ADHD AND FISH OIL: IS THERE A LINK?

SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT ABOUT ADHD AND FISH OIL

According to a 2008 University of Guelph study: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Platinum-Naturals-1033528.html

* David Khang, Founder and President of Platinum Naturals, supplementing with fish oils with high concentrations of DHA and EPA (which are the two types of omega 3-essential fatty acids-EFA- found most commonly in fish) can help reduce behavioral problems associated with ADHD, including inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity

*DHA functions as a structural element in human cell membranes, while EPA works throughout all life stages in reducing the risk of inflammation and disease

*Abnormal EFA profiles, independent of dietary intake, suggests abnormal essential fatty acid utilization by the body in adolescents with ADHD. Giving high doses of DHA and EPA has been shown to increase levels of essential fatty acid and significantly reduce ADHD related behavior.

*Giving high doses of DHA and EPA has been shown to increase levels of essential fatty acids and significantly reduce ADHD related behavior.

* Can help fight depression by supplying the brain with the EFA’s that have become depleted which may be the cause of the problem

* Help with Brain function, Immune system, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

New Dining Hall Hours

The members of SAAC have worked very hard for the last two years on behalf of all student -athletes and it has finally payed off! The new hours for the Bear’s Den & Flynn Dining Commons have been approved effective this fall as follows:

BEAR'S DEN
Monday – Thursday 7:30 am – 8:30 pm
Friday 7:30 am – 6:30 pm (no change)
Saturday 9:00 am –1:00 pm
Sunday Closed

FLYNN DINING COMMONS
Monday – Friday 7:00 am – 9:00 pm
Saturday – Sunday 8:30 am – 6:30 pm (no change)

Determining Hydration Level Hydration is an important part of being a healthy, productive athlete. As we enter into preseason where athletes may have 5-6 hours of practices, fitness tests, runs- you need to be sure you are staying hydrated which can be challenging.

Here are a few tips to help:

1. Clear/pale lemonade colored urine= HYDRATED

2. Dark apple juice colored urine= DEHYDRATED

3. Dark, cloudy urine= SEVERELY DEHYDRATED= NOTIFY ATC

4. Average amt. of water consumption should be 64 oz which means during preseason it is more. Stay on top of it by keeping Nalgene or water bottle with you at all times.

5. Caffeine, soda, energy drinks will dehydrate you!!!! STAY AWAY FROM THEM!!!!

6. Water and sports drinks such as Gatorade are what you should be drinking- these are the best for replenishing what you have lost

7. Weigh yourself prior to practices- you should not loose more than 2% of your body weight during activity

Signs of Dehydration include:

nausea

dry mouth

muscle cramps

thirst

fatigue

weakness

headache

irritability

decreased performance

If you are having a problem staying hydrated- talk to your ATC who can help you. If you notice any signs of dehydration or notice a teammate having problems, notify someone immediately.

ADD and ADHD Medication and YOU!!!!!

WHAT?

The NCAA is implementing a stricter application of the existing Medical Exceptions policy which will require proof of current prescriptions for every medication an athlete is taking that is a banned substance, as well as, proof of proper diagnostic procedures(particularly for ADD and ADHD diagnosis and medications).

WHY?
As experienced across campus, more and more college students-athletes are being
treated with stimulant medications for ADHD. These stimulants are banned for
use in NCAA competition for both performance and health reasons, and using
them may result in a positive drug test and loss of eligibility, unless the studentathlete
provides adequate documentation of a diagnostic evaluation for ADHD
and appropriate monitoring of treatment. In recent years, the number of studentathletes
testing positive for these stimulant medications has increased 3 fold, and
in many cases there has been inadequate documentation submitted in support of
the request for a medical exception to the NCAA banned drug policy.

DOCUMENTATION
The documentation should include a comprehensive clinical evaluation, recording
observations and results from ADHD rating scales, a physical exam and any lab
work, previous treatment for ADHD, and the diagnosis and recommended
treatment. The physician can provide documentation of the above either with a
cover letter and attachments or provide the medical record. This documentation
should be kept on file in the athletics department until such time that the studentathlete
tests positive for the stimulant. A simple statement from the prescribing
physician that he or she is treating the student-athlete for ADHD with said
medication IS NOT adequate documentation.

