1. HSC PDHPE – CQ2 DP1
CQ2 – How does sports medicine address the demands of specific athletes?

2. How does sports medicine address the demands of specific athletes?
Students learn about:
Students learn to:
• children and young athletes
Medical conditions (asthma, diabetes, epilepsy)
overuse injuries (stress fractures)
thermoregulation
appropriateness of resistance training
analyse the implications of each of these considerations for the ways young people engage in sport and how each is managed.

3. 1. children and young athletes

4. 1. children and young athletes
Exercise and play are important parts of a child’s physical, mental and social development. Children and young people obtain the following benefits from participating in physical activity:
Enjoyment
increased strength
social interaction
development of self-esteem
improved motor and communication skills
promotion of physical activity into adulthood.
greater aerobic fitness
improved coordination

5. 1. children and young athletes
The participation levels and athletic performance of children and young athletes can be affected by certain medical conditions, coaching techniques and safety issues. Health and safety should be the first priority for children involved in sporting activities.
All coaching staff and sports officials should ensure that they are made aware of any child’s existing medical conditions and the treatment and management of such conditions, in order for children’s participation in sport to be an enjoyable experience. The Australian Sports Commission has published materials on developing junior sport in Australia.

6. 1. children and young athletes
Almost half of admissions to hospital for young people are sports-related. For coaches working with children and young athletes, it is important to understand the different physiological needs of this group when preparing a training session. Issues such as medical conditions, overuse injuries, thermoregulation and appropriateness of resistance training must be considered to ensure safe participation.

7. medical conditions (asthma, diabetes, epilepsy)

8. Asthma

9. Asthma
Asthma is a chronic inflammatory condition of the airways, in which the bronchioles (branches of the airways) contract and restrict the amount of oxygen exchanged within the lungs.
This causes episodes of wheezing, breathlessness and tightness in the chest.
While asthma in children and young people has decreased in Australia over time, it is still an important and at times life-threatening health issue that coaches need to address.

10. Asthma
There are many factors which can trigger asthma, such as allergies to dust, pollen and tobacco smoke.
Asthma is more prevalent among males aged 0–14 years, but from the age of 15 is more prevalent among females.

11. Asthma
People with asthma can still participate in sport, but should have an Asthma Action Plan, or management plan, that has been created with their doctor to control and monitor asthma.
A child or young person may suddenly develop asthma-like symptoms during physical activity. This is known as exercise-induced asthma.
Endurance sports, such as long- distance running, are more likely to trigger exercise-induced asthma.
Regardless of the trigger for asthma, any person who has asthma and participates in sport should have a ventolin puffer with them at all times in case of an asthma attack.

12. Diabetes

13. Diabetes
The incidence of diabetes among children and young athletes has increased over time. As a result, coaches need to ensure they understand the impact that diabetes can have on an athlete, and alter training sessions accordingly.
Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disease marked by high levels of glucose in the blood. It occurs when the pancreas stops producing insulin, produces too little insulin, or the body’s insulin becomes ineffective.

14. Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes is most common in children and young people, and occurs when the body is unable to produce insulin.
People with type 2 diabetes do produce insulin, but the body cannot use it effectively, resulting in elevated blood sugar levels that impact on the normal functioning of the body.
As obesity levels among children and young people have increased, the incidence of type 2 diabetes has also increased significantly.

15. Diabetes
For a child or young athlete, diabetes can have a significant impact on participation in sport.
The body uses glucose to fuel working muscles and if a person’s body is unable to produce this glucose they may start to feel unwell.
If the sugar levels of a person with diabetes are not maintained during exercise, they may have a hypoglycaemic episode, or a hyperglycaemic episode. Either of these can lead to loss of consciousness.

16. Diabetes – hypoglycaemic episode
A hypoglycaemic episode occurs when blood glucose levels fall below their normal range. This happens suddenly. When a person is hypoglycaemic may display the following symptoms:
increased heart rate
sweating
shaking
anxiety and confusion
dizziness
possible altered state of consciousness.

17. Diabetes – hypoglycaemic episode
To treat a hypoglycaemic episode
a child or young athlete should instantly be given some fast-acting carbohydrates, such as jelly beans, fruit juice or a soft drink.
Following this, they should be given additional carbohydrates, such as a slice of bread, banana or sweet biscuits.

18. Diabetes – hyperglycaemic episode
A hyperglycaemic episode occurs when blood glucose levels are elevated above their normal range. This happens slowly and is usually hard to detect. When a person is hyperglycaemic they may display the following symptoms:
thirst
vomiting
excessive urination
rapid breathing
rapid but weak pulse
drowsiness.
To treat a hyperglycaemic episode, you should seek medical advice.

