Walking has been an essential function in human evolution. This form of mobility allowed early man to hunt, gather and defend.
As more sedentary lifestyles have emerged, walking is proving to be an effective means of increasing longevity. The American Heart Association recommends 10,000 steps per day (five miles) to reap the full health benefit. Although this may be a lofty goal, after consulting with a physician, any distance is movement in the right direction.
Benefits include:
• Lower blood pressure
• Weight reduction
• Better stamina
The increased popularity of fitness walking has given rise to many walking events including race walking, charity walks and more recently, marathon walks. As opposed to race walking, where speed and form are crucial, marathon walking is a distance event extending 26.2 miles.
Like any marathon, preparation and support are crucial. Training includes progressively increasing distances, nutrition and using proper equipment.
Hundreds of walkers recently participated in a marathon walk from Old Saybrook Point to Harkness Memorial Park in support of the Terry Brodeur Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Participants were required to complete the walk in an allotted period of time. Training and race day support was provided by the foundation.
Deb Hinchey of Norwich was one of the participants. She trained with a group of seven adult women over a period of months. “We all attained a great feeling of accomplishment when finishing and realized we could go well beyond anything we thought our bodies could do,” said Hinchey. Other than fatigue, the biggest obstacle was avoiding blisters. Many participants purchased shoes a full size larger than normal to accommodate swelling.
In addition to becoming more fit, charity marathon walk participants gain a great feeling of knowing they helped a worthwhile cause.
Experts explore connection between contact sports and dementia
Multiple recent reports have raised awareness of the dangers of repeated head trauma. The information contained in these studies is helping experts plan strategies to make contact sports safer.
In 1928, Dr. Harrison Martland first described “Dementia Pugilistica,” a disorder seen in boxers that results in impaired movement and thought. Today this condition is known as “Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy” and is associated with any sport such as football, hockey and wrestling, where the participants are subjected to repeated head blows.
A telephone survey of former NFL players revealed a startling number of participants who suffer from memory disorders. While this study has been criticized as unscientific, experts agree that there is some validity to the information and a need for further study is indicated.
This week the American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians (AAPRP) held its annual meeting at the Mohegan Sun Casino. This convocation brought together physicians with first-hand experience treating athletes who have suffered multiple concussions.
A concussion is best defined as a complex process affecting the brain after trauma.
Typical symptoms include headache, dizziness, confusion and nausea. Surprisingly, many athletes accept headaches as part of their sport and never equate them with repeated head trauma.
“I was a Harvard graduate and never saw the connection between episodes of headache and personality change with the head blows I took as a wrestler and football player until I sought medical attention,” said Chris Nowinski.
Nowinski now serves as co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy and was a speaker at the AAPRP meeting. He spends much of his time on the road educating athletes and urging them to seek help.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) consists of a triad of symptoms: cognitive
decline, personality changes and movement disorders.
Dr. Ann Mckee, a neuropathologist at Boston University, has published extensively on CTE and spoke at the AAPRP. Dr. Mckee has studied the brains of NFL players who have generously donated them for post-mortem study.
“These brains show deposition of tau protein in crucial areas of the brain that is disproportionate to brains that have not been traumatized,” said McKee. She has found this abnormal accumulation in football players as young as 18.
“This is more than just a sports problem, it is a public health issue,” according to Dr. Robert Cantu, a neurosurgeon who has dedicated much of his career to treating athletes and now serves as a director of the Boston University-based center. These same changes are also found in military personnel, victims of abuse and others who have been subjected to brain injury.
The question now is how can the problem be corrected? Is there a way of treating these tau protein deposits? Is there too much opportunity for brain injury in football and other sports? At what age should contact sports be started?
After reading the Healthy Sports column two weeks ago on the internet, a young woman contacted me regarding her father and his brother who played in the NFL. Along with another brother who played college football, all have been diagnosed with dementia.
While this seems like a situation where heredity is a probable factor, she reports that two other brothers who never played football have no evidence of dementia. She is now in contact with the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy and her family is considering brain donation.
