surgeon concerned. Kremchek told Oliver he would likely experience some pain as he rehabbed, but that it would probably get better.

After a little more practice on his own, Oliver wondered if he could train himself to be a left-handed thrower—permanently: “My doctors said, ‘That would be better for your arm, but … well, good luck.’ Nobody really took me seriously.” However, after a few months of continued pain, a follow-up MRI and CAT scan were performed during a visit to the Mayo Clinic. “After those tests, the first question the doctor asked me was, ‘What level of baseball do you want to reach?’” says Oliver, who replied that he wanted to play in Division I and possibly professionally. “The doctor told me, ‘You probably could get through high school, but to play at those other levels your right arm will most likely give you a lot of problems.’” That assessment hit Oliver hard. But rather than simply accepting the prognosis, he began exploring other options. “After the surgery, I started throwing a tennis ball left-handed against my bedroom wall and realized I was pretty good at it,” he says. After a little more practice on his

own, Oliver wondered if he could train himself to be a left-handed thrower— permanently. “I pitched the idea to Scott and my doctors and they said, ‘That would be better for your arm, but … well, good luck.’ Nobody really took me seriously,” he says. But their uncertainty didn’t dissuade Oliver, and as his two-month rehab from the second surgery wound down, he committed himself to learning to throw lefty. To speed up the process, Oliver met up with former Georgetown

University coach Jim Hinerman, who had worked with him in the past. “We met for 30 minutes three times a week during the winter until the season started,” says Oliver. “At first my form was really bad, but by working with Coach Hinerman, it got better.” To hone his throwing motion, Hinerman had Oliver do a lot of pitching drills. “The biggest problem was my fingertip control—I had none and was throwing balls 20 feet over his head,” says Oliver, who countered his initial

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T&C OCTOBER 2006

Athlete

Comeback

■ Tyler Oliver Injury: Osteochondritis dissecan (OCD)—an articular cartilage defect in his right elbow. Rehab notables: After two surgeries on his right elbow, he learned to throw left-handed. Result: Returned to become the starting first baseman and one of the team’s leading hitters. Quote from PT: “He’s an extremely dedicated, hard-working kid, no matter what he’s doing. He’s also a very talented and coordinated person, so I thought if anybody could [learn to throw left-handed], it would be him.” lack of control by doing more everyday tasks with his left hand. “I did anything I could left-handed—open doors, pick things up, eat—and eventually my fingertip control got a lot

“I did anything I could left-handed—open doors, pick things up, eat—and eventually my fingertip control got a lot better. By January I could throw much more accurately, and by March my arm strength improved to where I could throw to a base.” better. By January I could throw much more accurately, and by March my arm strength improved to where I could throw to a base.” Though Crook had never seen a naturally right-handed player learn to throw lefty, he says Oliver’s athletic ability gave him a better-than-average chance to succeed at it. “He’s an extremely dedicated, hard-working kid, no matter what he’s doing,” says Crook. “He’s also a very talented and coordinated person. So I thought if anybody could do it, it would be him. And to many people’s surprise, he did.” When the 2006 season started, Oliver worked extensively with LCA Assistant Coach Joe Modica to refine his skills around the bag. “It was really hard because I wasn’t used to catching with my right hand. I would get nervous and move out of the way because I didn’t trust myself to catch the ball,” says Oliver, who remains a right-handed batter. “But it didn’t take me long to get over that. And I made only a couple of throwing errors all year—I could throw from first to third and make all the relay throws from the outfield.” LCA Head Coach Keith Galloway says Oliver was the top defensive first baseman in the league prior to his surgery, and this past season opposing coaches wanted to see if he still had the same skills. “Certain teams tested him by having runners leave early and forcing him to throw on a pickoff play, 10

T&C OCTOBER 2006

and some bunted on him,” says Galloway. “But he’s a gamer, and when it came time to make plays, he did.” Oliver estimates his left arm is about 85 percent as strong as his right and that he registers 75 mph on a radar gun. “I still don’t have that strong of an arm, but at least I can throw without feeling like it’s falling off,” he says. “And right now I probably have better mechanics left-handed than I did right-handed.” Mechanics and skills aside, Galloway says the switch had a very positive effect on Oliver’s teammates. “They saw his determination and it really inspired them, as well as other kids around the league,” says Galloway. “It speaks volumes about Tyler’s work ethic and passion for the game.” With another year of high school eligibility remaining, Oli-

“I still don’t have that strong of an arm, but at least I can throw without feeling like it’s falling off … And right now I probably have better mechanics lefthanded than I did right-handed.” ver is working hard to reach his goal of playing college baseball. “The Division I schools I’ve talked to are impressed with the progress he’s made to this point,” says Galloway. “He definitely has a college future ahead of him.” ■

Send Us Your Success Stories! To nominate an athlete to be featured in this Comeback Athlete section, please send your name, the athlete’s name, his or her rehab story, and contact information to: 31 Dutch Mill Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850 ef@MomentumMedia.com, fax: 607-257-7328 or call us at: 607-257-6970, ext. 18

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Board Bird Flu: Not Cause for Panic President Bush has discussed our need to be prepared for it. The evening news has warned of its potentially devastating impact. The government is stockpiling vaccine to guard against it. It is H5N1 avian influenza, commonly known as the Asian bird flu, and scientists predict that it could reach the United States some time this fall or winter. As an athletic trainer, should you be alarmed? The simple answer is no, at least not yet, says Bill Pierson, MS, DVM, PhD, Dip ACPV, Associate Professor of Avian Medicine in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech. Even if the Asian bird flu were to reach our shores, which could happen after American birds mix with Asian birds in Alaska during the summer then fly south for the winter, the immediate risk to humans is minimal. “The virus’s preferred host is birds, not people,” Pierson says. “Basically the only people who have gotten sick have been in close, prolonged contact with sick or dying poultry.” The World Health Organization reports that since the H5N1 strain was first identified in humans in 1997, there have been fewer than 150 human deaths, mostly concentrated in Southeast Asia. The problem, Pierson says, is that each human infection is another chance for the virus to mutate into a form that can be transmitted from person to person. And since H5N1 is highly pathogenic (it leads to severe illness), such a mutation could mean a worldwide epidemic. “We have flu pandemics about every 40 to 50 years,” Pierson explains. “And if you look at the cycle, the timing is right. So some people say it’s not a matter of if it’s going to happen, just a matter of when.” A few in the athletic community have questioned whether geese and other birds congregating and leaving droppings on natural grass fields could pose a risk to athletes who use those fields. Pierson says it would be very difficult for a human to get the virus simply through such casual contact with birds or their droppings. “The chances of people in an athletic setting coming into contact with infectious material, especially in the quantity necessary to produce disease, are incredibly slim,” he says. “And even if someone were to come into contact with fecal material containing the virus, it is quite susceptible to soap and water followed by the application of a topical hand sanitizer.”

“Precooling” May Help Deter Heat Stress When athletes are working out in hot weather, warming up should include cooling down. That’s the finding of a study published in the May edition of the International Journal of Sports Medicine. The study, conducted by the Netherlands-based TNO 12

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research institute, tested the effect of “precooling,” in this case by having athletes wear special clothing with tubes through which cold water was pumped prior to exercise. Eight male cyclists were asked to ride in summer-like heat after full-body precooling, upper-body precooling, lower-body precooling, and no precooling. Reuters Health summarized the results. “Compared with the cooling-free ride … the cyclists had fewer signs of heat strain during their [three] post-cooling rides,” the news service reported. “Also, contrary to the researchers’ expectations, precooling the leg muscles did not diminish the athletes’ performance, despite the fact that it’s generally considered a bad idea to work ‘cold’ muscles.” The concept behind precooling—which can also be performed using cold baths or chilled air—is that if the body is as cool as possible when exercise begins, athletes experience a higher heat tolerance and a lower heart rate. This can decrease their susceptibility to heat strain, especially in conditions of extreme heat and humidity. ■ The study, “Heat Strain and Gross Efficiency During Endurance Exercise after Lower, Upper, or Whole Body Precooling in the Heat,” appears in the May 2006 edition (Volume 27, Issue 5) of the International Journal of Sports Medicine. It can be downloaded for a fee at: www.thieme-connect.com/ejournals/toc/sportsmed/5149.

NSCA Welcomes Epley Back Boyd Epley, once labeled the “Godfather of Strength and Conditioning,” founded the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) in 1978, with just 76 people attending its first conference. Twenty-eight years later, the association boasts 33,000 members in 56 countries, and Epley has returned to its leadership ranks. As the new Director of Coaching Performance, he’s looking forward to leading the NSCA to new heights. “I’m very excited to come back to an organization that’s grown in so many directions and served so many people,” Epley says. “The NSCA has done a tremendous job with certification, research, athletic training, and personal training. My goal is to provide visible leadership in the area of performance—I will work with high school coaches and college strength coaches to find new ways to improve performance for athletes.” Having officially started Aug. 1, Epley says it’s too early to talk specifics, but he’s already decided that one of his major projects will be enhancing the NSCA’s state clinics. “I want the clinics to have more content from the national office, and I’m going to be feeding a lot of NSCA resources to those events,” he says. “You can expect them to get bigger over the ATHLETICBID.COM

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Circle No. 109

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next few years, with much more educational content.” Epley plans on rolling out his vision for the NSCA’s future, including many of his specific ideas, at the association’s Sport-Specific Training Conference in San Antonio on Jan. 5. “I’ve got big ideas, big expectations, big plans,” he says. “I’ll be presenting all of it at the convention in January, and the strength world will never be the same after that.” ■ For more information on the NSCA’s upcoming conferences, visit: www.nsca-lift.org/calendar.

The State of HS Steroid Testing Drug testing of high school athletes is nothing new. Many schools have been randomly testing athletes for recreational drug use for years. However, testing high school athletes for steroids is rare, mainly because of the high cost. That is changing, though, due to mandates from elected officials at the state level and a push from some state high school associations. Now, mandatory testing for steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, similar to that conducted by the NCAA and professional sports leagues, is on its way to the high school level. Illinois is the latest state to consider a random testing program. The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is looking at a plan that would conduct tests for steroids and other performance-enhancing substances before the final round of state tournaments—although results would not be known until after the competition ended. Under the plan being considered, athletes in individual sports who test positive would forfeit any medals, but schools would not be forced to give up team championships. Testing would be limited to sports that have had problems with steroids and other performanceenhancing substances in the past, such as track and field, swimming, football, and wrestling. The program would test both boys and girls. The Illinois plan could be presented to schools later this fall and be voted on by the IHSA board as early as next spring. Similar plans are being considered in Michigan, Texas, and California. In New Mexico, where Governor Bill Richardson has pledged $330,000 of funding for testing, four high schools are participating in a pilot program. New Jersey is the first state to implement a mandatory random testing system for high schools athletes. Beginning this fall, the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) will test about five percent of athletes whose teams qualify for postseason play. NJSIAA playoffs typically comprise 10,000 athletes in 31 sports, so about 500 athletes are expected to be tested. The tests will look for about 80 substances, ranging from amphetamines to steroids. Athletes who test positive will be declared ineligible for one year. Florida almost joined New Jersey with a testing plan of its own. The state legislature allocated $200,000 for a program to begin in 2007, but it was shelved after Governor Jeb Bush cut that funding from the state budget. ATHLETICBID.COM

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Protein Ingestion and Endurance Exercise: Is There A Performance Benefit? Martin J. Gibala, Ph.D., Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University

INTRODUCTION

Athletes, coaches and scientists have recognized for decades that training and nutrition are highly interrelated when it comes to improving performance. An accumulating body of scientific evidence now confirms that nutrition can profoundly influence the molecular and cellular processes that occur in muscle during exercise and recovery.1 This brief review analyzes the potential for performance enhancement through protein ingestion, whether during activity or by enhancing muscle recovery. PROTEIN INGESTION DURING EXERCISE

A sports drink such as Gatorade improves performance during prolonged exercise primarily because of two key ingredients: carbohydrate (CHO), which provides fuel for working muscles, and sodium, which helps to maintain fluid balance.2 Recently, two studies suggested that adding a small amount of protein (~2% whey protein) to a sports drink produced improvements in endurance capacity compared to the sports drink alone.3,4 However, the practical relevance of these studies is hampered by the way the research was conducted. First, the rate of CHO delivered in the sports drink was less than what is considered optimal for performance2; and second, the method of the performance test (exercise time to fatigue) did not mimic the manner in which athletes typically compete. In a recent study5, we addressed these issues by having trained cyclists ingest a sports drink during exercise at a rate considered optimal for CHO delivery (60 gram per hour), and perform a task that closely simulated athletic competition. Our subjects performed an 80-km cycling time trial on three occasions and drank either a 6% CHO blend, a 6% CHO + 2% whey-protein blend, or a sweetened placebo. All of the subjects consumed the solutions at a rate of 1 liter per hour. The study was “double blind” meaning neither the athletes nor the researchers knew what drink was consumed during a given trial. The study was also counterbalanced so that the order in which the subjects received the three treatments was systematically varied to prevent test-order bias. The trials determined that the average performance time was identical during the CHO and CHO+protein trials (roughly 135 min) and both were significantly faster (by approximately 4%) than the placebo trial (141 min). This study5 demonstrated that when athletes ingested a sports drink during exercise at a rate considered optimal for CHO delivery, protein provided no additional performance benefit during an event that simulated “real life” competition. PROTEIN INGESTION DURING RECOVERY AND ACUTE MUSCLE ADAPTATIONS

Nutrition intake during the immediate post-exercise period may benefit the athlete in that it aids the synthesis of muscle proteins and the replenishment of muscle glycogen. Similar to the effect seen after resistance exercise6, consuming protein with CHO during recovery from endurance exercise promotes muscle repair.7 This effect may be due to a direct effect of amino acids (particularly BCAA) on signaling pathways that control muscle protein synthesis.8 A more controversial issue is whether consuming protein with CHO enhances muscle glycogen resynthesis during the first several hours of recovery from prolonged exercise. In this author’s opinion, which is consistent with leading researchers in the field9, most evidence suggests that ingesting a high amount of CHO at frequent intervals (e.g., 1.2 g CHO per kg body weight per hour) negates the benefits of added protein. However, if an athlete does not eat a sufficient amount of CHO during recovery, then consuming protein with CHO may augment glycogen synthesis. Thus, similar to the effect on endurance capacity, the beneficial effect of ingesting protein with CHO on glycogen storage may be due to higher energy (nutrient) intake per se rather than any unique physiological mechanism.

www.gssiweb.org

PROTEIN INGESTION DURING RECOVERY AND SUBSEQUENT EXERCISE PERFORMANCE

Regardless of the potential changes in muscle, one key issue for some athletes is whether consuming protein with CHO during recovery improves subsequent endurance performance. One study10 reported that ingesting a CHO-protein drink during recovery from glycogen depleting exercise (activity lasting more than 90 minutes) markedly improved time to exhaustion during a subsequent exercise bout, as compared to a sports drink. However, the CHO-protein drink provided approximately three times as many calories as the sports drink and thus the improved endurance capacity was likely due to the higher energy intake. Another study11 that did not match energy intake compared chocolate milk, a dilute CHO sports drink and a drink matched to chocolate milk in terms of protein and CHO content. Endurance capacity was improved with chocolate milk and the sports drink compared to the third beverage, even though the latter provided CHO and protein equivalent to chocolate milk and more CHO and energy than the sports drink. The mechanisms that might explain the rather surprising ﬁndings from this study remain to be elucidated. Studies that have compared a CHO-protein drink with a CHO drink that provided the same amount of energy, showed no difference in subsequent 5-km running time trial12 or a timed run to exhaustion13. Additional research in this area is warranted, but at present there is no compelling evidence that suggests consuming protein with CHO during recovery has a direct effect on subsequent exercise performance. Nonetheless, given that protein has been shown to promote muscle recovery after strenuous exercise7, it seems prudent for athletes to consume protein with CHO as part of their recovery nutrition strategy. TAKE-HOME POINTS

Several studies have suggested that consuming protein with CHO during and following exercise improves endurance performance; however, the effect of protein may be due to greater energy intake per se rather than any proven physiological mechanism. Recent evidence indicates that when CHO is consumed in sufﬁcient amounts during and following exercise, adding protein provides no performance beneﬁt and does not enhance muscle glycogen synthesis. Consuming a small amount of high-quality protein during recovery from exercise promotes muscle protein synthesis compared to CHO alone and may enhance the body’s response to long-term training.

