UC Davis Sports Performance and Wellness

UC Davis Sports Performance and Wellness UC Davis Sports Performance and Wellness performs a variety of assessments to help you track and improve your fitness and well-being.

Cardiovascular training offers substantial benefits across fitness regimens; however, distinguishing between different m...
01/20/2026

Cardiovascular training offers substantial benefits across fitness regimens; however, distinguishing between different modalities is essential when tailoring exercise to specific goals.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves brief, near-maximal bursts of effort (typically ~30 seconds) performed as sprint intervals, rowing, or assault biking. The high metabolic demand of this training enhances glycolytic capacity through increased carbohydrate utilization and can contribute to improvements in VO₂max.

In contrast, long slow endurance (LSE) training consists of sustained, steady-state activity performed at Zone 2 intensity for extended durations. Due to its lower intensity, the body shifts toward fatty acid oxidation, making this form of cardiovascular exercise particularly effective for improving metabolic efficiency and supporting fat loss.

A common question is whether cardiovascular training should be performed before or after resistance exercise. The answer...
01/13/2026

A common question is whether cardiovascular training should be performed before or after resistance exercise. The answer depends largely on an individual’s training goals and the intensity of the cardiovascular work.

Aerobic training can complement any training regimen and plays an important role in maintaining cardiovascular fitness. When the primary goal is maximizing hypertrophy, strength, or power, cardiovascular exercise is best performed after resistance training or in a separate session on a different day. This approach helps avoid an interference effect, as endurance training can reduce neural drive and compromise force production — both of which are critical for high-quality resistance training. Similarly, for individuals focused on fat loss, completing resistance training first can deplete glycogen stores, thereby shifting subsequent aerobic exercise toward greater fat oxidation.

Conversely, when the primary objective is to improve endurance or aerobic capacity, performing cardiovascular training prior to resistance exercise is more appropriate. In this case, resistance training should be kept shorter in duration and focused on technique, movement quality, and injury prevention to ensure that the quality of the aerobic stimulus is preserved.

Why should I get a DEXA scan?A DEXA scan is a tool that allows us to obtain a detailed body composition analysis, reveal...
01/12/2026

Why should I get a DEXA scan?

A DEXA scan is a tool that allows us to obtain a detailed body composition analysis, revealing one’s fat mass, lean mass, and bone density.

These scans are commonly ordered by orthopedic doctors to assess fracture risk and monitor age-related bone decline in older individuals. A DEXA scan is not a routine procedure in younger populations. It is often only after a stress fracture or serious injury that a physician will proceed with a DEXA scan for younger individuals. But this is often too late; many individuals will be well on their way towards osteoporosis before signs become outwardly apparent and a cascade of injuries begin.

Making matters worse is that bone density typically peaks in your mid-to-late twenties. After this age, the goal is no longer to increase bone density but rather to slow its decline. Thus, the teen and early 20’s are a critical period to prioritize bone health. Entering young adulthood with a poor BMD is a recipe for poor mobility and frequent injuries as an older individual.

Populations that are at particularly high-risk for having poor bone density include:
Endurance athletes
Amenorrheic individuals (lacking a regular menstrual cycle)
Those with low Vitamin D and/ or calcium

Be proactive and schedule a preventative DEXA screening today!

Is There an Optimal Way to Warm Up?Warming up is an essential component of injury prevention and exercise performance an...
12/19/2025

Is There an Optimal Way to Warm Up?
Warming up is an essential component of injury prevention and exercise performance and should be performed before any physical activity. While the specific warm-up should be tailored to the demands of the sport or exercise, an optimal warm-up generally consists of four components: a general warm-up, dynamic mobility, muscle activation, and sport-specific preparation.

General Warm-Up:
The purpose of the general warm-up is to increase blood flow and elevate body temperature. Activities such as brisk walking or light jogging help prepare the cardiovascular system and signal to the body that physical exertion is about to begin.

Dynamic Mobility:
Dynamic mobility involves moving joints through their full ranges of motion in a manner specific to the upcoming activity. This prepares the muscles, joints, and connective tissues for the movement patterns and ranges of motion required during exercise.

Muscle Activation:
Muscle activation focuses on engaging primary muscle groups and stabilizers relevant to the sport or exercise. Activating these muscles enhances neuromuscular readiness, promotes efficient movement patterns, and supports injury prevention.

Sport-Specific Warm-Up:
The sport-specific warm-up is the most critical component, as it allows the body to gradually adjust to the exact demands of the activity. This phase should mimic the movements, intensity, and coordination required in the sport. For example, a long-distance running warm-up may include progressive increases in cadence and short accelerations to prepare the body for sustained effort.

