Sports and Health

We think of sports as part of a healthy lifestyle — a chance to move our muscles, work up a sweat, release endorphins. Often that’s true… other times, not so much. In this show, The Pulse explores how sports affect our health — when they help, and when they hurt.

Also heard on this week’s episode:

• Reporter Anders Kelto brings us the story of Josh Anderson — a prodigious soccer player on the cusp of making it big. Until a mental health condition got in the way. You can find a longer version of this piece on “Gamebreaker with Keith Olbermann.”
• For talented young athletes, college can be a springboard to the big leagues. Ivy league football champ Cameron Countryman discusses the stresses of being a student-athlete.
• KQED’s Laura Klivans reports on an effort by the Washoe people — native to California and Nevada — to revive indigenous sports.
• Think gamers can’t get injured? Think again. Physical therapist Caitlin McGee specializes in treating injuries common among professional e-sports players.
• In an audio postcard from Louisville reporter Lisa Gillespie, jockey Miguel Mena discusses the dangers of horse-racing.
• Adaptive surfing lets people with disabilities catch a wave.