Snow sport injuries

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.

Understanding Deselection in Competitive Female Youth Sport

The psychology of recovery among endurance athletes

Mental health of high-performance coach and staff

A growing awareness of mental health needs among elite athletes has emerged, but the mental well-being of coaches and high-performance support staff (HPSS) in elite sports is less understood. Heightened levels of psychological distress, risky alcohol consumption, and sleep disturbances were found among coaches and HPSS, highlighting the need to extend mental health support to…

Chasing dreams at any age: Confessions of a Masters athlete

For Masters athletes, the finish line isn’t a signal to stop, it’s an invitation to continue, proving that age isn’t the end of the race but just another part in the journey of sport. Staying active throughout life is essential for maintaining both physical and mental well-being. In fact, regular physical activity not only improves…

Muscle cramps and damage in marathon runners

Muscle cramps are a common issue in marathons, often affecting runners’ performance. This study compared muscle damage and dehydration between marathoners with and without exercise-associated muscle cramps (EAMC). Runners with EAMC had higher levels of muscle damage markers but similar dehydration and electrolyte levels compared to those without cramps.

Challenging the comeback effect

It was once believed that being slightly behind in a game could boost winning chances in basketball, but new research challenges this idea. Tests across other sports like football and rugby found no similar effect.

Body dissatisfaction in gymnasts

In aesthetic sports, athletes often perceive pressure to be thin to maximise performance. A recent study of elite-level gymnasts in Sweden showed a relationship between body dissatisfaction and symptoms of disordered eating over time, suggesting that monitoring of behaviours driven by body dissatisfaction, such as exercising for weight control, is important to identity athletes at…

Perfectionism in high performance athletes

Many high-performance athletes scrutinize their own performances and often aim for perfection. A recent study delved into how perfectionistic athletes view success and failure in sports. Through interviews and season-long diaries, researchers found that an athlete’s ability to deal with failure depended on the type of perfectionism they exhibited.

Fast as a mother: Elite runners’ training during pregnancy and postpartum 

Keeping active during pregnancy and postpartum is so important for a whole host of reasons and, fortunately, there’s no shortage of advice out there on how to do so. Generally speaking, for those without any health issues during pregnancy, most international health guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. This means movement…