If you have any questions, please contact us.
Question:
I have heard a lot about female athletes injuring their "ACL" playing sports. What is an ACL and how do I prevent an injury?
Answer:
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one ligament inside the knee joint providing structural support. Injuries to the ACL occur from either traumatic or non-traumatic events. Traumatic events include a direct hit to the front and/or the outside aspect of the knee. Specific movements that may cause a non-traumatic injury to the ACL include: running and cutting, decelerating and cutting, twisting, and jumping and landing. Sports medicine specialists have identified non-contact ACL injuries to be more prominent in female athletes during play than traumatic ACL injuries. The recent increase in female ACL injuries are due to more adolescent female athletes participating in sports. Studies suggest, females are predisposed to non-traumatic ACL injuries due to poor muscle control, poor hamstring to quadriceps strength, hormonal factors, wider hip to knee width ratio, poor flexibility, and smaller ACL girth than males. So what do you do to prevent an ACL injury?
Prevention:
What is the best way for my son or daughter to avoid heat cramps while exercising or playing sports?
It is important for active kids and their parents to replace lost fluids during any prolonged activity. This is critical during the summer and early autumn months when our bodies respond to exercise and activity in a hot and humid environment.
The human body is made up of approximately 70% water. Water assists the body in regulating its core temperature during activities, as well as allowing us to maintain peak performance for extended periods of exercise.
In order to maintain a consistent energy level, maintaining hydration by drinking fluids is very important.
Staying hydrated does not mean only replacing fluids during activities, but includes prior to and following sports and exercises.
In other words, in order to stay cool, we must refuel.
If fluids are not replaced in sufficient amounts during sports and exercises, dehydration sets in.
Some of the warning signs of dehydration are:
Thirst is a warning sign that means dehydration has already occurred. As a rule, we encourage our athletes to replace fluids BEFORE they are thirsty.
In order to keep you and your children healthy and functioning at an optimal level of performance, fluid replacement needs to be habit developed using a systematic approach. The following recommendations have been developed by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute and the National Sports and Conditioning Association.
Pre-activity
The NSCA suggests that all athletes drink 16 oz of fluid prior to activity. Children 12 years of age and under should consume 4-8 oz of fluid prior to sports, dance, hiking, bicycling, or other activities.
During activity
The NSCA suggests consuming 6-8 oz of fluid every 15 minutes. Gatorade Institute suggests consuming at least 4 oz every 15-20 minutes. Interestingly, parents are encouraged to have their children "gulp", not sip, while drinking because the fluid is more readily absorbed. One gulp equals ½ oz according to Gatorade Sports Science Institute.
Post-activity
Following completion of activity, the NSCA suggests for every 1 lb of fluid lost that 1 pint of fluid should be consumed. The Gatorade Sports Institute suggests slowly drinking at least 16 oz of fluid following completion of a sporting activity.
There has been a considerable amount of controversy regarding what types of fluids are the best replacements to prevent dehydration. According to the research performed by the Gatorade Company, a formulated sports drink is a better choice for various reasons. Gatorade supplies carbohydrates for energy and electrolytes such as sodium and potassium which are lost through sweat. Gatorade is also lower in sugar than fruit juices and soft drinks allowing the body to absorb the water and carbohydrates at a quicker rate. They feel that they provide a superior product to prevent problems that could occur from dehydration. However, water remains a good fluid replacement, especially if nothing else is available. In addition, some athletes prefer water or a watered down sports drink because the normal concentration of sports drinks may not be palatable for some athletes. In our interaction with athletes and children, we find this to be a matter of personal preference.
It is also worthwhile to note that electrolytes and carbohydrates that are lost during an activity which lasts up to 1 hour per day will be easily replaced during the next healthy meal. However, if the activity lasts more than 1 hour per day, it is probably more prudent to consume a sports drink, in addition to water, to replace the carbohydrates and electrolytes lost due to sweating.
Overall, the most important point to remember is to use a systematic approach to maintain hydration: drinking prior to, during, and after the activity.
We advocate consuming a sports drink or water according to taste preference, availability, and cost that the athlete wishes to incur.
If you have any further questions, please contact us by phone at 717-569-4184.