MU-WCOM physiology professor and medical students contribute to an international sports medicine journal
Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MU-WCOM) is proud to congratulate Robyn Fuchs, PhD, FASBMR, FACSM, professor of physiology, along with Diana Heyden, OMS-2; Claire Mehling, OMS-3; and Elli Ertl, OMS-3, on the publication of their scholarly article, “Bone Health in Athletes,” in the Aspetar Sports Medicine Journal.
The article was published in partnership with Stuart Warden, PhD, FACSM, FASBMR, of the Indiana University School of Health and Human Sciences, and was invited for a special edition of the journal featuring international experts in bone health and bone stress injuries.
The review explores the often-underappreciated role of bone health in athletic performance and injury prevention, focusing on how bone stress injuries (BSIs) develop when repetitive physical loading exceeds a bone’s capacity to repair microscopic damage.
The authors examine key factors that influence bone health in athletes, including:
- • Energy availability
- • Hormonal function
- • Nutrition, including calcium, vitamin D, and iron
- • Sport specialization
- • Sleep and psychological stress
Understanding these factors is essential not only for reducing injury risk during an athlete’s career but also for protecting long-term skeletal health and lowering the risk of osteoporosis later in life.
This publication highlights MU-WCOM’s commitment to collaborative research, student scholarship, and evidence-based approaches to human health and performance.