There is robust evidence which shows that consuming protein pre- and/or post-workout induces a significant rise in muscle protein synthesis. It should be noted, however, that total daily caloric and protein intake over the long term play the most crucial dietary roles in facilitating adaptations to exercise. However, once these factors are accounted for, it appears that peri-exercise protein intake, particularly in the post-training period, plays a potentially useful role in terms of optimizing physical performance and positively influencing the subsequent recovery processes for both resistance training and endurance exercise. Factors that affect the utility of pre- or post-workout feeding include but are not necessarily limited to: training status (e.g., novice vs. advanced, or recreational vs. competitive athlete), duration of exercise, the number of training sessions per day, the number of competitive events per day, etc. From a purely pragmatic standpoint, consuming protein post-workout represents an opportunity to feed; this in turn contributes to one's total daily energy and protein intake. Furthermore, despite recent suggestions that one does not “need” to consume protein during the immediate (1 h or less) post-training time frame, it should be emphasized that consuming nothing offers no advantage and perhaps even a disadvantage. Thus, based on performance and recovery effects, it appears that the prudent approach would be to have athletes consume protein post-training and post-competition.

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus (SARS-CoV-2) incited a national emergency (1) that forced colleges and universities in the United States to close their doors in March 2020 (2). These sudden university closures left minimal time for sport coaches, strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches, and other support staff to create and disseminate feasible at-home training programs for student-athletes. Nationwide shutdowns further complicated athletes' training at home by limiting access to adequate exercise equipment and space required for training. As this is the first time all sports have come to a halt since the 1940s, no data exist regarding student-athlete sport training regimens, nutritional habits, and mental health status during times of limited or no access to adequate training equipment and/or resources (3). Therefore, research is warranted to investigate the effect extended time away from typical training routines has on collegiate student-athlete sport training habits and overall well-being.Collegiate student-athletes' sport training and competition seasons typically follow a set schedule with routine access to school-based support including sport coaches responsible for on-field sport-specific training, S&C coaches responsible for general performance development, athletic trainers in charge of injury and rehabilitation management, nutritional support for dietary needs, and access to adequate exercise training equipment. Brief periods away from these resources generally occur in 2to 6-wk blocks over semester breaks. Lack of training during these times can result in detraining evidenced by decreased aerobic capacity, speed, and muscular power (4). Large increases in acute workloads in general or after periods of detraining increase the risk of both overuse and traumatic injuries (5,6). For example, higher injury rates are often seen among collegiate athletes during preseason when training volume markedly increases (7). Return to sport after COVID-19 lockdowns may exaggerate this effect, similar to the increased tendon injury occurrence seen in 2011 after the National Football League's 19-week lockout (8). More recently, a case study following a professional soccer team through the fall

No abstract

Limited health literacy is associated with poor patient health outcomes and increased hospitalization rates. Patient-provider communication plays an important role in patient health literacy and the understanding of medical terminology. This study demonstrates how a collaboration between clinical, academic, and community partners was instrumental in the design and implementation of a clinic readiness assessment and a clinic-based pilot intervention to encourage patient-provider communication and improve patient health literacy. A state hospital association, academic research team, and community adult literacy center director collaborated to develop a 60-item clinic readiness assessment and an evidence-informed pilot intervention. The clinic readiness assessment captured clinics’ motivation and capacity for pilot implementation and providers’ current communication strategies. The intervention centered around AskMe3™ educational materials and involved 2 patient visits (initial and follow-up visits). Data collection instruments for the intervention were administered verbally and included questions about patient demographics and communication needs, and a single-item health literacy measure. Descriptive statistics (frequencies/percentages) were used to analyze results from the clinic readiness assessment and pilot intervention. Establishment of the partnership, and collaborative, iterative development of the clinic readiness assessment and pilot intervention are described. This pilot project resulted in important lessons learned which led to critical modifications that will inform future expansion of the intervention. Collaboration between healthcare leaders, researchers, and community partners is recommended for developing clinic-based health literacy initiatives.

Nutrient timing involves manipulation of nutrient consumption at specific times in and around exercise bouts in an effort to improve performance, recovery, and adaptation. Its historical perspective centered on ingestion during exercise and grew to include pre- and post-training periods. As research continued, translational focus remained primarily on the impact and outcomes related to nutrient consumption during one specific time period to the exclusion of all others. Additionally, there seemed to be increasing emphasis on outcomes related to hypertrophy and strength at the expense of other potentially more impactful performance measures. As consumption of nutrients does not occur at only one time point in the day, the effect and impact of energy and macronutrient availability becomes an important consideration in determining timing of additional nutrients in and around training and competition. This further complicates the confining of the definition of “nutrient timing” to one very specific moment in time at the exclusion of all other time points. As such, this review suggests a new perspective built on evidence of the interconnectedness of nutrient impact and provides a pragmatic approach to help frame nutrient timing more inclusively. Using this approach, it is argued that the concept of nutrient timing is constrained by reliance on interpretation of an “anabolic window” and may be better viewed as a “garage door of opportunity” to positively impact performance, recovery, and athlete availability.