Cal Wins First-ever NCAA Women’s Swimming Title
from San Francisco Chronicle
Dana Vollmer cruised in the 100-yard freestyle and anchored the winning 400 freestyle relay to lead Cal to the team title - the school's first-ever - at the NCAA women's swimming and diving championships in College Station, Texas. More

ASCA Courses Offered in Flushing, NY.
from ASCA
Guy Edson will present the Level 2 Stroke School and How to Write Workouts at The Boys' Club of New York, 133-01 41st Road Flushing NY, on Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12. Participation is open to all coaches. Register with clinic host Magdy Shokry at magdy.shokry@bcny.org. Cost is $100 for both courses. More

Study: Triathlons Can Pose Deadly Heart Risks
from The Associated Press
Warning to weekend warriors: Swim-bike-run triathlons pose at least twice the risk of sudden death as marathons do, the first study of these competitions has found. The risk is mostly from heart problems during the swimming part. And while that risk is low — about 15 out of a million participants — it's not inconsequential, the study's author says. Triathlons are soaring in popularity, especially as charity fundraisers. They are drawing many people who are not used to such demanding exercise. Each year, about 1,000 of these events are held and several hundred thousand Americans try one. More

Auburn Men Claim Eighth Title
from NCAA
The Auburn men's swimming and diving program captured its eighth national championship in program history and gave head coach Richard Quick his record 13th national title in the sport, including his first at Auburn, at the Texas A&M Student Recreation Natatorium. Auburn finished the meet with 526 points, 39 ahead of second place Texas. The Tigers entered the final session six points behind the Longhorns, however a strong preliminary swim earlier in the day gave Auburn the upper hand entering the finals. More

2009 Legends of Texas Clinic, April 2-5, San Antonio
from ASCA
The FINIS 2009 Legends of Texas Clinic will be April 2-5 in San Antonio, Texas. Speaking at this year's edition of the Legends clinic are: Sean Hutchison, KING Aquatics Wash.; Steve Bultman, Texas A&M; Rod Hansen, Irvine Novaquatics California; Jim Montrella and John Leonard. ASCA schools are held Thursday through Friday morning, with the clinic, itself, Friday afternoon through Sunday early afternoon. Cost: $175--clinic and schools; $99--clinic only; $40--Ideal First 2 Years course (only); $60--Level 2 course (only). For more information e-mail asca@swimmingcoach.org or to register, call (800)-356-2722. More

Exercise Improves Young Men's Heart Regulation
from Reuters
Offering yet more reason to get regular exercise, a new study shows that running and other aerobic activities improve nervous-system control of the heart in young men. The study, of 149 healthy young adults, found that 12 weeks of aerobic exercise improved the autonomic nervous system's regulation of the heart -- at least in men. In general, the training lowered men's resting heart rate and improved their results on a measure of heart-rate variability -- heart's ability to speed up or slow down in response to demands. The benefit was not seen in women, however, the researchers report in the American Journal of Public Health. More

Too Much Salt Is Not the Spice of a Healthy Life
from HealthNews
Before you reach for the salt shaker, you may want to know that almost 70 percent of adult Americans have a daily consumption of more than double the amount recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Consuming too much sodium can increase the risk for high blood pressure, known as hypertension, and the main source of sodium in food is salt. In fact, uniodized salt is 40 percent sodium by weight. More

Tired of the Treadmill? Get Out and Play Instead
from Reuters
Tired of the same old exercise routine? Get out and play instead, suggests a fitness expert who spoke at the American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) Annual Health and Fitness Summit in Atlanta. Play is "the perfect anecdote for when your exercise routine starts to feel like more of a chore than an activity of enjoyment," health scientist from Bethesda, Maryland, and ACSM faculty member Dr. Carol E. Torgan noted in a statement from the meeting. It's good for the body, mind and soul. "Think about activities you loved to do as a child and incorporate those into your routine (and) include your family," Torgan added in comments to Reuters Health. To rediscover your inner child, visit a playground, toss a Frisbee, take a hike, go rock climbing, pick up a hoola hoop, or dance. An adult weighing 150 pounds can burn more than 300 calories an hour by dancing. More