IS IT OKAY MY DOCUMENTATION IS FROM 3 TO 5 YEARS AGO?

Yes, in fact the expectation is that for many student-athletes, the evaluation and
initiation of treatment likely began during grade school. Documentation of that
evaluation, along with the history of treatment and current prescription, should be
submitted by the student-athlete to their sports medicine staff upon matriculation.

DO I NEED AN UPDATED LETTER FROM THE DOCTOR EACH YEAR OF MY ELIGIBILITY ?

Yes, a written letter from the prescribing physician should be updated each year of eligibility and can just include a written statement indicating current treatment.

HOW DOES A POSITIVE TEST EFFECT MY ELIGIBILITY IF I DO NOT HAVE THE PROPER DOCUMENTATION?

If a student-athlete has not undergone an evaluation and/or cannot produce
documents at the time the positive test is confirmed with the institution, the
student-athlete must be declared ineligible until 1) the documentation can be
produced or 2) a drug-test appeal is heard and approved.

***INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG IS TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?key=/ncaa/NCAA/Legislation+and+Governance/Eligibility+and+Recruiting/Drug+Testing/exceptions.html

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

CONTACT YOUR ATC!!!

Swine Flu

There is a lot of hype in the last few days of the Influenza Virus Strand called Swine Flu. To answer any questions anyone may have- I just wanted to put out a informational blog with facts about the virus. The most common questions I have had are about how you catch the swine flu and is it more harmful than a typical flu. I hope this helps to answer any questions you may have.

Note: To ensure that the facts are correct, the following facts were all taken from the Center of Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/key_facts.htm

Swine Flu (now being called H1N1 as this is the particular strand of the influenza virus)

What is Swine Influenza? Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. Swine influenza viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months similar to outbreaks in humans. The classical swine flu virus (an influenza type A H1N1 virus) was first isolated from a pig in 1930.

Can humans catch swine flu? Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. Most people will not have immunity to this new virus. However, sporadic human infections with swine flu have occurred. Most commonly, these cases occur in persons with direct exposure to pigs (e.g. children near pigs at a fair or workers in the swine industry). In addition, there have been documented cases of one person spreading swine flu to others. For example, an outbreak of apparent swine flu infection in pigs in Wisconsin in 1988 resulted in multiple human infections, and, although no community outbreak resulted, there was antibody evidence of virus transmission from the patient to health care workers who had close contact with the patient

How does swine flu spread? Influenza viruses can be directly transmitted from pigs to people and from people to pigs. Human infection with flu viruses from pigs are most likely to occur when people are in close proximity to infected pigs, such as in pig barns and livestock exhibits housing pigs at fairs. Human-to-human transmission of swine flu can also occur. This is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu occurs in people, which is mainly person-to-person transmission through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans? The symptoms of swine flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Can people catch swine flu from eating pork? No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. You can not get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.


U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection(As of April 29, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)
States
# of laboratory confirmed cases
Arizona- 1

California- 14

Indiana-1

Kansas-2

Massachusetts-2

Michigan-2

Nevada-1

New York City-51

Ohio-1

Texas- 16

TOTAL COUNTS
91 cases
1 death
International Human Cases of Swine Flu InfectionSee: World Health Organization

You make your own decision.........

This post was written by Gary Brown, director of the NCAA News.

OK all of you casual golfers out there. Say you had access to a new-tech driver that helped you regularly launch 300-yarders down the middle of the fairway. You'd bite, wouldn't you? Even if it cost you $300 or so - that's just a dollar a yard, with a return on investment of being the best in your foursome.

You're happy, and so is the guy who made the club. Except your buddies aren't - that is, until they buy one, too, and then we're back to square one until the next advancement comes along.
Well, something similar is happening in college swimming, where this weekend's Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships will feature the reduced-drag, full-body techno-suits that have been taking the sport by storm. They've already been prominent at the Divisions II and III championships and the Division I women's nationals over the past two weeks, and we've seen NCAA records fall in about two-thirds of the events. So what's the problem? Nothing, if you like fast swimming. But the times are so much faster that people are raising eyebrows. Coaches don't seem to like the new suits, and they're starting to wonder aloud if the revolutionary buoyant material is having too much of an effect on the sport. One coach said, "The suits make moderate swimmers fast and fast swimmers really fast."

