Athletes have sought out intermittent fasting as a strategy to optimize performance. However, it is important to critically evaluate the research available in order to establish specific recommendations and determine if intermittent fasting is safe or effective.

The aim of this article is to highlight the functional importance of the foot, and to provide recommendations for foot conditioning.

Colorado Springs, CO - The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) recently released a position statement in reference to the growing interest in long-term athletic development for youth.

The implementation of long-term athletic development (LTAD) aims to improve health, physical activity, and performance of all youth. Contemporary LTAD models suggest that a broad range of physical and psychosocial competencies should be developed in youth, but few resources are available for coaches that describe “how” to achieve these outcomes. This article overviews a coaching session framework built around the following components: raise, activate, mobilize, prepare, activity, games, evaluate (RAMPAGE). The framework provides practitioners with information on what can be planned and delivered and when within a coaching session, across multiple ages and stages of development within multiple contexts (e.g., physical education and talent development).

Verbal cues are tools used by practitioners in developing a youth athlete’s motor skill abilities. External cues may optimize athletic performance and movement competencies in adults with trends for youth athletic populations following suit. However, maturation, training age, and cognitive age may interact with the efficacy of cues used. To better assist practitioners working with youth, this article reviews current empirical evidence on how youth populations respond or may respond to cues and offers practical applications.

The purpose of this article is to provide the strength and conditioning coach with a template on how to integrate the clean and power clean into athletic training programs.

Some research has found that static stretching can have detrimental effects on subsequent performance. This is not to say that static stretching should be eliminated from an athlete’s program, but it should be sensibly incorporated into the daily training regimen since chronic stretching can enhance the range of motion around a joint and potentially improve strength and power performance.

Anemia is a condition characterized by too few red blood cells, leading to diminished oxygen delivery, which can significantly impact exercise participation and athletic performance. The etiology of anemia is multifactorial. Some forms of anemia develop as a result of deficiencies in specific vitamins and minerals and may be modifiable, whereas other types are inherited disorders. Although nonmodifiable, the latter may be managed with the assistance of trained medical professionals. This article will provide an overview of the pathophysiology associated with common forms of anemia and provide an introduction to diagnostic testing procedures and treatment options. Additionally, the signs and symptoms will be discussed to help strength and conditioning professionals recognize this potentially impactful condition. This article concludes with a discussion of the influence iron deficiency has on sports participation.

This article provides an understanding of the role the core plays during execution of athletic movements, as well as provides evidence-based concepts that help to strengthen the core and maximize movement performance.

The purpose of this article is to help disseminate information on the thermal environment during track meets, risk management, and thermal reducing approaches coaches, athletes, and sports medicine personnel can employ for improved athletic performance in a hot environment.