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Context: As evidence-based practice (EBP) becomes a necessity in athletic training, Web-based modules have been developed and made available to the National Athletic Trainers' Association membership as a mechanism to educate athletic trainers (ATs) on concepts of EBP. Objective: To assess the effect of an educational intervention on enhancing knowledge of EBP among ATs. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: Web-based modules and knowledge assessment. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 164 of 473 ATs (34.7% response rate), including professional athletic training students, graduate students, clinical preceptors, educators, and clinicians, were randomized into a control group (40 men, 42 women) or experimental group (33 men, 49 women). Intervention(s): Ten Web-based modules were developed that covered concepts involved in the EBP process. Both groups completed the Evidence-Based Practice Knowledge Assessment before and after the intervention phase. During the intervention phase, the experimental group had access to the Web-based modules for 4 weeks, whereas the control group had no direct responsibilities for the investigation. The knowledge assessment consisted of 60 multiple choice questions pertaining to concepts presented in the 10 modules. Test-retest reliability was determined to be good (intraclass correlation coefficient [2,1] = 0.726, 95% confidence interval = 0.605, 0.814). Main Outcome Measure(s): Independent variables consisted of group (control, experimental) and time (preassessment, postassessment). Knowledge scores were tabulated by awarding 1 point for each correct answer (maximum = 60). Between-group and within-group differences were calculated using a 2 3 2 repeated-measures analysis of variance (P ≤ .05), post hoc t tests, and Hedges g effect size with 95% confidence intervals. Results: We found a group 3 time interaction (F1,162 = 26.29, P < .001). No differences were identified between the control (30.12 ± 5.73) and experimental (30.65 ± 5.93) groups during the preassessment (t162 = 0.58, P = .84). The experimental group (36.35 6 8.58) obtained higher scores on the postassessment than the control group (30.99 ± 6.33; t162 = 4.55, P = .01). No differences were identified among time instances within the control group (t81 =1.77, P=.08); however, the experimental group obtained higher scores on the postassessment than the preassessment (t81 = 7.07, P < .001). Conclusions: An educational intervention consisting of 10 Web-based modules was an effective mechanism to increase knowledge of foundational EBP concepts among ATs. However, it is not known whether ATs are integrating EBP into daily clinical practice. Researchers should determine whether increased knowledge of EBP affects the daily clinical decision making of ATs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Athletic trainers recommend and use a multitude of rehydration (REHY) methods with their patients. The REHY modality that most effectively facilitates recovery is unknown. Objective: To compare 5 common REHY methods for thermoregulatory and stress hormone recovery after exercise dehydration (EXDE) in trained participants. Design: Randomized, cross-over, controlled study. Patients or Other Participants: Twelve physically active, non-heat-acclimatized men (age = 23 ± 4 years, height = 180 ± 6 cm, mass = 81.3 ± 3.7 kg, Vo2max = 56.9 ± 4.4 mL⋅min-1⋅kg-1, body fat = 7.9% 6 3%) participated. Intervention(s): Participants completed 20-hour fluid restriction and 2-hour EXDE; they then received no fluid (NF) or REHY (half-normal saline) via ad libitum (AL), oral (OR), intravenous (IV), or combination IV and OR (IV + OR) routes for 30 minutes; and then were observed for another 30 minutes. Main Outcome Measure(s): Body mass, rectal temperature, 4-site mean weighted skin temperature, plasma stress hormone concentrations, and environmental symptoms questionnaire (ESQ) score. Results: Participants were hypohydrated (body mass -4.23% ± 0.22%) post-EXDE. Rectal temperature for the NF group was significantly greater than for the IV group {P= .023) at 30 minutes after beginning REHY (REHY30) and greater than OR, IV, and IV + OR (P ≤ .009) but not AL (P = .068) at REHY60. Mean weighted skin temperature during AL was less than during IV + OR at REHY5 (P= .019). The AL participants demonstrated increased plasma cortisol concentrations compared with IV + OR, independent of time (P = .015). No differences existed between catecholamine concentrations across treatments (P > .05). The ESQ score was increased at REHY60 for NF, AL, OR, and IV (P< .05) but not for IV + OR (P = .217). The NF ESQ score was greater than that of IV + OR at REHY60 (P=.012). Conclusions: Combination IV + OR REHY reduced body temperature to a greater degree than OR and AL REHY when compared with NF. Future studies addressing clinical implications are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study to compare Pediatric Quality of Life Generic Core Scale (PedsQL) scores between adolescent athletes (ATH) and general, healthy adolescents (GEN). The study concluded that the ATH group scored higher than the GEN group for total and psychosocial summary scores, emotional and social functioning subscale scores, and physical functioning. Adolescent ATH also reported better health-related quality of life (HRQOL) than GEN, particularly in emotional functioning.

The article reports a study which examined injury risk factors of strength and jump biomechanics in elite and recreational female youth soccer players. The results revealed that elite players were similar to recreational players in all measures of hip and knee strength, vertical jump height, and normalized knee separation. This suggests that recommendations generated from research with elite youth soccer players could be generalized to recreational players.

The article presents the findings of a case-control study which examines the effect of 2 weeks of abdominal draw-in maneuver (ADIM) and cocontraction training on abdominal muscle thickness and activation timing and to monitor pain and function in patients with low back pain (LBP). The study showed an interaction between the LBP and control groups. It revealed that cocontraction of the ankle dorsiflexors with ADIM training might result in associated pain management in LBF patients.