Discounted Running Analysis

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dana.birkholtz@osrpt.com

 

OSR Physical Therapy Bike Fit

With the snow melting in MN, it is time for bike season. Let our Bike Fit professionals help you with injury prevention and bike fitting for racing, road biking, and recreation.

Here are some tips from the American Physical Therapy Association to help you get started:

Interested in injury prevention activities and bike fitting at OSR Physical Therapy? Contact Stephanie at stephanie.winters@osrpt.com or Rusty at rusty.wallman@osrpt.com for more information.

The importance of staying hydrated with activity

Water, roughly between 60-70% of what comprises you and I, plays a vital role in the functioning of everyday life. From better overall health to improved body temperature regulation, increased body lubrication and even improved weight maintenance, you will reap greater benefits if you stay well hydrated with water or water-rich fluids.

Hydration is vital to a successful athletic performance. When there is a lack of hydration, from the food you eat to beverages you drink, you will end up dehydrated. This commonly leads to fatigue; muscle cramping and even can reduce your coordination. It also compromises the body’s ability to cool itself through sweating which can also lead to dizziness, fatigue or even heatstroke.

When the difference between top finishers in an endurance event is only a few seconds or less, athletes can’t afford to loose time to dehydration. Athletes should pay close attention to fueling their bodies with fluids and foods consistently by finding their individual sweat rates.” This consists of weighing yourself before and after an athletic event to see how much body weight was lost due to hydration loss.

When you know how much fluid was lost by an athletic event, and then take the next step to learn how to ingest this amount during training, fluid consumption becomes much more automatic and the chance for dehydration during a time of importance (such as a competition) diminishes significantly.

Research suggests that 20-24oz of fluid needs to be consumed for each pound of body weight lost. For athletes who opt for endurance events, make sure to consume a sports drink that has both carbohydrates and an adequate amount of electrolytes by searching for drinks that have 200mg of sodium per 8oz of fluid.

For more information on hydration and athletic performance you can check out the position statement by the NATA.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1323420/

March: National Athletic Training Month

National Athletic Training Month

“Every Body Needs an Athletic Trainer”

March is National Athletic Training Month. Athletic trainers utilize this opportunity to educate the public about their profession and what exactly they do as certified athletic trainers.

Athletic trainer not trainer

Athletic trainers, ATs, are health care professionals that work under the direction of a physician according to their state license. ATs are not personal or fitness trainers and do not train people for the sole purpose of fitness and/or weight loss. Athletic training involves the prevention, evaluation and diagnosis, immediate and emergency care, treatment and rehabilitation, and organizational and professional health and well-being of physically active people.

Education

An athletic trainer must obtain a bachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited program and pass a board of certification exam before beginning practice. Athletic trainers must also maintain their knowledge and skill by participating in continuing education, approximately 25 hours a year.

Not all athletes wear jerseys

Athletic trainers work with a variety of patients and in many different settings. Some of these setting include:

·         Physician extender

·         Performing arts

·         Clinics and hospitals

·         Law enforcement

·         Military

·         High schools, colleges and universities

·         Professional and Olympic sports

·         Industrial

In the video below a collection of surgeons, athletic directors, and physicians tell why an athletic trainer is critical to keeping physically active people safe.

                Unsung Heroes of Sports Medicine on NATA page

                http://vimeo.com/nata1950/unsung-heroes-of-sports-medicine

Associations and publications

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association, NATA, is the professional membership association for athletic training and has over 35,000 members strong. These members are certified athletic trainers and other professional who help support the profession. The NATA has established a professional code of ethics that athletic trainers must abide by.

The Journal of Athletic Training publishes cutting edge research to allow for health care professionals to continue growing in their practice. The Journal of Athletic Training is among the top five sport science journals offering tremendous impact and influence to the world of sports medicine.

For more information please visit the following websites:

www.nata.org (Informational materials tab)

www.bocatc.org (Public tab)

Biking

Are you into biking?  If so make sure to check out our post on Bike Fit.

A Bike Fit is a great way to get the most out of your biking!