Gabriela Guauta ( gabriela@healthmaxphysio.com ) @ 05/18/2023 8:15 pm
How biological sex and gender affect concussion risk and management

Highlights Concussion recovery depends on many factors, including biological factors (for example, anatomy) and gender-based factors (for example, societal norms in sport). Research shows that female athletes have a higher risk of concussion than male athletes, male and female athletes experience concussions in different ways, and female athletes may take longer than male athletes to…
How time of day effects performance
Although Olympic athletes are known for their meticulous pre-competition routines, many aspects of competition are out of their control. For example, research shows that Olympic swimmers have 0.32% improved performance when they race in the evening compared to in the morning—showing that time of day could be enough to make or break a podium performance.
Heat acclimatization
The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games are expected to be among the hottest ever recorded. As athletes prepare for the games, researchers have found that heat acclimatization is the best measure to protect health and performance. This can include 60 to 90 minutes of daily training in the heat for one to two weeks before…
Body temperature and performance
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.
Space travellers
Do you ever wonder how astronauts stay fit in space? To counteract the effects of weightlessness on the heart muscle, which will atrophy over time in a gravity-free environment, short bursts of repeated high-intensity activity are recommended during longer space missions.
Goal conflict as a barrier to regular physical activity

Project summary Many people who adopt the goal of improving physical activity do not succeed. The aim of this research was to examine goal conflict as a uniquely contributing factor to the low rate of success. Our experiments showed that goal conflict can create a barrier to regular exercise by (a) lowering performance of exercise…
Preventing muscle loss after injury
New research suggests training one arm can improve strength and decrease muscle loss in the other arm — without even moving it. Study participants who performed an eccentric exercise on their active arm had just 2% muscle wastage in their immobilised arm, compared with those who did no exercise who had a 28% loss of…
Examining the use of socialization tactics in team sports

Project summary Sport team membership provides people with opportunities to work together toward a common goal and build supportive social relationships. Quite simply, being a member of a sport team is associated with a host of psychosocial benefits. However, joining a new sport team can be a stressful experience because of the uncertainty surrounding an…
Mask wearing
As gyms and sport facilities resume their operations, Canadians are wondering about the impact of masks on their performance. Researchers from the University of Saskatchewan found that wearing a mask does not affect performance and has minimal effect on blood and muscle oxygenation.