Author Archive | Brett Holland, PT, DPT, CSCS

Vitamin D: restores peak isometric force after intense exercise

Barker, T., Schneider, E. D., Dixon, B. M., Henriksen, V. T., & Weaver, L. K. (2013). Supplemental vitamin D enhances the recovery in peak isometric force shortly after intense exercise. Nutrition & Metabolism, 10(1), 69. doi:10.1186/1743-7075-10-69 Introduction: Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin which has been examined in a number of clinical fields.  Early research identified vitamin D’s role in bone health.  Since this discovery, the […]

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Magnesium Deficiency: Impact on Performance

Reference Santos, D., Monteiro, C., Matias, C., Silva, A. (2011). Magnesium intake is associated with strength performance in elite basketball, handball and volleyball players. Magnes Res. doi: 10.1684/mrh.2011.0290 Introduction:  Magnesium is considered a trace mineral required in small to moderate doses to optimize health and athletic performance.  Increasing amounts of data support magnesium’s role in […]

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Is binge eating for a day harmful?

Introduction:  Binge eating is a behavior described as excessive eating which is not driven by hunger or metabolic need.  This excessive eating pattern is associated with weight gain and obesity.  Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.  Individuals whom binge eat tend to eat until they are uncomfortably […]

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Relative Intensity: A better way to regulate training intensity. Here’s how to calculate it

Intensity in weight training is usually defined as the percentage of weight compared to your repetition maximum (RM).  The equation for it looks like this (amount of weight being used/1 repetition maximum).  If you are performing the bench press with 80 pounds and your maximum bench press is 100 pounds, the training intensity would be […]

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Low GI Carb Palatinose Improves Performance

König, D., Zdzieblik, D., Holz, A., Theis, S., & Gollhofer, A. (2016). Substrate Utilization and Cycling Performance Following Palatinose™ Ingestion: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial. Nutrients, 8(7), 390. doi:10.3390/nu8070390 Introduction:  Carbohydrate and fats are the primary energy source during exercise.  High carbohydrate (CHO) diets and ingestion during prolonged endurance exercise significantly improve performance.  There are certain situations in which endurance athletes may […]

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Dieting? High Protein Diet Augments Gains in Lean Body Mass

Introduction:  Calorie restricted weight loss results in approximately 20-30% of mass lost as lean body mass (LBM).  The ability of an athlete to retain LBM is important for the athlete to maintain their physical performance.  Diets which allow athletes to lose weight while either maintaining or gaining LBM are of significant importance.  One such strategy […]

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Vertical Jump: Is adding the glute-ham raise worth it?

Glute-ham-gastroc raise (image from http://www.your-workout.com/all-exercise-list/natural-glute-hamstring-raise/) A 2017 research study published in the journal of strength and conditioning examined whether adding the glute-ham raise to a typical training program would result in greater improvements in the vertical jump (Chiu, Yaremko, & VonGaza, 2017).  Here’s how the authors conducted the study: Methods:  The authors used female athletes 18 […]

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The Benefits of Exercise for Cancer Survivors

Article Reference Kampshoff, C. S., Chinapaw, M. J., Brug, J., Twisk, J. W., Schep, G., Nijziel, M. R., … Buffart, L. M. (2015). Randomized controlled trial of the effects of high intensity and low-to-moderate intensity exercise on physical fitness and fatigue in cancer survivors: results of the Resistance and Endurance exercise After ChemoTherapy (REACT) study. BMC Medicine, 13(1). doi:10.1186/s12916-015-0513-2 Secondary References BURNHAM, T. R., & WILCOX, A. (2002). Effects of exercise on […]

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ACL Repair: Is it the future? Presentation by Gregory S. DiFelice

Background: Primary ACL repair, once regarded as a thing of the past, is beginning to make headway again. Currently, the primary way to restore the ACL after injury is to reconstruct it rather than repair it.  Reconstructing the ligament involves using another part of the body called a “graft” to replace the native ACL.  The most common grafts are taken […]

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Hip Thrust Exercise Fails to Produce Sprint Gains

The hip thruster exercise (google it if you’re unfamiliar) has been all the rage over the past few years.  It has exploded onto the scene mainly due to Bret Contreras, “the glute guy”, whom has researched the exercise and has enthusiastically promoted its usage for building better buns, rehabilitating/preventing injury, and possibly for performance.  He […]

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Muscle Architecture Changes: Implications for Baseball/Softball coaches

Introduction:  Investigating longitudinal changes in an athlete’s muscle architecture helps coaches recognize physiological underpinnings associated with performance.  Typically during a competitive season athletes sports performance increases, while standard descriptions of fitness such as maximal strength remain at a baseline or even decline.  This leaves coaches to hypothesize why their athletes’ standard fitness measurements have declined […]

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