Calendar
        Training day: Want to get ready for the Flying Pig Marathon May 5? Check out the free Jeff Galloway Training Program informational session and sign-up event at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdayat Bob Roncker's Running Spot in O'Bryonville. Information: Suzelle Snowden, (859) 341-0830 or (www.runinjuryfree.com). To register for the marathon, log onto (www.flyingpigmarathon.com).

        Sign up: Registration is open for the 92nd Thanksgiving Day Race starting at 9 a.m. Nov. 22 at Paul Brown Stadium. Cost: $15 in advance ($30 with T-shirt) or $20 the day of the race. Information: Log on to (www.thanksgivingdayrace.com).

Just in

        More starch: High protein diets are ineffective and could be harmful long-term, says a new advisory from the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee.

        The advisory, which appears in the Oct. 9 edition of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, specifically targets programs like the the Atkins, Zone, Protein Power, Sugar Busters and Stillman diets, and offers guidelines for evaluating these diets.

        “High-protein items may also be high in fat. Some of the diets increase fat intake and reduce nutritionally rich foods such as fruits and vegetables, which is not a good approach to meeting a person's long-term dietary needs,” says Dr. Robert H. Eckel, a co-author of the advisory. “Many of these diets fail to provide essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutritional elements, in addition to their high fat content.”

        Dr. Eckel says the diets haven't been shown to deliver on their promises of sustained, long-term weight loss.

Tips

        Full-court: Basketball makes for a great workout, but it can be painful, say the experts at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

        Risks include sprains and jamming injuries to the fingers and twisting and impact injuries to the feet, ankles and knees.

        In 2000, U.S. doctors and hospitals treated more than 1.6 million basketball-related injuries, with related expenses totaling $19 billion.

        Here are some tips to help reduce those numbers:

        • Take time to warm up and stretch.

        • Play only your position and know where other players are on the court to reduce collisions. Use proper techniques for passing and scoring.

        • Get the right gear: Shoes that fit snugly and are non-skid, socks to absorb perspiration, and ankle supports, along with knee and elbow pads, mouth guards and safety glasses or glass guards.

        • Don't wear jewelry or chew gum during practice or games.

        • Clear indoor and outdoor courts of debris and other items that could injure players.

        Make sure the courts are well-lit. If outdoors, watch the weather.

        • Look out for walls, bleachers, fountains and whatever else you're using as boundaries. Make sure the goals are padded.

        • Be prepared: Make sure there's a phone in case you have to call for help.

        For more information on injury prevention, log onto (www.aaos.org).

        Contact Peggy O'Farrell by phone: 768-8510; fax, 768-8330; email, pofarrell@enquirer.com.

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