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http://health.ucdavis.edu/sports-medicine/

UC Davis Sports Performance and Wellness, 3301 C Street, Ste 1600, Sacramento, CA (2025)

09/30/2025

Running is a physically demanding activity, but the right pair of running shoes can significantly enhance the experience!

Modern running shoes are engineered to provide stability and support throughout each stride. The sole design guides the foot’s natural motion while minimizing unnecessary lateral movement. For example, shoes with a rocker-shaped sole mimic the natural rolling motion of the foot, promoting a smoother transition from heel strike to toe-off.

Ample cushioning further enhances performance by absorbing shock, thus reducing stress on the lower body joints and improving running efficiency through energy return. For long-distance runners, proper footwear also helps prevent discomfort such as blisters and hot spots.

Additionally, outsoles are tailored for specific environments—whether on the road, track, or trails—ensuring optimal traction and durability for each surface.

09/30/2025

The importance of fundamental capacity and movement screening is something that is often overlooked by people in their day-to-day lives. However, these tests are helpful to determine what a person "[possesses], or lacks" in terms of ability to perform certain essential movements (Cook et. al, "Functional Movement Screening: The Use of Fundamental Movements as an Assessment of Function - Part 1." As individuals get further in age, these tests become more and more vital in terms of injury prevention and overall safety and well-being. Here at the UC Davis Sports Performance and Wellness Clinic, examinations like these are our specialty. DXA scans, resting metabolic rate (RMR) tests, and many other preventative measures for your health are made easy and efficient. Keep in touch with your health journey over at 3301 C Street Suite 1600, Sacramento, CA, 95816!

Citations:
M;, Cook G;Burton L;Hoogenboom BJ;Voight. “Functional Movement Screening: The Use of Fundamental Movements as an Assessment of Function - Part 1.” International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24944860/. Accessed 30 Sept. 2025.

09/26/2025

How to avoid overtraining:

Exercise is one of the best things you can do for your body, but like anything else, it must be done in moderation. To function at our best, our bodies require a balance of good nutrition, exercise, and rest. A lot of training and exercise may sound great, but too much can reverse your progress. This is known as overtraining, which happens when the body isn’t given time to rest and repair. Overtraining will slow your progress down, so it's important to set aside time for your body to relax.

How to prevent overtraining:

Incorporate rest and recovery days. Spacing out your workouts or incorporating recovery days helps your body heal and adapt. Rest is where the healing happens.

Avoid training the same muscle groups back-to-back. For our muscles to get stronger, they need time to repair after a stimulus.

Prioritize Sleep. Aim to get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. The majority of our healing processes occur during sleep, so it is essential to give our bodies the right amount of time to rest.

Stay Hydrated: Proper hydration is always important before, during, and after exercise. Hydration supports recovery. Ensuring your body is fueled is key to keeping a healthy body.

09/23/2025

Pre-workout supplements are among the most widely used performance enhancers in the fitness industry. Their primary purpose is to increase energy, focus, and exercise capacity— effects which are largely attributed to caffeine. Typical formulations contain between 100–300 mg of caffeine, which functions by blocking adenosine receptors in the central nervous system. This mechanism reduces drowsiness and enhances neural activity by promoting the release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine.

Beyond stimulants, pre-workout products frequently include amino acids that support muscular performance:

- Beta-alanine (1.5–3.5 g): Elevates muscle carnosine levels, buffering acidity and delaying fatigue.

- L-citrulline (6–8 g): Increases nitric oxide production, promoting vasodilation and improved blood flow (“pump”).

- Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs): Help reduce muscle breakdown during exercise and support recovery.

One concern with consistent pre-workout use is the development of caffeine tolerance. Over time, the nervous system adapts by upregulating adenosine receptors, diminishing the stimulant’s effectiveness and leading to the need for higher doses to achieve the same effect. To counteract this, a gradual reduction in caffeine intake over 2–4 weeks is recommended. This tapering process allows the body to reset sensitivity, enabling individuals to once again experience the full benefits of caffeine upon reintroduction.

09/16/2025

Both running and cycling are effective forms of cardiovascular training that support fat loss while helping to maintain lean muscle mass. However, they differ in the musculature they emphasize, the mechanical load placed on the joints, and the degree of strain they impose on overall recovery.

Running, as a weight-bearing activity, places the greatest impact on the lower body compared to other modes of endurance training. It recruits a broad range of muscles, including the quadriceps, gluteal muscles, hamstrings, and the calves. However, this high mechanical load may interfere with lower-body training, particularly squats and deadlifts. When combined with a hypertrophy program, it can carry a greater risk of joint stress. Nevertheless, when managed with appropriate recovery and performed at low to moderate intensities, running is highly effective for fat loss during cutting phases due to its elevated energy expenditure.

