You use your neuromuscular system every time you move. It enables you to feel movement, maintain balance and flex your muscles. It also enables you to make movements without having to think about them. Functional conditioning can increase...
Speed is the rate at which you're able to travel from point A to point B. Athletes are particularly interested in developing their speed because it makes a direct impact on their success in their sport. Speed can be significantly improved with...
Jumping rope offers numerous health and athletic benefits. The activity can be used to develop your cardiovascular system and prevent heart disease, burn calories and support weight-loss goals, and improve an athlete's physical performance. Begin...
Speed is a highly sought-after trait in an athlete. You can achieve more speed by practices that goad you to move faster to condition the neuromuscular system and the firing patterns of fast-twitch muscle fibers. A suitable program can help you...
You can build strength without building muscle mass. In fact, neuromuscular adaptations occur within the first few weeks of a resistance-training program and increase muscular strength without enhancing muscle mass. However, optimal strength...
Adaptations or changes in skeletal muscle after exercise have been observed and studied extensively, especially since the 1960s. These changes occur because of supply and demand -- the greater the demand, the stronger and more efficient your...
Agility is the ability to change directions and to be able to stop and start effectively and quickly. It's an athletic attribute that is beneficial to many athletes, including boxers, and basketball, soccer and football players. To excel and...
Facilitated range of motion is a type of stretch that combines passive stretching and isometric contractions of the muscle. It is also called proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching. Athletes use PNF stretching in their training to...
Alzheimer's disease is a chronic, incurable brain disorder characterized by progressive loss of brain tissue and function. The early stages of Alzheimer's disease primarily affect intellectual functions. Late-stage Alzheimer's...
Neuromuscular fatigue is an inevitable consequence of sustained physical activity. When you make the conscious decision to move, many processes in the central nervous system work together to supply activation signals to your muscles. There are...
Warming up before exercise will improve an athlete's level of performance, states Brian Mackenzie, a performance coach with UK Athletics. The hemoglobin in your blood releases oxygen more steadily when your body reaches higher temperatures,...
Approximately 30 percent of American adults are obese and 16 percent of teenagers are considered overweight. These numbers show a stark lack of physical fitness in the American population. At a time when physical activity is declining due to...
Rhythmic gymnastics is a sport in which individuals or teams combine elements of ballet, gymnastics, dance and apparatus manipulation to perform a routine. At times a gymnast may manipulate one or two pieces of apparatus, including rope, clubs,...
If you find yourself out-sprinted at the end of your local 5K run, not able to get open on the football field or run down when you get a fast break on the basketball court, you can benefit from including some speed development exercises into your...
"Speed kills" is a phrase used by coaches in many sports, and speed is an inherent advantage to those who possess it in the sporting arena. A speed training program is essential to athletes who participate in sports that require fast and dynamic...
The upper portion of the throat has muscles to help keep the airway open while you breathe. These muscles relax during sleep but normally allow the airway to remain open. However, some people have an unusually narrow throat. When these people...
Sitting on an unstable surface like an exercise ball forces you to maintain position by engaging the core muscles, and helps the neuromuscular system to develop balance, core strength and endurance. According to a 2009 Associated Press report, a...
Pelvic floor exercises are a crucial element for pelvic health and are useful for preparing for and recovering from childbirth, prostate surgery, hysterectomies, abdominal and back surgeries of any kind. They are also helpful in alleviating some...
Nicotine is a naturally occurring alkaloid found in tobacco plants. Nicotine has a physiologic effect because it binds to receptors on the neuromuscular system. Nicotine affects the skeletal, smooth and cardiac muscles, which can result in acute...
Athletes in various sports require a combination of agility and speed for top performance. Agility is commonly defined as the ability to quickly change directions without significant loss of speed, balance or body control; speed is the ability to...
Weight lifting is practiced by people at many levels, from the elderly to elite athletes. Regular weight training is recommended by the Mayo Clinic because it can positively affect strength, lean body mass and metabolism.
Gaining strength does not happen overnight, but can happen fairly quickly. Changes in the neuromuscular system as a result of resistance training can produce a 25- to 100-percent increase in strength within three to six months, according to Jack...
Muscle relaxants are agents that interact with the human neuromuscular system in a way that reduces tone in skeletal muscle. Muscle tone refers to the resistance of movement present in a muscle at any given moment. Muscle relaxants generally work...
Functional strength refers to the strength required to make typical daily activities easier to manage. The American Council on Exercise states that your main objective in improving functional strength should be to transfer strength improvements...
When beginning an exercise routine, you should consult a doctor and consider all options. A person who takes up walking can do so on a treadmill or outside. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. Some factors to think about are your...
Magnesium glycinate is a supplement used to treat magnesium deficiencies. Usually, magnesium supplements come in the form of citrates or oxides, but the magnesium glycinate formulation binds the magnesium to glycine, an essential amino acid....
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is derived from a few food sources, vitamin supplements and sunlight. Vitamin D comes in three forms, all which perform the same functions in the body. Vitamin D3, also called cholecalciferol, is naturally...
The different types of bones provide unique functions. Flat bones such as the skull, ribs and sternum protect vital organs. Long bones--the arms and legs--are the framework of the body. Bones store calcium and make new blood cells. The various...
Kinesio Tex tape became well known when the beach volleyball gold medalist Keri Walsh was wearing black tape on her shoulder during her matches at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. She is not the only public figure that uses this product. A...