Knowledge Nuggets

Did you know that during training and competition, the “ideal” internal body temperature shifts from ~37°C to ~38.5°C? Research shows slightly increasing body temperature through a passive warm-up can increase muscle power by up to 5%, thus improving performance.

“This is just one huge exercise in risk management… the health risks, financial risk, reputation risk, and compliance risk. It’s sort of risk management on steroids.” In the SIRCuit, Curling Canada CEO Katherine Henderson shares learnings and insight on hosting key national and international events during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Less than three months after helping the Kansas City Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory, Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff returned to Canada to assist with a coronavirus outbreak at a long-term care facility in Montreal, Quebec. Laurent shows us how sport can provide athletes with valuable skills that can be taken beyond the field, pitch, and court,...

In a survey of national team athletes led by Game Plan in 2020, 34% of respondents said the postponement of the Tokyo Games changed their retirement plan from sport. Some said they would have to retire earlier than planned, while others chose to push their retirement for another year.

Research with elite women’s wheelchair basketball athletes has shown playing time can negatively impact body temperature regulation, increasing the risk of heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat stroke. Coaches are encouraged to monitor the cooling strategies of athletes with high playing time and encourage all athletes to hydrate during time outs, substitutions, intermissions, and half...

Anyone who spends time in the world of sports knows the value of teamwork—but we don’t often think about how different sports might work together towards a common goal. The Nordic Strategy is a joint initiative designed to explore how working together can help all four Canadian Nordic sports—Biathlon, Nordic Skiing, Nordic Combined, and Ski...

“Until we had gold medals awarded on January 5th, I think we always felt there was a little bit of risk that we weren’t going make it through.” Read how Hockey Canada collaborated with federal, provincial, and local health authorities and implemented compliance officers to successfully host the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Junior...

Athletes often plan to re-engage in educational pursuits the year after the Games, which is often less busy. With the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Games, an analysis of comments from 74 national team athletes in a Game Plan survey revealed 39% had to refuse or defer admissions to focus on training.

The Spring 2021 SIRCuit is now available! Spring is in the air and summer is on the horizon—and while the COVID-19 pandemic rages on in many parts of the world (including here in Canada), sports enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Looking ahead, this edition of the SIRCuit tells compelling stories about how athletes and sport organizations have adapted and thrived in the...

The growth of competitive virtual cycling could be a great equalizer. Gone are the days when North American athletes are required to head to Europe for the highest levels of competition. Virtual cycling also reduces the complexities of event hosting relating to local officiating capacity, road closures, and inclement weather.