Finally! There may be a secret sports supplement that increases alertness, concentration, reaction time and focus while decreasing muscle fatigue for athletes! I know you guys are probably thinking, “Well yeah. They come in the form of HGH, EPO and steroids, duh!” Of course you guys are right, but that same sports supplement comes in the form of something that most of us drink every day. Soda? Nah (Note: The ingredient is found in soda as well, but soda isn’t the answer). Juice. Nope. Milk. No. Try again. Let me save you the time. According to Dr. Carrie Ruxton, award-winning dietarian, health writer and TV nutritionist, the secret sports supplement can be found in a grand cup of Juan Valdez’s Best, Liquid Lightning, Morning Mud, Wakey Juice, Mojo, Java, aka COFFEE!!

Specifically, the key ingredient is caffeine. Caffeine has been studied on numerous occasions for its performance-enhancing (ergogenic) benefits in sports. I’m talking both physically and mentally of course. Caffeine has proven itself to be a legal, safe, and inexpensive boost to athletes. Regardless of that fact, many still question its effectiveness and if it should be legal or not.

Should caffeine pass as a clear cut performance enhancing supplement? The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) apparently doesn’t think so. Before it was removed in 2004, caffeine was on WADA’s list of banned substances. According to WADA, “A positive caffeine test was set to a post-exercise urinary caffeine concentration of 12 �g/ml (about 3-4 cups of strong coffee).”

What prompted caffeine’s removal from the banned substance list was the fact that further research suggested that caffeine has ergogenic effects at levels as low as the equivalent of 1-2 cups of coffee. Therefore, it was rather difficult for WADA to distinguish between athletes who were having just a few morning cups of coffee/tea or chocolate bars and athletes who intentionally consumed coffee for performance enhancing purposes. Nonetheless, caffeine is still on the WADA monitor list as a substance to screen for and watch for patterns of use.

Liverpool John Moores University developed a study that interviewed 480 athletes about their caffeine use. According to Liverpool John Moores University, “One third of track and field athletes and 60% of cyclists reported using caffeine specifically to give them a boost in competition. In addition, elite-level athletes interviewed were more likely to rely on caffeine than amateurs.” Given that information, is it fair to question whether or not athletes have found a loophole to exploit that gives them a competitive edge? Dr. Carrie Ruxton completed a literature survey that may give an answer.

Ruxton completed the survey to summarize 41 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials published over the past 15 years. According to Ruxton, the summary of information “established what range of caffeine consumption would maximize benefits and minimize risk for cognitive function, mood, physical performance and hydration.” Studies were split into two categories: one that looked into the cognitive effects, while the other focused on physical performance.

The results? Dr. Ruxton found that there were noticeable improvements in athletes cognitive function (attention, reaction time, mental processing). Ruxton also discovered that there were significant upgrades in physical performances (increased “time to exhaustion” and decreased “perception of fatigue”) in cycling and running tests.

Dr. Ruxton explains the positive effects of caffeine, “Caffeine is believed to impact on mood and performance by inhibiting the binding of both adenosine and benzodiazepine receptor ligands to brain membranes. As these neurotransmitters are known to slow down brain activity, a blockade of their receptors lessens this effect.” In other words, the chemicals in your brain that cause you to feel tired are blocked. When they are blocked, you get a feeling of alertness. In reality, your body still needs sleep, but caffeine delays the feeling of being tired.

In regards to physical benefits, caffeine has proven to stimulate the release of body fat into a person’s bloodstream. Dr. Ruxton concluded that the increased free fatty acids in the blood would allow our muscles to use fat as fuel and spare glycogen (carbohydrates), which allows us to exercise for a longer period of time. In addition, there is a theory that caffeine plays as a stimulant to the central nervous system. This reduces our perception of effort so that we feel that we can continue to perform physical activities at an increased paced for longer periods of time.

For more information on the in-depth role of glycogen, muscle biopsies and blood samples tested, caffeine’s effect on several signaling enzymes, and guidelines for athletes consumption of coffee/caffeine, click here.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of coffee. There is a long list of detrimental effects that coffee has on one’s health. But honestly, as a kid I heard that if I consumed coffee, it would stunt my growth. Since I had “big dreams” of making it to the NBA, drinking coffee was totally out of the question. I wanted to be as tall as possible. Plus, I tasted coffee as a kid and didn’t really like it. In regards to caffeine’s effect on enhancing athlete’s performances, the results of Dr. Ruxton’s study do say that there were improvements in athlete’s cognitive and physical abilities. However, I’ve always believe that it’s all in the mind. Since there’s this notion that coffee gives people an energy boost, maybe those who drink it automatically feel that way because in their mind, they need coffee to be alert and active. So once they drink the coffee, they somehow make themselves perform better overall and for longer periods of time. Without coffee, they may feel that they are in need of their daily dose of caffeine to wake them up or help them perform. I guess I wouldn’t really know since I don’t drink coffee. To those who consume it every single day, let me know what you think!

If caffeine is really an energy boost for athletes, then I wouldn’t be surprised if professional sports leagues placed “caffeine” on the banned substances list just like WADA did. I’m sure there will be a public outcry from all the athletes who “love” their coffee in the morning. Fortunately, there’s an athletic sports drink that provides a caffeine boost. Seems to be legal, but we’ll see how long that’ll last. 

