Photo: Globus

They're a regular fixture in physiotherapy clinics, and serious athletes and body builders have turned to them to help beat muscle fatigue, so will an electronic muscle simulator (EMS) help you take your workout to the next level? That's the question The New York Times recently asked NYC physical therapist Brendan Toner.

An EMS sends an electrical current through the muscle, causing it to contract, and they're most often used to relieve pain. But these days, they serve a few other functions -- like rejuvenating muscles after a tough workout, easing muscles spasms and strengthening weak muscles. Sounds like they're pretty useful -- but at $500 to $900 for a portable unit (the kind you use outside of a physio clinic), you'll want to be sure before you pick one up.

So what can it do for you? An EMS will help you fend off muscle fatigue that comes from an intense workout, as well as ease any muscle spasms. And, according to a study from the 2005 Journal of the American Physical Therapy Association, using a portable unit is just as effective as using the clinic one. It can also help you strengthen weak muscles, but Toner is quick to point out that it shouldn't be used in place of strength training, and the best way to increase strength is still by working out.

The bottom line? If you're really serious about your workout and have a few hundred to spend, one of these could really help your recovery. However, I suspect most of us will stick to stretching.

Photo: Detroit Lions

There might be a plethora of sport drink options on the market, but some athletes still aren't hydrating properly. This is true in all sports and at every level, but it's particularly a problem in high school football. Last year, heat stroke was the cause of death for four young football players -- but it's preventable.

That's Fit had a chance to talk to about hydration with Matthew Stafford, former Georgia Bulldog and current Detroit Lions quarterback after going #1 in the 2009 NFL draft. Having grown up in Texas and played college football in the South, Stafford has always been cognizant of the importance of getting enough water. He's now taking part in a joint effort between Gatorade and the NFL called Beat the Heat.

That's Fit: Have you had any scares or personal experience with severe dehydration?

MS: I had never really cramped or had a problem, and then, when [Georgia] was playing South Carolina, I cramped up so badly. I had both legs going at the same time -- it was scary, I couldn't even walk. I realized then how important it is to not just hydrate during the game, but before.

If you have kids, you know all about the nature versus nurture debate. Some parents are paying to find out if their babies have all the right genetic stuff of an athlete. So what do you think? Were you born to be an athlete? Or did practice and hard work make you skilled at your favorite sports?

There's no doubt that certain body types have advantages in certain activities. Height is practically a requirement for elite basketball players, serious runners tend to be long and lean and would Nastia Liukin have been able to flip so elegantly if she were 5'9'" and heavyset? There are three extremes for body types:

• Endomorphs are pear-shaped with wide hips and shoulders.
  
• Mesomorphs have broad shoulders and narrow hips.
  
• Ectomorphs are tall and thin with a narrow body.
  

Source

Many of us are often inspired by how fit professional athletes are -- I know that I rarely watch a beach volleyball game without wanting to hit the gym hard. Hard-bodied R&B singer Ciara also admires athletes, but for more than their bodies.

She told Men's Health, "I take my motivation from athletes -- basketball players in particular." She cites LeBron James as a favorite "because he's my age and full of ambition and drive," and also mentions Michael Jordan's ability to pull through in clutch moments, saying, "That energy motivates me."

As a former track star, Ciara appreciates the effort it takes to achieve success on the field, and compares what she does to what elite athletes do: "[W]hen it comes to my career, there's nothing more exciting than being successful at the highest possible level."

Source

In order to be a superb athlete, we all know you need to work your butt off and practice as much as possible. You might be surprised, though, to know that in order to become the best, you actually need to do the opposite -- relaxation is the key to breaking records, according to this article from the New York Times.

That's not to say you should take to the couch for a few years and expect to win a gold medal at the next Olympics. Nope, finding a balance between training as hard as you can while not stressing too much about your performance makes all the difference, according to experts. "It's the paradox of athletics," says Rick DeMont, coach at the University of Arizona and a former Olympian. "Tension is slow, tension is inefficient. You need to be relaxed."

Still, telling someone to relax is one thing. Actually being able to relax when hundreds, thousands, or millions of people are counting on your win is quite another. Your thoughts?

Source

The Olympics are over but in their wake they left a legion of people who were inspired to get moving. After all, there's nothing like the world's fitness elite to make even the most dedicated gym-goers feel lazy! But while there's nothing like a little inspiration, it's important to make sure you have enough motivation to last you until the next Olympics in 2010.

According to the Fitness Industry Association in the UK, 40% of fitness novices fall off the fitness wagon in their first year of working out. Don't be part of this statistic -- bear these tips in mind:

• Make mini-goals. Don't expect too much too soon -- instead, make small, attainable goals that will keep your mood positive and your motivation in check.
• Take it slow. Challenging yourself too much in the beginning can lead to injury and frustration.
• Up the intensity slowly. If your workout is too easy, it's not doing you any good. Find a way to make it more challenging
• Don't just throw in the towel. Where would Michael Phelps be if he quit when it got a bit difficult?

Source

Just looking at the schedules of my cousin's kids exhausts me: Soccer two night a week, Karate two nights a week, swimming three times a week and SCUBA diving classes once a week. That's in addition to full-time school and part-time volunteering. Holy commitment.

And there's no doubt that commitment is what it takes to be outstanding -- these past Olympics have showed us that. But when it comes to kids sports, how much is too much? Bloggers over at the New York Times are asking the same thing. On one hand, fostering a lifelong relationship with exercise will benefit your child's body and mind for years to come. On the other, too much exercise can be dangerous and can have lasting effects.

