Sports Science Books

NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training

National Academy of Sports Medicine

Amazon Price: $45.00 List Price: $64.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $41.99

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Exercise & Fitness -> General AAS
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Simply the Best 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Although I miss the seven phase OPT model of old, the new paradigm has streamlined the structure to progress athletes through the process more efficiently. The illustrations are an upgrade, however there are fewer sample exercises to use. I recommend the NASM program to any serious trainer. This isn't "gym science"; everything in this book is based on years of research in human biomechanics, physiology, and kinesiology. The information you absorb from these pages will make you question why you ever relied on news stand fitness magazines for your workouts. NASM OPT training isn't a fad, a quick-fix, or a unrealistic promise. It is hard work and discipline that is highly effective for those that commit.

In addition to the text and CPT certification, continuing education courses and workshops will help you to truly understand the material with hands on demonstrations and professional instructors to answer your questions. Trainers get certified...real trainers get NASM certified.

Editorial Review:

Developed by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), this book is designed to help people prepare for the NASM Certified Personal Trainer (CPT) Certification exam or learn the basic principles of personal training using NASM's Optimum Performance Training (OPT) model. The OPT model presents NASM's protocols for building stabilization, strength, and power. More than 600 full-color illustrations and photographs demonstrate concepts and techniques. Exercise color coding maps each exercise movement to a specific phase on the OPT model. Exercise boxes demonstrate core exercises and detail the necessary preparation and movement. Other features include research notes, memory joggers, safety tips, and review questions.

Science and Practice of Strength Training, Second Edition

Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky, William J. Kraemer

Amazon Price: $41.60 List Price: $54.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Human Kinetics Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 30 new & used starting at $40.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

This new second edition of Science and Practice of Strength Training comes with many additions and changes. A new coauthor, Dr. William Kraemer, joins Dr. Vladimir Zatsiorsky in expanding on the principles and concepts needed for training athletes. Among Dr. Kraemer’s contributions are three new chapters targeting specific populations—women, young athletes, and seniors—plus the integration of new concepts into the other chapters.

Together the authors have trained more than 1,000 elite athletes, including Olympic, world, continental, and national champions and record holders. The concepts they divulge are influenced by both Eastern European and North American perspectives. The authors integrate those concepts in solid principles, practical insights, coaching experiences, and directions based on scientific findings. This edition is much more practical than its predecessor; to this end, the book provides the practitioner with the understanding to craft strength training programs based on individuals’ needs.

Science and Practice of Strength Training, Second Edition, shows that there is no one program that works for any one person at all times or for all conditions. This book addresses the complexity of strength training programs while providing straightforward approaches to take under specific circumstances. Those approaches are applied to new physiological concepts and training practices, which provide readers with the most current information in the science and practice of strength training. The approaches are also applied to the three new chapters, which will help readers design safe and effective strength training programs for women, young athletes, and seniors. In addition, the authors provide examples of strength training programs to demonstrate the principles and concepts they explain in the book.

The book is divided into three parts. Part I focuses on the basis of strength training, detailing concepts, task-specific strength, and athlete-specific strength. Part II covers methods of strength conditioning, delving into training intensity, timing, strength exercises, injury prevention, and goals. Part III explores training for specific populations. The book also includes suggested readings that can further aid readers in developing strength training programs.

This expanded and updated coverage of strength training concepts will ground readers in the understanding they need in order to develop appropriate strength training programs for each person that they work with.

The Art & Science of Pitching

Tom House, Gary Heil, Steve Johnson

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Coaches Choice Books Amazon Marketplace: 28 new & used starting at $12.50

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Subjects -> Sports -> Baseball -> General
Subjects -> Sports -> Baseball -> General AAS
Subjects -> Sports -> Coaching -> Baseball -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Good Book for Everybody...Not just High School Kids 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I wouldn't go as far as saying you can find most of the information in this book on the website. That's not the case at all. You can find a little bit of the information from this book ont the website but not very much. This book presents the pitching information in a very simple format making it very easy to find whatever you are looking for. It includes drills to correct many of the problems pitchers now-a-days are having. It is a very good book, and it's probably the best pitching book to date. Tom House is a very reputable source and is called by some the "pitching guru." If you are a coach, a player, a curious parent, or a student of the game/pitching, you'll want this book.

