The skeletal and muscular systems allow you to interact with and manipulate the environment around you. However, there are various factors that can interfere with the proper functioning of these organ systems, from a fracture to an overuse injury to a joint disease.
In this week’s discussion, you will select ONE of the following case studies related to some of the factors that influence skeletal and muscular health. Respond to ONE of the topics below for this unit’s discussion and then during the week, respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts.
Olivia is a right-handed, 16-year-old tennis player who has been training for a competition. Olivia went snowboarding with her friends during the winter break. She slipped on the ice and attempted to brace for the fall by stretching both arms out. She was surprised to find that, despite landing on both arms, only her left arm was fractured.
What might explain why only her left arm was fractured, despite her landing on both arms with the same force? Answer this question as a hypothesis.
How would you evaluate the validity of your hypothesis?
What are the different ways a doctor may treat her fractured bone?
Let’s say that Olivia was a 58-year-old female. Would you expect her risk of having a more severe fracture to increase or decrease? Why?
Have you or someone you know had a fracture? How was it treated? What was the outcome?
Javier is a 40-year-old baseball player who has been using anabolic steroids to enhance his performance over the last decade of his career.
What are anabolic steroids?
How do steroids enhance an athlete’s performance? What specific impacts do steroids have on the muscular system?
What are the potential side effects of anabolic steroid use?
If you were coaching Javier’s team, what would you advise?
What are other ways to improve athletic performance?
