SIRC articles provide evidence-based and actionable insights from sport researchers, athletes, coaches, sport organizations and thought leaders to advance sport in Canada.
Beyond the Stats: Understanding Sleeper Athletes with Dr. Joe Baker
In a sports culture obsessed with early success, Canada may be missing out on some of the best athletes, sleepers, those who develop later, defying the traditional timelines of talent. Dr. Joe Baker, a leading expert on talent development and professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto, says…
SIRC is pleased to be working together with Sport Canada to share current research on topics informing policy and promoting quality sport programming. This week we are sharing highlights from a recent article examining the RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COACHES AND THE...
High performance athletes typically make a lot of sacrifices for their sport in all areas including family, education, finances, and sometimes even their bodies. Their lives are usually jam-packed with strict routines, intense training and busy competition schedules with the...
If you watch sports regularly, you’ve likely seen the brightly coloured tape that commonly adorns athletic bodies. Of course these colourful patterns aren’t just for show, many athletes are using kinesiology tape (KT) primarily to treat and prevent musculoskeletal injuries...
An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is one of the most common and yet one of the most devastating injuries an athlete can sustain. There is plenty of research on ACL injuries and the methods for treatment are well documented;...
Unexplained performance slumps can be extremely frustrating for athletes and can be caused by any number of reasons, physical or mental. Sport psychologists agree that these declines are just par for the course in competitive sport but that doesn’t make...
The Paleolithic Diet is hugely popular right now with its proponents touting its benefits through books, websites, personal blogs and health and fitness magazines. Athletes are always striving to gain an edge so it’s not surprising that many are turning...
The use of compression garments has become increasingly popular in recent years, mostly in a post-exercise role where compression tights, arm sleeves, socks and boots are used as a means to speed up recovery. Â Types of compression garments vary where...
Muscle cramps are a common occurrence in sports and numerous other physical activities, where even highly fit athletes can experience slight to very painful muscle spasms. Any muscle can be affected but it commonly occurs to the legs, for athletes...
The advancement of sport science and sport medicine has brought many fields to work to together in order to maximize athletic performance. Integrated Support Teams (IST) are the norm of today in elite athletics. Such teams consist of physicians, nutritionists,...
Masters athletes is a term that encompasses a wide range of active men and women over 35 who compete in sports at a very high level; they can range from the weekend warrior to elite competitor. Baby boomers are a...