Knowledge Nuggets

Ever heard of, or felt, “runner’s high”– that short but relaxing moment of joy some people feel after exercising? Wondering why this phenomenon happens? Dive into the exciting world of endorphins and learn natural ways to boost them. Read ParticipACTION’s blog, Endorphins and exercise 101: Exposing the mysterious link between them.

As we learn more about the environment and look for ways to keep the Earth clean, we look to reduce the waste that we create. No matter who you are in the sport sector, whether it be an athlete, parent, coach, or administrator, changes can be made to reduce environmental footprint. This blog provides information...

Research on new runners found that a strong personal “why” tied to identity and values boosts commitment to running, but social inequalities like gender and health disparities can impede progress despite strong motivation. Effective interventions for new runners should prioritize meaningful motivations and consider individual circumstances while promoting an enjoyable running experience.

Sport can be an escape from life’s stressors. Researchers who investigated the impact of lifetime stress on male athletes’ performance and their willingness to seek mental health help found that sports-related stressors negatively affected their mental health and performance. Athletes also struggled to identify mental health symptoms. This highlights the need for proactive mental health...

Understanding the dynamics between athletes, coaches, and support personnel is important. This study was among the first to explore these relationships and how they impact wellbeing. Shared values and the ability to cope with challenges were factors that we found to boost wellbeing. The study also reveals how wellbeing can spread among team members through...

Athletes who experience strong support and a sense of belonging within their team are less likely to burnout. Coaches should encourage this sense of belonging to enrich athletes’ experiences and prevent dropout. However, too many team rules can burden athletes, impede support, and exacerbate burnout. Striking the right balance between team unity and support is...

High performance athletes confront a myriad of mental health challenges throughout their career. According to a multi-societal consensus statement, these challenges vary across distinct phases of the Olympic/Paralympics journey, encompassing the pre-, during-, and post-Games. This underscores the need for heightened mental health awareness as well as tailored support within each phase of the quadrennium...

Rest and sleep are key parts of maintaining physical health and recovering from potential injuries. This is true even outside of competition season. A recent study, done on preseason rugby athletes, found that longer sleep duration during the preseason may assist in enhancing physical qualities including aerobic capacity and body composition.

To better understand belonging through sport in individuals with intellectual disabilities, the Sport and Belonging team interviewed twenty Special Olympics athletes and identified three themes that the athletes spoke to: (1) support from allies, (2) being part of the team, and (3) opportunities to discover and develop interests.

There are many factors that can contribute to sport performance such as hydration, energy levels and more. One of the less considered factors is temperature and weather. A recent study finds that for every degree of weather difference, from optimal temperatures of 10°C to 17.5°C, performance in endurance running declined by 0.3% to 0.4%.