Happy August!
OK, who thought that back in March we would still be dealing with COVID-19 at this time of the year? Not me, but we are, and it seems to be getting messier rather then better. We need to rely on science and facts to make the best decisions for our patients, athletes, and communities.
Robert E. Sallis, MD, FACSM, has put together an excellent Exercise is Medicine edition with three outstanding section articles. The first article looks at the peer-reviewed evidence for physicians who do and don't discuss and/or prescribe exercise to their patients and examines the reasons why. The second article looks at the cardiorespiratory implications of ultramarathons. The third article discusses both limitations and future directions of multiple-modality exercise and cognition in older adults.
Additionally, we have two COVID-19-related Invited Commentaries that you will want to read: "COVID-19 – Is It Time for Exercise Clinicians to Pre-habilitate 'High Risk' Respiratory Patients?," by Irfan Ahmed MBBS, MA, MRCGP, MSc and Gulam Haji, MBBS, PhD and "COVID-19 and the School-based Mass Preparticipation Physical Evaluation: The Anvil that Broke the Camel's Back?," by Andrew Cunningham, MD, CAQSM.
I want to highlight and draw your attention to the two very important Special Communication articles in this issue as well. First, an ACSM Call to Action Statement on "COVID-19: Considerations for Sports and Physical Activity," elegantly penned by Keri L. Denay, MD, FACSM; Rebecca G. Breslow, MD; Meredith N. Turner, MD; David C. Nieman, DrPH, FACSM; William O. Roberts, MD, MS, FACSM; and Thomas M. Best, MD, PhD, FACSM. Second, a perennial favorite, a Team Physician Consensus Statement on pain management for the youth and adolescent athlete.
Scanning Sports Medicine covers the latest clinical research published by the American College of Sports Medicine and CAQ Review covers rehab considerations for recovery after a prosthetic joint placement.
Please share this edition with your colleagues and if there are any topics you would like to see us cover or articles you would like to author please let us know by emailing CSMR@acsm.org.
Thanks for taking the time to read CSMR this month!
I will finish this month's letter with a question – should we be playing youth, high school, college, or professional sports during a pandemic?
Sincerely,
Shawn
Shawn F. Kane, MD, FACSM
Editor-in-Chief
