Sport and medicine

Throughout the modern world, a great variety of sport and physical recreational activities are being practiced by increasingly larger numbers of individuals of all ages. Many are training regularly for competitions at schools, clubs and at every level up to the Olympic Games. Whatever their age, or sporting activity, or seriousness about training, at one time or another, they all experience injuries or illnesses or require medical advice that is specifically directed to improving their ability to train or compete.

Physicians and surgeons are not specifically trained in their formal education to provide specialized advice concerning many medical issues relating to sport. Their knowledge of sport medicine is developed through their involvement with athletes and coaches and learning of their special problems and needs, by attending sport medicine and sport science courses, by reading specialist journals and publications, and by talking with other health care specialists, including physicians, physiotherapists, athletic therapists, nutritionists, masseurs, and sport scientists. At this time, a major body of knowledge pertaining specifically to medical care and considerations for physically active individuals, has developed. It is the purpose of this manual to expose this knowledge, in a practical overview, to health care professionals who wish to learn more about working with athletes.

What qualities or skills, or specialized knowledge does a sport medicine specialist possess? The sport medicine specialist provides medical care to athletes and those undertaking physical recreational activities. Care of the athlete involves a number of factors, including:

· pre-participation medical examination

• injury diagnosis and management

· health monitoring and management

• monitoring to detect and prevent "staleness"

• assessment of diet, strength, flexibility, anthropometry, and aerobic and anaerobic
factors.

Different sports require different types of training and have their own specific stresses, training requirements, needs and health concerns. The sport medicine specialist must understand these variations and one way to do this is to attend athlete training sessions and competitions.

As patients, athletes usually feel great pressure to get better or rehabilitate immediately so that they can continue their training or competition. The physician must be sensitive to this, and understand effective methods of rehabilitation and alternate training activities.

Indeed, the sport physician must have knowledge not normally required by physicians, which includes biomechanics, exercise physiology, sport psychology, nutrition for athletes, environmental hazards for training and competition, and sports equipment and safety.

It is clearly a myth that all athletes are healthy. They are susceptible to all normal medical illnesses and complaints, and face many medical problems as a result of their training. The sport physician is trained to recognize that minor injuries may have major consequences to an athlete's training or performance.

6.1. Read and translate the text “Sport and Medicine”.

6.2. Discuss it in class.

VII. Have a test.

LISTENING COMPREHESION TEST