Evidence suggests a positive relationship between physical activity, exercise, and mental health. Exercise as a treatment modality is now being considered alongside psychotherapeutic and pharmacological approaches, and the role of specifically trained exercise specialists and personal trainers is an important component of the multi-disciplinary team.

This TSAC Report article highlights resilience and recovery with the performance-enhancing benefits of astaxanthin. Visit NSCA online to learn more about nutrition, resistance training, and tactical athletes

Personal trainers should be aware of the physiological changes during pregnancy for each trimester in order to provide appropriate exercise modifications and alternatives for their prenatal clients, to positively influence overall health.

Traditional lower-body resistance exercise alone may not be an optimal means of developing agility. Further, the effectiveness of straight-sprint training on agility performance has not been well established. In contrast, jump training, including loaded jump squats and horizontal and lateral jumps, holds promise.

This article emphasizes environmental and nutritional dimensions in which there is enough robust evidence to make meaningful recommendations for sustainable nutrition practices.

This excerpt from NSCA’s Essentials of Sport Science highlights the importance of quantifying training load for both programming and monitoring an athlete’s progression or regression over time.

At smaller colleges, strength and conditioning coaches are often asked to lead big with limited staff. Whitney Leyva-Camberos, Director of Sports Performance at Fresno Pacific University and NSCA Southwest Regional Coordinator, shares how she supports a growing program while building a career through service. Leyva-Camberos talks through small-department challenges coaches know well, from crowded training windows and shared weight room space to constant communication with sport coaches. She uses timing gates and velocity-based training to raise intent, spark athlete competition, and keep data useful for a small staff. As a parent and department leader, Leyva-Camberos reflects on the support that helps coaches stay in the field for the long term. She also shares how saying yes and showing up at NSCA events helped turn local introductions into lasting connections. Listen for strategies to lead with limited resources, choose technology with purpose, and get connected through NSCA opportunities in your region. Connect with Whitney on Instagram: @bigassmuscles or by email: whitney.leyva@fresno.edu | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs

NSCA Coach 11.3 is an exercise research article providing strength coaches, considerations to design effective sports performance programs for collegiate soccer.

The ketogenic diet, while controversial and a highly polarizing subject, has demonstrated promise as an alternative dietary strategy for weight management.

This article discusses using the principle of specificity as an important component in tactical training programs to enhance performance, decrease injuries, and improve functional longevity of a tactical athlete.