It is important to avoid prolonged static stretching before dynamic activity, using the same warm-up for every exercise, or warming up with excessive intensity that leads to fatigue. These practices can negatively impact performance and increase injury risk.

Allocating time for an appropriate warm-up before every training or sport session helps maintain mechanical health and enhances overall performance.

Because aerobic exercise can be highly physically demanding, appropriate precautions are necessary to reduce the risk of...
12/16/2025

Because aerobic exercise can be highly physically demanding, appropriate precautions are necessary to reduce the risk of lightheadedness, dizziness, or syncope. During intense aerobic activity, the sympathetic nervous system is highly active, heart rate is elevated, and blood flow is preferentially directed toward the working musculature. Just as a warm-up is important at the beginning of a session, incorporating a cool-down phase at the end of exercise facilitates a gradual return to baseline physiological function. This controlled transition allows the skeletal muscle pump to remain active, promoting venous return and the clearance of metabolic by-products. In addition, a cool-down helps reduce mental stress and supports post-exercise calm and focus. Overall, an effective cool-down phase enhances recovery, safety, and long-term physiological adaptation.

Concussion Awareness: Recognizing a concussion early is one of the most important steps in protecting an athlete's long-...
12/15/2025

Concussion Awareness: Recognizing a concussion early is one of the most important steps in protecting an athlete's long-term health. Symptoms like headache, dizziness, confusion, and blurred vision, or sensitivity to light can appear immediately or develop overtime. If an athlete takes a hit and "just doesn't feel right," they should be removed from play and evaluated with no exceptions. Playing through a concussion can increase the risks of serious complications and delayed recovery. When in doubt, sit them out. Safety always comes before the scoreboard.

What type of cardio should you do?Cardio is a crucial component of overall fitness and is something we must maintain thr...
12/12/2025

What type of cardio should you do?

Cardio is a crucial component of overall fitness and is something we must maintain throughout our lives. It is hard knowing which type of exercise to do and what intensity zone to be in.

What exercise?
This comes down to what you enjoy. There are numerous methods of cardio that all enhance overall cardio-respiratory fitness and elicit specific muscular adaptations. If your primary goal is to get out there and get the heart rate up, choose something you enjoy doing. The important factor to consider is what exercise works best for you to reach every intensity zone.

Cardio intensity zones can be explained the easiest through your heart rate. The higher your heart rate gets, the higher the intensity you're working in. These intensity zones are split into 5 categories: Zone 1, Very Low Intensity, Zone 2, Low Intensity, Zone 3, Moderate Intensity, Zone 4, High Intensity, and Zone 5, Very High Intensity. Each zone contains specific metabolic processes that separate them from each other.

Zone 1:
50-60% of Max Heart Rate. This zone is primarily for recovery purposes. It slightly increases blood flow and promotes fat burning.

Zone 2:
60-70% of Max Heart Rate. This zone improves your aerobic capacity and increases your VO2max. Zone 2 sessions need to be long and slow to elicit the aerobic adaptations. Exercising at this intensity improves your body’s ability to burn fat efficiently.

Zone 3:
70-80% of Max Heart Rate. Zone 3 is known as the tempo zone, where your body utilizes both fat and carbs as fuel. If you’re competing in any endurance competition, this is like the intensity your body will be in through the duration of the race.

Zone 4:
80-90% of Max Heart Rate. In zone 4, you will burn all carbs and increase your maximum performance capacity during shorter efforts.

Zone 5:
90-100% of Max Heart Rate. Helps develop speed and maintain high-intensity fitness.

If you’re looking to improve overall cardio fitness, it is crucial to target all of these zones to a certain degree. The general rule is to spend most of your time in zone 2/3 and occasionally push zones 4/5 to maintain both high-intensity and low-intensity fitness.

ACL Prevention: Strong glutes and proper knee alignment are your first line of defense against ACL injuries. When the hi...
12/12/2025

ACL Prevention: Strong glutes and proper knee alignment are your first line of defense against ACL injuries. When the hips are weak, the knee collapses inward during cutting, landing, and change-of-direction which is one of the biggest risk factors for the ACL tears. Adding simple glute activation and strength drills to your warm-up like lateral band walks and single-leg stability work, helps keep the knee tracking correctly and reduces strain on the ligament. Train your hips, control your landing, and you'll protect your ACL every time you move.

