Sports « Weekly Gravy

Restarting professional sports with fans in attendance may not be a good idea as it may increase COVID-19 deaths, a new flu study suggests. Cities with pro teams appear to have more flu deaths than cities without them, which may be important as the NBA, NFL and other leagues consider playing games while the coronavirus pandemic continues, researchers say. Several professional sports leagues in the United States have said they plan to resume play without fans in the stands while many soccer leagues around the world are doing the same, but France, Japan and Spain have announced plans to allow some sports fans back into stadiums before summer’s end. In the flu study, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1962 to 2016 indicate that flu deaths increased 5% to 24% during the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB seasons. The biggest increase was for NHL games. Because COVID-19 is more contagious than the flu, researcher Brad Humphreys said, “Don’t let the fans back into the games.” Humphreys is a professor of economics at West Virginia University. “Opening pro sports games to fans is probably a terrible idea, in terms of public health,” he said in a university news release. “You’re right on top of people and everybody’s yelling, screaming, high-fiving and hugging. And you’ve got people eating and drinking. You could… read on >

The coronavirus pandemic is adding to the mood issues that many pregnant women and new moms experience, according to a new study. One in 7 women experience anxiety or depression immediately before or after giving birth — and researchers say the pandemic has made it even worse. “The social and physical isolation measures that are critically needed to reduce the spread of the virus are taking a toll on the physical and mental health of many of us,” said study co-author Margie Davenport, an associate professor of kinesiology, sport and recreation at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. The study included 900 women — 520 who were pregnant and 380 who’d given birth in the past year. They were asked about their depression and anxiety before and during the pandemic and its accompanying isolation. Before the pandemic, 29% had moderate to high anxiety and 15% reported symptoms of depression. During the pandemic, those rates increased to 72% and 41%, respectively. The women were also asked about their exercise habits. Researchers wanted to know if lack of access to gyms during the pandemic and reduced physical activity were taking a toll, because exercise can help ease depression. Sixty-four percent of women said they were getting less physical activity now, while 15% were doing more and 21% had no change in activity. Women who were getting… read on >

The latest cancer prevention guidelines may change your typical backyard barbecue: Gone are the hot dogs and booze. In are veggie kebobs and maybe a swim or some badminton. The American Cancer Society’s new cancer prevention recommendations suggest, among other things, adding more physical activity to your days. About 20 minutes a day is the minimum, but 40 minutes or more daily is even better. The new guidelines also add emphasis on avoiding unhealthy foods, including red and processed meats, refined grains and alcohol. “The new recommendations really increase emphasis on a few key areas [including healthy weight and diet, physical activity, and avoiding or limiting alcohol],” said Dr. Laura Makaroff, senior vice president of prevention and early detection for the American Cancer Society (ACS). These factors accounted for up to 18% of cancer cases and 16% of cancer deaths in the United States, according to the new report. Along with recommendations for individual lifestyle practices, the ACS also included guidance for communities to take action. “In addition to recommendations for individual choices, ACS recognizes that making healthy choices can be challenging for many people. We need to reduce barriers to living well and achieving a healthy lifestyle, and that will require working collaboratively at all levels to develop and implement policies to ensure access to healthy foods and opportunities for exercise,” Makaroff said. Registered… read on >

Many female athletes lack knowledge about nutrition, which could harm their performance and put them at risk for health problems, a researcher says. A review of two decades of literature on female athletes older than 13 found “a lack of general knowledge of nutrition among athletes, coaches and other sports team specialists,” said study author Mary Downes Gastrich, an associate professor at Rutgers University Medical School in New Brunswick, N.J. “Other factors included poor time management and food availability, disordered eating behaviors such as chronic dieting or a drive for lower body weight,” Gastrich added in a Rutgers news release. “Some female athletes may purposefully restrict their calorie intake for performance or aesthetic reasons, while others may unintentionally have low energy expenditure due to increased training or lack of education on how to properly fuel themselves for their sports’ demands.” She pointed out that the problem may be worse with particular sports and activities. “In addition, specific sports, such as gymnastics, distance running, diving, figure skating and classical ballet emphasize a low body weight; thus, making these athletes at greater risk for inadequate calorie consumption, poor body image, disordered eating or a serious mental health disorder diagnosis of an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa,” Gastrich said. When nutrition doesn’t meet the needs of energy output for sports or for proper body… read on >

Gyms are finally reopening across the United States, but your workout will not be the same. Some chains are offering individual workouts while group classes are still on hold, post-workout showers will be done at home, the 6-foot rule is in place for gym patrons, and sanitizing your hands and equipment frequently is a must. “Y members should expect that facilities will look and operate different than what they’re used to,” said Ryan O’Malley, national director of public relations at the YMCA. “We know our members are anxious to rejoin us, but we have to do this safely and responsibly,” he said. According to data from the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA), a trade group, nearly 61 million Americans are members of at least one fitness club. That’s a lot of pent-up need to get moving again, as stay-at-home orders begin to relax after months of lockdown. Meredith Poppler, vice president of communications at IHRSA, said restrictions will vary from gym-to-gym. Some gyms — like the Y — aren’t offering group classes yet, while other fitness clubs may, but under new rules. “Overall, there will be limits on class sizes,” she said, such as “only 10 per class in a class that could easily hold 30 to 40.” Gyms might even restrict how many patrons can be in a facility at any one… read on >

