a) Describe a procedure used to assess the nature and extent of a sporting injury.
To assess the nature and extent of a sporting injury a trainer should administer the theory of TOTAPS. If a player experiences any pain during the procedure of TOTAPS the athlete should not return to play and must seek consultation from a qualified medical practitioner. Only players who pass the skills test are eligible to return to play.
The first step of TOTAPS is talk; the injured athlete is asked to describe what exactly happened to provide information about the injury. Secondly, observe; look for any obvious sign of injury such as a deformity, bleeding or swelling. The third step, touch; if there is no further risk of further injury gently feel the injured area starting away from the area and working towards the injury site. If there is still no pain, active movement will be assessed, the fourth step. The athlete will be asked to move the injured area to perform joint movements such as flexion, extension and rotation. Next, the fifth step, passive movement; the sports medicine professional can move the players injured part of the body gently and slowly through its expected range of motion, stopping at any point of pain or restriction. Lastly, a skills test should be carried out. The player is asked to perform a skill they may be required to perform during play such as running or rotating their shoulder.
a) Outline the role of sports medicine in addressing the demands of female athletes.
Research has determined many health risks associated with female athletes competing in high intensity, strenuous physical activity including managing menstruation and dealing with social pressures. These can impact eating patterns, effecting performance of the athlete. The relationship between the factors – disordered eating, menstrual disturbances/ amenorrhea and osteoporosis is known as the Female Athlete Triad.
Females participating in sports that have a low body weight advantage (i.e. gymnastics and diving) or endurance sports (i.e. long distance running or swimming), have a higher risk of developing eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa. Poor nutritional intake and the decrease in energy from eating disorders negatively affects menstruation, bone health and thermoregulation impairing performance significantly. To help prevent eating disorders in athletes it is important to consider educating coaches and officials in detecting signs of eating disorders, monitoring an athlete’s food intake or inviting parents to training sessions to assess the amount pressure being placed on the athlete to meet demands.
Iron is essential as it allows haemoglobin to bind with oxygen to transport throughout the body. Iron deficiency or anemia (low blood count) is caused by a loss of blood or a lack of iron in a person’s diet. Females require twice as much iron as males mainly due to blood loss during menstruation. Iron deficiency, is common among female athletes with symptoms including feeling lethargic, weak and a loss of interest to exercise. A female athlete with low levels of iron cannot deliver enough oxygen to muscles to sustain performance causing a decrease in intensity. Iron levels can be improved with diet or supplements.
Bone density is a measure of strength and fragility of a bone. Lower bone density is evident as women go through menopause due to low oestrogen levels or if diet is poor of calcium. A decrease in bone density increases the risk for fractures effecting sports participation due to the high risk of injury. Bone density can be improved with calcium and vitamin D intake as well as weight and resistance training to ensure bones are strong.
Pregnancy will impact the intensity and type of sport a female should be playing to remain safe and in good health. Depending on the stage of the pregnancy, the type of the sport played and the risk of injury will influence the continuation of sports. Pregnancy can also decrease iron levels so should be monitored and treated.
Sports medicine is challenged to keep women on the field and give them an opportunity to reach their full abilities, whilst maintaining good health.
b) Evaluate strategies used by endurance athletes to support the body’s temperature regulation.
Environmental conditions impact the way an athlete controls their body temperature and therefore can affect the athlete’s performance during physical activity. Humans must regulate their body’s internal temperature at approximately 37 degrees Celsius, tolerating only small variations. To maintain this temperature their must be a balance between heat gain and heat loss. Environmental consideration should be employed in order to promote athlete wellbeing. Heat gain can occur through the metabolism of food, shivering, exercise and hot conditions. Heat loss can occur through:
• Convection is the movement of air adjacent to the skin. It is when heat is removed by air or water passing over the body and naturally occurs during running through air.
• Radiation is the transfer of heat from the body to the surrounding environment. When the body produces heat some is lost too radiation. The Sun also radiates heat causing people to gain heat if exercising outdoors.
• Conduction refers to the direct contact with a cooler object such as water. The transfer of heat always occurs from the hotter object to the cooler one.
• Evaporation is the body heat loss from the skin when sweat is vaporized. During the heat, our bodies are adapted to sweat in order to keep cool.
Endurance athletes can prepare for varied environmental conditions in order to perform at their best. For example, whilst competing in hot conditions the athlete may be cooled down with cold air using a fan, being immersed in cold water or by the use of a cooled garment such as an iced towel, cold foods or cold water. However, this strategy can be limited due to the time required to achieve sufficient body cooling which will improve performance. During events or types of sports such as swimming this strategy may not be possible or effective.
Hydrating before, during and after exercise will eliminate dehydration. This means sweat can be produced and then evaporated lowering core body temperature. It is recommended that athletes consume water to match their sweat and urine loss. This amounts to consuming approximately 200-300ml of water every 10-20 minutes starting just before exercise and continuing until there is 20 minutes remaining of exercise. Research has found that glycerol solutions with water are more effective since they reduce the rate of elimination of water. With glycerol, core temperature is lowered, urine input is reduced and there is a higher sweat rate. To achieve effective rehydration, the beverage should contain moderate-high amounts of sodium which drives thirst and encourages fluid intake and should be consumed according to the volume of sweat produced.
Clothing acts as a layer of insulation creating a barrier to heat transfer from skin to the atmosphere. When clothing interferes, evaporation from sweat is trapped causing an increase in core body temperature. Since evaporation is the most effective mechanism to lose heat, athletes will often choose to wear minimal clothing that pose the least amount of resistance to evaporation. Athletes may wear shorts and a singlet or a simple swimsuit to expose the skins surface area for sweat to be evaporated and heat to be eliminated via radiation.
An athlete preparing to exercise in a climate of extreme hot or cold should take time to acclimatize the the different conditions. This is particularly important if the athlete is travelling from a cool climate to compete in hot or humid conditions ….