Misc

A paper published last year in the BMJ carefully considered the evidence underpinning sports performance products. It concluded:  'The current evidence is not of sufficient quality to inform the public about the benefits and harms of sports products. There is a need to improve the quality and reporting of research, a move towards using systematic review evidence to inform decisions.' Despite this, health and fitness magazines continue to  proclaim that I and others should embrace supplementation. These adverts are particularly prevalent for whey protein and creatine.* Creatine is a naturally occurring substance that helps supply energy to all cells in the body. Of course, oxygen is also a naturally occurring substance that helps supply energy to all cells in the body, but it doesn't mean I carry an oxygen tank while running. Not yet anyway. There remain colossal problems behind research involving the use and effectiveness of creatine and other supplements. Companies suc...

I recently attempted to take some exercise at my local gym and failed miserably. Not through injury or lack of motivation, but simply because I have not yet completed a gym induction programme. Prevented from using the treadmill, I was instead allowed to go for a swim (without any armbands)! The previous day I was also permitted to play squash in the same sports centre without any induction. So what carries more risk - squash or a treadmill? A quick literature search found one paper* that looked at hospital admissions relating to squash injuries in Victoria, Australia between 2000 and 2001. The authors found an overall injury rate of 35.5 injured players per 100,000. Over 90% of these patients were not admitted to the hospital and were discharged the same day. As for running on a treadmill, I couldn't find any meaningful numbers relating to hospital admissions based on running inside or outside. Using some common sense, running inside ...