Sports Medicine Essay Research Paper Participation in

Sports Medicine Essay, Research Paper

Participation in athletics is both an enjoyable pastime and a part of keeping physically

and mentally fit. Some individuals may only be interested in general conditioning and

weight loss, while others may want specific exercises for certain events. Regardless of

the activity, risks are always involved, and today.s physician must be able to not only

treat the various injuries that arise , but also offer counsel on a wide range of other

interrelated subjects.(Berger 294) Sports medicine is the prevention and treatment of

injuries suffered by athletes in sporting activities. An athlete is anyone who engages in

any kind of sport, from those who walk for exercise to those who play competitive

sports.(Darden XI) Athletes not only need treatment for sports injuries but as well help or

advice related to sports activities. In the past such people would go to their doctor or

coach and get standard medical or athletic attention. Now, more and more athletes are

turning to experts in the field of sports medicine.(Berger 2) Sports medicine

encompasses a wide variety of specialties. In the following report, adherence to a

balanced diet, prevention of injuries and first aid, will be looked at. As well, the history

and importance of sports medicine and why there is a need for this field of medicine.

HISTORY

Sports Medicine has long been available to the injured athlete. An Egyptian

surgical manual written during the era of the Old Kingdom – more than 4000 years ago -

explained treatments for sprains and dislocations. Hippocrates(460-377 BC), the

ancient Greek honored as the father of medicine, described surgery to repair a dislocated

shoulder noting that, . Many persons owing to this accident have been obliged to

abandon gymnastic exercises.. (Edelson 18) The idea that athletes need special care goes

all the way back to ancient Greece. In those days the sports medicine doctors were

called gymnasts, a Greek word that originally referred to those who trained and treated

athletes.(Berger 9)

Over the following centuries sports medicine dropped in importance. Populations

were diminishing due to disease, plagues and starvation. Doctors were extremely limited

by the drugs and treatments that were available. They were mostly concerned with the

patients survival. Since sports was such a small part of daily life, they saw little need to

develop this branch of medicine.(Berger 9-10) These unfortunate circumstances remained

the same until the end of the 1800.s, around the time of re-interest in sports, particularly

in the Olympics. The first book in English on sports medicine was published in

1898.(Edelson 19)

Three pioneer sports scientists, Robert Osgood, P.D. Wilson, and Gus Thorndike,

established the first fitness laboratory at Harvard University in 1919.(Berger 10) The

International Congress of Sports Medicine was founded in 1928, and the American

College of Sports Medicine followed, in 1954. These organizations began the growth of

a branch of medicine whose practicing professionals treat millions of patients yearly, in

North America and abroad.( Edelson 19)

Nutrition

Nutrition is very important in sports medicine. For an athlete to stay in top shape,

the body must get a wide range of nutrients to assist its physiological development. The

right diet is the first step. Estimates of what constitutes a prudent diet vary somewhat,

but most experts agree on the basics. The only difference between what an athlete and a

nonathlete should eat is a slightly higher intake from the breads and cereal group for

those who do a lot of endurance training.

FOOD GROUP *SERVINGS PRINCIPAL FOODS

Milk 3-4 Cheese, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese

Meat 2 Meat, poultry, fish, eggs (also beans)

Vegetables and Fruit 1 Vitamin C: citrus fruits and juices

1 Vitamin A: carrots, broccoli, greens

2 White potatoes, other vegetables

Breads and Cereals 4 Whole-grain and enriched breads

cereals; rice; pasta; noodles

Extras 2-4 Butter, vegetable oils, honey, candies

desserts, carbonated beverages

( * minimum number of daily servings for young adults)

(Edelson 45)

Eating for Maximum Performance

The following important points for maximizing athletic performance and level of

health were born from the large body of research that has been done on proper diet and

good nutrition.

– Most athletes need a higher than average energy, or calorie, intake. The best

sources for those calories are the grains, dried fruit, breads, and pastas.

- Complex carbohydrates are vital because they contain minerals and vitamins, as

well as the elements for the basic blood sugar, glucose. Simple carbohydrates, in the

form of fruit, juices, and honey, are also valuable, although the simple ones in candy bars

and other sweets are .empty calories,. without other nutrients. Candy bars

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