Deanna Kennedy, M.S.Often athletic performance seeks to improve accuracy and consistency. For example, while playing golf, we want to consistently hit the ball into the hole. However, many factors affect our ability to produce smooth and accurate movements. One such factor is motor output variability (MOV), defined as the unintentional variations in the output of voluntary contractions. It is a natural and inherent phenomenon that can be observed in every movement or contraction made or repeated...

Meredith Luttrell, Ph.D As we get older, a vibrant quality of life enables us to keep doing the things we enjoy and that bring meaning to our lives. Exercise is important for health, but it is also one of the best ways to stay energetic and independent with age. Aerobic exercise has numerous health benefits, including healthier blood vessels. While we tend to think of only the heart with cardiovascular health and disease, blood vessels play a very important role in maintaining cardiovascula...

Chang Woock Lee, B.A.          Do you remember Popeye the Sailor, the cartoon and animation character with massive forearms and a smoking pipe in his mouth? He usually shows a calm and gentle demeanor, but when necessary, especially to protect Olive Oyl, the love of his life, from his archrival Bluto, he suddenly turns into a hyperactive action hero with superhuman strength by eating his magic food, a can of spinach.      ...

David Castille, M.S., CSCSWhen it comes to competitive athletics, or just reaching goals in the gym, people are always looking for some form of aid or advantage. Beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (the only form of HMB), or HMB, may prove to be a potent ergogenic aid for many different kinds of athletes.  HMB, discovered by Dr. Steven Nissen, has been around since the early- to mid-90s where it has been used primarily by athletes and bodybuilders. During the past two decades, research has bee...

Ramon Boudreaux, M.S.A common misconception is that the skeleton is a relatively fixed structure that undergoes few changes during adulthood. In actuality, bones are an extremely active tissue that continuously rebuild themselves throughout an individual’s lifetime (referred to as turnover). Bone cells are in constant communication with each other to remove areas of damaged bone (resorption) and replace them with newer, healthier bone (formation). In fact, the entire skeleton is completely...

Sarah Renaghan, M.S. Magnesium – what does it do for – or to – us? As an essential trace element, it is vital to the human body. Magnesium facilitates over 300 enzymatic reactions in the human body in the areas of energy metabolism, electrolyte and ion balance, cell signaling, and protein synthesis, all of which relate to physical activity and fitness.  Magnesium plays both a direct and indirect role in the body’s physiological response to exercise conditions. E...

John Seawright, B.S.The national anthem has been sung, home plate has been cleaned, and the starting lineup announced. The athletes go through the final mental checklist before taking the field. Hat? Check. Glove? Check. Cup? Check. Insulin? Diabetes is a condition that affects close to 26 million Americans. A diabetic lacks the capability to adequately regulate glucose (sugar) in the blood. Normally, the body relies heavily on the hormone insulin to promote the uptake of glucose from the b...

Benjamin A. Tipton, M.S., SCCCCocoa and its derivative chocolate have been used for thousands of years by the cultures of Central America. Cocoa was such a fixture in the Aztec society that they used the beans as currency. Primarily, cocoa was brewed into a bitter drink until the beans were exported to Europe by the Spaniards. Europeans sweetened chocolate and later made it into bars during the industrial revolution. Today, dark chocolate, defined as having 60% cocoa content or greater, has rece...

Sheril Marek, M.S.Selenium is a trace element that is nutritionally essential for humans. Essential nutrients are required for normal body functioning that cannot be synthesized by the body. This shows the importance of consuming adequate selenium in one’s diet and supplements for enhanced exercise performance and decreased health risks. Selenium is a component of many selenoproteins that play a critical role in reproduction, thyroid hormone metabolism, DNA synthesis, and protection from o...

Caitlin Hendler, M.S.Most commonly known as the “Sunshine Vitamin,” the main source of this fat-soluble vitamin is exposure to sunlight because of few food sources. The benefits of vitamin D go much further than merely a bronze tan – studies show that it assists in growth, remodeling, regulation of calcium and phosphate concentrations for ideal bone health and physical performance. Vitamin D is a vital nutrient for optimal health in the general population but even more signific...