Winter Swimming: Body Hardening and Cardiorespiratory Protection Via Sustainable Acclimation
Winter swimming is a stressful condition of whole-body exposure to cold water; however, winter swimmers have achieved variable degrees of adaptation to cold. The question arises whether this extreme sport activity has any health benefits or whether it may confer potentially harmful effects. As a form of aerobic exercise, albeit more strenuous when performed in cold water, winter swimming may increase body tolerance to stressors and achieve body hardening. When practiced by individuals who are in good general health adopting a regular, graded and adaptive mode, winter swimming seems to confer cardiovascular (CV), and other health benefits. On the other hand, unaccustomed individuals are at risk of death either from the initial neurogenic cold-shock response, or from progressive decrease of swimming efficiency or from hypothermia. Furthermore, as it may occur with any intense exercise, individuals with evident or occult underlying CV conditions may be more susceptible to adverse effects with provocation of arrhythmias and CV events that may pose a significant health risk. Hence, a stepwise strategy to initiate and build up this recreational activity is recommended to enhance and sustain acclimation, achieve protection from potential risks of cold-water exposure and possibly avail from its promising health benefits. We need more data from prospective studies to better investigate the short- and long-term health consequences of this important recreational activity.

Fascial Hydrodissection for Chronic Hamstring Injury
Hamstring muscle injuries (HMI) are common among athletes. HMI can take many months to years to resolve. Often, athletes do not report complete resolution with typical conservative therapy. We present several cases of athletes who presented with chronic hamstring injuries that resolved immediately after being treated with an ultrasound-guided fascial hydrodissection procedure. Following the procedure and graded rehabilitation protocol, athletes reported resolution of pain and tightness in addition to increased performance and a quicker return to play.

ACSM's Clinician Profile No abstract available

Not All Spleens Can Play Football: Concerns of a Collision Wargame No abstract available

Web Alert No abstract available

Seven Tips to Effective Running Shoe Sizing No abstract available

Personalized Exercise Prescription for Heart Patients No abstract available

Ulnar Nerve Entrapment at the Cubital Tunnel Successfully Treated with Ultrasound-Guided Peripheral Nerve Hydrodissection: A Case Report and Further Evidence for a Developing Treatment Option No abstract available

Current Trends in Ultramarathon Running Exercise is universally recognized for its health benefits and distance running has long been a popular form of exercise and sport. Ultramarathons, defined as races longer than a marathon, have become increasingly popular in recent years. The diverse ultramarathon distances and courses provide additional challenges in race performance and medical coverage for these events. As the sport grows in popularity, more literature has become available regarding ultramarathon-specific illnesses and injuries, nutrition guidelines, psychology, physiologic changes, and equipment. This review focuses on recent findings and trends in ultramarathon running.

Common Skiing and Snowboarding Injuries Participation in skiing, and especially snowboarding, continues to rise. As participation and level of competition in these winter sports increases, the number of injuries increases as well. Upper-extremity injuries are more common in snowboarding, whereas lower-extremity injuries are more common in skiing. Head injuries, particularly concussions, are common in both sports. Special consideration in these sports should be given to environmental conditions, such as high altitude and ultraviolet radiation. The purpose of this review is to discuss the most common musculoskeletal injuries seen in skiing and snowboarding, as well as considerations for initial assessment of these injuries and triage to the appropriate level of care. It is important for sports medicine physicians covering these sports to understand initial assessment and treatment of these injuries. Due to the potential for severe injuries in these sports, it is important to be able to quickly recognize an injury that needs to be assessed and treated urgently or emergently. With the increased participation and number of injuries in these sports, it also is important to consider prevention strategies that may minimize risk of injury.