Links: http://www.nutrition-communications.co.uk/

http://www.science20.com/sports_are_80_percent_mental/starbucks_secret_sports_supplement-31645

http://www.wada-ama.org/rtecontent/document/2008_List_En.pdf

http://www.wada-ama.org/rtecontent/document/Monitoring_Program_2008_En.pdf

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-3010.2007.00665.x/pdf

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Top-14-Coffee-Effects-on-Your-Health-70537.shtml

“Boxing is real easy. Life is much harder.” – Floyd Mayweather Jr.

I guess if you’re an amateur boxer, it may be wise to take on the mindset of one of professional boxing’s most decorated fighters of all-time, Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. In the words of ESPN analysis Stephen A. Smith, “Forty-five men have tried, and forty-five men have failed.” Given his magician-like skillset, speed, defensive ability, and sometimes misunderstood as cocky and arrogant personality, it’s easy to see why Mayweather has a 45-0 all-time fighting record, five-division world championships, eight world titles, and the lineal championship in four different weight classes to go along with a host of other achievements, awards, belts, and recognition through the sport of boxing. For the sake of this blog post, I won’t dive into the greatness of Mayweather’s boxing career. I’d rather talk about the science behind his most recent fight on September 14, 2013 against Sa�l “El Canelo” �lvarez, a fight in which Mayweather defeated Alvarez by majority twelve round decision. Let’s dive in.

As a part of ESPN’s Sports Science TV series, Mayweather’s fight over Canelo serves as a perfect example of how the science behind defense, reflexes & speed (Mayweather) vs. size, strength & accuracy (Canelo) in boxing can affect the outcome of a match. With the help of lead engineer, Cynthia Bir, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, ESPN was able to document a sports science analysis of the fight between Mayweather and Alvarez.

According to ESPN’s Sports Science, Canelo Alvarez had put on an average of over 13 extra pounds (13.1 exact) during his last seven fights leading up to the 24-hours between weigh-in and the Mayweather matchup. The fight between Mayweather and Alvarez had been contested at a catchweight of 152 lbs. But due his weight gain, Canelo (162 lbs.) entered the ring about 10 lbs. heavier than Mayweather (152 lbs.). Before the match took place, this was thought to be the toughest fight of Mayweather’s career. Some were skeptical if he could make it to 45-0 and here’s why. 

Alvarez possesses more mass than Mayweather, which means that he’s able to transport more energy in his punches through each level of his kinetic chain. In other words, his punches can deliver an estimated half-ton of punch force (1,000 lbf.) This is enough force to break through nearly two inches of solid concrete!!!

If Alvarez managed to hit Floyd with his signature “liver” punch, it could have been powerful enough to stimulate the vagus nerve. As a result, the heart could temporarily slow and cause blood pressure to diminish. “In finishing nearly 70% of his fights via knockout, Alvarez has proven that if his opponents hands drop to protect the liver, he can win it with a single punch,” according to ESPN’s Sports Science.

Alvarez may pack a forceful punch, but what good is all that power if you can’t even hit the guy? That happens to be the bug-a-boo of all of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s opponents. When I described Mayweather’s skillset as “magician-like” earlier, it was all predicated to his uncanny defensive abilities, which has frustrated plenty of his opponents in the ring. 

It takes a human being 20 seconds to react to visual stimuli according to ESPN’s Sports Science. But in the case of Mayweather, he’s able to predict sequences of pattern behavior from his opponents. This ability enables him react to an opponent’s strike in as little as nine-hundredths of a second (0.09 seconds). Of course, that’s more than twice as fast his average (average human being: 20 seconds, Mayweather: .09 seconds). Few have been able to rough up Mayweather in the ring, but even when an opponent is lucky enough to land a huge hit on him, Mayweather’s ability to “roll with the punches” lessens the acceleration to his head. This reduces impact forces by up to 50%!

There have been times when opponents try to land consistent punches on Mayweather, but he throws counter punches at speeds close to 30 mph. According to ESPN Sports Science, Mayweather lands “precise blows more than five times faster than a rattle snake strike (Rattle Snake: 6 mph, Mayweather: 30 mph).”

Although Floyd Mayweather Jr. leads all active boxers in defending power punches (allows just 21% power punches to connect), Canelo Alvarez figured to be his toughest opponent yet, due to his ability to land 52% of his power punches. It’s not a coincidence that Canelo is the most accurate power puncher in all of boxing.

Let’s face it. Society loves a little violence in its sports. That’s why football is so popular and boxing is a major draw (well depending on who’s fighting), even though research suggests that being on the losing end of a KO punch can be debilitating to a boxer’s short and long-term health. Chronic brain damage, personality changes, dementia, hemorrhage, uncontrollable brain swelling, and even death can result from repeated blows to the head.

With that said, there’s actually nothing more thrilling than witnessing a fighter stumble to the canvas after a hard hitting knockout to a diehard boxing fan. This is what makes Canelo Alvarez’s boxing style enticing to watch. If the power behind one of his punches can break through two inches of solid concrete, imagine the damage that’s being done to a human being unlucky enough to get caught in the middle of one of his devastating blows.

If there’s one type of fighter built to counter a power puncher like Alvarez, it’s of course Floyd Mayweather Jr. A mix of speed, mechanics, and defense like no other makes him one of the best boxers not only of this generation, but of all-time. Power punchers can’t show off their force if they can’t even hit the guy. Here’s Stephen A. Smith’s reminder to you all: “Forty-five men have tried and forty-five men have failed.” Now it’s on to the next one.

