Knowledge Nuggets

When athletes are struggling with mental health, sometimes offhand comments from coaches and teammates can have negative consequences. In today’s video, produced by the Canadian Olympic Committee for Bell Let’s Talk Day, diver Francois Imbeau-Dulac shares his struggles with an eating disorder and his courage to ask for help.

“Values-based sport” is an approach that helps to establish an optimal environment that encourages the growth and development of athletes through sport. Explore how to use values as a road map to creating welcoming, safe, athlete-centred environments in the SIRCuit.

Research points to the impact of psychological stressors on performance. Whether emotional stress or high cognitive processing demands, “psychological load” must be considered by coaches and trainers to achieve peak performance. Learn more in this SIRCuit article.

The Winter SIRCuit is now available! This edition is issue-packed, providing evidence-based and experience-informed insight through a variety of timely and topical articles: Increase your commitment to improving sport in Canada through an article on values-based sport. Contemplate the role of policy and practice in maintaining hazing culture, supporting the inclusion of transgendered athletes, and...

Reconstruction surgery has become a viable method for athletes to return to play after suffering an ACL injury, yet one third of patients will develop osteoarthritis within 10 years. Researchers have found that the way a patient moves after surgery has significant implications for their long-term recovery. Patients who reported lingering symptoms post-surgery were found...

Good team cohesion is a key factor for success, but can create pressure for team members to conform. Research conducted with NCAA athletes found that those who more closely identified with their team were more likely to adapt to their teammates’ behaviour. This held true for both risky (e.g. drinking and driving, concealing concussion) and...

Successful mentoring relationships can increase motivation, productivity and self-efficacy. Learn more about the value of mentoring from an athlete perspective in the SIRC blog.

Endurance athletes use a number of strategies to distract themselves and manage their performance. For example, athletes can manipulate their attention, focusing either internally (e.g. on the running movement, internal body signals) or externally (e.g. on the environment, music). Research reported in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Physiology measured running economy to confirm the...

Don’t underestimate the influence of coaches on ethical behaviour. Recent research with amateur athletes from Football Federation Flanders confirmed the importance of coach ethical behaviour in creating a moral bond between coaches and athletes, and supporting a positive ethical climate the club.

With temperatures plummeting, are you wondering about the benefits of integrating cryotherapy into your recovery practice? Research published in the International Journal of Athletic Therapy & Training demonstrated that cold-water immersion was beneficial for reducing post-exercise pain perception.