The recently published NFL study reported that retired NFL players are typically generous and support their communities. Whoever thought that this spirit of giving would continue after their deaths?
Brain donation is crucial to solving this problem. If you know of someone who has suffered repeated head trauma, please contact Megan Wullf at 617-638-6143.
In 1928, Dr. Harrison Martland first described “Dementia Pugilistica,” a disorder seen in boxers that results in impaired movement and thought. Today this condition is known as “Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy” and is associated with any sport such as football, hockey and wrestling, where the participants are subjected to repeated head blows.
A telephone survey of former NFL players revealed a startling number of participants who suffer from memory disorders. While this study has been criticized as unscientific, experts agree that there is some validity to the information and a need for further study is indicated.
This week the American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians (AAPRP) held its annual meeting at the Mohegan Sun Casino. This convocation brought together physicians with first-hand experience treating athletes who have suffered multiple concussions.
A concussion is best defined as a complex process affecting the brain after trauma.
Typical symptoms include headache, dizziness, confusion and nausea. Surprisingly, many athletes accept headaches as part of their sport and never equate them with repeated head trauma.
“I was a Harvard graduate and never saw the connection between episodes of headache and personality change with the head blows I took as a wrestler and football player until I sought medical attention,” said Chris Nowinski.
Nowinski now serves as co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy and was a speaker at the AAPRP meeting. He spends much of his time on the road educating athletes and urging them to seek help.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) consists of a triad of symptoms: cognitive
decline, personality changes and movement disorders.
Dr. Ann Mckee, a neuropathologist at Boston University, has published extensively on CTE and spoke at the AAPRP. Dr. Mckee has studied the brains of NFL players who have generously donated them for post-mortem study.
“These brains show deposition of tau protein in crucial areas of the brain that is disproportionate to brains that have not been traumatized,” said McKee. She has found this abnormal accumulation in football players as young as 18.
“This is more than just a sports problem, it is a public health issue,” according to Dr. Robert Cantu, a neurosurgeon who has dedicated much of his career to treating athletes and now serves as a director of the Boston University-based center. These same changes are also found in military personnel, victims of abuse and others who have been subjected to brain injury.
The question now is how can the problem be corrected? Is there a way of treating these tau protein deposits? Is there too much opportunity for brain injury in football and other sports? At what age should contact sports be started?
After reading the Healthy Sports column two weeks ago on the internet, a young woman contacted me regarding her father and his brother who played in the NFL. Along with another brother who played college football, all have been diagnosed with dementia.
While this seems like a situation where heredity is a probable factor, she reports that two other brothers who never played football have no evidence of dementia. She is now in contact with the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy and her family is considering brain donation.
The recently published NFL study reported that retired NFL players are typically generous and support their communities. Whoever thought that this spirit of giving would continue after their deaths?
Brain donation is crucial to solving this problem. If you know of someone who has suffered repeated head trauma, please contact Megan Wullf at 617-638-6143.
As athletes age, aerobic exercise is important
A notable conclusion in the recent study of retired NFL players dealt with cardiovascular fitness. The study was based on telephone interviews with 1,063 former players.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of obesity based on a ratio of height and weight. Despite a much higher BMI, NFL players had fewer heart attacks, strokes and diabetes. The information gathered provides an important message for the general population, as well as retired athletes.
BMI is probably not a good measure of obesity when body weight consists of a high percentage of muscle.
“In this situation, a percentage body fat calculation based on the use of a skin-fold caliper is more accurate,” said Mary Beth Green, a clinical dietitian at Backus Hospital.
Many younger athletes lift large weights to gain muscle bulk. This results in a sudden increase in blood pressure and diminished cardiac efficiency.
As athletes become older, aerobic exercise should be emphasized. Aerobic fitness is best described as the human body’s ability to use oxygen efficiently. Resistance training, in the form of light weight with high repetitions or stretch bands, will improve muscle tone.
“I encourage patients to begin a regimen of walking 30 minutes a day for at least five days per week. They should gradually increase to other forms of aerobic activity like biking or rowing,” said Dr. James Healy, a Norwich cardiologist. Healy reports that larger-strength athletes who become inactive are at high risk for heart attack.
