My latest story for Wired Playbook discusses recent research from a group that analyzed 46 seasons of professional German soccer league data to determine that firing a coach mid-season -- a tactic clubhouses use to jump-start a fledgling team -- has absolutely no effect on the squad's performance.
Read MoreI'm a little late posting this one here, but last month I wrote a story for Wired Playbook on how athletes, much like musicians, seem to have brains that are beefier in certain areas
Read MoreThat was the gist of a headline I read on The Atlantic this morning.
At first blush, I thought the commentary by Edward Tenner on a recent NYT report was overreaching a bit. How could helmets, which protect the head, make sports more hazardous. But as I read on, I saw the point he was trying to make.
Read MoreMy latest post for Wired Playbook reports on a new idea that two UK researchers have proposed for keeping tabs on which Olympic athletes are using performance-enhancing drugs.
Read MoreOver at Wired Playbook, I have a new article highlighting a sports performance-enhancing technique where blood flow is temporarily reduced to a limb, in order to prime the muscle for future stress during exercise:
Read MoreMy latest post at Wired Playbook profiles Mark Drakos, an orthopedic surgeon who uses cadaver legs to test the biomechanics of ACL injuries:
Read MoreMore and more young athletes are reporting symptoms of concussions at emergency rooms across the country. Now, the American Academy of Neuorlogists (AAN) has released formal guidelines stating those suspected of suffering a concussion should not return to play until they are evaluated by a physician. As I reported at Wired Playbook, this is a great step forward to ensure the safety of athletes. The AAN provisions also indirectly call for improvements in the diagnostic tools physicians use to determine if a player has had a concussion or not:
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