Links: http://espn.go.com/espn/sportscience/

http://www.eng.wayne.edu/page.php?id=5630

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT0f0zpQbAQ

http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/physics/boxing-knockout-sports-science

Science Behind the Knockout: http://www.cagepotato.com/science-behind-knockout/

While soccer isn’t as popular in North America as it is in Europe, people from all over the world still enjoy the game no matter where they are. Whether it’s actually playing the game or sitting in your friend’s apartment participating in FIFA 14 tournaments, soccer’s appeal continues to grow rapidly. I remember playing organized soccer as a kid, only to find out that I should stick to basketball. At the time, my foot work and mechanics weren’t up to par with the rest of the kids on the field. Looking back on my soccer playing days, I start to wonder what the formula is to kicking the perfect soccer ball in a game. Thanks to a few physics students at the University of Leicester, I may have found an answer.

In 2011, four master’s physics students at the University of Leicester’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, published a paper that explained the ideal way of kicking a soccer ball in order to make it bend into the goal. Those four students, Jasmine Sandhu, Amy Edgington, Matthew Grant and Naomi Rowe-Gurney believe they have discovered a formula that describes how a soccer ball curves when a player puts a spin on it. According to the group, there is a relationship between the “amount a football (soccer ball) bends in the air, the speed it is traveling and the angular velocity — or “spin” — applied to the ball.”

When a football spins in the air, it is subjected to a force called the Magnus force – which causes it to curl sideways from the direction is was originally kicked (Sandhu, Edgington, Grant, & Rowe-Gurney, 2012).

When a soccer ball is kicked, the distance that it bends is related to the ball’s radius, the density of air, the ball’s angular velocity, it’s velocity through the air, it’s mass, and the distance traveled by the ball in the direction it was kicked.

Here’s a picture of the equation:

�         D: Distance a ball bends

�         R: Ball’s radius

�         A: Density of air

�         E: Ball’s angular velocity

�         V: Velocity through the air

�         M: Ball’s mass

�         X: Distance travelled by ball in the direction it was kicked

Example scenario given by the group: If a soccer player standing 15 metres away from the byline kicked an average football so that it was traveling at a velocity of 35 metres per second and had an angular velocity of 10 revolutions per second, the ball would bend around 5 metres towards the goal.

As a kid, I was overly optimistic about my soccer abilities before I even got on the field to actually play. I thought that I was good in everything, but I was in for a rude awakening. I know that the physics of soccer doesn’t stop here. There are plenty more aspects. For an example, a new ball was designed to be used during the 2010 World Cup. The ball has three dimensional moulding of the panels that produce a more rounded ball. A more rounded ball affects the spin that can be imparted.

Soccer consists of an abundance of fast pace movements and acrobatic exercise. Motion, friction, momentum, and aerodynamics all relate to the formula used above. Of course, Newton’s Laws are involved in the physics of soccer. In order to find more information on the role of Newton’s Laws 1, 2, and 3, click here.

Soccer is one of the world’s most beloved sports overall. But don’t be a fool like me and go onto a soccer field with all the confidence in the world, to only fail horribly at it. While the game sounds simple and fun, there’s tons of physics involve. But if you’re able to master of all the physics of soccer, you’ll be able to Bend it Like Beckham.

Overall I think this was a very cool study. The four students put together solid reasoning for how to make a soccer ball bend towards the goal by using a specific formula. When looking at how the formula is calculated, it all makes sense, but the example that they provided put it into a better perspective.

Links:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120629120328.htm

https://physics.le.ac.uk/journals/index.php/pst/article/view/458/256

https://thescienceclassroom.wikispaces.com/Physics+of+Soccer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-ApvgabMRw

For sports fans, fall is the perfect time of year. The fall brings the start of the NFL, NBA, and NHL seasons, while the MLB playoffs get underway. Whether it’s actually attending the games in person, watching the games on your 52-inch flat screen, or streaming games online, it’s all part of the fun of being a fan and witnessing your favorite players and teams any chance you get. But there may come a point in time when a fan’s love for a sport or all sports in general, becomes addictive and obsessive and starts to interfere with relationships. What happens when someone’s love for the game replaces their love for those closest to them? Whether you know it or not, seasonal love affairs with sports can threaten relationships and quality of life. What was once fan support and harmless participation, can grow into an obsession that can become dangerous.

According to Josh Klapow, a University of Alabama at Birmingham clinical psychologist in the School of Public Health, there is a sizeable difference between being labeled a dedicated fan and a sports addict.

Take football for example, which is considered by many to be America’s most popular sport. Some people who watch football become obsessed with it, which can lead to behaviors that can be detrimental to their lives. An overwhelming importance placed on sports by obsessive fans can cause serious problems, especially in relationships. 

“It’s not how much time you spend watching football that matters, it’s whether or not that is causing negative behaviors in your life. Whether it’s 10 hours per week or 40, the issue is its effect on your real-life obligations,” said Klapow.

Is your love for football and sports just a fun pastime? Or is it an unhealthy obsession? Here are some erratic behaviors that a person demonstrates when they have an unhealthy obsession with sports, according to Klapow:

�         A person becomes irritated when a game is interrupted.

�         They think about football or other sports, while doing other things that are more important.

