Research Highlights from Upcoming 2021 Virtual ACSM Annual Meeting: Athlete Care and Clinical Medicine

The diverse programming for ACSM’s Annual Meeting, which will take place virtually June 1 – 5, includes more than 50 talks on athlete care and clinically based topics spanning a wide range of diagnoses. Here is a selection of the programming/research that will be presented. View the Clinical Program Guide for more details. Contact Lisa Ramage to learn more about these topics or to interview the researchers.

About the Sequence of Prevention, Ankle Injuries and Beyond. Sports injuries are inherent to sports activities. To set up effective sports injury prevention programs, a staged approach using ‘sequence of prevention’ was introduced in 1992. This presentation will review the current state of sports injury prevention, using the work done around ankle injury prevention as an example. Future directions for the sports injury prevention field will also be discussed.

Keeping Up with the Joneses: Examining Evidence Behind Popular Treatments. This session will examine the data and efficacy of more prevalent and popular treatments in the sports medicine field. Currently, many treatments are practiced, either without any evidence or with insufficient data to justify their use. This session will bring together experts to discuss relevant data, the theoretical basis for each treatment, and if the data support or does not support the clinical application of the treatments.

The Crossover Athlete: Historical and Ethical Considerations When Athletes with Impairments Compete with Able-Bodied Athletes. The Olympic and Paralympic Games are the world’s largest multi-sport events. Over the years elite athletes with impairments have competed with able-bodied athletes. At least 15 Paralympians have “crossed over” and competed in the Olympic Games. However, the phenomenon of the “cross-over athlete” is not without controversy. In this symposium, speakers will present the history, benefits, challenges and thought-provoking ethical issues that the crossover athlete phenomenon brings to the Olympic and Paralympic movements.

The Weight of Gold: Challenging the Stigma Around Athlete Mental Health. Athletes are not immune to mental health symptoms and disorders like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, insomnia and alcohol / drug misuse. Injury, performance pressure, suboptimal performance and transitioning out of sport can all be associated with mental health symptoms and disorders, as can general life difficulties. Mental health cannot be separated from physical health. Around one in three athletes experience mental health symptoms and disorders. By optimizing mental health, athletes have the best chance to achieve their goals in sport and in life.

Hiding in Plain Sight: Sexual Violence in Sport. Sexual violence in sport is an unacceptable violation of an athlete’s rights that will have lifelong impact from physical, psychological and social perspectives. Creating a safe environment for athletes and those who interact with athletes is essential for sport health. The lifetime consequences of sexual violence warrant a multi-stakeholder approach to prevention and treatment for those affected. Sports medicine providers lack education on prevention, recognition and treatment. This symposium will address the scope of the problem, legal perspective and reduction strategies for sports at all levels.

Considerations for Inclusion of Transgender Athletes in Competitive Sport. Transgender athletes are increasing their participation in competitive sports amid controversy. Sports medicine specialists must be aware of the current regulations pertaining to transgender athletes’ sports participation at the various levels of competition and understand the effects of hormonal treatment and suppression on the physiology, performance and overall health of transgender individuals.

Cannabis in 2021: What Does the Evidence. Emerging data advocates for the medical use of cannabis. Does this treatment option fit into the management of those experiencing disruptive symptoms? A significant amount of misinformation and myths regarding the use of Cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is abundant. Athletes aren’t waiting for evidential studies to affirm safe and effective results of using different variations of the cannabis plant. This presentation will explain the physiology of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and its relationship to injury and illness when there is a deficiency; the classification of the strains and terpenes associated with cannabis; advantages and disadvantages of using cannabis for sport performance; and reasons for banning it.