REFERENCES 1. Hawley, J.A., Tipton, K.D., and Millard-Stafford, M.L. Promoting training adaptations through nutritional manipulations. J Sports Sci. 24:1-13, 2006. 2. Jeukendrup, A.E. Carbohydrate intake during exercise and performance. Nutrition 20:669-677, 2004. 3. Ivy, J.L., Res PT, Sprague, R.C., and Widzer, M.O. Effect of a carbohydrate-protein supplement on endurance performance during exercise of varying intensity. Int. J. Sports Nutr. Exerc Metab. 13:382-395, 2003. 4. Saunders, M.J., Kane, M.D., and Todd, K.M. Effects of a carbohydrate-protein beverage on cycling endurance and muscle damage. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 36:1233-1238, 2004. 5. van Essen MJ, and Gibala MJ. Failure of protein to improve time trial performance when added to a sports drink. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 38:1476-1483, 2006 (In press). 6. Rennie, M.J., et. al. Control of the size of the human muscle mass. Annu Rev Physiol. 66:799-828, 2004. 7. Levenhagen, D.K., et. al. Postexercise protein intake enhances whole-body and leg protein accretion in humans. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 24:828-837, 2002. 8. Blomstrand, E., Eliasson, J., Karlsson, H.K., Kohnke, R. Branched-chain amino acids activate key enzymes in protein synthesis after physical exercise. J Nutr. 136: 269S-273S, 2006. 9. Burke, L.M., Keins, B., and Ivy, J.L. Carbohydrates and fat for training and recovery. J. Sports Sci. 22:15-30, 2004. 10. Williams, M.B., Raven, P.B., Fogt, D.L., Ivy, J.L. Effects of recovery beverages on glycogen restoration and endurance exercise performance. J Strength Cond Res.17: 12-19, 2003. 11. Karp, J.R. et. al. Chocolate milk as a post-exercise recovery aid. Int J Sports Nutr Exerc Metab. 16:78-91, 2006. 12. Millard-Stafford, M., Warren, G.L., Thomas, L.M., Doyle, J.A., Snow, T., Hitchcock, K. Recovery from run training: efﬁcacy of a carbohydrate-protein beverage? Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 15:610-624, 2005. 13. Betts, J.A., et. al. Recovery of endurance running capacity: effect of carbohydrate-protein mixtures. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 15:590-609, 2005.

the On a farm, a windmill can keep going forever. But on the softball diamond, windmill pitchers need to be watched closely for overuse injuries, which are becoming more prevalent in the game. BY DENNIS READ

F Florida State University’s Tiffany McDonald ranked second in NCAA Division I last year for innings pitched and appearances, leading her team to the Super Regionals. FSU Athletic Trainer Robin Gibson says she uses a variety of strategies to keep her softball pitchers healthy. ROSS OBLEY, FLORIDA STATE SPORTS INFORMATION

or a long time, people assumed that softball pitchers didn’t have to worr y about overuse injuries. Pitchers would throw and throw and throw, stopping only when the games ended. One college game in 1991 went 31 innings and saw only two pitchers—one for each team. Recent research, though, has shown that windmill pitching does take a toll on a pitcher’s arm, and the forces it produces are comparable to those experienced by baseball pitchers. Yet softball pitchers are still treated differently than their mound-throwing brothers, who would never think of starting games on consecutive days, never mind two in one day. In this article, we’ll look at the science behind overuse injuries in softball pitchers and ways to avoid them. We’ll also discuss strength and conditioning programs that can help make pitchers not only healthier, but more effective. THE SCIENCE While there is limited research into ATHLETICBID.COM

TREATING THE ATHLETE

Checking Windmill the windmill pitching motion currently used by almost all softball pitchers, most researchers agree that the movement puts pitchers at risk for injury. One of the first studies conducted in this area looked at pitchers from the 1989 NCAA Division I championships and found that 20 of the 24 pitchers studied had suffered a total of 26 injuries during that season, 17 of which were to the pitching arm. Of the 11 injuries that resulted in missed playing time, nine were to the arm. A more recent study of 181 pitchers across all three NCAA divisions found that 73 percent suffered at least one injury during the 2001-02 season. A large majority of those injuries (70 percent or 92 injuries) were classified as chronic or overuse injuries, and 52 of them sidelined the pitcher or, in the pitcher’s view, affected her performance. Sherry Werner, PhD, Director of the Center for Motion Analysis at the Texas Metroplex Institute for Sports Performance in Grand Prairie, has been studying arm injuries in pitchers for nearly 20 years. She’s seen hundreds of pitchers, many of them under 18, who required surgery to repair their arms. “For too long we’ve heard the myth that softball pitchers have a natural throwing motion and they can pitch as much as they want without hurting themselves,” says Werner, who was previously Coordinator of the Human Performance Laboratory at the Tulane Institute for Sports Medicine, and a Research Assistant Professor at the Tulane University School of Medicine. “As a ATHLETICBID.COM

result, every year at Tulane an increasing number of kids, 18 and under, came in to see us. Usually it was some sort of labral injury or damage to the rotator cuff. Many needed shoulder surgery and their shoulders looked like those of a 90-year old.” Werner led a biomechanical study of pitchers at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta that found the shoulder stresses they faced were similar to those in baseball pitchers, who are rarely asked to pitch as often as softball pitchers. Shoulder distraction stress levels averaged about 80 percent of the pitcher’s body weight and sometimes exceeded the pitcher’s body weight. The elbow, meanwhile faced an average maximum compression force of 61 percent of body weight near the release point. At its fastest point in the delivery, just after the stride foot made contact with the ground, the arm was moving at 2,190 degrees per second, or fast enough to complete six rotations in one second. A second study led by Werner and published this year found pitchers age 12 to 19 face similar arm and shoulder stresses. This research also examined the forces absorbed by the lower body. Braking forces typically exceeded body weight shortly after the stride foot made contact with the ground, and vertical ground reaction forces sometimes exceeded 150 percent of body weight. Werner says that not everyone in softball has been receptive to her work, estimating that about half the coaches she hears from say they have little use for it. “Physics and engineering prin-

ciples are behind everything we do,” Werner says. “I think people need to have an open mind about what the science is telling us.” ASSESSING MECHANICS There are two main causes of chronic injuries in softball pitchers: poor mechanics and overuse. Poor pitching mechanics can lead to injury even at a young age. “I coached high school girls for 22 years and never had a pitcher miss a turn because of injury,” says Denny Throneburg, Head Softball Coach and Athletic Director at Lake Land College, who won 647 games and six state titles as Head Coach at Casey-Westfield (Ill.) High School. “I also coached 25 years of travel ball and never had a pitcher miss a turn because of injury. People ask me how, and I tell them it’s because we teach proper mechanics at a young age. The younger they learn the proper way to throw the ball, the better.” “My main recommendation for anyone who works with softball pitchers is to have their mechanics assessed,” Werner says. “If we can get the mechanics straight, then I think we’re giving athletes a much better chance of avoiding injury down the road.” According to Throneburg, the starting point for mechanics is shoulder rotation. “The first thing we work on with our pitchers is ensuring that they Dennis Read is an Associate Editor at Training & Conditioning. He can be reached at: dr@MomentumMedia.com. T&C OCTOBER 2006

TREATING THE ATHLETE make a perfect circle with proper shoulder rotation,” he says. “Most injuries are caused by an improper circle.” Through her studies at Tulane, Werner found that improper hip rotation is another common cause of injury. “Probably the biggest flaw we see in many pitchers is how their hips move when they release the ball,” she says. “When their hips are more closed, or pointed toward home plate at release, it makes for safer mechanics because the trunk and legs are helping to dissipate that large amount of force.” Stride length is another area where pitchers go astray, usually by not striding far enough. “We have found that

her curve ball in the middle of the season,” Deese says. “Thank goodness I had what I called her perfect curve ball recorded. I was able to show her that footage compared to what she was currently doing. We saw a couple of minor flaws that we corrected, and then everything fell back in place.” There’s another, sometimes overlooked factor, that can increase the risk of arm injuries, and that’s overhand throwing. Many pitchers play another position when they’re not pitching. And even those who only pitch are regularly called upon to make overhand throws while fielding the position. Any deficiencies in the overhand throwing

“Pitchers who follow through with a straight elbow so that the hand raises up above the head place a lot of stress on their shoulder … Those who snap their wrist and elbow, then bend both joints, protect the shoulder better.” the longer the stride, the more they protect their shoulder,” Werner says. The dangers aren’t over once the ball is released. “Proper follow-through is preached a lot but I don’t know how much it’s actually practiced,” says Tina Deese, MA, Head Coach at Auburn University. “Pitchers can be successful without a nice, smooth follow-through, but they may not last. “Some pitchers use big, high, long follow-throughs where the elbow comes back out away from the body and they almost do a second arm circle. But I don’t know if that’s good for the decelerators,” she continues. “I think that can basically wear out the brake pads in the back of the shoulder. With a textbook follow-through, the arm should almost brush the belly all the way up and finish with the fingers touching the throwing shoulder.” Werner agrees. “Those who follow through with a straight elbow so that the hand raises up above the head, place a lot of stress on their shoulder,” she says. “Those who snap their wrist and elbow, then bend both joints, protect the shoulder better.” To help diagnose flaws in her pitchers’ mechanics, Deese videotapes each practice and game. She saves footage from her pitchers’ ideal deliveries so she can refer to them later when problems develop. “The tapes came in very handy last year, when one of our pitchers lost 18

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motion can lead to arm injuries that subsequently will affect pitching. “I have seen instances where kids have a shoulder or elbow problem and the injury was caused by incorrect throwing overhand, not pitching,” Throneburg says. “I think throwing the ball correctly overhand is probably the most neglected skill in softball. If I am doing an hour pitching session, the first 10 minutes are devoted to the correct overhand throwing motion.” KEEPING COUNT The second cause of chronic injury is overuse, which can be hard to rein in. Unlike baseball, there are few restrictions on how many pitches or innings a softball pitcher can throw. “I think if every coach would keep a pitch count and set a realistic number of pitches, we wouldn’t see nearly as many shoulder injuries as we do now,” Throneburg says. “The exact number will vary by body shape, size and the physical condition of the pitcher. When my high school pitchers reached somewhere between 100 and 120 pitches, I was usually starting to look to the bullpen.” Long-term usage patterns are also critical. “If you pitch on a Monday, we recommend that you take Tuesday off—whether it’s a game or a workout—with no softball activity at all,” Werner says. “We realize that once teams get into playoffs, pitchers may

be asked to throw two games in a day, then come back and throw one or two the next day. As long as that happens only once or twice a year, it’s fine. But it can’t happen every weekend.” Rick Church, MS, CSCS, Head Softball Coach at Blinn College, adds that limits don’t apply only to games. “Even if pitchers have the day off following a game, what the coach does with them during practice is key,” he says. “Are they throwing batting practice and bullpen sessions every day, and then games on top of that? I think the volume of throws during practice can really contribute to overuse.” Werner offers a caveat for high school coaches whose pitchers may be playing other sports: Be careful that their bodies, especially their shoulders, aren’t overloaded by the cumulative effect of practices and games. “A lot of the kids I worked with in New Orleans were playing volleyball from Monday through Thursday and softball from Friday to Sunday,” Werner says. “You can’t work with that kind of athlete the same way you do with one who is playing only softball. Volleyball, for example, puts a lot of stress on the shoulder. If you have an athlete who is playing volleyball three times a week, you have to treat those sessions as pitching workouts because of the stress they’re putting on the shoulder.” DETECTION & TREATMENT Even with correct mechanics and carefully monitored usage, injuries are going to happen. What are the signs and treatments for these pitching injuries? “I commonly see overuse injuries in the rotator cuff and in the biceps and triceps,” says Karen Bloch, MS, LAT, ATC, CSCS, Staff Athletic Trainer at the University of Wisconsin, who has also worked with the Women’s Professional Softball League. “These injuries are characterized by nagging pain, fatigue, decreased performance, and change in an athlete’s attitude.” Common diagnoses include bicep tendonitis, rotator cuff strains, and impingement syndrome, which is an inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons. Overuse injuries can also affect the lower back and knees. It’s important to differentiate between the soreness that comes with pitching regularly and the pain of injury. “Soreness is usually general, not focal,” says Bloch, who is also owner of ATHLETICBID.COM

TREATING THE ATHLETE

ROTATOR CUFF PROGRAM The following is an example of the rotator cuff strengthening program used by pitchers at Baylor University. Warmup (1 lb. DB or 2.5 lb. plate) ■ Overhead shoulder presses x 5 each: Palms away, palms together, back of hands together ■ Modified French press x 5 each: Palms together, thumbs together, back of hands together ■ 45-degree angle front raise x 5 each: Palms down, thumbs up, thumbs down ■ Hands-together front raise x 5 each: Palms together up/down, palms together up/back of hands together down, thumbs together up/knuckles together down ■ Hitchhikers x 5 Exercises (2.5 lb. plate or 5 lb. DB) Six reps of each exercise for each side ■ Cuban raises: Palms away, thumbs backward, thumbs forward ■ Two-handed pitchers: Palms away, thumbs backward, thumbs forward ■ Side laterals with hitchhiker combo: Side laterals, side laterals/hitchhikers ■ Around the world: Palms together, thumbs together, back of hands together ■ Bow-and-arrows (bent over rear delt raises): Thumbs together, palms together, back of hands together ■ Modified bow-and-arrows (bent over, hands to chest, tricep extension, down): Palms together, thumbs together, back of hands together

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TREATING THE ATHLETE Key Koncepts for Sport Enhancement and Injury Prevention in Madison, Wis. “If there’s one tender point or one spot that you can touch and get pain, then it’s not soreness.” Robin Gibson, LAT, ATC, Associate Director for Sports Medicine at Florida State University and Head Athletic Trainer for the Seminoles softball team, watches all her pitchers closely for signs of injury. “Any coach or athletic trainer who is in tune with their pitchers can tell when they’re injured because their mechanics change—even their body language and facial expressions change,” she says. “No matter where their heart is and how bad they want to keep pitching, they just can’t hide that.” But that doesn’t stop them from trying. “I had a pitcher with a stress fracture, and I knew there was no way she could throw,” Gibson says. “But she begged me not to tell the coach. So I just said, ‘Okay, I’ll see you at warmup’ because I knew as soon as she threw a pitch she’d realize there was no way she could keep going. Sometimes they want to be out there so badly that you have to let them see for themselves they can’t

do it, rather than argue with them.” The main treatment for overuse injuries is rest, which may need to be carefully negotiated. “When you tell a coach in the middle of the season that her number-one pitcher needs rest, it usually doesn’t go over well,” Gibson says. “So instead of taking her out of the lineup, we can cut back on the number of pitches she throws in a game and in practice. We also use ice and anti-inflammatories, even corticosteroids to treat the symptoms.” In addition to a reduced workload, Bloch uses cross training to help treat overuse injuries. “Cross training in water is one of my favorite tools to use,” she says. “The water helps with lymphatic drainage and reduces impact. They’re able to do all softball motions in the water and get an excellent cardiovascular workout. Other cross-training methods include the bike, stair climbers, and elliptical machines. “Massage is another key element in treating overuse injuries,” Bloch continues. “I emphasize techniques that improve circulation, re-align the tissue, and enhance muscular relaxation,

which in turn promotes healing.” STRENGTH TRAINING The last piece of the puzzle in preventing softball pitching injuries is a strength training program. “Once you have good mechanics, strength and conditioning is the critical element,” Church says. “The purpose of mechanics is to optimize your current level of strength and power. And the way to increase power and explosive endurance is through a good solid strength and conditioning program.” Most experts believe training for softball pitching begins at the core. “You have to strengthen the abductors and adductors because of the torque created by the pitching motion,” says John Williams, SCCC, USA-W, Director of Strength and Conditioning at Baylor University. “The shoulder may seem to be the problem because of soreness or pain there, but it can actually result from over-compensating for a lack of strength or flexibility in the core.” Although almost any athlete will benefit from a strengthened core, there are some special considerations when it

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TREATING THE ATHLETE

PRESEASON STRENGTH The following is a sample week of the preseason strength-training program used by softball pitchers at Baylor University. Tuesday Warmup Core Toes & bows, 1 min. Side bridge, 45 sec. each side Seated twist x 40 Leg throws x 30 Supermans, 5 sec. x 12 Straight-Leg sit-ups x 15 Med-Ball partner rotation x 10 each side Physioball knee tucks x 15 Balance/Stability Single-leg squat x 15 each Crossover touch x 15 each Lateral push-offs x 8 each Depth jumps x 10 Shoulder Stability Lateral shoulder raises, palms in x 10

Lateral shoulder raises, palms out x 10 Scarecrow x 10 Arm circles x 5 each Main Exercises 1. DB squats x 8 x3 Lateral box jumps x 3 each 2. Three-way lunges 3 x 3 each 3. One-leg Romanian dead lifts x 8 x2 Bent rows x 8 4. DB flys 2 x 8

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Thursday Warmup Core Plank, 1 min. Alternating Supermans x 10 each Med-Ball seated twist throws x 15 each

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TREATING THE ATHLETE comes to working with softball pitchers. “I use a lot of rotational work because softball pitchers rotate their hips,” Williams says. “We do arc raises, weighted resisted arc raises, and stump busters, which are overhead raises between the knees to get the trunk and hips extended. We do a lot of dynamic throws with the medicine ball, such as rotary release and twist release. We also use lunge throws

doing two-legged exercises but the more I watched our athletes, I saw how they jump and throw off one leg. So now we’re doing body-weight deadlifts with one leg. We’re doing single-leg squats with rotation by reaching out with one leg.” Core and balance work are two of the four building blocks to Bloch’s strength training programs. The other two are range of motion and concentric/eccen-

“A lot of our program is about balance … The more I watched our athletes, I saw how they jump and throw off one leg. So now we’re doing body-weight deadlifts with one leg. We’re doing single-leg squats with rotation by reaching out with one leg.” and physioball exercises like seated physioball overhead shoulder presses.” In addition to rotational core work, Tim Lang, MS, CSCS, Director of Strength and Conditioning at DePaul University, counts on single-leg work to help make his pitchers stronger. “A lot of our program is about balance,” he says. “When I first got here I was comfortable

tric exercises. Bloch likes to use tubing exercises where a pair of players stand front to back facing the same direction. Holding a tube or band, they perform a series of sport-specific exercises at the same time. “The most common ones mimic the pitching motion,” Bloch says. “I like to cut the windmill motion down and

work on half of the pitching arc at a time. So they bring the tubing forward and then back. Another exercise I use a lot is wrist flexion. “These exercises are important because they concentrically and eccentrically challenge the pitcher’s body through sport-specific planes of movement,” she continues. “Once one arm is exercised with both people facing the same direction and doing the same movement in unison, they turn around and perform the same motion again. When facing one direction, one person will perform a concentric motion, and the other will challenge the eccentric motion. When they turn around, the concentric/eccentric motions will be switched.” During the offseason, Williams uses a progressive rotator cuff program to prepare his pitchers for the demands of a long season. (See “Rotator Cuff Program” on page 19.) Once the season starts, the emphasis turns to maintenance instead of building. “In season, we use more rehab-type movements,” he says. “For example, we do more bow-and-arrows, side laterals, and hitchhiker combos.”