�         Missing time with family or bypassing important events to watch a game.

�         Becoming depressed, angry or violent when a certain team loses.

�         Obsessive sports betting leading to serious financial difficulties.

�         Poor work performance.

Klapow came to a conclusion that a person demonstrating these behaviors may very well suffer from a sports addiction, and should seek help before it damages relationships with the people they care about. People who observe these behaviors shouldn’t be afraid to speak up about them. If it comes to the point where a person needs help trying to manage their obsession, they should follow these steps:

�         Keep a weekly log of time spent watching or listening to sports or playing them online.

�         Limit exposure to sporting events to one per week for two hours or less.

�         Ask family and friends to weigh in on decisions about whether or not to skip sporting events that conflict with important occasions, such as birthdays, anniversaries and other gatherings.

�         Do something else. Rather than watch or listen to sports, exercise or socialize with family or friends.

�         Seek help from a mental health professional to help manage an obsession with sports.

In most cases, sports obsession can begin in a person’s life when they are young. But the obsession of sports is generally not theirs, it’s their parents. When a child starts playing sports at a young age, their parents may develop the strong urge to help them succeed, possibly trying to make them reach levels athletically that they were never able to reach themselves when they were younger. In other words, parents want to see their sports dream fulfilled through their children. Parent sports obsession can get so out of hand that they want their child to succeed under any and all circumstances, which causes them to push the child too hard.  

According to Sandra Sims, Ph.D., associate professor of human studies in the UAB School of Education, “Young athletes have two needs that should be fulfilled, and those are to feel worthy and have fun. When a sport is no longer fun – if the child feels the sport is more like a job – they will quit,” she said. “It’s sad to see them walk away.”

Sims further notes that while some parents may not even mean to purposely take the joy out of their child’s games, ‘being overzealous about their abilities, effort or participation can do just that.’ Attacking umpires, referees, or other parents, scolding athletes, and causing a variety of disturbances during a game are just a few signs of a parent with a sports obsession.

When analyzing the issue of whether sports obsession can damage relationships, I think that a very legit argument can be made that it does. Sports obsessions can come stem from three different aspects: fans, parents, and athletes at all levels. While it may not garner the attention of other well-known or common obsessions, sports addiction is becoming more common in its own right throughout our society. The reason being is that sports and athletics play such a prominent role in our lives. From childhood all the way up to adulthood, it can affect us all just like any other obsession. In the case of the obsessed fan, it’s essential that those around them help them realize that their obsession is doing more harm than good in their lives. Relationships are being destroyed because sports are being put before some of the most important people and things in their life. They have to remember that they have a life outside of cheering for their favorite players and teams.

Sports obsessive parents never seem to understand how much their obsession is taking a toll on their child, until the child wants to quit the sport or starts to pull away from the parent. Living vicariously through another person, especially in this situation, can end up straining relationships and causing dysfunction between the two parties.  

From an athlete’s point of view, things may be slightly different, especially for professional athletes because they play sports for a living. Therefore they dedicate a lot of their time to whatever sport they play. Still, there’s always time that needs to be made to spend with the people you love. Sports may be one of the top priorities in your life, but family and friends are just as vital to your success as you are. Don’t let that slip your mind.

Links:

Obsession Serious Issue in Sports: http://sports.factexpert.com/657-sports-obsession.php

Sports Addictions Can Ruin Relationships:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130903193707.htm

Are Sports Addictions Damaging Your Relationships?: http://www.everythingaddiction.com/addiction-society/the-family/sports-addictions-damage-relationships/

Are sports obsessions damaging your relationships?: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/wellness/story/2011-09-19/Are-sports-obsessions-damaging-your-relationships/50463854/1

What’s up fellow classmates? I’m back with the second of my six-part sports science blog post series. My first sports science blog post talked about the science behind shooting the perfect jump shot in basketball.

In this blog post, I’ll explain to you the anatomy of a hit in football by giving you an in depth look at the physics behind a tackle made by former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Marcus Trufant. The tackle was made on former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Greg Lewis in a nationally televised Monday Night Football Game on December 2, 2005 (Seahawks blew out the Eagles 42-0 in Philadelphia). As a diehard Eagles fan, it’s like I’m reliving this loss all over again as I write this post. Have some sympathy for me.

Researchers have been studying the science behind one of football’s most basic fundamentals: the tackle. The tackle made by Marcus Trufant caused Greg Lewis to drop the football, resulting in an incomplete pass. Unfortunately for players, incomplete passes aren’t the only consequences from hard hits such as Trufant’s tackle. There are also fumbles, and a widespread of injuries from a torn ACL to the growing concern of head injuries and concussions. But given the speed and size of today’s NFL athletes, players around the league are required to wear high-tech football equipment to protect themselves from the physics of the sport’s gruesome collisions.

According to Timothy Gay, a physics professor at the University of Nebraska and author of The Physics of Football, “A defensive back’s mass combined with his speed on average, 4.56 seconds for the 40-yard dash, can produce up to 1600 pounds of tackling force.” Marcus Trufant is average-size for a NFL defensive back, 5 ft. 11 in. and 199 lbs., to be exact. There are close to 500-plus NFL players who weigh somewhere between 200 to 300-plus pounds. But Trufant still has the ability to make a forceful impact when he tackles players who are much bigger than him in height and weight.

