Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world due to its’ caffeine content. Moderate caffeine consumption is currently being studied due to its’ potential impact on cognition, the aging process, and some cancers. In our field of Physical Therapy, caffeine has long been known as a performance enhancer based on its’ ability...
It seems there is not much eccentric exercises cannot do between healing injured tissue, improving mobility and strength, and now possibly contributing to muscle size. We have long known muscles gain the majority of their strength after training because of the eccentric or lowering portion of any lift. Athletes who skip or speed through this...
Running is one of the most popular forms of exercise due to its’ accessibility, low equipment cost, and health benefits. As running’s popularity continues to grow, unfortunately so do the number of runners who miss a training session or competition due to injury. These runners are not alone; as research has reported up to 90%...
The hamstrings are an essential component of the posterior chain of muscles stabilizing our back and legs. Despite the hamstring’s importance, length, and strength production they remain a commonly injured muscle seen in our Boulder Physical Therapy practice. Our previous post described the importance of using different exercises to target the top and bottom portions...
Eccentric training involves a focused, slow muscle contraction in which the muscle lengthens. For example, as you lower a weight from a bicep curl towards the floor the muscle simultaneously contracts and lengthens. Eccentric contractions have been discussed in this blog for their ability to heal injured tendons, restore flexibility, and strengthen weakened muscles. New...
The deadlift remains one of the best exercises to target the posterior chain of muscles spanning from the shoulder to the foot. This chain of muscles is key for strength, power, and stability of the lower quarter joints. We commonly see weakness throughout this chain of muscles in our Boulder Physical Therapy practice among patients...
In a prior post we discussed the impact of sleep deprivation on athletic performance. As our schedules become busier we often cut back on sleep to complete our to do lists each day. Although helpful in the short term for productivity, cutting back on sleep hurts our recovery and gains from exercise. Research also highlights...
There are few treatments more effective for the prevention and treatment of injuries and musculoskeletal conditions than resistance training. Unfortunately, many Americans are not performing enough strengthening to prevent the loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) which begins to occur in the 3rd decade of life. After age 30 we begin to demonstrate a progressive loss...
In the last couple of weeks we have posted on the impact of strength training on endurance performance. Studies have shown resistance training improves both running and cycling economy leading to faster times. These studies add to our existing knowledge on the importance of endurance athletes balancing their endurance training with strength exercises. The pool...
This week we posted on the benefits of strength training on cycling performance. Specifically, how strength training improves our body’s use of resources including oxygen and fuel to power us through our endurance workouts. The more economical or efficient endurance athlete will be able to sustain a higher speed for a longer period of time...