Sports injuries and illness in young people is the theme of an international sports and exercise medicine conference which is taking place at RCSI today and will continue until Saturday.

The 12th Annual Scientific Conference of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine (Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland), which was opened last night by Mark Pollock, explorer, adventurer and collaboration catalyst, is co-hosted by Athletic Rehabilitation and Therapy Ireland and the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists.

The keynote speaker at the conference is internationally renowned Professor Tim Noakes, Professor of Exercise and Sports Science at the University of Cape Town, who made an opening keynote address ‘Challenging Scientific Dogma in Sports and Exercise Medicine' which questions current scientific thinking in the field. He will also deliver the closing talk of today's programme entitled, ‘Why I converted from carbo-loading to carbo-avoiding' which will explore ‘The science of low carbohydrate eating'.

Among the highlights of the conference is a panel & delegate debate which will take place on Saturday on the topic ‘How to solve Ireland's childhood obesity epidemic'. The session is chaired by obesity specialist Professor Donal O'Shea (Consultant Endocrinologist, St Vincent's University Hospital and St Columcille's Hospital), with panel contributors Professor Tim Noakes, Professor Niall Moyna (DCU School of Health and Human Performance), Dr Sharon Madigan (Sports Institute of Northern Ireland) and Professor Avery Faigenbaum (Department of Health and Exercise Science, The College of New Jersey).

The first of conference's thematic sessions will explore ‘Background to injury and illness in young people'. ‘Sports Injury Treatment and Rehabilitation' is the first session tomorrow which will look at a range of injuries in young people including hip and knee; foot and ankle; acute chronic spine issues; and injury prevention the adolescent athletes.

The final thematic session ‘Exercise Science and Exercise Physiology' will explore overtraining and burnout in young athletes and nutritional requirements for growing athletes. As part of this session, Professor Avery Faigenbaum will discuss strength and conditioning for young athletes.

Dr Nick Mahony, Chairman of the Conference Organising Committee and Board Member of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine (RCPI and RCSI), said, "At this year's Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine Conference we will hear the latest research from Ireland and around the world focussing on the issues of sports injuries and illness that impact our children and adolescents. Saturday afternoon's panel discussion in particular, is not to be missed, with a panel of sports and exercise medicine experts who, along with anti-obesity campaigner, Professor Donal O'Shea, promise a lively debate on this highly topical issue of how to address Ireland's childhood obesity epidemic."