Introducing the National Strength and Conditioning Association's new Certified Special Population Specialist (CSPS) credential, established in 2012 to address the fitness needs of individuals afflicted by chronic or temporary health conditions.

This excerpt from Strength Training, Second Edition briefly details hormones and their role in the human body.

Athletes have sought out intermittent fasting as a strategy to optimize performance. However, it is important to critically evaluate the research available in order to establish specific recommendations and determine if intermittent fasting is safe or effective.

This column will explore specific investigations that evaluate the impact of PA and fitness on mental and physical health outcomes among firefighters and law enforcement officers.

The 3-minute all-out exercise test (3MT) was developed over a decade ago and enables the estimation of time for onset of momentary fatigue for a given speed or power output exceeding critical speed (CS) or critical power (CP), respectively. The 3MT has been validated for conducting high-intensity interval training, used with load carriage prediction and prescription, and validated for shuttle running. These prescriptions are novel because they allow for standardizing exercise intensities relative to metabolic parameters as opposed to a percentage of a given maximum or reserve. Research was identified using leading search engines (e.g., PubMed, Google Scholar, and Research Gate) and citations to similar articles. The objective of this review article was to summarize research that emerged on the CS/CP concept with emphasis on applications since the advent of the 3MT. The review concludes with application of the CS/CP concept to the frequency, intensity, time, and type of exercise for exercise prescription.

This article examines using the sled as a dynamic correspondence exercise for increasing on-ice acceleration.

The catecholamines—primarily epinephrine, but also norepinephrine and dopamine—are secreted by the adrenal medulla and are important for the acute expression of strength and power because the hormones act as central motor stimulators and peripheral vascular dilators to enhance enzyme systems and calcium release in muscle.

This article serves to educate strength and conditioning coaches on the influence exercise can have on the various hormonal pathways that are impacted by polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), including insulin resistance, cortisol, testosterone, follicle-stimulating, and luteinizing hormones.

Trainer Tips are infographics designed to help you, an NSCA professional, educate clients and promote your services. These member-only resources can be used for client education, motivation, and promotion.

This article will examine the physical demands of soccer players and discuss why repeated sprint ability (RSA) is considered highly important in the performance of these athletes.