Knowledge Nuggets

SIRC’s Knowledge Nuggets provide a daily source of insight, leveraging the latest in research findings, promising practices, relevant news and practical resources.

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Showing 1-10 of 1,952 Results

Challenging the comeback effect

January 10, 2025
It was once believed that being slightly behind in a game could boost winning chances in basketball, but new research challenges this idea. Tests across other sports like football and rugby found no similar effect.

Sport for stress reduction

January 9, 2025
Sport isn’t just about competition, it’s also about having fun. For adolescents, engaging in physical activity can reduce the effects of stress, especially when they genuinely enjoy what they’re doing. This highlights how motivation behind physical activity influences life satisfaction and reduces stress.

Body composition in sport

January 8, 2025
Athletes’ body composition results from a mix of genetics, sport demands, diet, and training. Metrics like fat and muscle mass play a significant role in athlete health and performance, influencing factors such as injury risk and recovery.

Reasons to continue sport participation later in life

January 7, 2025
Despite the well-known benefits of sport, participation tends to decline with age. However, many older adults continue to engage in sports for reasons such as health benefits, social connections, and a sense of achievement. To encourage greater participation among older adults, highlighting these benefits are essential.

Leadership behaviour of youth coaches

January 6, 2025
In youth sports, coaches wield significant influence on athlete development. A recent study explores why coaches use specific leadership behaviours and their intended outcomes. Results reveal how different leadership styles correspond with distinct coaching objectives, aiding in enhancing our understanding of coaching practices for improved athlete experiences.

Breaking the taboo about menstrual cycles in sport

January 3, 2025
Competitive female athletes perceive their hormonal cycles as affecting their sport involvement, but rarely discuss these issues with their coaches. A study of Swedish cross-country skiers showed that low levels of knowledge about hormonal cycles are a barrier to communication. Strategies to increase knowledge and strengthen coach-athlete relationships can help to break down barriers for...

Body dissatisfaction in gymnasts

January 2, 2025
In aesthetic sports, athletes often perceive pressure to be thin to maximise performance. A recent study of elite-level gymnasts in Sweden showed a relationship between body dissatisfaction and symptoms of disordered eating over time, suggesting that monitoring of behaviours driven by body dissatisfaction, such as exercising for weight control, is important to identity athletes at...

Nutrition and muscle recovery

December 24, 2024
Recovery strategies are key for athletes to combat fatigue from increased metabolism during physical activity. Nutrients like proteins, amino acids, and vitamins are crucial for supporting muscle recovery and reducing post-exercise damage.

Sport participation for individuals with disabilities

December 23, 2024
Sports offer numerous physical and mental health benefits for individuals with disabilities; however, many remain inactive despite these advantages. The health benefits of sports participation across various disability groups include socialization opportunities and enjoyment, highlighting the positive aspects of sports participation.

Perfectionism in high performance athletes

December 20, 2024
Many high-performance athletes scrutinize their own performances and often aim for perfection. A recent study delved into how perfectionistic athletes view success and failure in sports. Through interviews and season-long diaries, researchers found that an athlete’s ability to deal with failure depended on the type of perfectionism they exhibited.
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