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TREATING THE ATHLETE Church works a lot on explosive strength with his pitchers. “From the start of the motion to release takes less than a second, so that explosive endurance needs to be simulated in a strength and conditioning program,” he says. “We do a lot of low-impact bounding and medicine ball throws, some of them off a mini-tramp. Two-handed overhead throws and throws through the legs also simulate the pitching motion well. We do anywhere from 10 to 20 reps, and gradually increase the weight of the ball as we progress. “We have another drill where they push forward in a pitching motion, and we’ll do a series of five to 10 reps at a time,” he adds. “Then we add resistance belts or tubing.” Church also uses weighted balls to train his pitchers, a technique he admits not everyone subscribes to. “There is some debate in the literature and coaching circles on the use of the weighted ball,” he says. “And you certainly have to be very careful with the volume of work you do with overweight and underweight balls because there is a risk of injury, especially if the mechanics

are even a little bit off. We typically do 50 to 75 percent reduced volume two or three days a week in the preseason, which includes both overweight and underweight balls. And I’ve seen some good velocity increases in our pitchers using the program.” Although weightroom work is a key component of a program, there are some exercises to avoid. There has been a definite shift away from some of the traditional Olympic lifts. “You do need explosive work, and cleans are fine,” Bloch says. “But as far as snatches, you already have the micro-trauma that comes from throwing every day, so why would you want to add to that with snatches?” “You want to minimize the overhead lifts,” Church agrees. “I also think there’s been a de-emphasis on bench press in favor of incline presses and body-weight push-up variations. I’m not saying we have to eliminate the bench press entirely, but there’s not much reason for a pitcher to just get down and do a max bench press.” Werner says a good rule of thumb is to pull, not push. “Stay away from

anything that requires pushing weights or resistance away from the body,” she says. “Instead do a lot of pulling. The muscles used when pulling weight toward your body are the ones that will protect the shoulder and the elbow.” Regardless of the exact program used, Church says it’s important that pitchers continue to work out throughout the season. “There’s a myth that you need to stop your training after preseason,” he says. “You’ll want to reduce the volume because of the load from competition and practice, but you still want to keep the intensity up.” You also want to keep the intensity up on all of your injury-prevention efforts. From watching their mechanics to counting pitches to checking tender spots, coaches and athletic trainers can reduce overuse injuries in pitchers—while also making these players more effective. ■

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LEADERSHIP

Loud & Clear Even when you think you’ve communicated loud and clear to your staff, why don’t they always follow through? Understanding the latest concepts in communication can help. ©GETTY IMAGES

BY CHADRON HAZELBAKER

thletic trainers face many difficult tasks as they go about the dayto-day business of keeping athletes healthy and competing at the highest levels. Sometimes, the hardest task is the one we think about the least, yet do constantly: communicate with our staff. From handing out assignments, to explaining new procedures, to providing feedback on someone’s work, our days are filled with talking and listening. They are also filled with chances for miscommunication. But if we take time to understand the nuances of information flow, we can lessen the errors and improve our athletic training operations. LOST IN TRANSLATION In managing a sports medicine team, you may have experienced times when you

ATHLETICBID.COM

thought you told your staff to do something, and it didn’t get done. Why was charting left finished? Why didn’t the baseball coach get that injury update? In their book, The Leader’s Voice: How Your Communication Can Inspire Action and Get Results, authors Boyd Clarke and Ron Crossland discuss four assumptions we tend to make in our communication with others. We assume that the person we are talking to: • understands the request • agrees with the request • cares about the request • will act accordingly to fulfill the request. This may happen seamlessly with longtime staff members who are always on the same page as you. But, with everyone else, assuring these four actions is a tall order. Here’s a closer look at how they relate to the sports medicine setting:

Do they understand? Does your athletic training staff always understand what you ask them to do and why you ask them to do it? Often, staff members don’t really understand a directive, but they don’t say so. This may be especially true with students and recent hires within your facility. At a clinic I used to work at, the professional staff was annoyed when athletic training students were found sitting around studyChadron Hazelbaker, MPE, ATC, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, is working on his PhD in Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University while serving as Athletic Trainer at Liberty (Wash.) High School and NATA District 10 CIC Representative. He has worked as an athletic trainer at Whitworth Physical Therapy, Apex Physical Therapy, and Whitworth College (all in Washington). He can be reached at: chadronblue@yahoo.com. T&C OCTOBER 2006

LEADERSHIP ing rather than jumping in to assist in patient care. But the students were never taught how to “jump in” or given a share of the treatment model. They didn’t know what to do, so they did what they knew. When people lack understanding, follow-through will also be lacking. I know an athletic training student who was given the task of mixing up a sports drink for the football team after a particularly hot practice. He dumped a large amount of various powders in

task is not valuable to the organization or team, they won’t give it their full concentrated abilities. When I was an undergraduate, I found myself and 10 other athletic training students making divot replacements to our football field. Our head athletic trainer felt the divots in the field could cause injuries, and we cared enough to make the repairs ourselves. Does your staff care about the athletes enough to stay after-hours? Are they passionate about prevention of

Does your staff buy into the vision that underlies your request? We have all been in situations when a boss or authority figure tells us to do something we don’t want to do. Usually it is because we don’t agree with them. And often we respond with a subpar effort. the largest water cooler he could find and, not finding a stirring implement, he proceeded to use his arm to stir the concoction. Not only were the mix proportions off, but now it had been contaminated. There was follow-through on the directive, but it wasn’t the intended follow-through. Do they agree? Does your staff buy into the vision that underlies your request? We have all been in situations when a boss or authority figure tells us to do something we don’t want to do. Usually it is because we don’t agree with them. And often we respond with a subpar effort. While working with a clinical athletic trainer at a continuing education seminar, I was surprised when she said, “I always dig in real deep when I’m doing a massage. I figure if it makes the athletes sore, they won’t ask for any more.” Obviously, this athletic trainer did not agree with her supervisor about the benefits of massage, and she was undermining the task by performing it for reasons differing from those of the broader vision. Does your staff agree with your vision, how you run the program, and the procedures in place? Do they agree with the day-to-day decisions you make? People who do not buy into the ideas of their supervisor can be toxic when it comes to completing the tasks given to them. Do they care? Does your sports medicine staff see value in the tasks you assign them? If a staff member believes a 26

T&C OCTOBER 2006

injuries? Do they see filling the water bottles as a menial task, or as a vital part of promoting the health and wellness of the team? Will they act accordingly? The fourth

lems like these have occurred in our athletic training rooms, but often we lack the necessary tools to correct them. We fault the staff member for not listening, being lazy, or not being professional. However, as leaders in our setting, we have to recognize that we have some responsibility for the problem. Along with these four communication problems in organizations, Clarke and Crossland present three areas for leaders to master in order to become better communicators. The examples they use take place in the business world, but the same concepts can apply to the athletic training facility. Putting facts in context: The first part of effective communication is understanding the use of facts. Facts and statistics are freely thrown around the athletic training room in discussions of batting averages and the scores of last night’s games. In addition, the profession of athletic training is founded on science and based in scientific research. However, when facts are provided without context, problems can arise. When there is not a broader understanding of the facts, your staff is

If staff members feel like you empathize with their situation and understand what they say—even if you act against their ideas—they will be more likely to work to the best of their abilities. It will help them “agree with your requests.” assumption we make is that the staff member will take the correct action as a result of what we’ve said. Even if a person understands a request, agrees with it, and cares enough to fulfill it, they may not act in the manner you envision. For example, maybe you ask a staff member to provide an injury report to the baseball coach. The staff member completes a thorough medical report in a prompt manner and e-mails it to the coach. But the coach really would like the report written in non-medical language and handed to him in person so he can have a short conversation with the athletic trainer about it. The staff athletic trainer acted professionally and with good intentions, but no one told her the nuances of presenting a report to this particular coach. SPORTS-MEDICINE SOLUTIONS All of us can think of times when prob-

left to create their own definitions for what the numbers mean. An example may be as simple as the statement, “Our facility treated 250 athletes yesterday.” This is a fact, but what does it mean? Parts of your staff may look at those numbers and be proud, thinking that 250 athletes is a solid day. Other staffers may view 250 as too busy and begin to get stressed about what the next day may bring. I worked for a manager once who wanted to boost production. He hung graphs and statistics on the wall of the lunchroom. The intention was to let people know how the rehabilitation company was doing and provide a visual motivator. But the statistics were posted without any explanation, so instead of being motivated, the staff became confused and paranoid about what the numbers meant. Make sure you are sharing the right ATHLETICBID.COM

LEADERSHIP facts and providing analysis of those facts. This will allow your staff to more thoroughly “understand your requests”—one of the problem areas mentioned above—and help them tackle the tasks they’ve been given. Sharing emotions: Some people show a lot of emotion when they communicate and others don’t, mainly based on their personality. However, a leader is responsible for using emotions in a more thoughtful way. In fact, emotions are a significant part of leadership. Leadership is about forming relationships with those around you, and relationships often have emotional connections. It is said that we follow leaders who make us feel a certain way. Think of a coach who inspired you and your team. Why did you follow that coach? What emotions did the coach show and what emotions did he or she bring out in you and the team? There are two main emotions leaders use to inspire others: empathy and encouragement. As athletic trainers, we use empathy every day as we work with injured athletes. But we don’t always think to use empathy with our staff members.

Athletic training is a tough profession, and staff members want to be heard when they have opinions, ideas, or complaints. If they feel like you empathize with their situation and understand what they say—even if you act against their ideas—they will be more likely to work to the best of their abilities. It will help them agree with the decisions you make, and “agree with your requests,” thus solving one of the problems in communication we talked about previously. Encouraging your staff is also very important. Often we focus on correcting mistakes people have made and forget to provide positive feedback. The key to motivating others is to point out what they’ve done well and encourage them to keep up the good work. When you encourage someone, they tend to care more about their work and what you’ve asked them to do. Thanking somebody can be a really powerful form of encouragement. In one of our clinics, small houseplants were given out to the aides by the professional staff as a thank you. The effect this had on energy and patient care

was tremendous, and now, a few years later, the staff still talks about how they felt appreciated for what they did. Sharing emotions effectively in the workplace also means recognizing appropriate and inappropriate ways of expressing yourself. I can remember times when I have acted inappropriately in my managerial roles out of frustration that stemmed from tasks not getting accomplished by those in my department. Embarrassingly, I once threw a cooler down on a table and ordered an athletic training student to clean it after the student hadn’t completed the post-practice tasks that I assumed he knew he should do. This is a blatant case of using emotions inappropriately. I wish I had taken that emotional energy and used it to examine whether flaws in my communication were the true problem. It is okay to express some frustration or disappointment with a result. My mistake was jumping to the conclusion that it was someone else’s fault. Instead, show your disappointment in a calm manner, and also express your willingness to address your own role in causing the miscommunication.

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LEADERSHIP Use of symbols: Sports are filled with symbols and representations that create emotions and stories in our minds when we look at them. A sports medicine team can use those same symbols as a rallying point. Team mascots, fight songs, and rally flags are all effective symbols that can convey a message to your staff that their job is to help athletes achieve their highest performance. It’s another way to help staff members care about their work and your requests. I can remember walking into one college’s athletic training room and being blown away by the symbols they used to convey team spirit and professionalism. Bright, clean equipment and fresh paint showing the team mascot and team name made a strong impression. How do you create pride and rallying points for your staff? I think of a local university whose mascot is the bald eagle. The school adopted the slogan “It’s a great time to be an eagle.” Does this same sense of pride exist in the athletic training facility? Is it a great time to be an athletic trainer? Think of your group and ask the same questions based on the

symbols of the school, teams, and facilities that are around you. Is your training room mascot a pigeon on crutches or a tiger attacking rehabilitation? THE POWER OF STORIES One final area of communication to understand is the telling of stories. The facts, emotions, and symbols that are used in your athletic training room create the stories that are conveyed not only by you, but also your staff. Stories are important parts of institutional memory and are an extremely effective way of passing along what is important in an organization. I worked in a clinic where a story went around that the owner once fired a person for being one minute late for work. It was an important story that stressed the company’s beliefs in being professional and on time. The stories that your staff tells about the organization (and you) have a direct effect on what happens within the athletic training room and how things get done. Ultimately, it helps staff members “act accordingly” in your particular setting. What stories can you use to

illustrate certain points in a meeting or presentation to the staff? What stories can you share to help your staff learn the vision and goals of the sports medicine team? I had the pleasure of hearing Bill Drake, Head Athletic Trainer at Washington State University, give a brief talk at a Northwest Athletic Trainers’ Association meeting last year. He told the story of his experience losing an athletic training student in the war in Iraq. He presented a story of hope and redemption, and from it, those of us listening better understood Bill and how he runs his athletic training program. We also better understood how relationships— developed through communication— are a key to leading successful athletic training clinics and staffs. ■

The text referenced in this article, The Leader’s Voice: How Your Communication Can Inspire Action and Get Results, is published by Select Books, at: www.selectbooks.com.

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SPECIAL FOCUS

Players on the Chicago White Sox regularly use vibration training to loosen tight muscles.

The latest buzz in the athletic training world is whole body vibration, which holds promise for everything from strength work to prehab to rehab.

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BY R.J. ANDERSON

hen Craig Friedman, ATC, CSCS, a performance specialist at Athletes’ Pe r for m a n c e i n Tempe, Ariz., traveled to Germany for the 2006 Men’s World Cup, he brought along some new tools that are creating a buzz in sports medicine and athletic performance training. Charged with designing short-term performance programs for world-class soccer players and helping them recover quickly from the rigors of competition, Friedman counted on whole body vibration

ATHLETICBID.COM

(WBV) to help keep the host team at the top of its game. Friedman is one of a growing number of athletic training and conditioning professionals adding WBV to their performance-building and treatment approaches. Although the idea of vibration is not new, it hasn’t been extensively researched, and the hows and whys behind the technology remain a bit of a mystery. Yet despite the lack of quantitative evidence, anecdotal findings from performance specialists, athletic trainers, and strength coaches ring loud and clear: Vi-

bration has many benefits—both acute and gradual. And as time unfolds, experts say we’ll likely see more benefits come to light. SHAKING THINGS UP The idea behind whole body vibration is pretty straightforward. The body is shaken, usually by an oscillating platform, while athletes perform exercises or stretch. R.J. Anderson is an Assistant Editor at Training & Conditioning. He can be reached at: rja@MomentumMedia.com. T&C OCTOBER 2006

SPECIAL FOCUS These repetitive impulses from the platform excite muscles’ motor neurons, causing the fibers to contract. In addition, vibration has been shown to affect the sensory, neuroendocrine, and cardiovascular systems. In an athletic setting, benefits are thought to include increased flexibility, increased bone density, synchronization of motor units, hormonal secretion, and pre-activation of the musculoskeletal system. Although WBV is just now gaining traction in the U.S., it’s been around for a while. Vibration technology was initiated in the mid-1850s in the form of steam-powered devices shaped like saddles. In fact, three of these devices sank with the Titanic. “That technology was inappropriately claimed to have wild benefits—everything from healing broken bones to curing dandruff, paralysis, and leprosy; weight loss; you got taller; your hair got curlier; everything,” says Patrick Jacobs, PhD, CSCS, a professor at Florida Atlantic University and a speaker on WBV at the recent National Strength and Conditioning Association convention. “Then in the 1920s, the U.S. started cracking down

on quackery and determined many of these claims were outrageous, and the vibration industry fizzled out.” In the early to mid-1970s, the technology resurfaced when Soviet scientists began developing it for use in athletics. “They applied it in both clinical populations and with their elite, Olympic-level athletes,” says Jacobs. “The devices looked very similar to foot stools, and in limited studies, were shown to increase flexibility, both acutely in one day, and over time in several weeks.” Because most modern platforms have only been available commercially in the United States for less than five years, most practitioners at the forefront of WBV training have been learning on the fly as they experiment with the technology. But in the short time they’ve been working with WBV, many report seeing dramatic results in building strength and power, shortening recovery periods, and creating more thorough preactivity muscle activation. HOW IT WORKS Vibration training can be implemented in a variety of ways. “There are three

main groups of platforms,” says Jacobs. “There’s the up-and-down platform that has vertical and horizontal vibration, and a teeterboard-style platform that produces mostly vertical vibration. These typically work by having the athlete stand on the plate to stretch or do exercises using either body weight or a weighted vest. The third type is a larger up-and-down platform that has enough space for users to perform weight-training exercises, such as squats, bench presses, dead lifts, and cleans.” The basic biomechanical function of this training begins with abrupt impulses delivered with a frequency that typically ranges from 25 to 60 impulses per second, which is usually reported in hertz (Hz). Those impulses send signals to different sensory receptors, which are carried to the central nervous system. So for a setting of 30 Hz for 30 seconds, the body receives 900 impulses, forcing 900 involuntary contractions in each muscle the impulses reach. “Each of those bursts probably has a benefit in terms of neurological input for reorganization,” says Jacobs. “They are introduced simultaneously to all of the

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SPECIAL FOCUS involved muscles. So at the same time there’s a burst going to the hamstring, there’s a burst going to the quad and all the adductor groups.” The next important variable in WBV is amplitude, or vertical displacement. Amplitude multiplied by the frequency creates the average velocity or rate of acceleration/deceleration. “The rate of deceleration determines the G-load at that impulse—and it’s the G-load that is likely to determine how much work the muscles are doing,” says Jacobs. “So when using the same frequency, but doubling the displacement from two to four millimeters, the average velocity doubles along with the work the muscles have to do.” In teeterboard-style platforms, the vertical displacement is based on the concept of a center fulcrum and alternating right-left and up-down motions, which produce a corresponding teeterboard motion at the pelvis. Benefits of the teeterboard motion include simulating a natural crossover pattern that requires active user participation to maintain postural stabilization. Because the technology is so young,

and research data so scarce, most experts agree that users need to proceed cautiously when introducing athletes to vibration. Though it may seem relative-

onds. When the athlete becomes comfortable with that, Friedman increases the duration. The next step is to change the rest-to-work ratio between sets.