Dr. Healy, like many physicians, believes that a medically-designed exercise program is as important as any medicine in the prevention of cardiovascular events. The fact that this carries over to large, former athletes is especially encouraging.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of obesity based on a ratio of height and weight. Despite a much higher BMI, NFL players had fewer heart attacks, strokes and diabetes. The information gathered provides an important message for the general population, as well as retired athletes.
BMI is probably not a good measure of obesity when body weight consists of a high percentage of muscle.
“In this situation, a percentage body fat calculation based on the use of a skin-fold caliper is more accurate,” said Mary Beth Green, a clinical dietitian at Backus Hospital.
Many younger athletes lift large weights to gain muscle bulk. This results in a sudden increase in blood pressure and diminished cardiac efficiency.
As athletes become older, aerobic exercise should be emphasized. Aerobic fitness is best described as the human body’s ability to use oxygen efficiently. Resistance training, in the form of light weight with high repetitions or stretch bands, will improve muscle tone.
“I encourage patients to begin a regimen of walking 30 minutes a day for at least five days per week. They should gradually increase to other forms of aerobic activity like biking or rowing,” said Dr. James Healy, a Norwich cardiologist. Healy reports that larger-strength athletes who become inactive are at high risk for heart attack.
Dr. Healy, like many physicians, believes that a medically-designed exercise program is as important as any medicine in the prevention of cardiovascular events. The fact that this carries over to large, former athletes is especially encouraging.
Study: Football can damage the body and mind
This week the most comprehensive study of retired NFL players was released. The study was conducted by the University of Michigan on behalf of the NFL. A total of 1,063 retired players were interviewed regarding a variety of sociological and medical topics.
Two major issues discussed in the report concern cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric health.
Although NFL players are larger than average Americans, they are not necessarily fatter. Many continue to remain physically active and have a lower incidence of heart attack, diabetes and stroke than the general population.
But their large size and intense physical activity has lead to increased arthritis and the subsequent need for joint replacement at a young age.
The Michigan study also revealed a rate of “dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other memory-related diseases” 19 times the expected rate for males ages 30 through 49 and 6 times the normal for ages 50 and above. Dementia is best defined as the inability to learn and utilize new information.
A proxy reporter had to be utilized for instances where a player was unable to answer for himself.
“The take-home message from this data is that we must now re-evaluate how football is played,” said Chris Nowinski, a former professional wrestler and football player whose career was cut short due to multiple concussions. Nowinski now serves as co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy. He believes the rules, practice sessions and the age when players begin must all be reconsidered.
Based on this study, the general profile of an NFL retiree is a well-educated, religious man who supports his community. He is physically fit but plagued by arthritic pain.
Unfortunately, he is also much more likely to become cognitively impaired at a young age.
It is the final characteristic that must be addressed immediately.
Two major issues discussed in the report concern cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric health.
Although NFL players are larger than average Americans, they are not necessarily fatter. Many continue to remain physically active and have a lower incidence of heart attack, diabetes and stroke than the general population.
But their large size and intense physical activity has lead to increased arthritis and the subsequent need for joint replacement at a young age.
The Michigan study also revealed a rate of “dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and other memory-related diseases” 19 times the expected rate for males ages 30 through 49 and 6 times the normal for ages 50 and above. Dementia is best defined as the inability to learn and utilize new information.
A proxy reporter had to be utilized for instances where a player was unable to answer for himself.
“The take-home message from this data is that we must now re-evaluate how football is played,” said Chris Nowinski, a former professional wrestler and football player whose career was cut short due to multiple concussions. Nowinski now serves as co-director of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy. He believes the rules, practice sessions and the age when players begin must all be reconsidered.
Based on this study, the general profile of an NFL retiree is a well-educated, religious man who supports his community. He is physically fit but plagued by arthritic pain.
Unfortunately, he is also much more likely to become cognitively impaired at a young age.
It is the final characteristic that must be addressed immediately.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