Editorial Review:

Noted authors, coaches, and consultants Tom House, Gary Heil, and Steve Johnson present this update on objective medical, exercise, and coaching pitching research. The Art & Science of Pitching provides current information on skills and drills for coaches, players, and parents. The book contains four sections: pitching biomechanics; building skills with drills; pitching goals, strategies, and tactics for competition; and functional fitness, mental/emotional management, nutrition, and arm care for health and performance. Each chapter describes in detail learning points and teaching applications of help improve the health and performance of pitchers from Little League to the Major Leagues. Large format and features over 250 clear pictures and images. Produced in cooperation with the National Pitching Association.

The Diabetic Athlete

Sheri Colberg

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Human Kinetics Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 38 new & used starting at $5.69

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Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Diets & Weight Loss -> Special Conditions -> Diabetes
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Disorders & Diseases -> Diabetes -> General
Subjects -> Health, Mind & Body -> Disorders & Diseases -> Diabetes -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Have you ever had to sacrifice training or competing because of your diabetes? If you have, or if you just never want to be put in that situation, The Diabetic Athlete is just what you’ve been looking for. Inside this helpful guide you’ll find detailed advice on blood sugar regulation, medication, and nutrition for 73 sports and activities.

Written by Dr. Sheri Colberg, a diabetic athlete with a PhD in exercise physiology, this book draws on the experiences of hundreds of diabetic athletes to provide the best advice for type 1 and type 2 diabetics. Specific insulin advice is included for NPH and lente, ultralente, and pump users. And profiles of elite and amateur athletes, from golf to scuba diving, show how they cope—and thrive—in their different environments.

No other book gives so many sport-specific recommendations to help you safely and fully pursue the activities you enjoy. With Dr. Colberg’s advice you’ll feel better than ever while training for fitness and sport performance.

The Physics of Baseball (3rd Edition)

Robert K. Adair

Amazon Price: $11.01 List Price: $12.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harper Paperbacks Amazon Marketplace: 67 new & used starting at $1.18

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Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Professional Science -> Physics -> General
Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Professional Science -> Physics -> General AAS
Subjects -> Science -> Physics -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 32 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Science of baseball 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

It taught you the science behind pitching and hitting a baseball. However it does not make the next step which is how to apply the science of the game to actual play.
Enjoyable read because it gave scientific reasons as to why coaches teach players what they do.

Editorial Review:

Blending scientific fact and sports trivia, Robert Adair examines what a baseball or player in motion does-and why. How fast can a batted ball go? What effect do stitch patterns have on wind resistance? How far does a curve ball break? Who reaches first base faster after a bunt, a right- or left-handed batter? The answers are often surprising -- and always illuminating.

This newly revised third edition considers recent developments in the science of sport such as the neurophysiology of batting, bat vibration, and the character of the "sweet spot." Faster pitchers, longer hitters, and enclosed stadiums also get a good, hard scientific look to determine their effects on the game.

Filled with anecdotes about famous players and incidents, The Physics of Baseball provides fans with fascinating insights into America's favorite pastime.

The Ab Revolution Third Edition- No More Crunches No More Back Pain

Jolie Bookspan

Amazon Price: $13.45 List Price: $14.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Neck and Back Pain Sports Medicine Amazon Marketplace: 16 new & used starting at $9.50

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Subjects -> Medicine -> Pharmacology -> Pain Medicine

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Good information. 4 out of 5 stars.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.