The basic biomechanical function of this training begins with abrupt impulses delivered with a frequency that typically ranges from 25 to 60 impulses per second … “Each of those bursts probably has a benefit in terms of neurological input for reorganization.” ly low-impact (athletes report hardly feeling vibration effects during application), it’s wise to progress slowly. After all, at this point nobody knows for certain where the overtraining limits of vibration lie. “The bottom line is, we don’t know much about the biological effects,” says Jacobs. “We know from a peripheral level what’s going on when you apply vibration, but most of the hows and whys are still very fuzzy.” For beginners, Friedman uses the lowest amplitude at 30 Hz for 30 sec-

“After adjusting the rest-to-work ratio, we change the body position and the movement to make it more complex,” says Friedman. “For example, if we start with a pillar bridge on their knees, we’ll progress to having them use their feet. Or if they’re doing something on two feet, we’ll have them go to one foot. After all that, we raise the frequency and amplitude.” Friedman calculates progression rates on an individual basis. “It’s a qualitative assessment of how the athlete is recovering from their previous training

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SPECIAL FOCUS sessions,” he says. “Typically it takes about a week before an athlete is ready to progress, but for some it can take more or less time to feel comfortable at a certain level. “We usually give them 48 hours of recovery between specific movements on the vibration,” Friedman adds. “For instance, I wouldn’t have somebody do a single-leg squat on vibration every day. But I might have them do a single-leg squat one day, then the next day do a prone pillar bridge.” It’s also important to remember that settings are not uniform for every machine and that parameters should be adjusted for athletes of different weights. “The frequency and amplitude seem different on each machine, and change with the size of the lifter, so don’t assume that 40 Hz has the same benefits for a 140-pound person and a 300pound person,” says Myron Davis, PEd, Professor of Human Performance at Weber State University, who is conducting pilot studies that incorporate weight training with vibration. Above all, keep it simple. Because WBV training is based on a high vol-

ume of involuntary contractions, Friedman says it is easy to ingrain motor patterns—positive and negative. “We start with very simple movements, because we want them done cleanly,” he says. “If you coach the athlete intently, it’s easy to eliminate compensation patterns because they adapt so quickly. But if you’re not paying attention, it’s also easy to ingrain bad habits.” VIBRATION IN ACTION None of the current WBV products have been on the market very long, and as such, no specific platforms or form of vibration has separated itself from the rest through studies or clinical trials. Nor is every platform designed for every purpose. With that in mind, it’s incumbent on strength coaches and athletic trainers to determine what they want to achieve with WBV and how vibration fits into their overall training philosophy. “Prospective users should experiment and familiarize themselves with each type of system before they make a purchase,” says Jacobs. “They should identify their anticipated uses for the

technology and make a decision based on which device they and their athletes will be most comfortable with. “Some coaches like the smaller vertical and teeterboard-style platforms because they excite athletes’ neurological systems before a workout,” Jacobs continues. “There are other people who use vibration as a component of complex training and do heavy Olympic lifts on a platform, or use it for follow-up exercises like fast-squats. Within that philosophy, a coach will want to use a larger platform.” At Athletes’ Performance, Friedman uses the Power Plate to supplement his training protocols in a variety of applications. “We start by using it for activation work—whether it be neural activation or muscle activation in a warmup,” says Friedman, whose clientele includes many elite college and professional athletes. “We have athletes on the platform doing prone and pillar bridge positions, as well as things like assuming an inverted hamstring stretch position and doing multiple hip rotation movements.” Friedman also uses vibration training

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SPECIAL FOCUS to help build strength. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have athletes who are in strength phases on the vibration immediately before or after their strength sets,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll stand unweighted in a quarter-squat position for 15 to 30 seconds, then hop off and immediately go into the rack for heavy squats or heavy dead lifts or whatever we might be doing.â&#x20AC;? Davis has been using the Pneu-Vibe Pro from Pneumex for two years at Weber State. With a platform size of 30 inches by 40 inches, the device can hold up to 1,200 pounds and has a frequency range of 20 to 60 Hz. Davis takes advantage of the large deck by using it with free weights and plyometric exercises. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an adjunct to a lot of other training work we do,â&#x20AC;? says Davis, who has watched his colleagues use the device with Weber Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball team, and has also seen it help four football players improve their 40-yard dash times and vertical leaps for the 2006 NFL Draft Combine. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We do everything from plyometrics to functional and structural lifts to band training and compensatory acceleration training using vibration.â&#x20AC;?

Davis also works with a 140-pound professional powerlifter who has made significant progress doing Olympic lifts augmented with vibration. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made continual gains and broken through plateaus that had stifled him for years,â&#x20AC;? says Davis. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He is 42 and his personal bests are better now than when he was setting records in his 30s. For instance, in the dead lift and squat weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen improvements of 30 to 55 pounds during competition since weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve implemented vibration.â&#x20AC;? Glen Doyle, martial arts instructor and cross-training specialist at Cead Bua Fighting Arts Center in Milton, Ontario, uses a platform from Whole Body Advanced Vibration Exercise (WAVE) for performance training with his clientele, which includes professional hockey players and two-time Olympic silver medalist figure skater Elvis Stojko. To build strength and power required on the ice, Doyle uses WBV to target the athletesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; abductors, adductors, and glutes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to mimic their push so Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have them stand on the platform in a full-extension of their skating stride,â&#x20AC;? says Doyle. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have them hold

that static position and the vibration recruits those stabilizing muscles.â&#x20AC;? Sessions on the vibration platform average 25 to 35 minutes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The athletes do their exercises on the platform for about a minute, have a 30-second rest, and go again,â&#x20AC;? says Doyle. â&#x20AC;&#x153;After that theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re wiped out. But when they come back the next day, although their muscles might be a little fatigued, their joints and tendons arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sore. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s huge for my hockey players because a lot of them have knee problems,â&#x20AC;? he adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They love vibration because they can see and feel themselves get strong at a faster rate and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not getting beat up in the process.â&#x20AC;? BOUNCING BACK Another common use for WBV is aiding recovery. Chicago White Sox Head Athletic Trainer Herm Schneider, MS, ATC, uses the teeterboard-style platform of the Vibraflex from Orthometrix to help his players grind through a 162-game regular season. He says WBV is especially helpful for pre-activity warmups when itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s otherwise difficult to activate fatigued muscles, and

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SPECIAL FOCUS says Friedman. “The results from the blood tests we used to measure players’ hormone levels, which are an indicator of recovery level, were very impressive. Their hormone levels were very high during their post-contest recovery periods, even after extremely rigorous games. “We also used vibration platforms for pre-training and next-day recovery following high-stress games,” continues Friedman. “We’d spend a lot of time using it to reactivate muscles that get turned off in soccer players. The players stood and did basic stretches on the platforms approximately three days a week anywhere from five to 10 minutes per session.” As an athletic trainer, Schneider also uses vibration as an aid to rehab, especially for ankle, Achilles’ tendon, and calf injuries. “If a guy has an ankle sprain, and he can’t stand on the machine, we’ll have him sit on a stool and place his foot on the machine while doing toe raises to stimulate the ankle,” he says. Dustin Glass, DC, Team Chiropractor for the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League, who special-

that almost all of his players use the device before games and workouts. “At first they may simply want to get their legs loose, so I’ll show them how to do that. Then they’ll usually say, ‘That feels good, what can I do to get my back loose?’” he says. “It takes 10 minutes to teach them how to turn it on and be safe with it. I find out what they want to use it for, and then I show them a few exercises that will accomplish their warmup goals.” For instance, to target general back tightness, Schneider has a player stand on the platform and lean back on his heels, which sends the vibration up the player’s legs and into his back. “I’ve found if you can contract your tightest muscles, the vibration seems to find its way to that tightness,” he says. “That includes up into the cervical area—it can be felt all the way up into the neck and head.” Friedman is also impressed with vibration’s recovery benefits, especially after using it on the German national soccer team. “A lot of what we saw was qualitative, especially in terms of players recovering more quickly,”

izes in soft tissue active release techniques, uses WBV to reduce recovery time and for rehabs. “I use it to treat a lot of shoulder and rotator cuff injuries as well as knee injuries, patellar tendonitis, Achilles’ tendon ruptures, plantar fasciitis, and shin splints,” says Glass, who has his athletes do rehabilitative exercises on the platform. Glass uses the TurboSonic from Vibration Health Solutions, which looks like most other platforms but features vibration created by sound waves. He utilizes a frequency range of three to 50 Hz, preferring lower frequencies when treating athletes in the early stages of recovery. “WBV allows me to relax ligaments and tendons and other components that are hard to target with any other manual therapy,” he says. “I can get deeper into the joints and around the ligaments using specific frequencies and intensities.” WHAT’S NEXT? Although there are more questions than answers regarding WBV, that should change as folks like Davis and Friedman work toward publishing

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SPECIAL FOCUS their findings. Jacobs even has a book on WBV in the works. As more understanding of vibration’s benefits comes to light, it’s likely we’ll see more diverse applications developed to incorporate the technology. One such product that recently entered the market is the ExerVibe Climber by VersaClimber, in which vibration is applied through the handgrips, foot pedals, and a seat using a programmed on-off timer. By implementing vibration into ideas successful with its original equipment, the company is taking a leap into new territory. “To take the benefits of whole body vibration and apply them to conditioning is pretty exciting,” says Friedman, who recently started working with the device. “If we’re doing interval programs, during the work intervals we can introduce the vibration as athletes are actively resting. “It’s going to be really interesting to see what the research shows about vibration’s effect on heart rate response, lactate levels, anaerobic thresholds, and oxygen uptake,” adds Friedman. “We’re really excited when looking at the future of vibration as it’s applied to conditioning.” Another new idea is bringing portable vibration to a workout, which may be accomplished with the StimTrainer. Worn around the base of the neck, and connected to a control unit that clips to a waistband, the device’s headphone-like conductors send vibration throughout the body. John Bradley, Training Manager at Main Event Fitness in Marietta, Ga., uses portable vibration to help his clients improve both flexibility and strength. “If I’m concentrating on improving flexibility, I’ll have the client put the device on for one to three minutes and go through the range of motion. Once I hit a target, I then remove the vibration,” says Bradley, who has been experimenting with the device for about seven months. “If it’s something where they’re simply tight, then the nervous system seems to respond to vibration to the point that they can sometimes double their range of motion while wearing the device. “For strength-gain, most people wear the unit for the first 10 minutes of the workout and there are some who keep it on the entire time,” Bradley adds. “The vibration provides an extended feeling of well-being that lasts for a few days, which seems to affect

performance during that time. And the best part is that I haven’t seen anyone get hurt using it, no matter how long they keep it on.” Jacobs predicts there could be a time when WBV is used as a quick gameday muscle activator. “If you’re playing volleyball or basketball, and the coach says, ‘You’re in,’ you may have less than 30 seconds to get ready,” says Jacobs. “What if you could walk under the bleachers and stand on a vibrating platform? You would enter the game warm and ready to move.”

For the time being, the best course of action is simply to experiment. “When we got our first platform two years ago, our staff served as the guinea pigs,” says Friedman. “Since then, it’s become an integral part of what we do with our athletes. “We’re probably using only about 30 percent of its capability, which makes vibration very exciting down the road,” adds Friedman. “And regardless of what product you use, the more that we study the effects of the technology, the more use we’ll get out of it as a field.” ■

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

Stepping Above Vibrating Platforms ExerVibe Stepper Provides Dynamic Whole Body Vibration

hole Body Vibration technology has been shown to significantly increase flexibility, muscle activation, bone density, strength, power, blood flow and hormone production. It also reduces total training and recovery time. Whole Body Vibration is being used in many elite training and rehabilitation environments to increase performance training. Heart Rate Inc. has developed the first of a kind, patent pending, vibration technology that is applied in a much more efficient way than typical vibrating platforms. ExerVibe™ applies vibration stimulation during active exercise through: • Foot pedals • Handgrips • Handrails • Seat The ExerVibe™ Stepper applies vibration to the feet, legs, arms, and trunk simultaneously. With

electronically controlled and automatically dosed vibration bouts for beginner, intermediate and advanced, vibration is transmitted to the entire body while moving in a natural multi-joint, full, partial or non-weight bearing activity. It is important to understand that when standing on a vibrating platform, the major vibration effect is at the feet, and the effect diminishes as the vibration waves move upward through the body. In contrast the ExerVibe Stepper combines the known advantages of platform vibration with the ability to target other body parts during both static and dynamic exercises. The display module has a selection of beginner, intermediate and advanced that controls vibration On-Off cycles and a manual override. The ExerVibe Stepper is the only vibration unit, which functions as a legs only or seated vibration machine. Like the ExerVibe

ExerVibe Stepper features a seat attachment for non-weight bearing applications as seen here in this photo.

VersaClimber, the stepper gives you dosed vibration in a weight bearing, non-weight bearing, standing or flexing stepper motion; Vibration is also transferred to the upper body through the handrails. 1. The maximal positive effects of vibration are attained when the mechanical stimulation is applied along or parallel to the muscle fiber when the muscle is shortening or lengthening. 2. The volume of blood flow in muscles and organs is higher with vibration stimulation then during rest or regular training methods. 3. Muscle fibers do more work when they are subjected to vibration stimulation while they are contracting or lengthening, under a resistive load. 4. Muscle fibers are stretched further and faster with vibration stimulation.

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OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE

Best Foot Forward Designing single-leg training programs means more than targeting specific muscles. It requires evaluating the athlete and using a whole-body approach.

©AP PHOTOS

BY JEREMY BOONE & GRAY COOK

ingle-leg training has received a great deal of attention in injury prevention, rehabilitation, and performanceenhancement programs over the last few years, and for good reason. Since the athletic movement skills of field and court sports are dominated by the gait cycle— taking off from one foot and landing on the other—single-leg training is appropriate for return-to-play programs and boosting athletic performance. Unfortunately, the benefits of single-leg training have led some people to adopt it as a “one-size-fits-all” approach to lower-body development—

ATHLETICBID.COM

without really thinking about the purpose the exercise serves within a training program. Too often this leads to a goal of building a selected muscle instead of improving overall athletic performance. However, there’s an alternative to blindly integrating single-leg training into workouts. And it starts with identifying the specific needs of the individual athlete. If you want to improve lower-body performance, you must first think globally, then act locally. Rather than counting on a standard set of exercises, evaluate the athlete to determine what he or she needs. Then, choose the exercises that can best provide it.