A tackle isn’t complete unless the tackler is able to fully bring the ball carrier to the ground. Therefore, the field (turf or grass) plays a part in tackling. Researchers use a metric called G-Max, to rate a field’s shock absorbency. The field’s shock absorbency is measured by dropping an object that ‘approximates a human head and neck (about 20sq. in. and 20 pounds) from a height of 2 ft. Low G-Max concludes that the field can absorb more energy than the player. On the specific play that we’re analyzing, Trufant and Lewis both end up landing on grass, which covers Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Eagles Stadium). The grass has a G-Max of over 60, while synthetic surfaces have a 120 G-Max rating.

Many people often associate G-force (measurement of acceleration felt as weight; force per unit mass and can measured by accelerometer), with people who are astronauts or fighter pilots. What those people may not know, is that there are some ‘earthbound’ events that can boost G-force. There aren’t a ton of things that can match the G-force of a hard-nosed football tackle, which can reach 150 on the G-force scale.

So far I’ve discussed Trufant’s tackling side of the play, but let’s not forget about Greg Lewis. According to John Melvin, an injury biomechanics researcher for General Motors and NASCAR, the human body can handle a tackle with a half a ton of force, and then some, as long as the impact is well-distributed. In fact, the body can handle twice that amount. Being able to well-distribute the forceful impact of a tackle is handled by the equipment a football player wears. The equipment spreads out the incoming energy, which lessens the severity of the tackle. Good thing for Greg Lewis, who is a pretty skinny guy.

Speaking of equipment, the design of today’s shoulder pads aid players who are dishing out, and taking viscous hits. According to Tony Egues, head equipment manager for the Miami Dolphins, “Shoulder-pad plastic hasn’t changed much in 25 years, but it is now molded into designs with more right angles to deflect impacts.” Also, football helmet’s solid shell and face mask helps redistribute the energy of a full force tackle.

The foam padding underneath the plastic components of equipment absorbs and compresses energy, while reducing the speed of impact. Visco elastic foam retains its shape better than conventional foam, that’s why it’s used in the NFL. The shape of the foam returns to form rapidly after a hit. It was invented by NASA in order to protect astronauts from G-forces during liftoff.

The tackle made by Marcus Trufant caused Lewis’ head to accelerate in his helmet at 30 to 60 g’s, according to a study done by Virginia Tech. Researchers at VT collect data with the Head Impact Telemetry System, which plants sensors and wireless transmitters in helmets. Stefan Duma, director of the university’s Center for Injury Biomechanics, states, “We see 100-g impacts all the time, and several over 150 g’s.”

Greg Lewis is a wide receivers coach at San Jose State University and Trufant is currently a NFL free agent. While both of them sustained careers that were relatively healthy, they have been subjected to serious knee injuries playing football. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, more than 1200 knee injuries were reported by the league between 2000 and 2003, accounting for one out of every six injuries — by far the highest percentage in the NFL. The knee’s anterior crucial ligament can stand close to 500 pounds of pressure, but it can easily tear because of hits from the side and evasive maneuvers.

Whew. That was a lot to cover wasn’t it? But then again, I bet that you probably learned a few new things about how science relates to football that you hadn’t known before. Football is a great sport, no doubt about that. It’s probably America’s favorite sport at that. But after writing this blog post, I have a better understanding of the physics behind those viscous tackles that we love to witness every Sunday. For an example, speed and force go hand in hand. A guy who runs 4.5 second 40-yard dash can hit with the force a 1600 pounds. That’s insane! Who knew that a knee could handle withstand 500 pounds of pressure, but remain highly vulnerable to tear if hit in a specific way? I learned a lot writing this blog post, and I hope that you guys did too.

Oh yeah. Somebody say a prayer for the Eagles to go undefeated the rest of the season and win the Super Bowl. It’s a pipe dream, yeah I know. 

Popular Mechanics Link: http://www.popularmechanics.com/outdoors/sports/physics/4212171

Head Injuries Link: http://www.faqs.org/sports-science/Ha-Ja/Head-Injuries.html

G-force Link: http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=g-force

Throughout the second blog period, I will be doing a series of sports science blog posts. Since I love sports, I thought it would be a great idea to educate myself, and you all, on the science behind some of the sports we all play and love. For my first sports science blog post, I’ll talk about the science behind shooting the perfect jump shot in basketball. So if you want to have a jump shot as good as some of the best three-point shooters in the history of the NBA such as Larry Bird, Ray Allen, and Reggie Miller, then pay close attention! Maybe that was stretching it a bit, but regardless, here are some explanations behind the perfect basketball shooting form/jump shot, by a hall of fame basketball coach, a physicist, and a mechanical engineer.

“Shooting is the most important fundamental offensive skill in basketball. A team that shoots well will always be in ball games,” (Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Jerry Tarkanian, 2002).

Whether you take the game of basketball seriously, or just play it for recreation, shooting a basketball is not just an art, it’s also a science. How is shooting a basketball a science?

According to Coach Jerry Tarkanian, shooting a basketball involves the mechanical processes of “depth perception, velocity, angle of release, and trajectory of the ball in flight.”

All of you basketball players need more than skill and endurance to excel at the sport. You have a good dribble and fancy footwork? That’s great and all, but the main goal of the game of basketball is to get the ball in the hoop. Shooting is an integral part of basketball because it’s one of the main ways that players achieve that goal of getting the ball in the hoop. But shooting isn’t as easy as it looks. Most players miss jump shots for reasons such as releasing the ball too early, too soon, or not putting enough air under the ball. In order to increase your chances of making a high percentage of your jump shots, coach Tarkanian put together a list of 10 basic scientific principles of shooting a basketball.

