Diet and cardiovascular risk in university marching band, dance team and cheer squad members: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. Diets high in fat, especially saturated fat, are often linked to obesity, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia, all risk factors for CVD. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between diet and CVD risk factors in members of a university marching band, dance team and cheer squad.

The effects of caffeine on athletic agility.

Caffeine has been shown to improve sprint time, anaerobic power, and reaction time, all integral aspects of agility. The purpose of this study was to determine whether an acute caffeine dose would enhance agility and anaerobic power. Sixteen subjects participated in a randomized, double-blind experiment and performed the proagility run and the 30-second Wingate test 60 minutes after ingestion of caffeine (6 mg.