Knowledge Nuggets

Biking is a popular form of physical activity for children that has risks for injury to the head. Research shows that children who rode bicycles without a helmet are 14 times more likely to experience a fatal crash compared to children wearing helmets. Safe Kids provides safety tips on how to ensure that your child...

Researchers suggest that the best way to promote fair sport is to move away from a solely doping-centric focus towards promoting high levels of integrity. In this 2022 article, researchers question the usefulness of the term “clean sport,” which is theorized differently as “drug-free sport” versus “cheating-free” sport.

New research from the University of Victoria in Australia found that two thirds of girls who drop out of sport said their main reason for stopping was lack of enjoyment. Researchers provide 3 recommendations for organizations to keep girls loving sport, including developing strategies that focus on fun and skill improvement for all players, regardless...

The Game in the Child Model is an athlete-centred model that prioritizes learning how to teach the child before teaching them to play the sport. It involves considering characteristics of the child (how they think, feel), coach (past and present experiences) and organization (type and purpose). This leads to a better understanding of how play can...

Research shows that proper nutrition habits can improve an athlete’s sleep. Getting a good night of sleep is critical, as it boosts immune function, improves recovery times, and promotes learning, all of which can increase athletic performance. Good nutrition habits, such as eating a balanced diet and avoiding large meals before bed, can lead to...

The connection between women’s health and sports has been studied for many years and recently it was translated into practice. As one of the first football clubs to incorporate research on women’s health into training and nutrition regimes, Chelsea Football Club Women partnered with bio-analytics company Orreco to monitor players’ menstrual cycles to enhance performance...

In the middle of an academic year and a busy sport season, student-athletes may find it difficult to cope with the demands on their time and pressure to perform. One way that student-athletes can work to maintain their mental health is to look for positives. In other words, identify the good that things that can...

According to 4-time Olympian and mental health advocate Clara Hughes, “[mental health] resources need to be more readily available and clearly laid out as to what they are, where they are and how to access them.” To address this gap, the Mental Health Strategy for High Performance Sport in Canada aims to equip sport participants,...

Sport programs have great potential to support the healing and recovery of injured and ill military personnel and their families. In fact, military personnel and their families alike benefit when sport programs recognize, appreciate and cultivate a sense of belonging for military families. Here are some tips to integrate military families into sport programs, which...

The postpartum transition (from childbirth to one-year postpartum) is among the most challenging identity shifts for women. Physical activity has the capacity to reconnect women with their new bodies, while improving mental health. With education and support, more women can safely resume physical activity after childbirth and benefit from improved well-being.