“A little bit of knowledge of physics helps you play the game better” (Physicist John Fontanella, 2007).

Fontanella goes on to discuss the physics behind shooting the perfect shot. Basketball players enhance their skills by repetition (hard-wiring the brain with the correct muscle movements for optimal play). This is known as kinesthetic memory. Putting a spin on the ball proves to be a vital factor to improving a jump shot. According to Fontanella, “Once the basketball leaves the shooter’s hand, it travels in an unchanging parabolic path that can be calculated using Newton’s laws of motion.” Putting backspin on the ball helps a player make more free throws. Spinning balls bounce back in the direction of the spin. When the ball hits the rim or backboard, it’ll direct itself into the basket. When the ball hits the rim or backboard ‘the backspin causes a change in velocity opposite to the spin direction, making it more likely that the ball will drop into the net softly.’ For  more on Fontanella’s insight on how the physics of hang time effects a player’s jump shot, click on the “physics” link above.

“Players can’t do all of this mental imagery in the frenzy of a game, of course, but by doing it in practice they can get an intuitive feel for where to aim from different points on the court. “It’s a training tool,” (Mechanical Engineer at North Carolina State University Larry Silverberg, 2012).

In a study done by Larry Silverberg, he analyzed millions of trajectories on shots by some really good free-throw shooters. According to Silverberg, the magic formula behind the perfect basketball shot is a launch angle of 52 degrees, three revolutions per second of backspin, and aiming for a spot 7 centimeters (2.8 inches) back from the center of the basket, toward the back of the rim. That’s a lot to take in at one time isn’t it? Well to get a further explanation of Silverberg’s study, click here.

As an avid basketball player and observer, I find all three of these sources very informal in regards to helping basketball players develop a more consistent jump shot. Each source took a different angle when discussing the science behind the perfect jump shot, which I think can serve player’s looking to improve their shot, well. Coach Tarkanian focused on 10 scientific principles. I didn’t list any of them, but some of those scientific principles include the science behind a shooter’s arc, technique, accuracy, and mechanics. Tarkanian not only emphasized that shooting a basketball involves science, but it’s an art. “There isn’t one correct way to shoot a basketball, but there are certain elements of a basketball shooting form common to all good basketball shooters that may be identified,” (Tarkanian, 2012).

Fontanella talked about how the physics of kinesthetic memory, putting a spin on the ball, and hang time all contribute to a perfect jump shot. I like how he explained the way Michael Jordan made his hang time seem longer than others. In order to leap four feet in the air, a person’s hang time would have to be ‘1.0 seconds’. Jordan made his hang time seem longer than others by placing the ball in the basket on his way down, after he jumped in the air to dunk the ball. Jordan also pulled his legs up in the air as his jump progressed to make it look like he was jumping higher. I know that MJ is super competitive, so I hope he doesn’t read this post and think I’m chiding him. I MEAN NO HARM YOUR “AIRNESS!”

Last but not least, Larry Silverberg studied the shot trajectories of some pretty good free-throw shooters. Whether or not those shooters are players in the NBA remains unknown. Silverberg had the most specific data out of the three. If you disagree, just scroll up and read his “magic formula” for shooting the perfect basketball shot again. It’ll probably make you want to go to the gym and practice shooting the ball at a 52 degree angle RIGHT NOW!!

Good luck with measuring that by the way.

Coach Tarkanian Link: http://www.coachlikeapro.com/basketball-shooting.html

John Fontanella Link: http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/1111-slam_dunk_science.htm

Larry Silverberg Link: http://gizmodo.com/5928074/science-has-calculated-the-perfect-basketball-shot

Other Related Links:

http://www.coachlikeapro.com/jump-shot.html

http://www.coachlikeapro.com/basketball-drills.html

Here’s a message to all of you female athletes out there: if you play a sport that involves a lot of jump stops and cuts, such as basketball, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, and softball, then you are at a high risk of suffering an ACL injury. You may be reading this while thinking to yourself, “Well duh.” But the point of this blog post is to inform you that there has been a recent study that shows ACL injuries can be prevented by different landing strategies.

Despite men and women partaking in the same types of sports, women are at a higher risk of suffering a debilitating tear of the anterior crucial ligament than men. In fact, they are two to eight times more likely to do so. There are two things to blame for this misfortune: the difference in a woman’s body type and landing techniques.

Marc Norcross, an assistant professor of exercise and sport science in Oregon State University’s College of Public Health, was the lead author of two recently published online studies this week in the Journal of Athletic Training. Both studies required men and women to undergo numerous jumping exercises. Norcross and several of his colleagues observed that the women landed more often than men ‘in a way associated with elevated risk of ACL injuries.’

Here’s a better explanation. The men and women in the study often landed stiffly. Stiff landings lead to ACL injuries. However, the women were 3.6 times more likely to land in a position called “knock-kneed.” Researchers say that this is a vital factor that leads to the gender disparity in ACL tears.

