Health & Fitness Medical Reference
- Blood Doping
WebMD explains blood doping -- an illicit method of boosting athletic performance that's especially used by cyclists -- including tests used to detect doping.
- Follow a Walking Plan
Do this beginner's 4-week walking program to help reduce pain and build strength. Start slow -- up to 10 minutes a day 3-4 times a week -- and build up. Check with your doctor first.
- Workout Injuries: Prevention and Treatment
WebMD explains how to prevent and treat exercise-related injuries like sprains, pulled muscles, and knee injuries.
- 10 Common Running Injuries: Prevention and Treatment
WebMD explains the causes, prevention, and treatment of common running injuries.
- Tommy John Surgery: What Is It?
Tommy John surgery, named for a baseball player, replaces an injured elbow ligament with a tendon taken from elsewhere in the patient's body.
- Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) Injury
WebMD explains the causes, symptoms, and treatment of an injury to the PCL - or posterior cruciate ligament - a knee ligament.
- 6 Exercises for Better Posture
If you have poor posture or back pain, there are some great exercises to help strengthen your core and improve your posture.
- Best Exercises for Strengthening Calf Muscles
Looking for ways to strengthen calf muscles? WebMD gives exercise tips for toning calves.
- What to Know About Standing to Burn Calories
When you stand, you burn more calories than sitting. Learn about the benefits, risks, and how you can burn more calories today.
- What to Know About Overtraining
Find out what you need to know about overtraining and how it can affect your physical and mental health, as well as how to prevent and recover from it.
- Differences Between BMR and RMR
Find out the differences between BMR and RMR, and discover their benefits and what they mean for health.
- What to Know About Weighing Yourself
Find out what you need to know about regular weigh-ins and the effect they can have on both your mental and physical health.
- How to Increase Your Blood Oxygen Level
Learn about your blood oxygen level, including what it is, how to increase it, and more.
- VO2 Max Testing: How Do You Measure and Improve Your Results?
Learn more about VO2 max, a fitness measurement based on the volume of oxygen used by your body during exercise.
- Lactic Acidosis and Exercise: What You Need to Know
Lactic acidosis occurs when lactic acid accumulates in the bloodstream. Learn more from WebMD about the symptoms, causes, and treatments for lactic acidosis.
- Human Growth Hormone (HGH)
WebMD explains the uses, risks, and side effects of human growth hormone.
- Heat Exhaustion
WebMD explains the symptoms and treatment of heat exhaustion, a heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids.
- Health Benefits of Basketball
Find out how you can get physical, mental, and emotional benefits from playing basketball. Also, learn tips to start playing basketball safely.
- Head Injury
WebMD discusses head injuries related to sports, how they are caused during physical activities, and which treatments can help.
- Ankle Injuries: Causes, Treatments, and Prevention
Everything you need to know to recover from -- and prevent -- ankle injuries.
- Turf Toe: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
WebMD describes what turf toe is, what causes turf toe, and how it's treated.
- Hamstring Strain
A hamstring strain can be very painful. Find out how they're caused, diagnosed, treated, and prevented.
- How Do You Treat a Groin Pull?
WebMD explains groin pulls, the overstretching or tearing of the muscles in your groin. Learn about diagnosis, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of this sports-related injury.
- Broken Collarbone (Clavicle)
The collarbone connects the breastbone and shoulder. A broken collarbone hurts and affects your upper-body movement. Learn about symptoms and treatments.
- Wrist Sprain
WebMD explains wrist sprains, including their diagnosis, symptoms, and treatments.
- Dislocated Shoulder and Separated Shoulder
WebMD explains the difference between a dislocated shoulder and a separated shoulder. Learn more about their symptoms, and how they are diagnosed and treated.
- Shin Splints: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Many athletes get painful shin splints -- also known as tibial stress syndrome -- at one time or another. Find out more from WebMD about the prevention, treatment, and symptoms of shin splints.
- Exercise & Fitness Resources
WebMD offers a handful of good resources for information about health and fitness.
- Sprain vs. Strain: What’s the Difference?
Some people think strains and sprains are the same. Learn how to tell the difference, how to avoid them, and what to do if you get a sprain or strain.
- Mallet Finger
Commonly an athletic injury, mallet finger occurs when the outermost joint of the finger is injured.
- Ruptured Tendon
Information on tendon ruptures, a potentially serious problem that may result in excruciating pain and permanent disability if untreated.
- Finger Dislocation
Finger dislocation is a common injury. It occurs when the bones of the finger are moved (dislocated) from their normal position.
- Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
Here's what you need to know about tennis elbow, a common form of tendinitis that has little to do with tennis.
- Repetitive Motion Injuries
WebMD explains various types of repetitive motion injuries, like tendinitis and bursitis.
- Heat Cramps
Heat cramps result from an electrolyte imbalance that can occur with exercise or from working in a hot environment. Learn more from WebMD about symptoms and treatment.
- What Is a Broken Ankle (Fractured Ankle)?
A broken ankle, or ankle fracture, occurs when ankle bones break. Learn about the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments. Surgery may be needed for severe cases.
- Muscle Strain
A muscle strain, muscle pull, or muscle tear implies damage to a muscle or its attaching tendons. Find out more.
- Golfer’s Elbow
Golfer’s elbow is similar to tennis elbow and isn't confined to golfers. Find out more from the experts at WebMD.
- Tailbone (Coccyx) Injury: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments
WebMD explains the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of a tailbone (coccyx) injury.
- Jumper’s Knee
WebMD explains jumper's knee, a tendinopathy that typically affects athletes who jump in their sport, including symptoms and treatment.
- Protein Sources for a Healthy Diet
Looking to incorporate more protein into your diet? Check out this list of good protein-rich foods that will help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.
- Tendinosis
WebMD explains causes, symptoms, and treatment of tendinosis, inflammation of tendons in the thumb, elbow, shoulder, and other joints.
- Exercise for a Healthy Heart
Keep your heart healthy and your weight down with regular exercise. Learn how to get started, what kind of exercises to do, and how to monitor your workouts.
- Exercise and Weight Loss
Learn abouts the health benefits -- and weight loss opportunities -- of even the most mundane physical activities.
- Understanding Tendonitis
Get the basics about tendinitis, also called tendinopathy, from the experts at WebMD.