Hippocrates was soaking in the Grecian hot baths and advocating their health benefits about 2,500 years before scientists began studying heat therapy in the lab. In the last few decades, the body of evidence has grown exponentially, with dozens of reviews and meta-analyses agreeing that saunas, in particular, confer cardiovascular and molecular benefits. In this month’s column, I won’t dispute the abundance of studies on the health benefits of saunas, nor will I debunk the commercial claims; there are too many of both. Instead, I’ll draw attention to a problematic subset of the literature that may be biasing the conclusions and undermining the belief that saunas are good for one’s health. I’ll also provide some much-needed context on the benefits of sauna, context that’s conspicuously absent from the mainstream coverage.

The Skeptic's Guide to Sports Science BOOK: https://www.nbtiller.com

Skeptical Inquirer magazine: https://www.skepticalinquirer.org

Original article & references: https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/are-saunas-good-for-you-yes-but/

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I dislocated my shoulder during wrestling practice in 2015. The nature of this type of injury leaves an indelible mark, and I can still recall it vividly nearly a decade later. I’d toppled backward, arm outstretched and externally rotated to break my fall—an amateur mistake. The pain was instant and searing. I felt a “fizzing” sensation up and down my arm from the nerve damage, and my ligaments screamed at being forced beyond their natural range of motion. My shoulder felt “out of place.” Because it was. Despite it being my first dislocation, I knew immediately what I’d done.

“Can someone find me a doctor,” I said calmly, as though asking to borrow a pen, “and tell them I’ve dislocated my shoulder.” I lay motionless until the paramedics arrived, fearing that any movement would distend my shoulder from its socket like a life-size Stretch Armstrong.

Most traumatic musculoskeletal injuries can be described with similar precision. But if you ask someone with a concussion to recall their experiences, you get something less exact. Some American football players describe how the world was spinning, like being drunk but without the fun part. Others report seeing stars, feeling like their legs were “independent of their bodies,” or feeling “distant” and watching the remainder of the game through a dense, unrelenting fog.

The Skeptic's Guide to Sports Science BOOK: https://www.nbtiller.com

Skeptical Inquirer magazine: https://www.skepticalinquirer.org

Original article & references: https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/woodpeckers-dont-play-football-the-concussion-repercussion/

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“It hurt like hell,” said Italy’s Angela Carini to her cornermen. Her welterweight contest against Algeria’s Imane Khelif lasted just forty-six seconds. The pugilists were squaring off in the preliminary rounds of the Olympic boxing competition in Paris. After absorbing a few solid right hands and fearing her nose was broken, the Italian retreated to her corner, and the referee waved off the contest. “I am heartbroken,” said Carini after the fight. “I went to the ring to honor my father. I was told I was a warrior, but I preferred to stop for my health. I have never felt a punch like this.” The official ruling of abandonment (ABD) progressed Khelif to the next round, and she went on to win the gold medal. Carini later apologized for her comments.

The Skeptic's Guide to Sports Science BOOK: https://www.nbtiller.com

Skeptical Inquirer magazine: https://www.skepticalinquirer.org

Original article & references: https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/the-boxer-who-sparked-a-transgender-debate-without-being-transgender/

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