In contrast, cycling is a less weight-bearing modality with less joint stress and less interference with lower-body hypertrophy. Although its energy expenditure per unit time is generally lower than running because fewer muscle groups are recruited, cycling allows for precise control of intensity and can be highly beneficial on recovery days.

In practice, incorporating both running and cycling into a hypertrophy-oriented program can enhance cardiovascular fitness while supporting body composition goals. Balancing intensity, frequency, and duration is key to ensuring that endurance training complements hypertrophy adaptations.

09/12/2025

Do you need to drink protein shakes?

The short answer is no, you don’t have to, but it may be helpful. Depending on your goals, monitoring your nutrition can be specific. For example, if your goal is to build as much muscle as possible, then yes, you need to make sure you’re receiving the right amount of protein. So, where do protein shakes come into play? For some individuals, eating the right amount of protein for their bodies can be hard. Protein shakes make the process more convenient.

How do you know if you’re getting the right amount of protein?

The general rule for protein consumption is 0.7 grams per pound of body weight, which gives you the total in grams. For example, if I weigh 180lbs, I will multiply 180 by 0.7, which equals 126 grams per day. It's important to space out our meals and distribute the protein into separate servings. Protein requires more energy for our bodies to digest, so too large a serving may add extra stress on the digestive system. Also, extra protein doesn’t get saved for later; instead, it can be converted to fat as a future energy source.

Before considering protein shakes, know how much protein you need and when you should drink them. Similar to consistent exercise, protein intake should be just as consistent to maximize the benefits.

09/09/2025

How does drinking electrolytes affect performance?

During strenuous endurance exercise, large amounts of fluid and electrolytes are lost through sweat. While plain water may be sufficient to maintain hydration during shorter or moderate bouts of activity, an electrolyte drink is more effective during prolonged, intense exercise or in hot and humid environments where fluid loss is substantial.

Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and chloride are essential for maintaining fluid balance between the intracellular and extracellular compartments, which is critical for establishing the electrical gradients needed for nerve conduction. Calcium plays a key role in muscle contraction, while magnesium supports muscle relaxation. Thermoregulation also depends heavily on proper fluid and electrolyte balance.

Although many commercial electrolyte drinks are available, you can also make your own using the World Health Organization’s recommended Oral Rehydration Solution. This mixture—consisting of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, glucose, and baking soda (or trisodium citrate) dissolved in water—supports sodium–glucose co-transport to accelerate rehydration, replenishes potassium to restore electrical gradients, and provides bicarbonate to help correct acidosis during heat stress.

09/06/2025

Muscle Fiber Type

Genetics largely determines the ratio of muscle fiber types each of us has. Some people naturally have more fast-twitch, while others have more slow-twitch, but most of us sit somewhere in the middle at the intermediate fiber type. Muscle fiber type can be an indicator of the style of fitness you will excel in. For example, if you have a majority of fast-twitch muscle fibers, then you would be better suited for sprinting than long-distance running. Whether you have more fast-twitch or more slow-twitch, you can still adapt your body in either direction through proper training.

Fast-Twitch
Fast-twitch muscle fibers, also known as type 2x muscle fibers, are what we rely on to generate larger amounts of force and speed. Type 2x muscle fibers are powered by the glycogen system, which means you use carbohydrates, specifically glucose, to generate energy. Although powerful, the type 2x muscle fibers are quick to fatigue. Elite-level athletes such as world-class sprinters or powerlifters generally have a higher ratio of fast-twitch muscle fibers.

Intermediate
Intermediate or type 2a muscle fibers provide us with flexibility and allow us to adapt to almost any sport we want to play. Depending on the style of training, type 2a muscle fibers can adapt to become more aerobic or anaerobic. For example, if someone wants to become stronger, through proper strength training, the type 2a muscle fibers will begin to store carbohydrates close by for a fast source of energy, similar to the type 2x fibers. This can also switch in the opposite direction if the style of training transitions to a more endurance demand, the fiber type would shift closer to slow-twitch fiber characteristics.

Slow-Twitch
Slow-twitch or type 1 muscle fibers are most efficient in endurance-based activities. Although they don’t produce large amounts of power, they fatigue at a much slower rate and rely on oxidative energy production. Endurance athletes like elite long-distance runners typically have a larger ratio of type 1 muscle fibers.