“Using motion analysis, we were able to pinpoint that this inability to control the frontal-plane knee loading – basically stress on the knee from landing in a knock-kneed position – as a factor more common in women. Future research may isolate why women tend to land this way,” he added, “but it could in part be because of basic biology. Women have wider hips, making it more likely that their knees come together after jumping” (Norcross, 2013).

In addition, women are built anatomically different than men, which is a reason as to why they are more prone to the ACL injuries.

“Women have less developed thigh muscles, which make the knee more reliant on the ligaments for stability. And so, the ACL must be the central stabilizer of the knee. During high-intensity sports, the small ACL is not able to handle the added pressure it receives, causing it to tear” (Hughston Clinic, 2013)

Ultimately, the two studies call for athletic trainers to come up with different landing techniques. The goal is to incorporate them into team warm-up activities for injury prevention.

All athletes should pay attention to this study as it develops and moves forward. According to the University of Minnesota, “In the United States, 250,000 ACL injuries occur every year, with estimated costs for 15- to 24-year-old male and females athletes at $1 billion annually in the nation (not including diagnosis and rehabilitation).” Plus there is high risk of re-injuring an ACL injury after you’ve been rehabbing from the first injury for about six to 12 months. That would suck wouldn’t it? So note to all of you female athletes out there, make sure your guys are implementing proper landing techniques to you games. I know it may be hard sometimes given the speed of the game and how things happen, but you guys have athletic abilities for a reason. Take care of yourselves! Especially you PSU athletes!!

To learn more, click these links:

http://oregonstate.edu/ua/ncs/archives/2013/sep/acl-injuries-may-be-prevented-different-landing-strategy

http://www.medicaldaily.com/women-may-prevent-acl-injuries-different-landing-technique-why-are-women-more-risk-men-255356

http://www.hughston.com/hha/a.acl.htm

http://natajournals.org/doi/abs/10.4085/1062-6050-48.4.09

http://www.healio.com/orthopedics/sports-medicine/news/online/%7B6bb18f3e-052d-4588-8a55-93d92ca03fe7%7D/studies-find-women-could-prevent-acl-injury-through-changing-landing-strategy

Remember when you were a kid and your parents would always say that fruits were good for you? By now, I’m sure you know they weren’t just telling you that for their health. In regards to fruits being good for you, there has been a new discovery that suggests that the compounds in red grapes and blueberries can enhance human immune function (Click link to watch video on the immune system). In case you are one of those people who believe that fruits do nothing for you, maybe this blog post will change your mind and you’ll start taking your consumption of fruits more seriously.

Researchers in the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University did an analysis of 446 compounds. The researchers tested their ability to enhance the human immune system. Of all the compounds tested, only two of them proved to fit the bill. The first is resveratrol, which is found in red grapes. The second is a compound called pterostilbene. Pterostilbene is found in blueberries.

“Both of these compounds, which are called stilbenoids, worked in synergy with vitamin D and had a significant impact in raising the expression of the human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide, or CAMP gene, that is involved in immune function” (Linus Pauling Institue at Oregon State University, 2013).

According to the researchers at OSU, ‘stilbenoids are compounds produced by plants to fight infections, and in human biology appear to affect some of the signaling pathways that allow vitamin D to do its job.”

Researchers have also stated that the CAMP gene has been shown to play a vital role in the ‘”innate” immune system, or the body’s first line of defense and ability to combat bacterial infection.’

It’s safe to say that combining stilbenoids and the CAMP gene with vitamin D has a better chance at a biological impact than they would by themselves.

I think that this study is pretty fascinating. However, I should warn you readers that the findings were made ‘in laboratory cell cultures and do not prove that similar results would occur as a result of dietary intake.’ So don’t go all crazy and use the rest of your semester meal points on red grapes and blueberries. Although, it wouldn’t hurt to increase your intake of not only these two fruits, but all fruits in general. I’m saying this for good reason. In fact, the resveratrol found in red grapes has been studied on numerous different occasions for possible benefits to human health. Those benefits include cardiovascular health, fighting cancer, and reducing inflammation among others. As you can see, if you intake a good amount of resveratrol throughout your life, it can pay major dividends down the road. 

Although there is more research to be done, I believe that this finding leads scientists and researchers to discover other different types of compounds that play a role in enhancing the immune system. It adds to the intriguing idea of what other foods can do to improve immune response. This comes just in time after news broke yesterday that anitbiotics are losing their effectiveness. We need to find ways to make our immune systems stronger than before. Then again, maybe there isn’t that many compounds that’ll work if just 2 out of 446 were found to be effective the first time around. With that being said, there’s room for optimism moving forward. What are your thoughts?

To learn more about this study, click on these links: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130917125022.htm

http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/red-grapes-blueberries-boost-immune-2280755

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20130917/blueberries-red-grapes-may-boost-bodys-immune-function

There’s a serious and growing public health threat in this country. Chances are you didn’t even know it. Well, at least not until today.

Federal health officials from The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a milestone report that gives the public a first-hand look at the rising threat of antibiotic resistance. The report is titled, Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States, 2013.

“Each year in the United States, at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these infections. Many more people die from other conditions that were complicated by an antibiotic-resistant infection. Antibiotic-resistant infections can happen anywhere. Data show that most happen in the general community; however, most deaths related to antibiotic resistance happen in healthcare settings such as hospitals and nursing homes” (CDC, 2013).

“Drug-resistant infections could create $20 billion in excess direct costs, and $35 billion in lost productivity, every year” (Tufts University, 2013).