But student-athletes don't seem bothered - they just want to go fast. One of them at the Division II women's meet who was put off by the notion that the suits were overshadowing natural talent said, "If you put the suits in the water, they're not going to swim by themselves."
What's the right balance? Everyone wants to perform better in their respective sport, and when it comes to equipment, people usually will invest in whatever they can to help that performance along. It's not cheating, for goodness sake, is it?

But it's causing issues. For one, there's an arms race going on that is expensive at a time when athletics departments can't afford it. Yet administrators and coaches are caught in the middle - they want their athletes to be able to compete, and they know they can't at the elite level without the suits. So they have to acquire them one way or another - and if the department can't bear the cost, then the student-athletes will. After all, if you've invested most of your life competing in the sport you love, you'd most likely spend the extra dough to get what you need, wouldn't you?

And the records keep falling. Mark Gole, the head men's and women's coach at Truman State University, pointed out that Alexander Popov used to be the world record holder in the 100-meter free, and just a little more than a year with the new suits, Popov is barely in the top 50. Too much for you?

OK, now you play the role of NCAA swimming committee member. What's your pleasure? You want to try to regulate these things amid antitrust laws? You want to get in the business of testing suits and setting standards based on exhaustive research? Or do you want to maintain the environment of "anything goes," figuring that the sport benefits from the publicity of world records?

Who knows? At least with everyone wearing them, it's a level swimming pool.By the way, I'm wearing one right now, and even though I used to be a 100-words-per-minute typist, I banged this post out in an NCAA national-office-record 1:22.05. I like it!

"It's okay to be different"

We live in a world where many battle with two thoughts and images of self- 1. it's okay to be different and 2. the idealistic images that certainly are not reality for everyone. These two concepts seem to pull on a invisible tug of war rope back and forth each and every day in many peoples minds. Each and every day we are told "you are beautiful the way you are", "it's okay to be different" yet we look at how people are portrayed to us through the media, movies, magazines, etc. So how do we settle this ongoing debate? Self confidence!!!! Make your own choices, learn from your mistakes, work hard to be the person you want to be, don't judge others- you are not in their shoes, and be the best person you can be each and every day. If you live each day as a good person who works hard to better themself and others - you are living well as the person you are. And remember, "It's okay to be different". It would be an awful world to live in if we weren't all "different".

The facts about tanning

To put it simply- Skin cancer kills! As college students, you may not be worried about it but in reality, what you do today effects you in the future. So the trip to the tanning booth or outside with no skin protection on yesterday in reality can cause you long term health problems and even death. Read on for some facts from the American Cancer Society

MYTH: I'll go to the tanning booths because its safer than sitting and tanning in the sun"?

FACT: Lights used in tanning beds and sun lamps give off mainly ultraviolet-A (UVA) radiation, according to the study. UVA was classified as a probable human cancer-causing agent by the International Agency for Cancer Research (IARC) in 1992, according to the Swedish study.

MYTH: A base tan helps prevent skin cancer

FACT: The lights just act as a radiation multiplier, further increasing their skin cancer risk

MYTH: Using a tanning bed doesn't increase my chances of cancer

FACT: People 35 or younger who used the beds regularly had a melanoma risk eight-fold higher than people who never used tanning beds.

MYTH: Skin cancer doesn't kill

FACT: 8,110 deaths per year from skin cancer

What are the signs and symptoms of skin cancer? Skin cancer can be found early, and both doctors and patients play important roles in finding skin cancer. If you have any of the following symptoms, tell your doctor.