19. Diabetes
Exercise can assist children and young people to manage their diabetes as it helps maintain blood glucose levels and can help decrease the dosages of insulin required.
A long-term benefit of exercise is weight loss, which can lead to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Children and young athletes with diabetes can participate successfully in physical activity, providing they have taken extra measures to ensure their blood glucose levels are maintained.
Coaches should allow an athlete with diabetes to take food breaks to refuel their blood glucose levels before, during and after physical activity. Athletes with diabetes should also be monitored throughout all training sessions.

20. Epilepsy

21. Epilepsy
When normal electrochemical activity in the brain is disturbed, a seizure (sometimes known also as a fit) occurs. This is commonly known as epilepsy. Children and young people with epilepsy can participate in physical activity, as the modern medications available reduce the likelihood of seizures.

22. Epilepsy
If a child or young athlete has a seizure, the following steps should be taken:
Do not try and restrain the person.
Let the seizure occur, but move any objects away that may cause more harm.
Once the seizure has finished, place the person in the lateral position (on their side).
Loosen any tight clothing and reassure the person that everything will be fine.
If the seizure lasts longer than 5 minutes, call an ambulance.
After a seizure, a person may be tired due to the energy their body has exerted during the seizure. They may like to rest, but monitoring their progress is still essential.

23. overuse injuries (stress fractures)

24. overuse injuries (stress fractures)
Overuse injuries are on the increase in children and young athletes, and occur when repetitive stress is placed on a body part (bone, tendon or muscle) without enough recovery time for the body to heal and repair.
These types of injuries can be related to improper technique, poorly fitted protective equipment, training errors, limited recovery time, and muscle weakness and imbalance.
Common overuse injuries include shin splints, stress fractures, tendonitis and tennis elbow.

25. overuse injuries (stress fractures)
Overuse injuries can occur when young athletes specialise in one particular sport, continually placing stress on the same body part and, over time, increasing their risk of injury.
As children’s and young athletes’ bodies develop, it is important to allow the body to rest and recover.
Allowing young athletes to participate in a variety of sports allows different muscles to be used at different times, reducing the repetitive strain on the body part.

26. overuse injuries (stress fractures)
One common category of overuse injury is stress fractures. These are caused by repeated stress on a bone due to an activity such as continual running.
Stress fractures often develop due to a sudden increase in intensity of training, when the body is unable to cope with the repeated stress on the bone.

27. overuse injuries (stress fractures)
To avoid overuse injuries, coaches and athletes should consider:
including cross-training activities to ensure the same muscles are not continually worked and therefore have time to recover
buying correct equipment to ensure suitable cushioning, such as correct running shoes
selecting appropriate sports and drills that fall within a young athlete’s ability level
using appropriate warm-up and cool-down procedures
ensuring adequate rest time between training sessions.

28. thermoregulation

29. thermoregulation
Thermoregulation is the process that allows the body to maintain its temperature.
Children and young athletes are at greater risk of heat illnesses. Because their bodies’ physiological structures are still growing, they are not as efficient at regulating body temperature as adults. Young athletes have:
a greater surface area to body ratio than adults, which makes them more susceptible to gaining heat from the environment or when exercising
higher thresholds before sweating due to immature sweat glands, therefore holding in heat longer
slow acclimatisation to hot weather, therefore holding heat in for longer
the capacity to become dehydrated very quickly
a core body temperature that increases faster than that of adults.

30. thermoregulation
It is therefore essential that coaches consider these factors when training children and young athletes in cool or hot weather.
As a rule, children and young athletes should not participate in physical activity if the temperature exceeds 34 degrees Celsius. Coaches should also:
encourage athletes to drink small amounts of water regularly to replace fluid lost through perspiration
ensure suitable and appropriate clothing is worn for the weather conditions, such as hats during hot weather and polo fleeces during cold weather
provide adequate rest breaks in shaded areas to reduce fluid loss.

31. appropriateness of resistance training

32. appropriateness of resistance training
Resistance training, when combined with aerobic training, can enhance a young athlete’s sporting performance.
When supervised with correct instructions, resistance training for young athletes is both safe and beneficial. An athlete’s physical and emotional wellbeing can be enhanced through resistance training, via improvements in:
strength
motor performance
injury protection
self-esteem
body image
general health (such as reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes).

33. appropriateness of resistance training
Ideally, young athletes should use their own body weight for resistance training; over time, however, they can progress to weights. Eg. Exercises such as push-ups, chin-ups, tricep dips and planks where the young athlete is using their own body weight can provide a good foundation for weight training.
When designing a resistance program for a young athlete, it is important to start with light loads and high repetitions.
Over time, the size and type of weights used can be changed to further develop overall strength.

34. appropriateness of resistance training
Resistance programs always need to be designed specifically for each individual athlete, to ensure there is no risk of injury. They should also be specific to the athlete’s sport, and be relevant to their overall training program.