09/02/2025

Why choose between endurance and strength training when you can do both?

While strength and endurance training are often viewed as two different disciplines, they can be effectively combined into a hybrid regimen that achieves fitness goals across the board. The benefits of a hybrid training regimen are many, including an improved body composition with the reduction of body fat and an increase in muscle mass. It also allows for an efficient use of time by targeting multiple systems at once. Most importantly, it boosts overall health through better mobility, reduced risk of injury, higher sleep quality, and a lower resting heart rate.

The balance of strength versus endurance in a hybrid training program would depend on the athlete’s fitness goals. Some would lean more toward weightlifting while others toward conditioning. Nonetheless, incorporating elements from both disciplines ensures long-term and well-rounded fitness.

08/29/2025

Injury Prevention

One of the most challenging aspects of exercise and sports is the risk of injury associated. As an athlete, it is essential to take proper injury-preventative measures before and after physical activity to keep your body performing the best. Key strategies include stretching, strength training, and an adequate setup.

Stretching:
Stretching plays a critical role in preparing the body for movement and recovery. Dynamic stretching before exercise helps warm up the muscle and increase ROM, while static stretching afterwards promotes flexibility and relaxation. Injuries are more likely to occur when the muscles and joints are tight, so by including both types of stretching you significantly reduce the risk of injury.

Strength Training:
Strength training benefits athletes of all levels. Incorporating two 30-60 minute sessions of a strength training workout sets your body up for success. Some of the benefits include increases in bone development, muscle mass, and strength in ligaments and tendons. A stronger body is more resilient, making it easier to reach new goals while staying healthy.

Setup:
The right setup is a fundamental part of injury prevention. From the shoes you use to the right fit for your bike, small changes in equipment make a large difference. Proper gear ensures comfort and safety in training and competition.

08/26/2025

What is lactate threshold testing?

During physical activity, one of the primary metabolic pathways utilized by muscle cells is glycolysis where pyruvate is generated from glucose. When energy demand is high, pyruvate is converted into lactate to regenerate the metabolites necessary for glycolysis to continue. However, lactate is not a simple waste product, as it can be transported to neighboring muscle fibers for use as fuel or delivered to the liver via the Cori cycle where it is converted back into glucose.

As exercise intensity increases, lactate production can exceed the body’s ability to transport it. This point, known as the lactate threshold, marks the onset of rapid lactate and hydrogen ion accumulation. The rise in hydrogen ions lowers muscle pH which impairs glycolytic enzyme activity and contributes to fatigue.

A lactate threshold test is commonly performed on a treadmill or stationary bike with progressively increasing intensity. At certain intervals, blood lactate samples are taken alongside heart rate measurements and rating of perceived exertion. When this data is plotted as blood lactate concentration versus exercise intensity (e.g., heart rate, speed, or power output), two key thresholds emerge:

- LT1 (aerobic threshold): the lowest intensity where blood lactate begins to rise above baseline, reflecting the initial reliance on glycolysis.

- LT2 (anaerobic threshold): the point at higher intensities where lactate accumulates rapidly, indicating a shift toward strenuous effort.

The information gained from lactate threshold testing is highly valuable for individuals that are training for specific goals. By identifying precise training zones, the individual gains an understanding of the specific pace, power, or heart rate that they should aim for, thereby maximizing performance improvements while minimizing the risk of overtraining.

08/26/2025

Happy International Dog Day!
Owning a pet can be one of the most fulfilling things you can do either if it is a dog, cat, reptile, bird, etc. Not only can owning a pet can give you a sense of support, but a pet can also positively influence your physical health as well. Since it is International Dog Day, let me show you the benefits of a man's best friend.
1. Physical Activity significant increases compared from a non-pet owner to a pet-owner. Either it is social support, motivation to exercise, or an extra sense of responsibility. A dog can keep you moving in every stage in life.
2. Pets also provide a higher level of mental health. Pet owners reported less stress, anxiety, and loneliness, a better sense of purpose, and a boost in mood compared to non-pet owners.
If you are ready, have the time, and finances to do so, please consider owning a pet because of the mental and physical health benefits to getting one. Even though a pet's life is short, the impact is forever for both you and your pet. Not only you are changing your pet's life, but your life is changing for the better.

https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/health-benefits-of-pets-how-your-furry-friend-improves-your-mental-and-physical-health/2024/04
Martins, Catarina F., et al. "Pet’s influence on humans’ daily physical activity and mental health: a meta-analysis." Frontiers in public health 11 (2023): 1196199.

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Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm