http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/sports/ Science of sports. Read the latest scientific research on sports, including performance enhancement through feedback systems, effect of various drugs and more. en-us Sat, 26 May 2012 13:05:01 EDT Sat, 26 May 2012 13:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/sports/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120521115351.htm Researchers have found that green and white teas could hide abnormal levels of testosterone in athletes. Mon, 21 May 2012 11:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120521115351.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120516173721.htm A new study suggests that head impacts experienced during contact sports such as football and hockey may worsen some college athletes’ ability to acquire new information. Wed, 16 May 2012 17:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120516173721.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120514104945.htm Nearly one in five lower-income parents report costs forced their children to cut back on sports. Mon, 14 May 2012 10:49:49 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120514104945.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120508093921.htm In the eyes of young college men, it’s more unethical to use steroids to get an edge in sports than it is to use prescription stimulants to enhance one’s grades, according to new research. Tue, 08 May 2012 09:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120508093921.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120502184422.htm Junior Seau’s apparent suicide might shock the sports world, but not concussion specialists. NFL players have a higher rate of depression, substance abuse, and dementia. This is thought to be connected to head impacts says an expert. Wed, 02 May 2012 18:44:44 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120502184422.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426143900.htm Skin problems rank among athletes' most common complaints, but there's little information available regarding dermatoses among Olympic athletes, according to new findings. Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426143900.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425140457.htm Lefties (only ten percent of the general population) have always been a bit of a puzzle. Researchers have now developed a mathematical model that shows the low percentage of lefties is a result of the balance between cooperation and competition in human evolution. They are the first to use real-world data (from competitive sports, including baseball, boxing and hockey) to test and confirm the hypothesis that social behavior is related to population-level handedness. Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:04:04 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425140457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120424120543.htm Spanish supporters’ testosterone and cortisol levels increased while watching the World Cup football match (soccer), when Spain beat Holland in 2010. Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:05:05 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120424120543.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120326112918.htm Specialized training of complex motor skills may induce sports-specific structural changes in the human brain. Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:29:29 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120326112918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120313121729.htm With the NCAA men's college basketball tournament set to begin, college basketball fans around the United States are in the throes of March Madness. Anyone who has seen a game knows that the fans are like extra players on the court, and this is especially true during critical free throws. Fans of the opposing team will wave anything they can, from giant inflatable noodles to big heads, to make it difficult for players to focus on the basket. Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120313121729.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120305081425.htm The future of Canadian outdoor ice hockey – a sport synonymous with the country’s culture – is being threatened by anthropogenic climate change, new research suggests. As warmer winter temperatures restrict ice from freezing over, researchers believe the ice hockey stars of the future will have limited access to the frozen lakes and backyard rinks that have helped shape the careers of some of the greatest professional players, such as Wayne Gretzky; the Canadian considered to be the greatest of all time who started skating as a child on a rink in his backyard. Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:14:14 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120305081425.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172922.htm Underserved youth athletes report more life skill and character development when their coaches place greater emphasis on creating caring climates instead of focusing on competition, according to new research. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:29:29 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120209172922.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118101343.htm A new research project into the role of sport in rehabilitating young prisoners has found that sport can be effective in reducing the reconviction rate of offenders. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120118101343.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110102054.htm For handball players, ankle sprains are just part of life. But this may be about to change: Researchers have now undertaken a detailed analysis of the three most important ligaments in the ankle. The group investigated the ligaments' movements and the strains to which they are subjected during the jump shot, the most frequent shot at goal. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 10:20:20 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110102054.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213092138.htm Superstar swimmers and certain comic book superheroes have something unusual in common -- when they wear special suits, they gain phenomenal abilities. A first-of-its-kind study shows how now-banned technical swimsuits artificially enhanced athlete performance in 2009. Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111213092138.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212221031.htm In response to a lawsuit after a college football player died from complications due to sickle cell trait (SCT) during a workout, the NCAA implemented mandatory SCT screening of all Division I student-athletes. A new study evaluated the impact of that policy and found that testing alone will help identify more than 2,000 athletes with SCT, but warns that screening alone will not prevent death. Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111212221031.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111207104934.htm Researchers shattered the myth that players who score one or more three-pointers improve their odds of scoring another. A new report raises doubts about the ability of athletes in particular, and people in general, to predict future success based on past performance. Wed, 07 Dec 2011 10:49:49 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111207104934.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111113141250.htm According to a state survey, fewer than 6 percent of doctors fully follow national guidelines for assessing sudden cardiac death risk during high school sports physicals, researchers report. Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:12:12 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111113141250.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111109125747.htm Football players experience repeated head trauma throughout their careers, which results in short and long-term effects to their cognitive function, physical and mental health. Researchers are investigating how other lifestyle factors, including diet and exercise, impact the late-life health of former collision-sport athletes. Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:57:57 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111109125747.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111021151611.htm Athletes know they should just do their thing on the 18th hole, or during the penalty shootout, or when they're taking a three-point shot in the last moments of the game. But when that shot could mean winning or losing, it's easy to choke. A new article looks at why paying too much attention to what you're doing can ruin performance. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111021151611.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111019210130.htm With Major League Baseball's World Series set to begin tomorrow, math professor Bruce Bukiet has once again analyzed the players most deserving of winning baseball's most important awards for the 2011 season. He also provides the probability of Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals winning the World Series. Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:01:01 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111019210130.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111005180509.htm When an athlete consistently does well, sports commentators may describe them as being "hot" or "on fire." Scientists have debunked these streaks as being in the eye of the beholder, but a new study supports the "hot hand" phenomenon: that a streak of positive outcomes is likely to continue. Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:05:05 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111005180509.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003132232.htm While there's no crying in baseball, as Tom Hanks' character famously proclaimed in "A League of Their Own," crying in college football might not be a bad thing, at least in the eyes of one's teammates. Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:22:22 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111003132232.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929103103.htm A new study highlights the injury risks for schoolboys playing rugby. The research shows that the chance of a school player suffering an injury during a single season is at least 12 percent and, according to some research, could be as high as 90 percent. Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:31:31 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929103103.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922134542.htm Michael Jordan, Lady Gaga and Angelina Jolie. Most people can probably name some award-winning athletes, musicians, and actors. But, if you were asked to name the winners of last year's Nobel Prizes in Economics, Physics, or Literature, could you do it? Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:45:45 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922134542.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919113634.htm Minute levels of banned substances in some dietary supplements are leaving athletes susceptible to failed drugs tests according to new research. Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:36:36 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919113634.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110829115424.htm Remember when your little league football team lost the game because someone ran the ball back into their own end zone? Take heart -- one researcher says it may be the player's unfamiliarity with perceiving transitional cues and not a reflection on their playing skills. Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:54:54 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110829115424.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110807150542.htm A dedicated football player, a disciplined martial arts practitioner or a respected weightlifter? According to a recent Norwegian study, young girls are most concerned with their appearance as they become teenagers, but boys must do something to become young men. Their choice of activity is also a choice of masculine identity. Sun, 07 Aug 2011 15:05:05 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110807150542.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110720115302.htm A cohesive team environment, assessing one's own performance rather than comparing with others, and involvement in enjoyably challenging practices are the main conditions needed for children to have a positive developmental experience playing team sports. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:53:53 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110720115302.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110720103524.htm Scientists have created a complex method for scheduling Major League Baseball umpires which has proven so successful that the league has used it five of the past six seasons. Wed, 20 Jul 2011 10:35:35 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110720103524.