ISOLATION FRENZY A popular approach among those using single-leg training is to target individual muscles, and much recent attention Jeremy Boone, CSCS, NMT, USAW, is the owner of Athlete by Design. He has worked with several professional sports teams, including assisting the Carolina Panthers in the offseason, and can be reached at: www.athletebydesign.com. Gray Cook, MSPT, OCS, CSCS, creator of the Functional Movement Screen, is Clinic Director at Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy in Danville, Va. He can be reached at: www.functionalmovement.com. T&C OCTOBER 2006

OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE has been focused on the gluteus medius. This muscle plays a key role in pelvic stabilization and preventing low back pain, and it can certainly be a trouble spot when it’s too tight or not strong enough. As a result, a number of isolated exercises, such as bridge patterns targeting this muscle, are being prescribed to athletes whether they’re needed or not. Without knowing the quality of the movement patterns involving this muscle, results are second rate at best. In fact, we may find ourselves training the gluteus medius to improve the lunge pattern rather than improving the lunge pattern to train the gluteus medius. Another hot spot in single-leg training is the psoas muscle and its ability to flex the hip joint, decelerate hip extension, and stabilize the lumbar spine. Yet again, a common practice is to target this muscle by providing a blanket prescription of exercises for every athlete. Often this prescription comes after just a quick test or two. In one typical test of the psoas muscle, the athlete sits in a chair with feet flat on the floor and tries to hold one knee at belly-button level for set period of time. If he or she can-

not do so, it’s assumed the psoas needs to be strengthened. Another popular test involves manually testing hip flexion while the athlete lays on a table. While these tests may have their place in the evaluation process, it’s important to remember they have little direct transfer to athletic movement. First, the body reacts differently when gravity is involved. Second, during the gait cycle flexion usually occurs at one hip while extension occurs at the other. Thus, a high level of core stability is required to allow opposing hips to actually complement each other. Here’s another aspect to consider: If there’s no consensus about the relative importance of the psoas and gluteus medius, neither is likely the sole solution for increasing lower-body performance. Focusing on either the psoas or the gluteus medius ignores the relationship in movement between the two and their relationship to the rest of the kinetic chain. Single-leg exercises are also common in many popular injury-prevention programs. A common protocol is to stick the landing from a vertical drop or horizontal displacement exercise and hold

the position for 10 to 20 seconds. While this improves joint stability, increases muscle fiber recruitment, and raises power, another important component still needs to be addressed. On the playing field, athletes land and change direction in less than one second. This means that the body must effectively absorb force and be completely stable for a brief moment in order to optimally transfer application of force. Adhering to the principle of specificity, drills that require athletes to execute and hold movement patterns should have a time restriction of one second or less in coming to a complete stop. Additional body parts may also be used as drivers during single-leg landing training. For example, if an athlete keeps both hands on his or her hips during a leap, you can evaluate the ability of the core to help decelerate motion in a single leg without further compensation from the arms. EVALUATION The primary goal of an athletic performance evaluation is to identify strengths and weaknesses in movement patterns.

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OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE The following battery of tests can be used to gain an inside look at movement habits and how they positively or negatively affect overall athletic performance. The results can then be used to help take the guesswork out of designing effective training or rehabilitation programs for the lower body. Functional Movement Screen: Athletes have long been evaluated through speed, agility, and quickness tests as well as sport-specific skill tests. All are necessary to evaluate and understand potential areas for improvement. However, another fundamental parameter of athleticism is functional movement. This is not performance-based and does not depend on skill or strength, but rather on the athlete’s ability to complete basic movement patterns. Five of the seven tests used in the Functional Movement Screen relate directly to the lower body: overhead squat, lunge, hurdle step, active straightleg raise, and rotary stability. (To read a full-length Training & Conditioning article on the Functional Movement Screen, go to: www.athleticsearch.com and type “weak links” into the search

window.) Limitations revealed by the Functional Movement Screen can interfere with athletic performance and strength and conditioning programs. They should be addressed before pro-

force production and is measured by a hop. Starting on one leg, the athlete places the toe of the leg being measured at a start line. In a tall single-leg stance with hands on hips, the athlete raises the knee

The hop and stop test takes only a few minutes to administer and the results quantify single-leg force production and absorption while also identifying asymmetry between the right and left legs. gressing to more sport-specific work. If these limitations are left uncorrected, athletes may adapt their movements to compensate, thus robbing them of movement efficiency, hurting their technique, and increasing the risk of injury. Hop & Stop: The hop and stop test, originally created by Paul Juris, PhD, is designed to evaluate force production and force absorption of the lower extremities. The test takes only a few minutes to administer and the results quantify single-leg force production and absorption while also identifying asymmetry between the right and left legs. The first part of the test evaluates

of the non-test leg to belly button height. The athlete then hops for maximal distance, landing on the same leg. The distance from the start line to where the toe of the landing foot hits the ground is measured. Three attempts for each leg are recorded. The second part of the test evaluates force absorption as measured by a leap, which entails taking off from one leg and landing on the opposite leg. The starting position is the same as the hop and distance is measured from the start line to the toe of the landing foot. The athlete must perform three successful leaps, which includes coming

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CASE STUDY The following is an example of test results from a professional athlete, along with a suggested interpretation of the results.

Background The athlete suffered a left hip fracture one year prior to testing. History also includes repeated right ankle sprains and occasional low back pain. There is no present pain, and the athlete is cleared to play.

Testing Results FMS Overhead Squat: 2. Displayed lack of mobility in the right ankle/right hip/thoracic spine. FMS Hurdle Step: 1 for right, 2 for left. Displayed inability to balance on left leg, thus could not complete the movement. External rotation of right leg during left leg stance along with extreme lateral trunk flexion to the right side further indicates instability and lack of mobility in the left hip and core. FMS Lunge: 2 for both right and left leg. Displayed a mobility deficiency in the right lower leg and a stability issue during left leg stance. FMS Straight-Leg Raise: 2 for both right and left leg. Adequate hamstring flexibility but further displayed hip mobility issues. Hop & Step Hop Leap %Left %Right Symmetry %Onto left %Onto right Symmetry 87 81 8 120 106 14 The FMS score showed there is a lack of stability in the left hip and a lack of mobility in the right ankle. In the Hop & Stop, there was a lack of adequate force production in the right leg along with a symmetry score greater than five. The leap score onto the right leg indicates a need for force absorption work. The leap symmetry score was well above five and is therefore an area of serious concern. Foot and arch evaluation was normal.

Training Suggestions Week 1: Implement mobility development strategies for the right ankle/hip/thoracic spine, stability strategies for the left hip and core, and begin deep squat progression routine. ■ Teach core stability exercises. ■ Include single-leg squat appropriate exercises for both legs with a higher weekly volume on the right leg. ■

Week 2: Add lunge and return series and alternate legs (force absorption), have right leg step on mini-slant board to further help turn on calf muscle. ■ Add advanced core exercises as right leg mobility increases and left hip stability increases. ■ Begin single-leg drop and stop progression on the right leg. ■

Week 3: Include multi-directional lunge and reach at knee level with a higher weekly volume on the right leg. ■ Advance to hop and stop progression on both legs. ■

Week 4: ■

Retest.

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OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE to a stop in less than a second upon ground contact, within five attempts. If more than five attempts are needed, the athlete should take a three-minute rest before trying again. To pass the hop test, the athlete must hop 89 percent or more of his or her height. A score of less than 89 percent indicates that the athlete needs to work on force production for that leg. A normative value for the leap score is 109 percent of maximal hop of opposite leg, and scores lower than this indicate a need to develop force absorption for the landing leg. Symmetry scores are determined in each category by comparing the results for the right and left legs. Asymmetry reflects possible skill and motor control differences between legs and is separate from mobility or stability differences. Ideally, there would be no asymmetry, but sport skills with higher levels of technical difficulty on one side than the other often make asymmetry inevitable. Recent studies show that asymmetry greater than 10 percent increases the risk of injury two and a half times. We take it a step further and aim for a

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variance of five percent or less. Foot and Arch: Since the way the foot makes contact with the ground can reduce force by up to 20 percent, we

this manner and the arch does not collapse, then they have moderate problems with pronation, which can limit their athletic effectiveness. This can be

Evaluating lower-body movement patterns while the athlete is barefoot allows the coach or athletic trainer to visually understand how the foot feeds the rest of the leg during ground contact and propulsion. also have to look closely at the foot and arch. Shoes are used to improve traction and protect feet from stress, but can also hide pronation problems that hinder lower-body performance. Fortunately, overpronation, which indicates a lack of full dorsiflexion, can be easily seen in a deep squat when an athlete is viewed barefoot from the front and side. At the bottom of a deep squat, you will see the foot spin outward, the knee drop inside the foot, and the arch flatten completely. Cue athletes to hold their knees outside their feet and watch them squat again. If they can perform the squat in

corrected through targeted work or an off-the-shelf orthotic. If they cannot complete a deep squat or hold their knee on the outside of their foot through a deep squat, they probably need to see a physical therapist for a more thorough evaluation and, perhaps, customized orthotics. However, orthotics alone rarely improve the squat because they do not address hip mobility and core stability. Developing a proper squat pattern should be a primary focus so that the orthotics can work. Evaluating lower-body movement patterns while the athlete is barefoot allows you to visually understand how

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OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE the foot feeds the rest of the leg during ground contact and propulsion. As long as there are no abnormal foot issues, performing lower-body exercises while barefoot will aid in producing proper ground contact and heighten proprioceptive awareness of the lower extremities and trunk. A barefoot warmup progression might include the following: • 2-3 minutes of jogging • Dynamic calf stretch • Balance work • Three-position calf stretch (toe in, toe neutral, and toe out) • Single-leg jump rope (with and without pausing) • Multi-directional skip • Light agility work DESIGNING A PROGRAM Once evaluation is complete you can design a program that will address the athlete’s needs. You can choose exercises to increase force production, force absorption, or core stability. (See “Training Menu,” at right.) These exercises will also help develop joint stability, balance, and coordination of the

neuromuscular system in preparation for higher levels of training intensity. Adjustments can be made to amplitude, speed, load, time, body part restriction, and planes of movement. A good rule to follow when incorporating evaluation feedback is to always address the negative before adding a positive. If stiffness is present, the body has to deal with a limited range of motion. The brain starts to write new motor programs to accommodate the many restrictions that have developed over time. When significant limitations are found, design a workout program based around gaining mobility before implementing stabilizing strategies. For example, let’s say an athlete has the following results: • Meets force production criteria on both legs (hop and stop test). • Cannot decelerate well on the right leg compared to the left (hop and stop test). • Scores a two in the FMS overhead squat test and displays a limited amount of dorsiflexion due to a sprained right ankle two years ago, but is presently healthy.

TRAINING MENU The following is a list of commonly deficient areas and exercises that can be used to correct them. Force Absorption • Drop Squat/Lunge • Fall & Stop Lunge • Hop & Stop Force Production • Single-Leg Squat • Walking Lunge • Step Up Core Stability • Chop & Lift Patterns • RNT Single-Leg Step Up

Before going into single-leg landing exercises to improve deceleration, we need to address the mobility issues in the right ankle. Even if the athlete improves eccentric strength in the right leg, high-intensity cutting maneuvers to the left could still present a problem. Lack of optimal dorsiflexion may also result in potential injury in the lowerextremity kinetic chain. The “think globally, act locally” philosophy extends all the way to the core. The energy-storing ability of any plyometric action is dependent on the muscle having one stable attachment point and one mobile attachment point. In the lower body, the stable attachment point is the pelvis and lumbar segment, which work together to stabilize the core. Since the mobility of one segment is always dependent on the stability of another segment, many athletes can improve their plyometric reactions, consistency, and endurance by becoming more stable through the core and providing a more consistent and efficient attachment point. The targeting of specific muscles certainly has a place in lower-body development, but any gains can be hampered by deficiencies elsewhere that go unaddressed. Once any deficiencies revealed by the global view have been corrected, more concentrated and localized lower-body work can realize its full potential and produce the greatest gains possible. ■

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SPORT SPECIFIC

A Great Finish At the University of Washington, strength training for middle distance runners focuses on establishing a good base, improving leg strength through full ROM, and limiting muscle soreness. This spring, it led to two first-place finishes at nationals.

BY MATTHEW LUDWIG

L Washington’s Amy Lia crosses the finish line to win the 2006 NCAA Division I women’s 1500 meters. Teammate Ryan Brown won the men’s 800 meters. ©STEPHEN NOWLAND/NCAA PHOTOS

ast year, I was given the job of creating a strength and conditioning program for our middle distance runners here at the University of Washington. I quickly learned that the task had a few built-in challenges. Most middle distance runners haven’t spent much time in the weightroom, and many of them are skeptical, thinking that strength training will bulk them up and cause more harm than good. In addition, many middle distance runners compete in both outdoor and indoor seasons, so soreness and overuse injuries are always a concern. I set to work designing a program that would get our middle distance runners excited about strength training, improve their performance, and help keep them injury-free. They responded by bringing home NCAA Division I outdoor titles in the men’s 800 meters and the women’s 1,500 meters. One of the keys to our program’s success has been starting off carefully and building a solid foundation. Another has been open communication between myself and Head Track and Field Coach Greg Metcalf, to ensure that the work we do in the weightroom complements the training athletes do on the track. In this article, I will outline our strength and conditioning program for middle distance runners, and detail the logic that went into its design. SETTING GOALS In our strength training department here at Washington, we like to work closely with our sport coaches to develop programs. Therefore, my first step in setting up the middle-distance runner workouts Matthew Ludwig, SCCC, CSCS, is an Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University of Washington. He can be reached at: coachlud@u.washington.edu. T&C OCTOBER 2006

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Figure One: Sissy Squat The athlete begins in a standing position with heels supported on the edge of a platform, holding a 10-pound plate across her chest. As she performs the squat, having her heels supported allows her to keep her torso upright and achieve maximum depth.

Figure Two: Standing Single-Leg Hip Flexion with Knee Extension The athlete stands on her right leg with left knee bent to 90 degrees, left thigh parallel to the floor, and hands on hips. She then extends her left knee, straightening her left leg parallel to the floor. Repeat for other side.

was to meet with Coach Metcalf. We talked about the team’s strengths and weaknesses, the athletes’ past experiences using the weightroom, and previous training they had tried. We also discussed our philosophies on the biomechanics of the sport and energy system needs. At the conclusion of our analysis, Coach Metcalf and I set the following goals for the program: Make it doable. We wanted to develop a program that would keep our runners coming back for more. The greatest strength-training programs ever written are the ones that get done! You can pour your heart and soul into a training program, but if the sport coach does not support it or the athletes give minimal effort, you will get minimal results. Therefore, we keep it very simple in our weightroom and rely on the principle of progressive overload to establish strength throughout full ranges of motion. Shin splints, knee pain, foot and ankle pain, calf and achilles pain, and hamstring and low back pain are common in middle distance runners because of the high volume of impact on their lower bodies. Athletes who are hurting aren’t going to be motivated to keep coming back, so we monitor muscle soreness and adjust our program accordingly, and we talk to the athletes often to find out how they are feeling. The more we show we care about them, the harder they work for us. Establish a base. Many middle distance runners are unfamiliar with the weight-

room, oftentimes because strength work isn’t stressed and because of misconceptions that lifting weights generates hypertrophic muscles that will make them look like football players. We explain to our runners that science has shown many times over that being involved in an organized strength-training program promotes muscle balance, enhances metabolic adaptations, and improves force production, joint stability, performance output, recovery rates, flexibility, structural stability, and motor development for improved balance. To receive these benefits, they first need to establish a base. Our program for middle distance runners consists of two or three workouts a week lasting 45-60 minutes each depending on the time of year. Improve flexibility. Any time a muscle repetitively performs an action in a limited range of motion, it gradually becomes limited to that range of motion. Distance runners run straight ahead and rarely utilize their full stride length with maximal hip flexion and hip extension. Consequently, they end up with tight hamstrings, hip flexors, glutes, calves, internal and external hip rotators, and backs. Incorporating static, dynamic, and PNF stretching into a runner’s training program can have astounding results. Our athletes always come to the weightroom after they have trained on the track, so we don’t have to spend time warming up. Instead, we focus on improving flexibility. As one form of

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dynamic flexibility training, we train every movement in the weightroom using the fullest range of motion possible. We finish the workout with static flexibility training and a PNF(contract-relax) program using elastic bands. Improve core strength. To build core strength, we believe it is most important to teach the athlete to move their limbs throughout a full range of motion in space before introducing balls, gadgets, and other resistance- or balancemanipulating devices. Although these are all great tools for training, we take the time to first generate motor unit recruitment in the core through sport-specific movements like squatting, pulling, lunging, and steps-ups. In addition to these exercises, we incorporate weighted abdominal work, physioballs, and static abdominal work. Strengthen weak and lagging muscle groups. Although middle distance runners use their legs for most of the work they do, a large portion of their lower extremities are often underdeveloped. Common areas of lower body weakness in middle distance runners include hamstrings, hip flexors, hip abductors, and hip adductors. Most middle distance runners also display some level of weakness when asked to perform any unilateral exercise. Upper-body weaknesses typically consist of weaker posterior chains compared to their anterior counterparts. Therefore, we focus our program on strengthening these muscle groups to avoid imbalances. GETTING STARTED After we gather information through our needs analysis, it is time to get athletes into the weightroom for preseason conditioning. Simply introducing a training program for middle distance runners, as easy as it sounds, has proved to be more challenging than I originally thought. Track athletes at the University of Washington are very in tune with their bodies, and know two things: “The better I feel, the better I will run,” and “the stronger I am, the faster I will run.” This influences my approach to their training. We begin by introducing basic movements to establish an understanding of the motor development the athletes currently possess. Muscle soreness has to be very limited as to not have a detrimental effect on performance. We know the first four weeks of learning a new exercise are mainly neurological, but if the muscles are being asked to perform ATHLETICBID.COM

SPORT SPECIFIC

OFF-SEASON CONDITIONING During the off-season, our middle distance runners complete two strength-training workouts per week. Listed below are the exercises performed on each day, along with the reps and sets performed on week one. To see a copy of the complete 18-week program, visit: http://huskystrength.ica.washington.edu. MONDAY

Superman 3x15

DB Curl 3x8

Week 1

Lying Hip Abduction 2x15, each side

Core Work

Back Squat 3x8 Bench Press 4x4

Elbow Bridge 3x30 sec

DB Step Up 2x8, each leg

THURSDAY

Side Crunch 2x30 sec

Wide Grip Lat Pulldown 2x12

DB Incline Bench 2x12

Triceps Pushdown or Push Up 3x8

DB Walking Lunge 2x10, each side

Alternating Pointer 2x12, each side

DB Rear Fly 2x8

DB Military Press 3x8

Standing Hip Flexion w/ Knee Ext. 2x10, each side

RDLs With Barbell (Hold 2 sec on bottom) 3x6 Core Work

One-Arm DB Row 2x10

Straight Leg Sit Up 3x15 Seated Russian Twist 3x15

Shoulder Complex* 2x8, each exercise

*The shoulder complex consists of Front Raise, Side Raise, and Upright Row. Athletes do all three exercises in succession, then rest.

