What's going on at SSMI?

According to U.S. Census Bureau projections, by 2030 adults aged 65 and over are expected to constitute 20% of the total U.S. population. The age group examined in this report—adults aged 55 and over—is expected to constitute nearly one-third (31.1%) of the population by 2030.

Today, as U.S. adults live longer, there is growing emphasis on extending not just years of life, but years of quality of life.

All too often I hear questions on what a vegetarian athlete can and should eat during training. I'm posting this because in the last two weeks alone, I've had about five different athletes come in and pose that question! It's pertinent now, timing-wise, because race season has started in triathlons, as well as running and cycling and ball sports are coming to an off season, except club, and this means off season conditioning programs, gaining lean mass, etc.

Athletes who eat a meatless diet run a risk of getting too little iron and zinc. Even slight deficiencies can hamper your performance. With an iron-poor diet, you won't form enough hemoglobin and myoglobin, the oxygen-carrying molecules in the blood and muscles, which will leave you weak and fatigued. Female athletes are at an even greater risk as they have smaller reserves and greater losses through menstruation. Zinc is needed to fight off infections and help wounds and injuries heal.

If you've never heard of the Dorothy Foundation, then let me be the first to introduce you to an amazing team of people. 

From their site: "The Dorothy Foundation a 501(c) 3 was founded to re-inspire and achieve momentum in the fight against cancer.  Our perspective is that after 35 years, we are not getting there fast enough.  Our goal is to provide the most up to date information regarding cancer treatments and research, to inform those affected by cancer, and to support the most promising, innovative research in the field."

Skeletal muscle in humans contain, on average, 15 to 18 grams of glucose per kilogram of wet weight stored as glycogen. For the standard 70 kg man, this is approximately 400 gr of muscle glycogen. Note that this represents an estimate of the total skeletal muscle carbohydrate pool, whereas a contracting muscle can draw only on its own glycogen reserves and not on the pools in noncontracting muscles.

Normally, there are 5-6 grams of glucose available in the blood. Although muscle uptake of blood glucose increases during exercise, the blood concentration does not fall, due to an increased rate of glucose release from the liver, except during prolonged work. The liver represents a highly labile glycogen reserve of some 50 to 90 grams.

Russell Westbrook, OKC Thunder Guard, sustained a tear of the lateral meniscus and is set to undergo arthroscopic surgery.

The peripheral 1/3 zone of the meniscus has a vascular supply, while the central 2/3 is avascular, poor blood supply. Tears can be classified as longitudinal, radial, oblique, horizontal, degenerative, complex, fla, or bucket-handle.

In The Sideline Report of the AMSSM, Dr. Michael Pitzer had the following to say about protein supplements:

Athletes of all ages supplement with protein to increase body mass and strength.

Last weekend, our own Luke Knowlton helped judge the final competition of the Health2Fit Challenge. Here's a sneak peak:

For eight weeks, Scott Keppel from STS and his team of trainers, nutritionist Brad Myers at L.I.F.E with Brad and registered dietitian Patti Milligan from Tignum Sustainable High Performance Institute have been teaching the H2F contestants how to succeed when it comes to eating right and exercising.

The SSMI team is thrilled to provide physician coverage for two teams that cover us every day: the Scottsdale Police and the Fire Department. Their annual flag football battle is coming up! Here are the details:

April 27, 2013 - Coronado High School

I was at a triathlon this weekend and had the pleasure of chatting with several current patients -- so excited to see them competing! I was then introduced by them to a few new folks, and I realized my patients didn't know something really important about SSMI -- we offer primary care!

Our tagline is "comprehensive care for the athlete" and we mean it. Here's what you can expect with an Executive Physical, our primary care service package at Scottsdale Sports Medicine:

This originally appeared as a guest post on Jen Arricale's blog.

Being an athlete my whole life has motivated me to get into sports medicine. When my family moved to Arizona in 1978, at the age of 11, I had come from already playing 6 years of Youth soccer at a high level. On a travelling, perennially State cup champion team, soccer was non existent in Arizona. After playing a couple years in the Paradise Valley Soccer Club, a group, lead by my dad Vincent Carfagno, Joseph Youseffi, Joe Salomon, and Dr Paul Steingard, who ended up being my mentor, had created a new soccer club called Sereno Soccer Club. Many in the soccer community now know that Sereno is a multimillion dollar club and competes nationally.

