Recovery is a vital aspect of athletic performance, especially for youth athletes. Proper recovery not only enhances performance but also helps prevent injuries and promotes long-term health. Below are ten steps to optimize recovery from sports for youth athletes.
Step 1: Prioritize Your Nutrition
Recovery starts well before the day of the game or training session. Youth athletes need to establish a solid nutritional foundation days before competition. This includes consuming a balanced diet rich in carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Nutrient-dense carbohydrates are especially important for replenishing glycogen stores in the liver and muscles, which are crucial for optimal performance and recovery. Continue Reading →
The entire point of the PPPE is to safely clear the student-athlete. Yes, we want them to play, but safely! The two main reasons athletes do not clear their PPPE is due to blood pressure and vision issues. It is important to take blood pressure readings with the athlete supine vs. sitting on a table. Make sure the athlete is in a calm state and in a back supported chair. Also, make sure the athlete does not need to go to the bathroom! As for vision, a 2023 study of athletes in Galveston, Texas found that 38.0% the student athletes did not bring their prescription eyeglasses, which resulted in the need for retesting while wearing their glasses.
Summer comes to an end and fall sports start up. High school sports are a big part of many teenagers’ life and the Pre-Participation Physical Examination (PPPE) is a necessary step to help ensure that youth athletes are healthy and can participate in their respective sport. The topic of this blog covers the first part of our discussion on the PPPE. As always, enjoy, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and share. This is important information for parents and their athletes, alike.
In the previous blog, we discussed the importance of zero drop shoes. Now we will cover the important concept of ‘neutral’ shoes. A neutral shoe refers to one that is not build for a person who is flat footed (pes planus) or who has a high argh (pes cavus). It is literally neutral, and this is good.
The Altra FWD is a zero drop shoe with a 4mm heel to toe drop. It is currently my favorite running shoe.
They are made to allow your foot to strike the ground as it was meant. Most shoes, if not neutral, will be marked as ‘stability’ or ‘motion control.’ A stability/motion control shoe is angled so as to go against your over-pronated foot and simply turn your foot out a bit. Simple enough, right? Sure, but it’s made for the masses. Is your foot the same as the millions of other who are wearing that shoe to correct a generalized problem? Not likely. For those who are flat-footed, you still want a neutral shoe and you’ll want a proper orthotic to match your unique foot!
The issue with shoes and those who pronate is that there is no individuality. Is the person’s flat-footedness due to not having an arch or a true foot/ankle deformity? Many people think they need this type of shoe because they are flat footed. Although a ‘flat foot’ leads to internal lower extremity rotation and a large amount of gait issues, simply sticking a slanted shoe under the foot is not a great solution. However, this is what shoe companies do. We can do better!
The Hoka Clifton is a neutral drop shoe with a 5mm heel to toe drop. Questions about quality now exist due to the brand becoming mass-produced.
The uniqueness of our feet need to be addressed in a unique fashion. Those stability and motion control shoes are just too generic for those of us who want optimal function. The best idea is to address the flat foot to see if it is a structural or functional problem, and treat accordingly. This will require the input of someone who is trained in foot biomechanics and gait.
As previously stated, individualized orthotics in a zero drop, neutral shoe will be the best way to go. We have already discussed the importance of zero or near zero drop shoes in the previous blog and once we have a pair of these, that are also neutral, we can address the individual foot to see if an orthotic is necessary.
Being there are no studies proving that an $800.00 orthotic is any better than a $100.00 one, what do we need to look for when we are assessing orthotics to aid with with pronation issues? Technically, to decide if an orthotic is necessary, the foot should be assessed in a neutral talonavicular position. This assures proper alignment and loading. This is the way the bones stack when we are ambulating. The orthotic is then crafted addressing the found pathology.
The orthotic also needs to consider the specific athletic need. Runners and lacrosse players have different foot movements and whereas typically constructed orthotics may be good for runners, who are only moving in the sagittal plane, they won’t work well for athletes who are cutting and changing directions.
The Altra Torin is both neutral and has a zero drop.
Some orthotics are made with a texture for grip and some are made with extra padding for impact, etc… Most importantly, the orthotic needs to support the arch and correct for any inversion/eversion (foot turned in or out). Should we achieve these objectives, this will more than suffice for most of the correction for the vast majority of people. To summarize, if you have a flat foot, don’t just get a shoe that tilts your foot outward (literally). Go with a shoe that we all need: neutral. Then add an orthotic that is specific for your foot.
Remember that although walking only drops 1-3x your bodyweight with every step, jogging is 3-5x, running 5-7x, and jumping can be about 10x your body weight with every jump. In addition, research shows that for every pound of weight we are above an ideal weight, there is an increase of loading on the knee with every step by 3-4 times. This is a tremendous amount of additional pressure.