* any change on the skin, especially in the size or color of a mole or other darkly pigmented growth or spot, or a new growth
* scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or change in the appearance of a bump or nodule
* the spread of pigmentation beyond its border such as dark coloring that spreads past the edge of a mole or mark
* a change in sensation, itchiness, tenderness, or pain

RESOURCES TO CHECK OUT:

American Cancer Society http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/ped_7_1_What_You_Need_To_Know_About_Skin_Cancer.asp?sitearea=&level=

Skin Cancer Foundation
http://www.skincancer.org/

MayoClinic
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/skin-cancer/DS00190

Push-up Variations

The push up is one of the most useful yet under utilized exercises there is. Not only is it a great upper body strength exercise, but it also is a great for shoulder and scapular stabilizing and core stabilization exercise. The push up is a body weight exercise that you can do anywhere at anytime with an endless amount of options to vary the difficulty and purpose of the exercise. As I say this, I cringe at the thought of some of the push ups I have seen in practices- if you do not have a good push up- work on your straight push up before moving on to the variations. What is a bad push up? Well, if you have back pain- that is often due to a bad push up without enough core stabilization. If your butt is in the air- you are not maintaining the proper form.

SIGNS OF A BAD PUSH UP

* poor spinal alignment

* if you are sagging in the middle

* butt is sticking up in the air

If you are having problems- start with either a push up from your knees as we originally showed in the push up blog or you can have good form in your push up position but only go 1/4 down and then back up and work your way to to 1/2 way down and up and then to a full push up. This will help build up your upper body strength as well as core stability which is vital to a correct push up. If you still are struggling with the position, work on a wall push up. To make this more difficult, bring your feet further out from the wall each time.



PHYSIOBALL PUSH UP- This push up variation adds an unstable surface to incorporate core and upperbody/lowerbody priorioceptive stability.

PUSH UP WITH FEET ON PHYSIOBALL- Variation of an unstable surface during the push up motion

STATIC PUSH UP

DIAMOND PUSH UP- This push up puts more emphasis on the triceps than the shoulders and chest

EXPLOSIVE PUSH UP: This push up helps develop explosive power in your chest

WIDE GRIP PUSH UP: This puts an increased emphasis on the chest

PUSH UP WITH ROTATION: Great exercise to not only work on push up but also thoracic mobility and core

The Deadlift

The deadlift is probably arguably the most important exercise of the 5 we have given you. This exercise works the "back side" - back, glutes, and hamstrings. The back, glutes, and hamstrings are often neglected muscles that are surely addressed with the deadlift. The key to not injuring yourself is to not arch or hunch your back. Your back must stay flat. How do you do that? Activate the core muscles! Start simple with the two legged romanian deadlift with dumbbells in each hand. Work on your deadlift posture. Once you are comfortable there, progress to the single leg romanian dead lift. Same thing there-work on your correct posture. Then move on to the deadlift with the bar. Again, if you feel any pain in your back, STOP! Refer to a staff member for help.



Key points:

* Keep your back flat- do not round or arch your back

* Progress slowly to ensure correct form as well as building the strength in order to progress

* At any time, if you feel pain- stop! Seek help from a staff member



ROMANIAN DEADLIFT-We introduced this in the previous post "5 key exercises" but it is worth putting here again as this is the starting point. In this video we have just a dowel- add dumbbells to each of your hands for increased difficulty.

SINGLE LEG DEADLIFT WITH DUMBBELL: Sports require movement predominantly on one leg? So we should train on one leg- makes sense right? Well the single leg deadlift is a fantastic exercise that both incorporates single leg training as well as working the "back side" muscles. You can put the dumbbell in the opposite hand of your foot that is on the ground to start but to make it more challenging- switch the dumbbell to the same side your foot is down.

DEADLIFT WITH BAR: Now that you have worked the Romanian deadlift and the single leg deadlift- you have the form down perfectly! You have a nice flat back, core is activated, breathing!, and your strength is getting better. Now lets move onto the deadlift with the bar/plates. There are two grips- one with your hands over the bar (knuckles out) and the other is opposite grips, one over the bar and the other hand is with palm out. Do what feels comfortable for you. I have posted the alternate grip one to show you but if you like the traditional grip- go for it!

SUMO DEADLIFT: This lift changes your leg positioning to a wider "sumo" position. This targets the adductors (groin muscles) Again, keep your back flat with this lift. Choose the grip that is most comfortable for you. Refer to a staff member if you have pain or difficulty with this exercise.

