Stretching It Out
Many people make the assumption that stretching and warming up are pretty much the same thing, when in fact they are quite different. Warming up is the preparation of your body for the demands of the physical activity you have...
Articles
SIRC articles provide evidence-based and actionable insights from sport researchers, athletes, coaches, sport organizations and thought leaders to advance sport in Canada.
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Superstars or a super-team? Building capacity to play like a championship team
What makes a winning team? Is it raw talent, star power, or an overflowing budget? Think again. The most successful teams—on the field or in the office—don’t just rely on superstars. They thrive on balance, leadership, and a collective drive that turns a group of individuals into an unstoppable force. Take the 1972 Miami Dolphins,…
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Diversity in Sport
SIRC Newsletter now available online: Diversity in Sport The Canadian sport community has the opportunity to embrace our uniquely diverse population and actively strive for a multicultural and socially inclusive environment. Proactive sport organizations adopt a broad view of diversity...
What exactly are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are electrically charged particles that help the body function normally. The importance of electrolytes in the human body is so great that we quickly react to an electrolyte deficiency. Athletes in particular are susceptible because electrolytes are depleted during...
Recovery Nutrition – Carbs and protein
Recovery nutrition should be an important goal that is placed at the top of any serious athletes training priorities. Immediately after training, muscles are primed to absorb nutrients such as carbohydrate (restores muscle glycogen) and protein (repairs damaged muscle fibres),...
Treating Tendon Injuries
Tendon injuries are common in the sport community and can affect amateur and professional athletes alike. Tendon injuries are most often the result of gradual wear and tear to the tendon from overuse, incorrect movement or aging. As debilitating as...
Coaching – “Invisible” Disabilities
Participation in organized sport activities has been shown to increase self-confidence, social skills and peer acceptance. Young people with “invisible” disabilities (e.g. learning, emotional/behavioural, and speech/language) can often be overlooked because they have no outward physical characteristics that suggest they...
The power of plyometric training
Plyometrics (jump training) are exercises designed to produce fast, powerful movements that enhance explosive muscular performance. Many of you may have already used these techniques and not known they are called plyometrics. Plyometric exercises may include; jumping, bounding, hopping, arm...
Icy Recovery
Cold therapy is a technique that is very popular in multiple sports and disciplines with many high-performance athletes claiming it as an essential part of their training. Cold water immersion is used as recovery method where exposure to cold is...
Introducing the ‘sunshine’ vitamin!
Canadian winters mean short days and bundling up against the cold, so getting the required amount of sunlight for absorbing Vitamin D can be difficult. Vitamin D (sometimes called the ‘sunshine vitamin’) is unique in that it requires the skin...
Beet the competition
A handful of studies performed over the past several years have found that consuming beet juice may lower the oxygen cost of exercise, due to the high concentration of nitrates found in beetroot. As a result, many athletes are consuming...