Sport-Specific Training Conference San Antonio ★ Texas January 5 & 6, 2007 ★ Football ★ ★ Baseball ★ Soccer ★

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SPORT SPECIFIC in an unfamiliar range of motion, the risk of micro tears increases. Remembering another of our goals, to create a training program that keeps our runners coming back for more, we are careful to not get overzealous on day one. You can always add to a program, but it is extremely difficult to undo overreaching in a short amount of time. I start with very low volume and very low intensity and slowly raise the volume from week to week. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t progress the athletes to more volume or more intensity until I feel they have es-

tablished a sound comfort level with the load they are initially assigned. For example, when introducing squats, we start with sissy squats holding a 10- pound plate across the chest (see Figure One on page 44). Sissy squats allow the athletes to keep their torsos in an upright position, and promote maximal range of motion without limitation. Hamstring strength for distance runners tends to be very weak after the first 45 degrees of hip flexion. By placing the athletes in a position to use the quads and get maximum depth, we

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build up to performing a back squat. Week one consists of the following exercises to begin strengthening the lower body. Each exercise is performed with one minute of rest between exercises and sets. Sissy squat: Three sets of five (between each set stretch hamstrings statically for 20 sec.). Body weight step-ups: Two sets of five on each leg using 90 degrees of hip flexion (focus on using glutes and hamstrings for hip extension). Standing single-leg hip flexion with knee extension: One set of eight each leg (see Figure Two on page 44). Hanging knee-ups: Two sets of 10. At five weeks, we are able to increase the volume using the same loads to minimize muscle soreness and show the athletes that strength training can be done effectively with minimal muscle soreness. Week five training goes as follows, with 30-45 seconds of rest between exercises and sets: Sissy squat: Three sets of 10 reps. Body weight step-ups: Three sets of eight reps on each leg. Standing single-leg hip flexion with knee extension: Two sets of 12 reps each leg. Hanging knee-ups: Three sets of 15 reps. Using this program over the first five weeks of their training in 2005-06, our athletes improved their overall ability to do work from the original baseline in week one of 53 reps to 123 total reps. During the five weeks, the load never changed. This is a very basic approach to improving general physical preparedness and diminishing recovery time. BUILDING ON THE BASE The training year for our middle distance runners is divided into six mesoc ycles : of f- season, preseason, transition, in-season, transition, and postseason. Below is a detailed look at a year-long macro cycle and how we have designed the strength-training program for each phase. Off-season (mid June to September): We conduct two full-body workouts per week, Monday and Thursday. This training cycle focuses on recovery, restoration, and repair from the highintensity loads experienced during the season that just ended. The athletes cut back on the majority of total running volume in June and gradually increase from July to September. Strength trainATHLETICBID.COM

SPORT SPECIFIC ing focuses on building strength endurance starting in week one of the off-season program with a total volume of 298 reps (excluding core work) per week and building to 520 reps by week 18 (see “Off-Season Conditioning,” on page 45). Many of our middle distance runners compete in outdoor competitions in September and October, so we try to enhance both their ability to metabolize lactate and their metabolic response to training by improving oxygen consumption and fuel utilization. Preseason (October to mid December): We progress to three full-body workouts per week. Training is now focused more on improving overall muscle strength and forcing production in preparation for the indoor/outdoor seasons. During this time period, the athlete’s volume stays at or under 120 total reps per workout (excluding core work). Set and rep ranges consist of two to four sets of five to 12 reps, depending on the exercise being performed. Athletes also spend more time with their sport coach working on their running economy and efficiency and building cardiovascular endurance. Transition (last two weeks in December): Continuing with the three full-body workouts per week, the transition phase is a short deloading period lasting one to two weeks that allows the body to recover from off-season and preseason training. A strength-training program is still in place, but the total volume of work drops to less than 80 total reps per workout (excluding core work). In-season (January to May): We go back to two full-body workouts per week. The inseason is long and hard for our middle distance team, which competes in both indoor and outdoor events for five solid months. We perform two workouts per week on Mondays and Wednesdays to allow for full recovery in time for weekend events. During this time, the weightroom is more of a tool for active recovery and restoration, maintaining flexibility, and prehab or rehab work. In-season is a time of specified training on the track and the intensity must be high at every practice. Transition (one week in May): Athletes are off from training for one week to allow a mental and physical break. This is a time for those who are competing in conference, regional, and national events to freshen up mentally and disengage for a brief period. Postseason (second week in May until nationals): Weightroom activities are voluntary during this time, but flexibility training after every track practice is strongly encouraged. COLLABORATE FOR SUCCESS Throughout the season, we strive to improve communication between myself, Coach Metcalf, and our athletic trainers. Each person involved with the progress of our athletes needs to be on the same page. The success of our program revolves around open communication. As a staff, we meet weekly to discuss current injuries, practice plans, and each athlete’s progress in the weightroom. This ensures that we avoid overtraining and that we utilize the knowledge of our sports-medicine staff to help validate our training plans. We also revisit our overall needs analysis at least twice a year, once before the indoor season and once at the conclusion of the outdoor season. Our program at the University of Washington works very well for us and we are proud of the athletes who have dedicated themselves to it. When a middle distance runner steps on the track for competition, they know they have trained hard and can compete to their fullest ability. ■ ATHLETICBID.COM

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load capacity of up to 1,450 pounds. It consistently reproduces vibrations on a vertical plane, and its vibration is isolated on the top plate, which is made of 1 inchthick aluminum and offers a large surface for the user. WAVE carries a three-year warranty. Product Benefits: Research demonstrates that the benefits of whole-body vibration include increased strength, balance, and flexibility; increased metabolic rate and decreased loss of lean muscle; enhanced recovery; pain suppression; and 100-percent recruitment of muscle fibers. Circle No. 505

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PAIN MANAGEMENT Active Ankle® 800-800-2896 www.getchameleon.com Ankle protection isn’t black and white anymore. With the new All-Sport Chameleon™ from Active Ankle®, athletes can choose from eight bright interchangeable strap covers that come with each brace. The solid U-shaped frame ensures maximum strength, while the molded, fabric-lined EVA padding provides lightweight comfort. The All-Sport Chameleon offers great style with the same great protection that has made Active Ankle one of the top brace manufacturers in the industry. For more information, visit the company online. Circle No. 506 All About Pitching 480-391-3355 www.pitching.com All About Pitching is owned by Dick Mills, who pitched for the Boston Red Sox organization for six years. He is a recognized authority on pitching and the first pitching expert to turn to sports science for an evidencebased approach to developing pitcher-specific fitness. Mills recently co-authored a new book with worldrenowned sports scientist Dr. Brent Rushall, titled The Science and Art of Baseball Pitching. Circle No. 507 Antibody, Inc. 410-581-0900 www.antibodywear.com The BodyGuard shoulder brace from Antibody is designed to accommodate shoulder injuries, including dislocations, subluxations, and slight separations. Because of its inner surface and custom design, the BodyGuard actually attaches to the wearer and works with the entire muscle group, providing strain distribution over the entire gar50

T&C OCTOBER 2006

ment and significant compression to the injured area. The BodyGuard is effective for a wide array of sports in which shoulder injuries occur, including track, baseball, football, basketball, wrestling, hockey, and volleyball. Circle No. 508 BioMedical Life Systems, Inc. 800-726-8367 www.bmls.com The QuadStar® II is a portable fourchannel digital NMS, INF, and TENS device with three programmable biphasic waveforms (symmetrical, sinusoidal, and asymmetrical) to deliver customized therapies. Nine preprogrammed fixed sequences are also offered, enabling the user to program 20 minutes each of INF, NMS, and TENS therapy. A graphic representation of the timing parameters assists the user with programming the on/off ramps and times. Additionally, a patient-lock system prevents the patient from changing any parameters. When the lock is turned off, a patient-compliance meter is displayed. Circle No. 509 BioMedical Life Systems has introduced its new generation of electrotherapy devices: the four-channel QuadStar® Elite, which features up to eight electrodes and offers TENS and NMS therapy as well as high-volt and interferential stimulation. This unit includes nine pre-programmed protocols and four waveforms for users to choose from (symmetrical and asymmetrical biphasic-square waves, sine waves, and monophasic high-volt twin peaks), or users can sequence two or more modalities for a complete treatment. The device comes ready-to-use, with a patient-lock compliance sys-

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AnkleTough® from DM Systems offers progressive resistance that can be customized to fit the needs of any athlete. Using AnkleTough can help prevent the recurrence of ankle injuries by strengthening and

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CytoSport, Inc. 888-298-6629 www.cytosport.com Cytoflex is the first glucosamine gel that has the added power of hyaluronic acid, a critical component of connective tissue throughout the body, such as tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. Applied topically, Cytoflex is absorbed through the skin rapidly to speed the treatment of joint pain and arthritis. Cytoflex also helps manage inflammation, promotes cell repair, and aids the regeneration of injured tissue. Circle No. 514 DM Systems, Inc. 800-254-5438 www.dmsystems.com Cadlow Shoulder Stabilizer®, a multi-sport, dynamic shoulder-stabilizing brace, significantly reduces subluxations and dislocations. In a recent survey, 93 percent of respondents confirmed that when worn during athletic activity, Cadlow reduced shoulder injuries. Cadlow’s unique and patented pull system strengthens the shoulder, allowing athletes to fully function in their sport without the fear of shoulder pain or re-injury while maintaining a full range of motion. An improved design makes fitting Cadlow easier than ever, requiring less than 15 minutes, and its reduced price makes Cadlow an affordable solution. Circle No. 515

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PAIN MANAGEMENT Dynatronics 800-874-6251 www.dynatronics.com The X3 is the newest addition to the Dynatron Solaris Series from Dynatronics. It is capable of delivering three independent light-therapy treatments simultaneously (one light probe and two pads) for a total of 16,000mW of light. The Dynatron X3 is one of the most powerful light-therapy devices available. In addition to multi-patient treatment capability, the X3 offers an interactive touch-screen display for fast and easy treatment set-up, and an on-board tutorial that’s great for staff training and patient education. Circle No. 517 Let Dynatronics furnish your athletic facility with individual taping stations

and cabinets built to your specifications. Your team logo will be debossed in the naugahyde color of your choice. Dynatronics manufactures its tables using beautiful, durable hardwoods to meet every need. With 27 years of experience, Dynatronics offers exceptional craftsmanship and design, with sturdy construction, reinforced stress points, a three-year warranty, and outstanding long-term performance. Circle No. 518 Exertools 800-235-1559 www.exertools.com Exertools’ Plyoback rebounders offer intense strength and aerobic workouts using weighted medicine balls. Made of durable 14-gauge powder-coated steel, they are fully adjustable from

0 to 60 degrees. Plyobacks are used in the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NHL, and at many colleges and high schools across the country. There’s no need for a training partner—with a Plyoback, you can do overhead throws, shoulder rotations, trunk twists, chest presses, and more. Call today for more information. Circle No. 519 Fitterfirst 800-FITTER-1 www.fitter1.com Take a barefoot walk on the Fitterfirst Cobblestone Walkway to enjoy foot reflexology and a great foot massage. Improve balance and circulation while reducing blood pressure through daily use of this simple, low-impact exercise. Cobblestone walking is an

Get It Straight

WWW.ELITESEAT.COM • 866-756-3706 • 15299 Stony Creek Way Noblesville, Indiana 46060 Circle No. 140

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ATHLETICBID.COM

PAIN MANAGEMENT ancient health-enhancing practice known in China for thousands of years. Research by the Oregon Research Institute has found that walking on cobblestone mats is a safe way to improve physical function, and that it provides an effective, therapeutic, health-enhancing exercise alternative. Circle No. 520 Fruit Advantage 877-746-7477 www.fruitadvantage.com Cherry Prime takes the health benefits of glucosamine and chondroitin to the next level by adding the numerous benefits of tart cherries. Each serving delivers 1,500mg of glucosamine, 1,200mg

of chondroitin, and 425mg of tart cherry. This unique blend helps build cartilage, supports a healthy cardiovascular system, and promotes healthy joint function. The proprietary formula is the result of over two years of research. Circle No. 521

exercises make it an extremely versatile tool for the serious athletic trainer. Circle No. 522

Impulse Training Systems 800-964-2362 www.impulsepower.com

The Companion 80 is IOMED’s iontophoresis electrode with a self-contained battery. The Companion 80 delivers an 80mA-per-minute treatment over 24 hours, compensating for patients with higher skin resistance. Its reserve battery capacity and cutoff switch ensure that patients will receive their treatment before the unit turns off. Companion 80’s high-tech design conforms to treatment areas and fits comfortably beneath clothing, while its hypoallergenic adhesive keeps sticking even in the shower. Circle No. 523

Impulse Training focuses on neurological development as a critical aspect of exercise. If your objectives are better balance, more power, and injuryfree performance, then Impulse Training should be a major part of your program. It is used for training Olympians and elite professional athletes in many sports. Upper- and lower-body programs and sport-specific

IOMED, Inc. 800-621-3347 www.iomed.com

Release Deep Tissue Massage Cream

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Release provides an ideal hand/body interface that maintains tack without becoming oily. It is ideal for scar and connective tissue mobilization, myofacial and trigger point massage.

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4055 Oceanside Blvd # L, Oceanside CA 92056 Fax: (800) 577-3725 www.prepakproducts.com www.cup.edu/go A proud member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

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PAIN MANAGEMENT IOMED, Inc. 800-621-3347 www.iomed.com TransQFLEX is IOMED’s iontophoresis electrode, specifically designed to treat highly contoured areas of the body, such as hands and ankles. Because the TransQFLEX has a unique clover-leaf shape and features an ultrathin conductive material, this electrode conforms extremely well to highly contoured areas, making it optimal for delivering effective treatment. Circle No. 524 Jump Stretch, Inc. 800-344-3539 www.jumpstretch.com “Don’t Ice that Ankle Sprain!” is the new book by Jump Stretch founder Dick Hartzell and Dr. Michael Shimmel.

It details a technique for treating ankle sprains that gets the athlete up and running (literally) within minutes, rather than weeks or months. “RICE” is antiquated—rest and ice actually prolong the healing process. The book is scheduled for release this fall. Three FlexBands (one standard and two minis) are necessary to perform the technique. Circle No. 525 Kneebourne Therapeutic 866-756-3706 www.eliteseat.com The Elite Seat by Kneebourne Therapeutic is a portable knee-extension device designed for non-operative treatments of degenerative knee conditions. By evenly distributing force across the leg, the Elite Seat provides effective fullknee hyperextension and reduces pain in bent knees caused by any of these conditions: acute ACL injury; inadequate 54

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post-operative rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction; total-knee arthroplasty; arthrofibrosis; deconditioned knee with a flexion contracture; and arthritis. Circle No. 526 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 800-638-3030 www.lww.com Clinical Mastery in the Treatment of Myofascial Pain, by Lucy Whyte Ferguson, DC, and Robert Gerwin, MD, is a concise and easily referenced clinical text that addresses therapeutic approaches to common muscle and joint pain. Organized by chief complaint, each chapter follows a structured format that takes readers from overview and assessment, through a case history, to a planned program of rehabilitation, generalization to similar conditions, and a treatment protocol. You will explore key differences in assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation—a great aid in choosing the best therapy for each patient. Circle No. 527 The Health Professional’s Guide to Dietary Supplements, by Shawn M. Talbott and Kerry Hughes, is a new resource from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins that offers quick access to vital guidance on more than 120 of today’s most popular dietary supplements. This book will help you make safe and effective decisions. For each supplement, you will find uses, actions, dosages, safety issues, recent clinical studies, and a practical five-star rating system that evaluates the supplement based on the amount of scientific support backing its claimed effects. Circle No. 528 Medical Outfitters 800-628-5282 www.medicaloutfitters.net The N-1 and N-2 Heating Units feature a new digital controller that displays and adjusts water temperature from 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. An

EXO-kote exterior coating keeps the units cooler to the touch. Both products are energy efficient, antimicrobial, flame retardant, and available in three colors: red, blue, and gray. The coated stainless steel rack and hardware eliminate unsanitary rusting, and all heating elements are industrial grade. Both the N-1 and the N-2 come with a two-year warranty. Contact Medical Outfitters for more information. Circle No. 529 The new and improved Naimco ID3, available from Medical Outfitters, provides two independent channels for iontophoresis using IONTO+Plus electrodes. It also has the ability to set polarity, dosage and intensity levels for each channel independently. The ID3 is designed for either a single or dual phase treatment on each channel. The energy efficient digital unit operates on two AA batteries. The ID3 features a compact design and an easy to read display. During treatment, the display monitors polarity, set dosage, intensity, as well as total dosage delivered and time remaining for treatment. The device also allows for memory storage of the last treatment parameters for convenient operation. Circle No. 530 The LSI Comfor-TENS unit from Medical Outfitters is a two-channel, four-pad device that features three modes of operation: normal, burst, and modulated. An adjustable frequency from 0 to 150Hz and adjustable pulse width from 60 to 250uSec offer customized treatment. The unit has active-channel LED indicators and a low-battery indicator. Accessories include a battery, lead wires, electrodes, and a hard-shell carrying case. The LSI Comfor-TENS is protected by a oneyear manufacturer’s warranty. Call today or go online for more information. Circle No. 531 ATHLETICBID.COM

PAIN MANAGEMENT National Academy of Sports Medicine 800-460-6276 www.nasm.org NASM’s Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES) Advanced Specialization provides you with evidence-based knowledge, skills, and abilities to achieve superior results with clients suffering from musculoskeletal impairments, imbalances, or postrehabilitation concerns. Comprising nine modules that cover advanced corrective topics such as movement assessments, inhibitory techniques, muscle activation techniques, and common musculoskeletal impairments, the CES integrates innovative science and solutions for optimal success. Circle No. 532

Oakworks, Inc. 800-916-4603 www.oakworkspt.com The P3 Positioning Platform by Oakworks® offers superior comfort and support for quick prone or supine patient positioning. Oakworks’ advanced lower-profile design provides optimal support and access for patients of any size. Large vent areas allow the patient to breathe easily in the prone position and removable pads provide unlimited adjustability. Circle No. 533 OPTP 800-367-7393 www.optp.com/ad Analyze soft-tissue patterns like never before with the revolutionary Anatomy

Trains DVD from Primal Pictures. This DVD-ROM offers an interactive 3-D model of human musculature, highlighting Thomas Myers’s myofascial lines and continuities within the human body. The models can be labeled and rotated 360 degrees, and they are supplemented by text descriptions and videos. Combination views depicting complex relationships between two or more lines are also featured, along with 46 interactive muscle-function animations. A computer DVD-ROM drive is required. Call OPTP today or go online to request your free catalog. Circle No. 534

Check out

www.AthleticBid.com to contact these companies.