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110706195906.htm Women don't fake them. Soccer injuries, that is. With the Women's World Cup in full swing in Germany, soccer fans can now rest assured that women are less likely than men to fake on-field injuries, according to a new study. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:59:59 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110706195906.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110701101744.htm Winning margins in the Tour de France can be tight. Now there could be a new, completely legal and rather surprising weapon in the armory for riders aiming to shave vital seconds off their time -- beetroot juice. Research in the UK has shown drinking the juice enables competitive-level cyclists to cut down the time it takes to ride a given distance. This is the first study which has shown that beetroot juice can be effective in a simulated competition environment. Fri, 01 Jul 2011 10:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110701101744.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110701083513.htm A new study shows that sleep extension is beneficial to athletic performance, reaction time, vigor, fatigue and mood in collegiate basketball players. The study is the first to document sleep extension and the athletic performance of actively competing athletes. Fri, 01 Jul 2011 08:35:35 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110701083513.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110701083506.htm Young basketball players spend hours dribbling up and down the court aspiring to NBA stardom. Now, new research suggests another tactic to achieving their hoop dreams: sleep. Fri, 01 Jul 2011 08:35:35 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110701083506.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630220002.htm Soccer (football) players with superior ability in areas such as passing accuracy or sprint speed do not necessarily achieve better overall performance on the field (pitch). Researchers measured athletic ability in semi professional players and found no association between a good performance in the lab and one on the field. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630220002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110629132548.htm When women play football (soccer), the individual interruptions, for instance for substitutions or to cheer a goal, are a lot shorter than when men play. In particular after injuries men remain on the ground significantly longer. This is what sports scientists discovered after analyzing 56 soccer games and evaluating the place, time and duration of every single interruption of the game. In soccer, men stage themselves much more than women, the scientists conclude. Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:25:25 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110629132548.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110623130942.htm Coaches are often lauded as experts at what they do, and, consequently, it can blind them to their athletes' individual needs. As a result many problems in sport are misunderstood or solved ineffectively. To address this, coaches need to engage in the critical examination of the knowledge and assumptions that inform their problem-solving approaches for them to become a positive force for change in making thoughtful, healthy, ethical decisions and choices for their athletes, experts argue. Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:09:09 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110623130942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110620122028.htm A new study shows that when bodychecking is introduced into Bantam ice hockey there is no difference between overall injury rates or concussion, regardless of whether players have prior bodychecking experience in Pee Wee. Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110620122028.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110620122026.htm To protect children from lifelong injuries in sports, we need a public health approach similar to that mounted against smoking and drunk driving, according to experts. Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:20:20 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110620122026.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110615062241.htm A new system alerts racers about the race start through visual signals -- enabling reaction time equal to other participants. Wed, 15 Jun 2011 06:22:22 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110615062241.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110602081833.htm Black and Mexican American doctors and lawyers aren't any more likely to play "high-status" sports such as golf or tennis than less educated people within their racial-ethnic groups, and more educated blacks may actually be less inclined to do so, suggests a new study. Thu, 02 Jun 2011 08:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110602081833.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110527123423.htm Low intensity warm-ups enhance athletic performance. Fri, 27 May 2011 12:34:34 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110527123423.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110525164101.htm Spending top dollar for megastar players like Miguel Cabrera and Alex Rodriguez helps Major League Baseball teams attract fans and earn higher profits, but clubs that spend the bulk of their player payroll on a couple of superstars ultimately win fewer games, a new study shows. Wed, 25 May 2011 16:41:41 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110525164101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110519172800.htm With the London 2012 Olympics fast approaching, the issue of athletes taking banned drugs is likely to come to the fore. Now new research shows that athletes who have taken prohibited performance-enhancing drugs, but deny having done so, are likely to manipulate their answers on questionnaires to make themselves fit the image of someone who is 'clean' and strongly anti-doping. Thu, 19 May 2011 17:28:28 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110519172800.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110517121920.htm A labor law expert says as long as federal judges continue to enable NFL players to bargain in the courthouse, and not at the traditional bargaining table, collective bargaining will be a stunted institution in professional sports. Tue, 17 May 2011 12:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110517121920.