When I received this book in the mail, I wondered why such a thin book was so expensive. It took several re-readings before I got the main point of the book, which was actually so simple that it was no wonder I missed it the first time. Except for the isometric exercise, most of the other exercises outlined in the book are just too difficult for me, and I don't think I am in such bad shape for my age (45 yr. old female). I also think it would have been a lot better if each exercise had it's own picture or picture series, because it was a bit cumbersome to READ all the explanations of how to do everything. Lots of good information on what works, why, and what doesn't and why. I think this author knows what she is talking about, and I am sure that if I met her in person I would like her because she is so sensible in her approach, but a good book editor could have helped to put it all together in a more readable fashion. This book is worth the read and the effort to extract the important message this author is promoting.

Editorial Review:

The Ab Revolution™
Third edition, completely reorganized and expanded. Easier to follow and use. Dr. Jolie Bookspan's Ab Revolution™ is a groundbreaking method that will change your whole thinking about what abs do (and don't do). Not just a bunch of exercises, this is a technique you can use during daily life - to change posture, stop hyperlordosis and back pain, and get healthier exercise, from simple moves to the toughest you can get. Used by athletes, military and law enforcement personnel, and top spine docs and rehab centers around the world. Jam-packed with new and different concepts and exercises, explained step-by-step. Fully illustrated. 132 pages.

Diving Science

Michael Strauss, Igor V. Aksenov

Amazon Price: $18.45 List Price: $27.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Human Kinetics Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 21 new & used starting at $12.02

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Subjects -> Medicine -> Basic Science -> Physiology
Subjects -> Medicine -> Specialties -> Sports Medicine
Subjects -> Sports -> Miscellaneous -> Sports Science

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Prepare for each underwater adventure and its challenges. Diving Science will help you anticipate, recognize, and respond to the physical, physiological, and psychological stresses encountered in sport diving.

Written by two experts in diving physiology and medicine, this comprehensive resource will help you manage each stage of a dive more safely and successfully. Whether you’re on the surface or bottom, in the descent or ascent, you’ll know exactly what to do and when to do it. With information on everything from on-gassing and off-gassing to first response interventions for medical problems, Diving Science is as essential as a wetsuit for your next dive.

Use the book’s diving-specific fitness specifications to learn how to make diving safe and enjoyable at any age. And apply the detailed equipment recommendations to prepare properly for each dive.

Diving Science provides a wealth of information useful to all divers. Tap into this treasure chest before each dive to ensure it is your best and safest yet.

Taboo: Why Black Athletes Dominate Sports and Why We're Afraid to Talk About It

Jon Entine

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Social Sciences -> Special Groups -> African-American Studies
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Social Sciences -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Social Sciences -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 47 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Is there a genetic reason that African-Americans dominate professional sports? Even raising the question seems tantamount to heresy. Jon Entine not only raises the question, he strives to answer it in Taboo: Why Black Athletes Dominate Sports and Why We're Afraid to Talk About It.

Entine is no stranger to controversy, having worked with Tom Brokaw on the award-winning NBC News documentary Black Athletes: Fact and Fiction in 1989. He's also willing to ask tough questions--and come up with answers that anger people on all sides of the issue. Entine starts off with some statistics indicating that African-American athletes are disproportionately represented in professional sports: for example, 13 percent of the U.S. population is black, but the NFL is 65 percent black, the NBA is nearly 80 percent black, and the WNBA is 70 percent black. He also examines cultural issues, laying to rest the long-held idea that blacks excel in sports because it is the only avenue open for advancement.

Some scholars cry foul at the idea that blacks are physically gifted, seeing this as a subtle way of saying that they are therefore intellectually stunted. Entine carefully argues that historically athletic ability and intellectual prowess were linked--with a positive bias. The "dumb jock" stereotype is a relatively recent construct--perhaps a defensive mechanism that arose when blacks began to participate on a level playing field and gain prominence in the sporting world. There's no reason to suppose athleticism and intelligence are inversely related; Entine quotes respected sports reporter Frank Deford: "[W]hen Jack Nicklaus sinks a 30-foot putt, nobody thinks his IQ goes down." The issue of physical superiority is further complicated by fears that a genetic explanation results in a belief that blacks don't succeed because of hard work, dedication, and drive, but rather (in the words of Brooks Johnson, who doesn't believe Entine's claims) "because God just gave 'em the right gene."