Learn why speed of movement is far more important than strength for improving pitching velocity

ANNOUNCING: New Researched Book

“Former Major League Pitcher And World-Renowned Sports Scientist Reveal Ground Breaking Research On How To Train And Condition The Baseball Pitcher” ...huge 4 lb. volume, 1 ½ inches thick, 624 pages, 58 separate topics with over 500 scienti¿c references plus... over 200 pages just on conditioning. Dear Training Professional, If you ever wondered exactly how you should train and condition a baseball pitcher then this new book The Science And Art Of Baseaball Pitching - A Coach’s Handbook For Scienti¿c Pitching could be the most important resource you have ever had on how to help a pitcher get himself ¿t to pitch... so he is able to pitch a high volume of pitches all season long while reducing the risk of injury. Every topic is fully referenced. You can ¿nd out more and order by going to www. pitchingscience.com and read the Preface and the 13 page Table of Contents. The book comes with a complete 90 day money back guarantee. It is priced at $97 plus $9.95 shipping. Or you can order by calling All About Pitching at:

480-391-3344 www.pitchingscience.com Circle No. 144

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PAIN MANAGEMENT Biofreeze® 800-246-3733 www.biofreeze.com Biofreeze® pain-relieving products include a soothing gel, a convenient roll-on, and the new no-touch natural Cryospray. Applied generously, patients and athletes experience relief immediately. Biofreeze products effectively relieve pain from arthritis, backaches, strains, and sprains. Biofreeze is available in a 16-ounce spray bottle, a 16-ounce gel pump, a 32-ounce gel pump, a gallon gel pump, and a gravity dispenser box for clinical use. The three-ounce gel roll-on, four-ounce spray bottle, and four-ounce gel tube are perfect for at-home treatment between office visits. Biofreeze is endorsed by USA Judo. Circle No. 535 Presagia Corp. 866-696-7474 www.presagia.com Presagia Sports (formerly InjuryZone) is the industry’s premiere athlete healthmanagement software, incorporating a comprehensive athlete EMR, administrative functions, and advanced data mining for trend analysis. With real-time Web-based access online and offline, all medical personnel and performance staff involved in the care of an athlete can easily enter, manage, analyze, and share important health and fitness data to keep track of the competitive status of their athletes. Circle No. 536 PRO Orthopedic Devices, Inc. 800-523-5611 www.proorthopedic.com With the PRO 420 Tennis Elbow Unit, a neoprene band provides therapeutic heat to the upper forearm while an 56

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orthopedic felt pressure pad applies pressure over the tendon at the point of pain. A new space-aged elastic band wraps around the neoprene band, providing extra pressure to the pad and comfortable support to the forearm. A hook-and-loop fastener allows for comfortable adjustment and fit. Circle No. 537 The PRO Versa Cool portable cold therapy unit from PRO Orthopedic is the first truly portable cold therapy unit on the market. A rechargeable battery powers the unit for up to two hours, making the Versa Cool a “take anywhere” treatment modality. A wall power adapter is also included. It’s powerful enough to operate two cooling pads simultaneously at 34 degrees, yet collapses easily for packing. The ultra-quiet pump motor allows for operation anywhere without causing a disturbance. Circle No. 538 SAM Medical Products 800-818-4726 www.sammedical.com The SAM® Splint, one of the most versatile splints on the planet, is now available as the SAM Splint XL, designed to offer greater support for irregular-sized limbs and to be more comfortable for larger individuals. This new version of the SAM Splint is 5-1/2 inches wide. From a minor thumb or ankle sprain to a compound femoral fracture, there is a SAM Splint for any and all of your splinting needs. Circle No. 539 Treat hot spots and blisters with the advanced gliding action of BlistO-Ban® with patented BursaTek® technology from SAM Medical. Relief from problems associated with shear

and friction is critical in any sport, and the gliding principle is the answer. Give your athletes an edge with technology based on the bursa, the body’s natural defense against friction. Blist-O-Ban is ultra-thin and can be used for treatment or prevention. Circle No. 540 Williams Technology International, Inc. www.zoraflexx.com Williams Technology International is an Atlanta-based biotechnology company committed to the development of innovative products that dramatically improve patients’ lives while filling unmet needs in the marketplace. Zoraflexx is the first product to emerge from this new approach, offering proven results in the following areas: grade one and two ankle, knee, and elbow injuries; all tendonitis cases (especially patellar tendonitis); and bursitis. Zoraflexx can help you maximize results by decreasing recovery time. Circle No. 541 Wobenzym 888-766-4406 www.wobenzym.com Let Wobenzym®N, the clinically validated enzyme formula for sports injuries, work for your patients and your reputation. Its proven bioactive enzymes get both elite athletes and weekend warriors back into action more quickly and safely than ordinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids. During the recent world soccer championships in Germany, several teams used Wobenzym®N for their athletes, and it helped get the world’s most elite soccer players back onto the field more quickly. Circle No. 542 ATHLETICBID.COM

NEW Product Launch CeraSport Icy Berry Blast Unique features: • New performance hydration • Easy-to-mix concentrate makes up to five gallons • No messy, hard-to-dissolve powder • Designed for teams using coolers

Beneﬁts for the user: • Quickly restores essential fluids and electrolytes • Improves endurance and provides an energy boost • Does not cause cramping or nausea like sugar-based drinks

Cera Products, Inc. 1-866-237-2770 www.ceraproductsinc.com

Summit Trainer Unique features: • The Summit Trainer combines total-body cross training and climbing into one intuitive product that will challenge any athlete Beneﬁts for the user: • Incorporates an athlete’s natural motion • User-defined stride length for ultimate versatility • Fluid transition from quick strides to deep lunges

Life Fitness 800-634-8637 www.lifefitness.com

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EMT ToothSaver™ Unique features: • Specially designed formula keeps knocked-out teeth alive for up to 24 hours • Rejuvenating fluid protects tooth tissue from dehydration • Easily stored in any first-aid kit, so you’re always prepared for dental accidents Beneﬁts for the user: • Natural tooth can be re-inserted • pH-balanced formula allows athletic trainers to treat more serious injuries with a wider window of treatment time

SmartPractice 800-762-7877 www.smartpractice.com Circle No. 545 ATHLETICBID.COM

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Cadlow Shoulder Stabilizer DVD Series Unique features: • Focuses on the history, functionality, and success of the Cadlow Shoulder Stabilizer • Educates health care professionals and consumers about how to properly fit the stabilizer directly to the athlete • Reviews the different components of the Cadlow, including the step-wise application of the components

Beneﬁts for the user: • Cadlow offers progressive resistance along with shoulder protection • The product was created specifically for shoulder subluxations and dislocations

DM Systems, Inc. 800-254-5438 www.dmsystems.com/videos.html Circle No. 546 T&C OCTOBER 2006

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All About Pitching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Antibody (The BodyGuard) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Biofreeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 BioMedical Life Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Brace International (MAX) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 C.H.E.K. Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Cadlow Shoulder Stabilizer (DM Systems) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 California University of Pennsylvania. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 ColdOne (Two Cool) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Corganics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 CytoSport (Muscle Milk). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC Dynatronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Exertools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Fitterfirst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Fruit Advantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Game Ready . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Gebauer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Impulse Training Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 IOMED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Jump Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Kneebourne Therapeutic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Kytec Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Medical Outfitters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

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NASM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 NSCA (Sport-Specific Conference) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Oakworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC OPTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Perform Better . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Perform Better (seminars) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Power-Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 PrePak Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Presagia Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Pro Orthopedic Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Pro-Tec Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Prossage Heat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 SAM Medical (Blist-O-Ban) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 SAM Medical (Splint XL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Samson Weight Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 SmartPractice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Sonic Health Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 StimTrainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Stott Pilates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 TurfCordz/NZ Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 VibraFlex (Orthometrix) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 WAVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Whitehall Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Wobenzym N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC Zoraflexx (Williams Technology). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

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Active Ankle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 All About Pitching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Antibody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Austin Plastics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Biofreeze. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 BioMedical Life (QuadStar Elite) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 BioMedical Life (QuadStar II) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Brace International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 C.H.E.K. Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Cera Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 ColdOne (Two Cool) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Corganics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Creative Health Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 CytoSport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 DM Systems (AnkleTough) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 DM Systems (Cadlow) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 DM Systems (product launch) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Dynatronics (taping stations/cabinets) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Dynatronics (X3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Exertools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Fitterfirst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Fruit Advantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Game Ready (Jasen Powell) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Game Ready (Stan Conte) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Gebauer (Instant Ice) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Gebauer (Spray and Stretch) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Impulse Training Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 IOMED (Companion 80) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 IOMED (TransQFLEX). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Jump Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Kelly Kinetics (GlidePoint Ultra) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Kneebourne Therapeutic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Life Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 LW&W (Myofascial Pain) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

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CIRCLE NO.

COMPANY

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528 . . . 531 . . . 529 . . . 530 . . . 532 . . . 567 . . . 558 . . . 533 . . . 534 . . . 559 . . . 565 . . . 566 . . . 560 . . . 561 . . . 501 . . . 562 . . . 536 . . . 537 . . . 538 . . . 553 . . . 552 . . . 551 . . . 540 . . . 539 . . . 545 . . . 502 . . . 503 . . . 504 . . . 500 . . . 505 . . . 556 . . . 555 . . . 542 . . . 541 . . .

LW&W (Supplements). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Medical Outfitters (Comfor-TENS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Medical Outfitters (Heating Units) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Medical Outfitters (ID3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NASM (CES) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NASM (Performance Enhancement) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oakworks (Boss) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Oakworks (P3 Positioning Platform) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OPTP (Anatomy Trains DVD) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OPTP (Deep Tissue Massage) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perform Better (Sled of Champions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Perform Better (SPS Plyo-Safe) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Power Systems (BodyBolster) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Power Systems (Thera Cane) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Power-Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PrePak Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Presagia Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pro Orthopedic (PRO 420) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pro Orthopedic (PRO Versa Cool). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pro-Tec (Ice-Up) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pro-Tec (Therapy Wraps) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prossage Heat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SAM Medical Products (Blist-O-Ban) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SAM Medical (Splint XL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SmartPractice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sonic Health Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . StimTrainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VersaClimber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VibraFlex (Orthometrix) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . WAVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Whitehall Manufacturing (moist heat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Whitehall Manufacturing (ThermaSplint) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wobenzym N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Zoraflexx (Williams Technology). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

54 54 54 54 55 63 61 55 55 61 62 63 61 61 48 61 56 56 56 59 59 59 56 56 57 48 48 49 48 49 60 60 56 56

ATHLETICBID.COM

HOT & COLD Game Ready 888-426-3732 www.gameready.com Want to help your athletes come back more quickly from soft-tissue injuries and orthopedic surgeries? The portable Game Ready Accelerated Recovery System features active intermittent compression, controllable cryotherapy, and revolutionary dual-action wraps that are ergonomically engineered for almost every body part—all designed to accelerate the body’s natural healing processes. “I’ve seen a two-fold increase in recovery rates. Guys are back in half the time.” —Stan Conte, PT, ATC, San Francisco Giants Circle No. 547 Chosen by world-champion professional teams and top universities and high schools, the Game Ready Accelerated Recovery System simultaneously provides intermittent compression and controllable cryotherapy to help accelerate healing after acute or chronic injuries or following orthopedic surgery. Leading athletic trainers recommend Game Ready: “I’ve used Game Ready consistently, with fabulous results. Every athletic trainer should have it in their training room,” says Jasen Powell, Head Athletic Trainer of the Los Angeles Clippers. Circle No. 548 Gebauer Co. 800-321-9348 www.gebauerco.com/tc Gebauer’s Instant Ice non-prescription skin refrigerant can be used like ice for minor pain and swelling from sprains, strains, bruising, contusions, and minor ATHLETICBID.COM

sports injuries. Gebauer’s Instant Ice is ideal for facilities that restrict the use of flammable components. It is available in a mist spray or stream spray aerosol can, and can be purchased directly from Gebauer by calling the company or visiting its Web site. Circle No. 549 Gebauer’s Spray and Stretch topical anesthetic skin refrigerant replaces Gebauer’s Fluori-Methane, which has been discontinued. Use Gebauer’s Spray and Stretch fine stream spray in conjunction with the spray and stretch technique to effectively manage myofascial pain, restricted motion, trigger points, muscle spasms, and minor sports injuries. The product is non-flammable and available only by prescription. It can be purchased through your medical supplier or wholesaler, or directly from Gebauer. Circle No. 550 Performance Health, Inc. 866-4-PROSSAGE www.prossage.us Prossage™ Heat is a uniquely blended, 100-percent natural, area-specific warming ointment formulated specifically for deep-tissue work, myofascial release, and trigger point therapy. Prossage Heat is a revolutionary breakthrough for the treatment of symptoms of softtissue pain and dysfunction throughout the body. The non-slip controlled glide allows therapists to work more effectively. Prossage Heat is available in three-ounce, eight-ounce, and 32ounce bottles. Circle No. 551 Pro-Tec Athletics 800-779-3372 www.injurybegone.com Pro-Tec Hot/Cold Therapy Wraps provide penetrating cold and/or heat for therapeutic relief. They are form-fitting and remain flexible during application. A three-inch wide dual-strapping sys-

tem effectively and evenly compresses the entire target area. Advanced gel technology retains cold and heat longer. The wraps are available in a medium size for the foot, ankle, leg, knee, elbow, and wrist, and an extra-large size for the shoulder and back. Circle No. 552 The Ice-Up portable ice massager by Pro-Tec Athletics stays frozen for up to 12 hours in a portable carrying cooler. You can take it anywhere to experience the benefits of direct, active, immediate postactivity ice massage. The IceUp is leakproof and offers effective treatment in five to seven minutes, not 15 to 20 minutes like passive ice packs. Enjoy quick deep-tissue relief for ligament, tendon, and muscle injuries. Immediate ice massage increases treatment effectiveness and speeds recovery. Circle No. 553 Two Cool, Inc. 971-344-5221 www.coldone.com Treat sports injuries, reduce muscle pain, and stop swelling with deep-penetrating cold compression therapy wraps from Two Cool. The ColdOne re-freezable compression wrap is ideal for soft-tissue injuries, muscle injuries, sprains, muscle tears, and post-surgical treatments. It provides full ice-wrap compression coverage to muscles and tendon groups. The compression drives the cold deep into affected areas, relieving pain and stopping swelling. Circle No. 554

T&C OCTOBER 2006

HOT & COLD

WEB NEWS

Whitehall Mfg., Inc. 800-782-7706 www.whitehallmfg.com The ThermaSplint™ from Whitehall Manufacturing features dual voltage, an illuminated on/off switch, and quick heat-up time. The unit operates on a solarpowered digital thermometer that allows the temperature to be adjusted with digital readouts for different splinting thermoplastics. The ThermaSplint is constructed from heavy-gauge stainless steel. Circle No. 555

Whitehall Manufacturing offers a complete line of moist heat-therapy treatment products that are convenient and easy to use. Each heating unit is fabricated from heavy-gauge stainless steel and polished to a satin finish. Standard features include a snap-off thermal protector that prevents overheating and a rounded bottom that minimizes bacteria buildup. The heating units are available in various sizes and colors. Circle No. 556

SAM Medical Offers a Wealth of Information Online Visit SAM Medical Products’ Web site today and read about the company’s newest and most exciting product innovations. A frequently updated news page includes articles, press releases, and information about studies demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of SAM products. Also available on the site are a trade show calendar, downloadable newsletters, and detailed product profiles complete with photos. You can find the SAM Medical dealer nearest you, and even order some products directly from the site.

www.sammedical.com Visit WissTech Online for a Fountain of Information The WissTech Enterprises Web site features the company’s wide variety of portable drinking fountains for both indoor and outdoor use. WissTech introduces site visitors to the company, its founder (a certified and licensed athletic trainer), and the company mission. Five products are featured, with detailed descriptions and pictures of each product. Pricing for all products is listed on the site as well. Take advantage of introductory pricing on the Team Mate 20-gallon hydration station by placing your order before the end of the year.