Lots of TV time, no PE classes, and a fridge full of food: It’s a recipe for weight gain for kids under “stay at home” rules. But there are ways parents can help them stay healthy, says registered dietitian Audrey Koltun. “During quarantine, we hear we should try to stay healthy, not overeat, and exercise, but it is easier said than done,” said Koltun, who’s also a diabetes care and education specialist at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y. When it comes to kids’ diets, having to stay at home might have some advantages, she noted. “Many people are cooking much more than they ever did,” Koltun said, and “this allows more control over caloric intake and possibly healthier options.” Children just don’t have the same access to fast food or fattening snacks. “The kids that go out to get an 800-calorie smoothie, a 400-calorie iced coffee, or a 500-calorie slice of pizza are not having this now — or not as much,” Koltun said. But if chips, cookies and other snacks crowd kitchen cupboards, the battle against weight gain can easily be lost, the nutritionist stressed. “Your kids can only eat what you buy, so if you are buying a year’s worth of snacks, they will eat them all day and night,” she said. While chowing down on unhealthy snacks might… read on >

Swimming pools in many parts of the United States may reopen soon, and Americans can take comfort in knowing that taking a dip should pose little risk of coronavirus infection. However, there could be risks at indoor pools from crowds, poor air circulation, and contaminated surfaces such as handrails, according to Ernest Blatchley III, a professor of environmental and ecological engineering at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. He specializes in research on how chlorine in swimming pools reacts with contaminants such as human body fluids, medicines and personal care products. “There are no data to show how the coronavirus responds to chlorine, but we do know that chlorine effectively inactivates similar viruses,” Blatchley said in a university news release. “In the U.S., the general guidance for keeping pools properly disinfected is maintaining a free chlorine concentration between 1 and 5 milligrams per liter. If a pool has that concentration, there would be very little infective novel coronavirus in the water,” he explained. However, the air around an indoor pool is likely “to pose similar risks of coronavirus spread as other indoor spaces,” he pointed out. “A person’s risk would not be affected by the water. The most relevant issue would be contamination of the air or surfaces in these facilities,” said Blatchley, who has studied pool water treatment and chemistry for more than 20… read on >

Many people under stay-at-home orders have turned to online yoga as a way to manage the stress. And a new research review suggests they’re onto something. The review, of 19 clinical trials, focused on the benefits of yoga for people with clinical mental health conditions ranging from anxiety disorders to alcohol dependence to schizophrenia. Overall, it found yoga classes helped ease those patients’ depression symptoms. And while the trials focused on in-person classes for people with formal diagnoses, there are broader implications, the researchers said. “Definitely, if you’ve thought about trying yoga, now is a great time to take the opportunity,” said Jacinta Brinsley, lead author on the review and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of South Australia School of Health Sciences in Adelaide. With yoga teachers worldwide now offering live-stream classes, she noted, people have a chance to find something that is right for them in their own homes. “Sometimes it takes a few tries to find the right type [of yoga],” Brinsley said. “Enjoyment is a really great indicator that it’s a good fit.” In general, physical activity is a recommended part of managing mental health disorders, according to Brinsley. Yoga — which combines physical movement with breathing exercises, meditation and other “mindfulness” practices — has been the subject of many studies. Some have found it can ease depression. That said, there… read on >

People suffering from regular migraines despite medication might consider investing in a yoga mat. That’s according to a new trial that tested the effects of a gentle yoga practice — with slow-paced physical postures, breathing exercises and relaxation. Researchers found that people who added the practice to their usual migraine medication suffered about half as many headache attacks as they normally did. In contrast, study patients who stuck with medication alone saw only a small decline in migraine flare-ups. The findings appear in the May 6 online issue of the journal Neurology. Worldwide, an estimated 1 billion people have migraine headaches, according to the Migraine Research Foundation. For people who suffer frequent episodes, there are medications that can help prevent them. But it may not be enough. “The good news is that practicing something as simple and accessible as yoga may help much more than medications alone,” lead researcher Dr. Rohit Bhatia, a neurologist at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, India, said in a journal news release. “And all you need is a mat.” Instruction helps, too, however. In this study, migraine patients first had classes with a yoga teacher three times a week for one month. After that, they practiced at home with a manual for another two months. By that three-month mark, their average headache frequency had dropped.… read on >

It’s good for you to take a run during the coronavirus pandemic — and safe if you take precautions, an expert says. “It’s good to get outside, get moving and get some sanity back in such a crazy time,” said Grace Neurohr, a physical therapist and running specialist at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. Running “can provide some structure to your day and build a routine that can help keep you from feeling bored or unmotivated,” she explained in a hospital news release. “It also can help ward off depression or anxiety by releasing endorphins, hormones that help us feel happier, more positive and even hopeful.” There are also physical benefits, including improved heart and lung health. And those who are physically fit have stronger immune systems and an improved ability to fight infection, Neurohr said. If you run outdoors, remember the importance of social distancing and avoiding others. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, chief medical correspondent for CNN, recommends maintaining 10 to 12 feet of separation during a run, because you’re breathing heavily as you work out. Runners’ “breath cloud” may contain more virus, he points out. Pick times and routes that are less likely to be busy. “Try running earlier in the morning or during your lunch break to avoid the crowds,” Neurohr suggested. “Also, try running on trails rather than a busy park or sidewalk.… read on >