F I T N E S S Training to the max: The NBA's long season From Professional Team Physicians The National Basketball Association has undergone fundamental changes over the last few decades, from the way the game is played to the salaries the top players command. What has remained constant is a grueling, 82-game schedule that can gradually grind down even the most well-conditioned athletes. To field a healthy team for the full season, NBA teams put their players through a battery of tests. Full story. . .

I N J U R I E S Women's ACL injuries: A gender gap? From Professional Team Physicians Over the past several years, orthopedic and sports medicine clinics have seen an alarming number of female athletes with knee injuries, especially those to the ACL. "Since the early '90s, the predisposition of women to ACL injuries has become a very hot topic of study," says Dr. T.O. Souryal, a member of Professional Team Physicians and one of the pioneering researchers on ACL injuries. "Although we know that women proportionally suffer more ACL injuries than men, at this time, no one knows exactly why." Full story. . .

Better baseball through exercise Preventing baseball injuries can be as simple as wearing a helmet while batting, or as complex as applying proper mechanics when you are throwing a side-arm curveball with runners on base. Full story. . . Build a Better Back Follow this easy exercise regimen three times per week on nonconsecutive days to better your back. Full story. . .

Almost time for Little League Elbow The problem with young pitchers is that in many cases they're either throwing too hard too often or trying to build up endurance too quickly. Full story. . . Long road ahead for Mourning The kidney disease that has sidelined Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning for the 2000-2001 basketball season is far better understood by doctors than it was 10 years ago. Full story. . .