Energy is transmitted up the feet through the lower extremity to the pelvis, low back ,etc. If we are not dealing with ground reactive forces properly, we are going to pay the price sooner, or later. Why wait until later? Get proper shoes that are neutral and zero drop, use an individualized orthotic, and help your body function at an optimal level going forward!
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You don’t have to stop cycling, but you may need to seriously reduce the amount of time you’re spending on your bike…unless you want to be osteoporotic and sarcopenic. This affects everyone.
When we hear about bone (osteopenia/porosis) and muscle loss (sarcopenia), we tend to think about elderly frail people, not active and fit cyclists. The problem is that avid cyclists are EXTREMELY prone to both muscle and bone loss. It’s highly likely you need to do something about it before it becomes a serious health concern. The good thing is that a lot can be done before the damage is significant but the time to act is now. If you think this doesn’t apply to you, perhaps you are right if you cycle a couple days a week. However, if you cycling many days a week, your risk is greatly elevated. In other words, if you’re on your bike for around 20 hours a week, it’s time to get off and do something else.
Loss of bone quality is significant with cyclists. We can do a lot to prevent this.
How is it possible that such ‘fit’ and active people can get loss of muscle and quality of bone, regardless of age? After all, isn’t exercise good for us? Don’t we build stronger bones and more muscle with lots of activity? Isn’t cycling considered a good activity?
Protein is an essential macronutrient that plays a crucial role in the growth and repair of muscles in the body. This makes it particularly important for youth athletes who are actively participating in sports and physical activities. To ensure optimal performance and recovery, it is recommended that youth athletes consume 2 grams of protein per kilogram of lean body weight every day. This also means that they should aim for at least 25-30 grams of protein per meal.
When it comes to protein sources, there is a significant difference between animal-based sources and vegan sources. This is particularly the case with the vital amino acid, leucine. Leucine is an essential amino acid that plays a key role in muscle protein synthesis. This is the process by which new muscle tissue is built. Animal-based sources of protein, such as meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products, are higher in leucine when compared to plant-based sources of protein.
We get asked a lot of questions about what types of shoes to wear. Afterall, there are a lot of options. Some are functional, some are fashionable. We like to stick with function over fashion. Afterall, we tend to work with an active population and athletes of all disciplines need proper footwear to help optimize performance and reduce the likelihood of injury. There is so much information (misinformation) out there and it seems like most everyone has an opinion. We are not after opinions. We are after facts.
We’re going to cover two popular and discussed shoe configuration topics. This blog (and associated YouTube video below) will cover zero drop and the next one will cover neutral shoes.
Zero drop refers to the heel to toe drop in a shoe. Literally, the heel of a shoe is usually made to be higher than toe (forefoot). The shoe effectively angles down from the back of the foot to the front. You won’t usually see this just looking at the shoe. You’ll likely need to see the listing online or write the company. Some shoes are still using 10-12mm heel to toe drops. Ouch! This effectively shortens your calf musculature at all times…not good. In effect, it’s like you’re wear heels.
If you’re an athlete, it’s time to stop static stretching.
Static stretching is bad for you if you are about to play any sport. Surprised? Don’t be. Plenty of data is provided below. In spite of what has been incorrected pushed for decades at every level of sport, the research has shown for decades that static stretching leads to decreased performance and a greater likelihood of injury. So many injuries could be prevented if ‘warming up’ was performed properly, by everyone. Watch the video below and read the blog to learn more. Please also subscribe to our YouTube channel. Help us help you and those you care about!
We should all be familiar with lateral and medial ankle sprains as we discussed them in previous blogs. We are now going to talk about the last and least understood form of ankle sprain, also known as the dreaded ‘high ankle sprain.’ These sprains are documented as being between 11 and 17% of all ankle sprains. They are not too common, but they are very significant. Proper identification of this type of ankle sprain is vital. It will need rehabilitation by a trained professional who has experience with this type of sprain.
Luckily, the explanation and understanding of a high ankle sprain is quite easy. A high ankle sprain is a syndesmotic sprain that occurs above the lateral ankle. A syndesmotic sprain involves the ligaments and fascia between bones. In this case, the tibia and fibula bones above the ankle joint are involved. In effect, a particular trauma causes the two bones to separate from one another and the ligaments and other tissues between them tear in the process. This leads to a lot of pain and a good amount of dysfunction.
Ankle sprains/strains happen…a lot. (We’ll have a YouTube chat about this soon as well as this blog here. Please subscribe to follow us.) That horrible feeling when you ‘roll your ankle in’. What exactly does this mean and what do we need to look for with ankle sprains?
The inversion ankle sprain is the most common of all ankle sprains, accounting for about 75-80%. The ankle can roll outward, but this is not too common. The medial side (inside) of your ankle tends to be more stable. This blog is about the most common form of ankle sprain, so let’s get going. (We’ll save the outward rolling ankle sprains and high ankle sprains for another discussion!)