What do you think?

Source

Bruce Jenner, Mary Lou Retton, Muhammad Ali... lots of sporting greats have landed on the front of a Wheaties box. As Bev told us, Michael Phelps opted to promote a less healthy cereal instead. He's not the first athlete to lend his name to a less-than-healthy product:

• Former football greats Tony "Goose" Siragusa and Boomer Esiason both came out with the "perfect" ribs. Siragusa also sells prepackaged meats such as pulled pork, sausage, and meatballs; while Esiason sells Boomer's Barbeque Sauce.
• Bo Jackson knows pre-packaged foods, too. He teamed up with N'Genuity Brands to create Bo Jackson Signature Foods -- a line of products including burgers and country fried steaks.
  
• Fred Smoot from the Washington Redskins promotes the SMACK energy bar. According to the website, SMACK's main ingredients are sugar and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. The bar has 250 calories, 10 grams of fat (6 of which are saturated), and 22 grams of sugar.
  
  

Check out Mental Floss for the complete list of 7 famous athletes who now sell food.

Source

So, Michael Phelps eats 12,000 calories a day. Lucky guy. Not only does he get to eat lots, he reportedly gets to consume loads of junk food. Wouldn't it be great if we could all shovel in whole pizzas without worrying about calorie overload? Well, it might seem pretty great, but it's not really a healthy approach, even for the elite athletes of the world.

Cynthia Sass, Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, tells Prevention.com that while moderation is key, it's more about the 80/20 rule for her.

Eighty percent of the time, we need to fuel our bodies with nutrient-rich, whole, healthful foods. Twenty percent of the time, we get to eat what we want. That goes for Phelps too. Even if he can get away with eating anything weight-wise -- the guy is a calorie-burning machine, after all -- it's still best to make healthy eating a high priority because what you put in your mouth is key to boosting power and strength, pumping up endurance, speeding recovery, reducing injury risk, decreasing inflammation, and bolstering immunity. And while it may seem Phelps is not hurting in any of these areas -- despite his hearty diet -- we regular folks really ought to heed this advice.

Source

Whether you have (or have had) dreams of participating in the Olympics or are simply interested in mixing up your fitness regime, it's fascinating to hear about the workouts Olympic athletes go through. For me, it not only helps me appreciate the effort it took for them to achieve that level of greatness, but it also inspires me to push harder in my workouts -- I might not be able to keep up with them, but I can try!

Lots of athletes have taken the opportunity to speak about their fitness routines, eating habits, and more. We've pulled a bunch of their information together, so to see what your favorite Olympian does to stay in shape, keep clicking the "Next" button!

Source

Are you a fan of the circus? To be honest, I'm not -- the clowns really freak me out. However, I do have a lot of respect for the athletic abilities of the performers. Performing these difficult, death-defying acts several times a day takes a major commitment and a lot of work. To see how some performers stay in shape, check out this article on fitness secrets from performers in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

If you have children who are interested in the circus, you need to get yourself on over to CircusFit (warning for those of you at work: automatic music!). It's a fitness program designed to teach kids the fundamentals of fitness -- when kids realize that the ability to perform the different circus tricks requires peak fitness, they get excited about getting exercising

There are five modules, each one with its own fitness objectives, testimonials and demonstrations by real circus performers, and an opportunity at the end for discussion or journaling. Sounds like a fun way to get kids excited about fitness!

Source

Source

BANG! The starter's gun begins, and the race and the runners are off. Though it's probably not visible to the casual observer, not all racers get started at the same time. Researchers have found that because sound takes time to travel, racers on the outside lanes actually hear the starting gun later than those on the inside lane and are at a distinct disadvantage.

OK, so maybe if you and I had a race, the difference wouldn't be significant. But in an Olympic race, where every athlete is elite, those 150 milliseconds can translate to up to a meter's difference between the runners -- a distance that can mean the difference between bringing home a gold or bringing home a silver medal.

Though officials are aware of the problem, no changes will be made for the Beijing Olympics. Experts say a low tone system is more fair to all runners than the loud gunshot, but it looks like this year's Olympians will just have to make do.

(photo credit: Library of Congress via pingnews on Flickr)

Source

One elite athlete downs 12,000 calories per day just to keep from dropping weight, reported The Today Show's Matt Lauer the other day. Considering that the average man consumes 2,600 calories per day, this is big stuff. But hey, that's what it takes to keep some Olympic bodies in fighting shape.

What Olympic athletes eat can make the difference between a gold or a silver win. Food is fuel after all, and these folks require top-grade fuel (and lots of it) in order to compete -- and win.

It's up to U.S. Olympic Committee Executive Chef Jacque Hamilton to make sure the 600-athlete delegation gets tasty, healthy food free of butter, trans fats, and lots of sodium. Now that' a high-pressure job. But she's got it down to a science. Check out some of her favorite dishes, made with nutritious ingredients, fit for the finest athletes -- Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Chicken Stir-Fry, and Baja Chicken Salad. Right here they are.

Source

Many competitive athletes have to undergo drug tests. Is drug testing for scholars in our future, too? According to the UK's Academy of Medical Sciences, certain drugs have been used by healthy people to boost alertness and mental awareness.

Aricept (an Alzheimer's treatment), Ritalin (for ADHD), and modafinil (for day-time sleepiness) have been used by some people to get an edge up on tests and exams. Like steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs used by some athletes, this gives the student an unfair advantage. Also like steroids, using drugs in ways other than they are prescribed for can be seriously detrimental to health.

Source