Knowledge Nuggets

Sport events often focus on adult audiences, potentially overlooking opportunities to engage youth. Participant driven events and smaller community competitions have shown greater promise in fostering long-term involvement in physical activities for youth.

Curious about different recovery methods? In a study with CrossFit athletes, researchers found that while electrical muscle stimulation had a slight edge in speeding up recovery, the methods tested, electrical muscle stimulation, light exercise, and total rest, were similar in their effectiveness.

In a study exploring the experiences of 40 Masters athletes (ages 50 to 79) across various sports, researchers found that all participants benefited socially and psychologically from sport. However, those training 5+ times per week reported some social downsides, including time away from family. This may explain why some Masters athletes decrease or limit their...

Higher testosterone levels are linked to faster sprint times in young male athletes, offering a potential edge in performance. While female athletes showed no correlation, males with higher testosterone ran significantly faster in 20 m and 30 m sprints.

Did you know that professional skiing and snowboarding has an injury incidence rate of 3.49 injuries per 1000 days? Among these injuries, lower extremity injuries are most prevalent, with freestyle skiing exhibiting the highest risk at an alarming 6.83 injuries per 1000 days.

It used to be that after a concussion, athletes were encouraged to rest until they no longer had any symptoms, but this is no longer the case. Research continues to highlight that returning to safe physical activity in the first few days after a concussion can reduce a person’s chances of experiencing prolonged concussion symptoms.

Girls who are part of marginalized groups often miss out on sports, posing a big challenge for inclusion. A recent study found that much of the hesitancy to join sports comes from patriarchal norms and shyness. Promoting girls only sports with female coaches may lead to better rates of sport participation.

Have you ever considered the dynamics between gender, settler colonialism, and sport within Indigenous communities? For instance, lacrosse, once a traditional Indigenous practice, was adopted by white settlers, altering its cultural significance. Gendered expectations within settler colonial institutions, like residential schools, have also enforced ideals that impact Indigenous women’s participation in sports like lacrosse. To...

Does mental toughness make a difference in sport performance? This review dove into research and found that athletes with higher mental toughness consistently perform better, especially in combat and individual sports.

Motor skill training doesn’t just improve performance, it rewires the brain! Athletes develop fewer but stronger brain connections through training, boosting focus and reaction time and giving them a mental edge.