Athlete's Bodies Taking a Hit

By Torie Wells

Elite athletes are often seen as almost super-human, but new research suggests their bodies are taking a hit. Weight gain, brain damage from concussions, and joint damage are all side effects doctors are seeing in college and professional athletes. At Syracuse University, players are already feeling the effects of their sports. But, some sports trainers think some of that damage can be avoided if players realize they aren't invincible.

Every week SU graduate student Jordan Davis puts over a hundred miles on his body. With each step, he's working to shave seconds off his race time. At 23, Davis has reached an elite level of fitness, competing against division one athletes across the country. But being this strong, over time, is already taking a toll.

"It takes me longer to warm up, it takes me more time to feel better running in the mornings," he said.

Soreness and stiffness are one thing. For that, he can take preventative measures like icing his legs, and physical therapy to prevent tightness. But injury from over training, is another, and it's a reality constantly in the back of Davis' mind.

"When you're training, you're riding on the fence, and whichever way you fall is either with success or injury," said Davis.

He's been on both sides.

"We were in the middle of a workout and I felt my foot break, so I went up to the coach and was like 'my foot's broken man' and he was like 'we've got only one more race left," said Davis.
That attitude of putting the game, before the body, is also true for SU women's hockey player Megan Skelly."

"I hyper-extended my calf muscle, and tour my achilles tendon," said Skelly, "but I kept playing."

Injuries like that, and even concussions, are nothing out of the ordinary, she said. While she knows head injuries can cause brain damage, it's never stopped her, she said.

College athletes take many precautions with stretching, padding and building strength, said SU football trainer Denny Kellington. Beyond that, it's about personal responsibility.

"If you sprain or disrupt a joint you do disrupt the integrity of that joint, so yes, you may have arthritis down the road," said Kellington, "but if you take care of yourself after you stop playing you will be fine."

Athletes also have to be careful of weight gain, said Kellington. They can't keep eating what they aren't burning. If athletes are smart about their bodies, the benefits of collegiate athletics are certainly there, he said.

"Improved health, lowered cholesterol, decreased chance of diabetes, heart disease," Kellington said.

Davis and Skelly sometimes neglect their bodies in the interest of succeeding with their sport, they said.

"My playing hockey outweighs any personal toughness down the road," Skelly said.

But for now, they're more concerned with the mental benefits of being on a team and doing what they love.

"I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing until I can't do it anymore and even when I cant do it, I'm probably still going to run," Davis said.

Maryland Sports Injury Center: Prevention and Care of Athletic Injury

CNN article on Brain Injury in Athletes

New NFL Rules