This excerpt from NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training, Second Edition briefly reviews the role of oxygen uptake in exercise.

Integrating weight room cues that are more consistent with those used to reinforce safer tackling techniques on the field may help with athlete retention and buy-in, and prevent potential confusion.

Supplements that claim to boost nitric oxide have not been proven to be all that effective since the actual conversion in the blood cell is rather complicated and requires oxygen, which is usually in short supply during exercise or at high altitude. So how does an athlete boost their nitric oxide production?

This article explains the specific considerations of building a tactical training space and how to maximize the potential of the dedicated space by having a stable of equipment that reflects the needs of the audience.

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the leading mindset, behavioral, and psychological factors controlling food intake, as well as, educate professionals on how to assist with developing healthier nutrition practices.

This article seeks to provide insight on a training method based around prescribing small amounts of training to achieve a large amount of physical improvements.

Building athletes who are strong, healthy, and resilient requires more than sets and reps, starting with a shift in mindset. Christi Edson, Head of Performance for the Orlando Pride in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), shares how she integrates strength and conditioning with sport science to sustain athlete health and performance. She reflects on the field’s evolution from the well-known “Bigger, Faster, Stronger” program to a training culture emphasizing resilience, active recovery, and durability. Drawing from her experience coaching high school athletes to NWSL professionals, Edson highlights the adaptability and creativity coaches need. Those qualities help her to develop athletes who can thrive through a demanding 11-month season. She details how tools like GPS, force plates, and velocity-based training sharpen communication and reshape expectations in the gym. Her story points coaches toward the future of athlete development: collaboration, precise load management, and long-term health as the foundation of strength. Connect with Christi on Instagram: @christiedson and LinkedIn: @christiana-edson | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs and LinkedIn: @ericmcmahoncscs Read the article, “A Creative Mind in the Professional Development of a Strength and Conditioning Coach,” from NSCA Coach, 11(1), February 2024 — referenced in this episode’s return-to-play discussion. NSCA Members enjoy full publication access. Interested in bridging coaching and sport science? The Certified Performance and Sport Scientist (CPSS) credential can help you expand your qualifications, open new career paths, and strengthen cross-department collaboration.

This article provides an overview of a resistance training program for tactical strength and conditioning facilitators in large law enforcement academy settings.

The ketogenic diet, while controversial and a highly polarizing subject, has demonstrated promise as an alternative dietary strategy for weight management.

Physical assessments have evolved as a result of developments in scientific research, equipment loads, operational environments, and doctrine.