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418122307.htm A major study of concussions, conducted over seven National Hockey League seasons indicates that while the rate of injuries leveled out over the study period, the number of days lost per concussion has increased. Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:23:23 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418122307.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418122300.htm Bodychecking in youth hockey leagues should be banned to prevent concussions which can cause serious repercussions, experts argue in a new analysis. Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:23:23 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418122300.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110412065807.htm A new study has found that an estimated 5.25 million football-related injuries among children and adolescents between 6 and 17 years of age were treated in U.S. emergency departments between 1990 and 2007. The annual number of football-related injuries increased 27 percent during the 18-year study period, jumping from 274,094 in 1990 to 346,772 in 2007. Tue, 12 Apr 2011 06:58:58 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110412065807.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110404161714.htm Children are urged to participate in sports at younger and younger ages and at greater levels of intensity. While weight-bearing activity is generally thought to increase bone density, a new study finds that for preadolescent and adolescent girls, too much high-impact activity can lead to stress fractures. If these are detected too late in children and adolescent athletes, they pose a risk of true fracture, deformity or growth disturbance requiring surgical treatment, say the researchers. Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110404161714.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110404161658.htm About one in 44,000 college athletes each year suffers sudden cardiac death -- more than previous estimates. New calculations of young athletes' risk might influence guidelines for health screenings. Mon, 04 Apr 2011 16:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110404161658.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110308101327.htm Closely contested major sporting events are followed by a significant increase in traffic fatalities for fans of the winning team, according to new research. It turns out there may be more on the line than many sports fans bargained for. Tue, 08 Mar 2011 10:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110308101327.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110302101746.htm The risk and nature of injury in the sport of boxing has generated a great deal of controversy in the medical community, especially in relation to youth boxing. A new study examined boxing injuries among participants six years of age and older from 1990 to 2008. Wed, 02 Mar 2011 10:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110302101746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110301091115.htm Why is it that the same teams seem to dominate the annual men's collegiate basketball tournament? For that matter, why does the same small group of institutions seem to top annual best-college rankings? Tue, 01 Mar 2011 09:11:11 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110301091115.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110210080310.htm The "glass ceiling" for women administrators in college athletics may be cracked, but is not completely broken, according to a new study. Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:03:03 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110210080310.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110203113800.htm Highly publicized ethical lapses by sports celebrities have raised questions about morality in athletics. If coaches help their athletes achieve peak physical performance, can they also teach their sports charges to make ethical choices? New research has examined how coaches exert moral influence over athletes and how athletes respond. Thu, 03 Feb 2011 11:38:38 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110203113800.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110202102128.htm While policy makers in Australia, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand debate whether alcohol advertising and sponsorship should be banned from sport, new research provides evidence that alcohol industry sponsorship is associated with more hazardous drinking in sportspeople compared to non-alcohol sponsorship. Wed, 02 Feb 2011 10:21:21 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110202102128.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110128075542.htm Retired NFL players use painkillers at four times the rate of the general population, according to a new study. The researchers say the brutal collisions and bone-jarring injuries associated with football often cause long-term pain, which contributes to continued use and abuse of pain-killing medications. Fri, 28 Jan 2011 07:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110128075542.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110118161359.htm A new study finds that blood alcohol content (BAC) levels can be measured using a breath tester on fans as they exit football and baseball events. And the results show that 60 percent of the fans had zero BAC, 40 percent had a positive BAC, and nearly 8 percent were legally drunk. Tue, 18 Jan 2011 16:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110118161359.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101222093200.htm Running and swimming records are broken again and again at almost every international athletics event, But, can human performance continue to improve indefinitely? Will runners continue to accelerate off the starting blocks and reach the finish line in faster and faster times? Will swimmers always be able to dive into the record books with a quicker kick? Wed, 22 Dec 2010 09:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101222093200.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101206161730.htm Only about one-fourth of children participating in organized sports -- such as baseball, softball or soccer -- receive the government-recommended amount of physical activity during team practices, according to a new study. Mon, 06 Dec 2010 16:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101206161730.htm