Arthritis refers to inflammation or dysfunction within one or more joints. It encompasses a broad range of conditions wi...
12/09/2025

Arthritis refers to inflammation or dysfunction within one or more joints. It encompasses a broad range of conditions with varying causes, including autoimmune or rheumatologic disorders, prior injury, and age-related degenerative changes. Common symptoms include aching pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced mobility, all of which can significantly impact daily comfort and functional capacity — particularly in older adults.

As arthritis is prevalent and can be highly limiting, proactive symptom management is essential. Regular exercise plays a central role in improving joint health. Movement increases circulation of synovial fluid, which lubricates the joint and reduces stiffness. Strengthening the surrounding musculature through resistance training decreases mechanical load on the affected joint, enhances support from ligaments and tendons, and improves overall stability. In addition, mobility work, flexibility training, and low-impact aerobic exercise can help reduce inflammation, alleviate pain, and maintain functional range of motion.

What are the short-term and long-term benefits of exercise on the brain?Overall, we have a good understanding of the ben...
12/05/2025

What are the short-term and long-term benefits of exercise on the brain?

Overall, we have a good understanding of the benefits of exercise on the entire body, including increases in cardiorespiratory function, muscle and joint strength, and immune system function. Collectively, these benefits decrease our chances of developing certain diseases. The one organ we still don’t have the best understanding of during exercise is the brain. The brain is our most metabolically active organ, which is constantly changing as we learn and complete new tasks. But does exercise influence the function of this organ? Research is showing that it does, but the benefits vary depending on the intensity, frequency, acute vs. chronic, duration, and mode of exercise.

Short-Term Benefits:
Minor changes in blood flow - A slight increase that is not intensity dependent.

Increase in blood distribution - Increases oxygenation in the brain.

Increase in glucose uptake - The brain requires more fuel during exercise, which leads to a higher glucose consumption. This effect changes depending on intensity. The higher the intensity, the more lactate is used instead.

Releases endorphins - The exercise high people feel during and after exercise.

Increase in brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) - Important for learning, regulating, and maintaining neuron growth.

Long-term Benefits: Limited experimental evidence in humans, but some results have shown
Possible increase in capillarity

Possible increase in neurogenesis - Creating new neurons.

Possible increase in mitochondrial biogenesis - Increases in the number and mass of the mitochondria in the cell.

Although current research is limited on the benefits of exercise on the brain, the current literature shows that exercise could improve learning and the growth of neurons. These findings provide yet another compelling reason to incorporate regular physical activity into daily life.

An injured tendon can significantly limit athletic performance and may become increasingly debilitating if not rehabilit...
12/02/2025

An injured tendon can significantly limit athletic performance and may become increasingly debilitating if not rehabilitated properly.

Tendons are specialized connective tissues that transmit force between muscle and bone. They are primarily composed of tightly organized Type I collagen fibers that bundle together to form the fascicles and overall tendon structure. When mechanical load exceeds the tensile strength of this collagen matrix, a partial or complete tear may occur. For this reason, proper movement mechanics and appropriate loading are essential for preventing tendon injuries.

When a tear does occur, the body initiates a repair process in which the original Type I collagen is initially replaced by Type III collagen. This early repair tissue is characterized by immature, loosely organized fibers that form a stable but mechanically weaker scar at the injury site.

During the remodeling phase, Type III collagen is gradually replaced with stronger, well-aligned Type I collagen through cross-linking and fiber reorganization. To optimize this process, evidence supports the use of collagen supplementation combined with vitamin C taken 30–60 minutes before tendon-loading exercise. Additionally, incorporating isometric loading of the affected tendon can meaningfully enhance collagen synthesis, reduce pain, and promote long-term recovery.

Tracking progress through performance gains and physical appearance is valuable, but monitoring body weight can also pro...
11/25/2025

Tracking progress through performance gains and physical appearance is valuable, but monitoring body weight can also provide meaningful insight into your body’s response to different nutrition strategies and training programs. For many individuals, a simple home scale is sufficient for observing general weight trends.

As training becomes more advanced, understanding changes in body composition—specifically fat mass and lean mass—can offer a deeper picture of fitness progress. Most affordable household smart scales estimate body composition using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). These devices send a small electrical current through the lower body and measure how much it is slowed as it travels through fat, muscle, bone, and water. While useful for monitoring general trends, their accuracy is limited due to the region the current travels through, requiring the device to estimate total body composition through prediction equations.

Other advanced methods exist. One of them is the classic hydrostatic (underwater) weighing that compares weight on land with weight underwater to estimate body fat percentage based on body density. However, Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA) remains as the gold standard today. By measuring the amount of low-dose X-ray energy absorbed by different tissues, it allows for highly accurate assessment of bone mineral density, lean mass, and fat mass, as well as regional distribution.

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