This article was originally motivated by incidental conversations with fellow athletes regarding dissatisfaction with their medication regimes; in particular, the use of beta-blockers for managing hypertension (high blood pressure) or arrhythmia (an irregular heart beat) in athletes has cropped up a few times. Here, I provide an overview of beta blockers and set out some of the salient issues for athletes who are on beta-blockers. If this topic bears some relevance to you,...

Should we bury our heads in the sand and pretend that no one cheats?You might not be an elite athlete, but you probably count yourself as a fairly competitive age-grouper. In fact, there are increasingly more competitive opportunities for athletes in the masters’ (>35 years) cohort across almost every sport in Australia, with major events including the Australian, Pan-Pacific and World Masters Games.Not surprisingly, the world governing bodies in a number of sporting codes now target age...

Exercising in the heat presents unique challenges for athletes.When undertaking strenuous exercise in the heat, whether that be for training or competition, athletes must take precautions to maintain their performance and personal safety.The physiological response of the body to heatWhen you exercise strenuously in even moderate heat, your body’s core temperature rises. In response, your blood flow is rerouted so more of it goes to your skin surface to help your body let off ...