Join us for the open house! We are raffling off two 25 unit treatments of Botox for people who come to the open house AND like SSMI's Facebook page!

Date: April 11, 2013
Time: 8 am- 5 pm
Location: Scottsdale Sports Medicine Institute

Whether you play beach or hard court volleyball, it's a game where you need agility, strength, endurance, coordination, balance and hand-eye coordination. Volleyball requires that individuals move laterally and vertically in a rapid succession of start and stop movements. 

One of the common injuries in volleyball is the radial nerve in the hand. Injuries are from repeated ball impact to the front of the forearm distally. As a result, there is decreased sensation over the top of the hand.

Did you know that pro-inflammatory cytokines, the substances that are released in the face of inflammation, like interleukin 1, 6 and tumour necrosis factor, as well as interferons, can inhibit the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis? These cytokines can have inhibitory effects at all levels of the axis. The suppressive effect is most profound in the presence of infection, inflammation and trauma (like surgery). This, in part, leads to a hypotesticular state, or low testosterone. A low libido is seen with hypotestosterone and may be in part of an evolutionary species protection system preventing sick individuals from procreation and thus favoring survival of the fittest. This would also explain the reduced libido commonly associated with common viral illnesses.

Part of SSMI's men's health evaluation includes a thorough history into any activation of cytokines that may lead to a suppressed testosterone level, including excessive and overtraining in the athlete. Call us today to make an appointment.

The condition is known as Hot Foot, also known as Forefoot/Toe Numbness and Pain, Metatarsalgia, Paresthesias, and Morton's Neuroma. No matter what you call it, the symptoms are the same: pain or numbness on top of foot into the toes. So what causes it? Some major causes are improper cleat position, irregular sole (cleat bolt causing localized plantar pressure), tight or narrow shoes, small pedal platform, toe clips or improper rotational cleat adjustment.

The treatment can be simple: move your cleats back (lower your saddle same amount) and adjust rotation to individual mechanics, loosen toe clips or convert to clipless pedal, install thinner insoles and/or add metatarsal or neuroma pad, larger pedaling platform, wider shoe or shoe with anatomical footbed.

If you're already planning a big run, a brick or a major workout on the weekend, stop in at SSMI for your B12 shot on Friday. It's just $20 per injection or $85 for a 5 pack -- and there is no appointment necessary! Cash only, please.

B12 is a natural fat burner, helping your body turn carbohydrates, fats and proteins into energy. Studies have shown that vitamin B12 helps the body with the growth of cells. And thanks to B12, red and white blood cells are given a boost. When white blood cells benefit, so does your body's immune system. And with an increase in blood cells, your metabolism also rises.

This is a guest post by Celebrity Fitness Chef, Jen Arricale. Thanks, Jen!

What does "eating clean" mean? I think of it as eating non-processed, chemical-free, natural ingredients. Starting with whole food, clean eating incorporates healthy preparation methods and spices, single ingredient items for sauces, such as olive oil, balsamic or apple cider vinegar, and agave. A clean diet can also incorporate other natural products, like no salt seasoning blend, mustard and tomato sauce. Eating clean results in eating healthy, but it does indeed require a high level of discipline and planning.

I just found out that Phoenix Magazine has included me in their Top Docs list for 2013. I'm thrilled -- it means so much to me and to my staff to have this recognition! 

Phoenix magazine has a really interested article that answers a question I've heard from a few people: who decides who the Top Docs are? Here's what they had to say, or click here for the full article:

At SSMI, we always look for great resources for our patients. And one that I highly recommend for managing what you eat is My Food Diary. You create an account and keep track of your intake, with a very easy to use interface (use it on your phone!) and a huge database of food and recipes. Give it a try and let us know what you think!

What's "Recall Friday?" It's what SSMI has been doing for ten years now.

It's the day we make phone calls to our patients. We wish them a happy birthday. We check up on them if they have had an operation or procedure. We check up on them if they were sick the week prior.

I'm thrilled to join Banner Health on February 13 to present on sports related injuries. The objectives of the presentation is to help doctors and other healthcare professionals:

• Understand the "medical team" involved with a sports injury
• Be proficient in diagnosing and managing sports related injuries in the ER
• Understand the value of disposition
• Know when to admit and when to transfer to another facility
• Know your facility's limitations and strengths

Wednesday, February 13, 2013 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.