This was the first time that federal authorities spoke out about the effects of organisms that antibiotics are powerless to fight. The report goes on to give an in depth analysis of threats posed by antibiotic resistant germs, and what needs to be done in order to prevent its potential consequences that are considered both lethal and fatal to human health. It also discusses the role of how antibiotics are used in livestock.

According to staff attorney Mae Wu, of the Natural Resources Defense Council, “80% of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used in animals.”

The threats of antibiotic resistant germs are ranked into three categories: urgent, serious, and concerning.

Here is an overview of the three ranked categories given by Laura C. Pullen (Ph.D.) of Medscape.com:

Urgent Threats – Includes carabapenen-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), drug-resistant gonorrhea, and Clostridium difficile (C difficile), which is a diarrheal infection that is associated with antibiotic use. CDC reports that C difficile causes 250,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths each year in the U.S.

Serious Threats – Includes methicillin Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and nontyphoidal Salmonella infections. There are 80,000 serious MRSA infections each year in the U.S.

Concerning – Includes group A Streptococcus, referred to as “flesh-eating bacteria.”

Antibiotic threats were assessed according to seven factors that are in association with resistant infections: clinical impact, economic, incidence, 10-year projection of incidence, transmissibility, availability of effective antibiotics, and barriers to prevention.

According to CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, “We believe that we have a four-part solution that will make a really big difference…It is not too late.”

List of the four-part solution: Click the link to learn more about these solutions.

�         Preventing infections – Avoiding infections decreases the amount of antibiotics that need to be used. It reduces the chances that resistance will develop.

�       Tracking resistance patterns – The CDC gets data on the antibiotic-resistant infections, it’s causes, and if there are risk factors that cause people to get a resistant infection. CDC develops ways to prevent infection and resistant bacteria from spreading based on data.

�         Practicing antibiotic stewardship – Alter the way antibiotics are used.

�         Developing new antibiotic and diagnostic test – Create new test to track the development of resistance.

Personally, I believe that the CDC did an awesome job of publishing the report. However, I find it hard to believe that this story failed to be featured on the front pages of some of the country’s most popular news media outlets. I wonder why that is. There’s not much being said about this in the news unless you do some research on it yourself. This is major news and people should notified about the costly effects of antibiotics because it’s something that it used on a daily basis by many.

To get a full in depth analysis of the CDC’s report, click these links: http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/threat-report-2013/

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/811045

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/17/health/cdc-report-finds-23000-deaths-a-year-from-antibiotic-resistant-infections.html?_r=0

http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2013/p0916-untreatable.html

http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/mwu/its_official_-_again_cdc_repor.html

Earlier today, J. Cole’s song “Cole Summer,” had been playing over and over again in my head. In fact, I keep replaying it on Youtube as I write this post. Do I love this song? Yeah I do. Still, I need to know the answer to the question that has plagued me, and I’m sure you, since our younger days. Why is this song stuck in my head?

 

I’m one of those unlucky people without an iPod and my phone isn’t really the most up to date cellular device. I mention that because throughout the day, I desperately wanted to listen to J. Cole’s song, but I couldn’t. That is, until now of course. Now that I’m listening to it, I’m satisfied. However, I still need an answer. With the help of Google, I think that I may have found my answer. The reason why songs, commercial jingles, and TV theme songs get stuck in our heads is because of earworms, from the German Ohrwurm.

 

According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, an earworm is a song or melody that keeps repeating in one’s mind.  

 

Psychologist James Kellaris, is the most prominent researcher of earworms. He describes an earworm as a “cognitive itch, created by a catchy tune, and the only way to scratch it is to repeat it over and over in our minds.”

 

You may be thinking why and how do earworms occur. But truth is that there may not be a clear explanation.

 

“People seem more likely to get stuck on songs that have either a repetitive pattern or an unusual time signature -qualities that make them intriguing or easily reproduced. Some psychologists theorize that earworms are the brain’s way of trying to close a gap in rhythm, scale, or lyrics.” (Exploratorium, 2013)

 

Today, there isn’t anything that researchers can point to as a specific cause for earworms. Eventually, the songs that we constantly sing in our heads become annoying because we’ve been “overexposed” to them.

 

Here are some suggestions given by Exploratorium to help get rid of your current and futures cases of the earworm:

 

�         Turn on the radio (Although, this may replace your current earworm with a new one).

�         Play a different melody or song on an instrument that you have access to.

�         When you get the chance, listen to the song repeatedly, especially since you’ve memorized the lyrics.

�         Pass the song along to your friends by humming or singing it aloud (This always works!).

�         Lastly, you can follow one of Kellaris’s subjects’ strange approaches by chewing on a cinnamon stick. Apparently, that person swore it worked.

It’s about time that I received an explanation to the question that has been bugging me since FOREVER. It’s ironic that in order to scratch the cognitive itch, we have to repeat the song over and over in our heads. Repeating the songs over and over is what annoys us the most! I guess I’ll continue to use my method of singing any song that’s stuck in my head aloud while I’m around my friends so that they get the earworm. It works best for me.

 

To learn more, click these links: 

http://www.exploratorium.edu/music/questions/earworm.html

 

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/earworm

http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/songs-stuck-in-head.htm

http://www.abc15.com/dpp/news/local_news/water_cooler/why-is-that-song-stuck-in-my-head-burrowing-into-earworm-research