Quick Update on Comments Section of Blog

I have gotten some good feedback from athletes and staff that they like the new BSC Sports Medicine blog. One comment I was receiving was they could not post comments/feedback on the blog entry. I have finally gotten it squared away and have fixed this technical glitch. You should now be able to now post a comment on the blog entry. So with that said........ I look forward to your comments and feedback on the blog itself. Keep checking back- I have posted the squat and lunge variations and the deadlift, push up and pull up are coming in the next week to two weeks.

Enjoy!!

Lunge Variations

On to our second "key exercise"- THE LUNGE. The lunge is an exercise that is important in helping to train for acceleration, quick changes of direction, and deceleration. It is a challenging movement as both the upper body and lower body have to work together yet independently in achieving the movement in a balanced manner. Hip tightness and poor core stability can cause great difficulty with the lunge exercise. As with all exercises, correct form is imperative. If your form is off due to the difficulty of an exercise- scale back to an easier version or come see a sports medicine staff member so we can evaluate the problem.



Important tips for a safe lunge exercise-



* DO NOT LET YOU KNEE GO OVER YOUR TOES

* DO NOT LET YOU KNEE COLLAPSE INWARDS

* KEEP YOUR BODY UP- DON'T FALL FORWARD

* KEEP GLUTES, LEG AND CORE TIGHT THROUGHOUT THE EXERCISE



WALKING LUNGE-This is the basic lunge with a continuum of motion. Works on power and strength of the glutes, hamstrings, and quads as well as works on core

ALTERNATING LUNGE WITH MEDICINE BALL-Great core exercise as well as lower body and shoulder exercise. There are two variations to this- the first is to hold the med ball out in front of you with arms straight out at chest level and the second version is more difficult and activates more core is to have med ball over head with arms straight. Both exercises you must make sure you are not arching your lower back and you are keeping a nice tight straight core.

BACKWARD LUNGE WITH TWIST- This exercise can be used as a movement prep exercise- an exercise you do to warm up and stretch out. It is also an exercise that can challenge your balance. The reason I put this in here is because what it primarily stretches out is your hip flexors, quads and front of the core- areas that are typically very tight. You will feel this through your entire back leg all the way up to your hips, abs and up to your lats. If you want to make this a bit more challenging for your core and balance- put a med ball in your hands and keep your arms above your head and perform the exercise.

ALTERNATING LUNGE WITH ONE DUMBBELL: This is an exercise that is meant to challenge your core. In sports you constantly have outside variables that throw your center of gravity off and you have to balance these out to remain effective. The use of one dumbbell in your hand will challenge your core in a similar way. Make sure you have a heavy enough weight to really challenge your core. The goal is to remain in an upright position despite the weight pulling you to one side.

SPLIT JUMPS: This exercise is one that will challenge your core as well as improve your power and explosion in your hips and legs. The key is to keep your balance and torso upright and stable when you land. To start off with this exercise, land in the same position as you took off from. To progress to a more difficult version, look at the second video here to a cycled split jump where you switch legs in the air and land in the opposite lunge position than when you took off.








SLIDING BACKWARD LUNGE: This exercise is a good single leg exercise that incorporates stretching, strength, and challenges you balance. To perform this exercise you need a surface you can slide on- a slide board (available in AT room), a sliding foot disc (also available in the AT room), or you can use a towel on a smooth surface such as the gym floor. To make this even more challenging you can put your front foot on a step for greater range of motion in the dip.

STATIC LUNGE WITH MEDICINE BALL THROW: This exercise is performed with a partner or against a wall. It is a great exercise that works on both strength and core as well as the trunk rotational core that sports require. Have your partner stand on a plyo box or bench. Find the spot where you can bounce the ball off the ground to your partner and mark this spot. Your goal with this exercise is to maintain the lunge position with your back knee off the ground and keep your hips facing forward so only your shoulders rotate to pass the ball to your partner. Start this exercise with 10-15 repetitions and work up to 30-40 repetitions each side consecutively.

LUNGE ON HALF FOAM ROLLER: Saved the toughest for last.!!This is a challenging exercise that if you are not ready to do- DO NOT!!! You need a foam roller or two dyna discs- both available in the AT room. Position yourself next to an object you can use to help with you balance to get on the roller and as you need during the exercise as you will see Steve does in the video with another foam roller.