Is the fear of sounding racist hindering legitimate scientific inquiry? Entine believes so, noting that, "Anyone who attempts to breach this taboo to study or even discuss what might be behind the growing performance gap between black and white athletes must be prepared to run a gauntlet of public scorn, survival not guaranteed." Taboo is destined to make most of its readers uncomfortable. Hopefully this discomfort will serve as a wedge to open up discussion of an issue too long avoided. --Sunny Delaney

Research Methods In Physical Activity

Jerry R. Thomas, Jack K. Nelson, Stephen J. Silverman

Amazon Price: $61.60 List Price: $77.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Human Kinetics Publishers Amazon Marketplace: 55 new & used starting at $45.95

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Subjects -> Medicine -> General AAS

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 1.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Many students fear and loathe research methods classes, which conjure up images of musty, dusty books, boredom, and confusion. Students have a welcome surprise waiting for them with Research Methods in Physical Activity, Fifth Edition, as the text effortlessly guides them through the research process.

This latest edition of this internationally recognized textbook does not rest on its laurels as the leading research methods text. The authors have updated the resource in order to provide the following benefits: * Shed new light on the research process, particularly regarding use of library facilities * Enhance students’ understanding of basic statistical calculations and the relevance of their uses * Present a major revision to the chapter on qualitative research and contributions from eminent scholars to the chapters on historical, epidemiology, and philosophic research * Increase students’ understanding of how to write research reports * Carry the readers through the book by introducing three graduate students studying research methods, one of whom brings a special comical spin to the material

In addition, the text presents a new chapter on using power to plan and interpret research and provides information on traditional perspectives and alternative approaches to the research process. As a result, readers * understand the essentials of the research process; * appreciate statistical analyses common to research studies; * learn the basics of planning research and linking appropriate statistical packages with specific research designs; * discover how to bring together all the components of the research process and lay them out, in appropriate formats, for dissemination to user groups; and * gain access to a variety of tools to present or reinforce concepts presented in the book.

Research Methods in Physical Activity, Fifth Edition, retains its strengths from the previous edition. The text is arranged in four parts that systematically guide the reader through the research process. It introduces readers to statistical and measurement issues in research and presents various types of, and approaches to, research. The new edition helps readers understand the complete research process, and it thoroughly arms them with practical research tools. For instructors teaching a research methods course, an instructor guide, test package, and presentation package specific to the textbook are available.

Research Methods in Physical Activity, Fifth Edition, demonstrates that research processes are not to be feared. To the contrary, they are useful tools to be used by students and professionals. This point is emphasized as authors regularly use humorous anecdotes, sketches, and corollaries to enliven the reading and drive home key points. This text removes the fear and confusion often associated with the research process and shines a light on all the aspects of research that readers need to know—whether it’s reading, understanding, planning, carrying out, writing, or presenting research.

Ancillary materials are available.

The Physics of Basketball

John J. Fontanella

Amazon Price: $16.50 List Price: $25.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: The Johns Hopkins University Press Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $7.75

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Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Professional Science -> Physics -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Drain three pointers, slam dunk easily, and sink that buzzer beater from half court with the help of simple science. Your coach, physicist John J. Fontanella, shows how you can improve your game if you take advice from Isaac Newton. As you read, relive some of the great moments in the game -- this time with a scientist and diehard basketball fan as your color analyst.

Find out why you ought to put spin on the ball. Get tips on how to improve your free throw and increase your percentage from the charity stripe. You'll even learn how to shatter the backboard, if that's something you've always dreamed of doing. With photographs and simple high school formulas, physics professor Fontanella -- who played in college against Pittsburgh and Syracuse -- reveals the key pieces of physics that underscore basketball. He covers almost every aspect of the game, weaving in stories from games he's played and games he's seen, and tales from basketball history and folklore. Physics comes alive as you see how Kobe Bryant, Wilt "the Stilt" Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Becky Hammon, and J. J. Reddick do naturally the things that Isaac Newton says they should.