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w w w. A t h l e t i c B i d . c o m to contact these companies.

www.wisstechenterprises.com Fitterfirst’s Signature Line of Balance Products Now Online

Exertools. Your source for Magnum Fitness including the new Total Body Cycle and Body Motion equipment. Magnum offers a full line of innovative Body Motion machines that use the body’s weight for derived resistance creating easy to use, portable and fun workouts. The Total Body Cycle features bi-directional resistance for effective conditioning in minimum time. To learn more go to www.exertools.com or call 800-235-1559.

Fitterfirst’s Web site is designed to be a user-friendly portal to the world of balance. You will find everything from the company’s signature line of balance boards and action sport trainers, to a wide variety of therapeutic and massage products. Fitterfirst’s unique and innovative product line provides numerous ways to incorporate Stability, Agility, and Mobility (S.A.M.) into your daily life. Exercise charts and educational articles are also available. Orders can be placed online with complete confidence using Fitterfirst’s secure server, providing a fast and simple check out. Fitterfirst, providing “Balance and Fitness, for Life.”

www.fitter1.com

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MASSAGE THERAPY Kelly Kinetics 888-645-3559 www.kellykinetics.com

Power Systems 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com

The GlidePoint Ultra from Kelly Kinetics features a removable 2 1/8inch solid stainless steel ball, which rolls effortlessly across the skin to deliver a smooth, deep, penetrating hot or cold massage to the soft-tissue site. It is quicker and more effective than ice or hot packs, and works without the mess caused by melting ice. Circle No. 557

The BodyBolster is a multi-purpose tool that provides firmness and flexibility while it massages and molds to the body. This self-inflating product serves as a strength and conditioning tool, provides postural support, develops flexibility in the spine and limbs, and increases range of motion. The air inside the BodyBolster keeps the user moving with slight micromovements, so it builds and supports the area being worked. An adjustable valve allows for airflow control, making it suitable for all body sizes and useful for a wide range of activities. Circle No. 560

Oakworks, Inc. 800-916-4603 www.oakworkspt.com As the strongest, most durable portable table on the market, the Boss™ is exceptional in value and performance. Dedicated to helping athletes get back into the game sooner, the Boss is made for sideline treatments, sports massage, and other interventions. Use it in the locker room or on the sidelines, because the Boss is portable and can be taken anywhere. Sealed seams and field feet will withstand even the harshest weather conditions. Circle No. 558 OPTP 800-367-7393 www.optp.com/ad Deep Tissue Massage: A Visual Guide to Techniques is an in-depth manual by Art Riggs, MT, which illustrates hundreds of therapeutic massage strokes to provide a quick reference guide for effective deep-tissue work. Topics covered include theory, biomechanics, client positioning for maximum results, specific protocols for treatment of common complaints and injuries, strengthening, and stretching advice. There are more than 250 photographs and over 50 detailed anatomy illustrations in this softcover book’s 227 pages. Call today for a free OPTP catalog or go online for more information. Circle No. 559 ATHLETICBID.COM

The Thera Cane from Power Systems is a self-massage device uniquely designed to apply pressure to sore muscles and trigger points anywhere on the body for optimum relief from muscle spasms and tightness. Use it for deep-pressure massage to self-treat myofascial pain. The fiberglass construction allows for a light flexing action when pressure is applied. This product is recommended as part of a total program of heat/cold therapy and appropriate stretching and exercise. Circle No. 561

TESTIMONIAL

Basketball Rehab Gets an Assist from Tuff Cuff “I was concerned that a minor shoulder injury I sustained early this summer would prevent me from playing basketball this fall. In addition to the other exercises my physical therapist prescribed, I began to work specifically on my shoulder using the TurfCordz Tuff Cuff, beginning with the medium resistance level and eventually working up to the highest level. “My arms and especially my shoulders feel better than ever, and I know that my workouts with the Tuff Cuff helped significantly. We begin practice in a few weeks, and I look forward to playing basketball again!” John Mosey Stow Parks & Recreation Stow, Ohio TurfCordz are distributed by M-F Athletic Co./Perform Better. You can reach the company by calling 800-556-7464 or by visiting: www.performbetter.com.

PrePak Products, Inc. 800-544-7257 www.prepakproducts.com Free-Up massage cream was formulated exclusively for health care professionals and is noted for its glide, lubricity, and tissue perception. It is a superb medium that lets you work on the surface or perform deeptissue massage. Its glide promotes exquisite tissue sense for your fingers and hands. Free-Up is safe, hypoallergenic, and does not contain beeswax. It is available in eight-ounce and 16-ounce sizes, and in your choice of scented or unscented. Circle No. 562

NZ Mfg., LLC 800-886-6621 www.nzmfg.com T&C OCTOBER 2006

MORE PRODUCTS Austin Plastics & Supply 800-290-1025 www.athleticrecordboards.com

C.H.E.K Institute 800-552-8789 www.chekinstitute.com

Perform Better 800-556-7464 www.performbetter.com

Athletic record boards are effective tools for motivating your athletes to do their best. Visit Austin’s Web site to view examples of boards for various sports, offseason strength and conditioning record boards, player-of-the-week boards, goal boards, and all types of recognition boards. Engraved record nameplates are available, or you can print your own using perforated card stock supplied by the company. Custom boards are also available. Circle No. 563

The “Whole In One” golf fitness card set is an innovative pocket-sized system that shows assessments,

The Perform Better Sled of Champions is the only resistance sled that allows for both pushing and pulling exercises from multiple positions. The unique sled handles let the user go high or low, vertical or horizontal, and angle inside or outside to build up strength. The unit is designed so all you have to add are your Olympic plates to achieve the desired resistance. The Sled of Champions is in the 2006 Perform Better catalog. Call toll-free for your copy or check out the company’s Web site. Circle No. 565

stretches, functional exercises, and programs based on techniques used by today’s top golfers. It contains 120 plastic cards designed to withstand sweat and moisture. Select key cards to carry on the enclosed ring for a portable pre-game warmup or workout. Developed by Paul Chek, you can easily adapt “Whole In One” for any rotational sport, such as tennis. Circle No. 564

Do you have ENOUGH BANDS for your team? WVU does! Shown here is just one of three rubber-band rooms at West Virginia University.

For information on setting up a band room in your facility, call us at 1-800-344-3539. Stay ahead of your competition with Flex Bands...the best-kept secret in pro sports! Used by the Giants, Jaguars, Raiders, Ravens, Angels, Padres, Red Sox, and many more, Flex Bands have been improving athletic performance since 1980!

Jump Stretch, Inc. 1230 N. Meridian Rd. Youngstown, OH 44509 www.jumpstretch.com 1-800-344-3539 Fax: 1-330-793-8719 Circle No. 146

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MORE PRODUCTS When it comes to plyoboxes, how safe is safe? Perform Better answers that question by offering the SPS Plyo-Safe plyobox set. The padded

National Academy of Sports Medicine 800-460-NASM www.nasm.org Learn NASM’s Optimum Performance Training for Performance Enhancement™ in a new two-day workshop that’s coming to your area.

exterior of this three-box set eliminates fear of injury from missed jumps. The steel-reinforced oak wood construction means extraordinary stability. The set includes 10-, 16-, and 22-inch boxes (one each), which can fit together to produce heights of 12, 18, 24, 28, 34, 40, and 50 inches for training variety. See the SPS Plyo-Safe plyobox set in the 2006 Perform Better catalog. Call toll-free for your copy or check out the company’s Web site. Circle No. 566

In this comprehensive, hands-on workshop, you’ll earn 1.6 NASM CEUs and develop the skills necessary to assess and design programs to enhance athletic performance and decrease the risk of injury for just about any athletic client. Circle No. 567

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UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Publication Title Training & Conditioning Publication Number 1058-3548 Filing Date September 12, 2006 Issue Frequency Monthly except Jan./Feb., May/June, & July/Aug. No. of Issues Published Annually 9 Annual Subscription Price $24.00 Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication 31 Dutch Mill Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850-1014 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher 31 Dutch Mill Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850-1014 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Address of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor Publisher: Mark A. Goldberg Editor and Managing Editor: Eleanor Frankel 31 Dutch Mill Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850-1014 10. Owners MAG, Inc. 31 Dutch Mill Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850-1014 Mark A. Goldberg 31 Dutch Mill Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850-1014 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None 12. Tax Status: Not Applicable 13. Publication Name Training & Conditioning 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below September 2006 v. 16.6 (August 23, 2006)

ATHLETICBID.COM

CATALOG SHOWCASE Creative Health Products, Inc. 800-742-4478 www.chponline.com Since 1976, Creative Health Products has been a leading discount supplier of rehabilitation, fitness, exercise, and athletic equipment, as well as health, medical, and fitness testing and measuring products, all available at reduced prices. Creative Health Products offers heart rate monitors; blood pressure testers; pulse oximeters; body fat calipers; scales; strength testers; flexibility testers; stethoscopes; pedometers; exercise bikes; ergometers; stopwatches; fitness books and software; exercise bands; step benches; hand and finger exercisers; heating pads; and more. Circle No. 568

15. Extent and Nature of Circulation:

Average no. copies each issue during preceding 12 months 32,911

No. copies of single issue published nearest to filing date 33,581

a. Total No. Copies (Net Press Run) b. Paid and/or Requested Circulation (1) Paid/Requested Outside-County Mail Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541 21,064 21,149 (2) Paid In-County Subscriptions -0-0(3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Non-USPS Paid Distribution 1,389 1,387 (4) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS -0-0c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation [Sum of 15b. (1), (2), (3), (4)] 22,253 22,536 d. Free Distribution by Mail (Samples, Complimentary and Other Free) (1) Outside-County as Stated on Form 3541 9,826 9,908 (2) In-County as Stated on Form 3541 -0-0(3) Other Classes Mailed Through the USPS -0-0e. Free Distribution Outside the Mail (Carriers or Other Means) 250 400 f. Total Free Distribution (Sum of 15d. and 15e) 10,076 10,308 g. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c. and 15f.) 32,329 32,844 h. Copies Not Distributed 582 737 i. Total (Sum of 15g. and h.) 32,911 33,581 j. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c. divided by 15g. times 100) 68.8% 68.6% 16. This Statement of Ownership will be printed in the October 2006 issue of this publication (9/27/06). Publication is required. 17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner

Mark Goldberg, Publisher

Date: 9/12/06

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including multiple damages and civil penalties). The statements made by me above are correct and complete.

T&C OCTOBER 2006

CEU QUIZ

T&C October 2006 Volume XVI, No. 7

Training & Conditioning is pleased to provide NATA and NSCA members with the opportunity to earn continuing education units through reading issues of the magazine. The following quiz is based on articles that appear in this issue of Training & Conditioning. By satisfactorily completing the quiz and mailing it back to T&C, readers can earn 2.0 BOC Athletic Training and 0.2 NSCA (two hours) continuing education units.

Instructions: Fill in the circle on the answer form (on page 66) that represents the best answer for each of the questions below. Complete the form at the bottom of page 66, include a $20 payment to Training & Conditioning, and mail it by November 15, 2006 to the following address: Training & Conditioning, ATTN: 16.7 Quiz, 31 Dutch Mill Road, Ithaca, NY 14850. Readers who correctly answer 70 percent of the questions will be notified of their earned credit by mail no later than January 1, 2007.

Checking the Windmill (pages 16-23) Objective: Gain an understanding of why softball pitchers have a high rate of injury and hear what experts suggest trying to counteract the phenomenon. 1. A study of 181 NCAA pitchers found that what percentage suffered at least one injury during the 2001-2002 season? a) 25. b) 53. c) 67. d) 73. 2. Sherry Werner led a study of pitchers at the 1996 Olympic Games and found that shoulder distraction stress levels averaged _____ percent of the pitchers’ body weight. a) 50. b) 60. c) 70. d) 80. 3. Werner’s study also reported that an average maximum compression force of _____ percent of the athletes’ body weight was felt in the elbow near the release point. a) 41. b) 51. c) 61. d) 71.

6. Which muscles do most strength training experts believe pitchers should focus on? a) Core, abductors, and adductors. b) Biceps and triceps. c) Quadriceps and hip flexors. d) Abdominals. 7. When it comes to a pitcher’s lifting program, Werner suggests: a) Pulling, not pushing motions. b) Pushing, not pulling motions. c) Avoiding trunk rotations. d) Focusing on the extremities.

Shake, Rattle, & Roll (pages 29-35) Objective: Learn about vibration training, a new method for strength training, improving flexibility, and rehabbing. See how some are incorporating it into workouts. 8. What does WBV stand for? a) Whole Body Vibration. b) Whole Body Variation. c) Water Buoyancy Variation. d) Wet Bulb Variation.

4. In the same study, how fast (in degrees per second) was a pitcher’s arm moving at the fastest point in her delivery? a) 1200. b) 1809. c) 2190. d) 3000.

9. The concept of vibration involves: a) Performing exercises or stretching while shaken on an oscillating platform. b) Shaking the injured body part to alter the nerve conduction. c) Applying a motorized, rotating device to the extremity injured. d) Having the athletic trainer manually shaking the athlete’s head.

5. Aside from overuse, Werner has also found this to be a common cause of injury in pitchers: a) Gastroc tightness. b) Weak adductors. c) The type of cleat worn. d) Improper hip rotation.

10. Abrupt impulses are delivered with a frequency of _____ pulses per second. a) 10-15. b) 25-60. c) 50-90. d) 60-80.

T&C OCTOBER 2006

ATHLETICBID.COM

11. If the body received 900 impulses, then it would force how many involuntary contractions in each individual muscle the impulses reach? a) 800. b) 900. c) 1800. d) 2000. 12. The likely defining factor in how much work the muscles do is the: a) G-load. b) Front load. c) Horizontal displacement. d) Elevation. 13. A benefit of the teeter-totter motion is that it requires: a) Inexpensive equipment. b) Verbal feedback only. c) Passive flexibility. d) Active user participation to maintain postural stability. 14. Craig Friedman initially increases what to make the activity more challenging? a) Elevation. b) Amplitude. c) Duration. d) Speed. 15. What is the second aspect Friedman alters to increase the level of activity? a) Speed. b) Duration. c) Rest-to-work ratio. d) Amplitude. 16. What is the last aspect to be altered to make the activity more complex? a) Environment. b) Body position and movement. c) Speed. d) Rest-to-work ratio. 17. Typical recovery time between specific movements on vibration is: a) 18 hours. b) 24 hours. c) 48 hours. d) 90 hours. 18. Friedman describes a method of vibration training to: a) Help build strength. b) Improve reaction time. c) Improve endurance. d) Improve flexibility.

Answer sheet is on page 66 ATHLETICBID.COM

19. How long is the average vibration platform session? a) 5-10 minutes. b) 1-2 hours. c) 20-30 minutes. d) 25-35 minutes. 20. How is the TurboSonic plate different from most others on the market? a) Frequency is 200-250 Hz. b) The platform site is much smaller. c) Vibration is created by sound waves. d) Athletes sit next to the plate and vibrate extremities.

Best Foot Forward (pages 37-42) Objective: Learn what the benefits (and downfalls) of single-leg training are, while keeping in mind that a full-body training program is important too. 21. In order to pass the hop test, an athlete must: a) Take off from one leg and land on the other leg without wavering. b) Hop 89% or more of his or her height. c) Hop 109% or more of his or her height. d) Show similar results over ten trials. 22. A recent study shows that asymmetry greater than _____ percent increases the risk of injury _____ times. a) 10: two and a half. b) Five: four. c) 15: two. d) 10: one and a half. 23. Lack of full ankle dorsi flexion can be identified by observing the athlete perform what? a) A straight leg raise with the ankle in dorsi flexion. b) A deep squat. c) Uphill running on a treadmill at moderate speed. d) Passive hip IR, ER, and extension.

A Great Finish (pages 43-47) Objective: See how the University of Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strength training program for middle distance runners helps the Huskies on the track. 24. The author reports as one form of dynamic flexibility training, he stresses: a) Utilizing slant board stretching. b) Performing lunges. c) Training every movement in the weightroom utilizing the fullest range of motion possible. d) Performing passive stretching. 25. The training year at the University of Washington is divided into how many mesocycles? a) Two. b) Four. c) Six. d) Eight.

T&C OCTOBER 2006

CEU QUIZ

ANSWER FORM

Instructions: Fill in the circle on the answer form below that represents your selection of the best answer for each of the previous questions. Complete the form at the bottom of this page, include a $20 payment to Training & Conditioning, and mail it to the following address: Training & Conditioning, ATTN: 16.7 Quiz, 31 Dutch Mill Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, no later than November 15, 2006. Readers who correctly answer 70 percent of the questions will receive 2.0 BOC Athletic Training and 0.2 NSCA (two hours) CEU’s, and will be notified of their earned credit by mail no later than January 1, 2007.

Checking the Windmill

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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

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Shake, Rattle, & Roll

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8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

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14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

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Best Foot Forward

21. 22. 23. A Great Finish

24. 25.

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T&C OCTOBER 2006

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