Should Athletes try the Paleo Diet?

The Paleolithic Diet is hugely popular right now with its proponents touting its benefits through books, websites, personal blogs and health and fitness magazines. Athletes are always striving to gain an edge so it’s not surprising that many are turning to this diet in the hopes that they will improve their race performance. What’s the…

Are compression garments effective for exercise recovery?

The use of compression garments has become increasingly popular in recent years, mostly in a post-exercise role where compression tights, arm sleeves, socks and boots are used as a means to speed up recovery.  Types of compression garments vary where they can be worn via the upper, lower or full-body and are generally made from…

Exercise Associated Muscle Cramping

Muscle cramps are a common occurrence in sports and numerous other physical activities, where even highly fit athletes can experience slight to very painful muscle spasms.  Any muscle can be affected but it commonly occurs to the legs, for athletes this can be debilitating and require some time off from training and competition. Theories are…

The Placebo Effect: Why the mind is a powerful thing

The advancement of sport science and sport medicine has brought many fields to work to together in order to maximize athletic performance. Integrated Support Teams (IST) are the norm of today in elite athletics. Such teams consist of physicians, nutritionists, psychologists, biomechanics, videographers, statisticians, etc. all designed to help coaches and athletes in various aspects…

Three Key Training Elements for Masters Athletes

Masters athletes is a term that encompasses a wide range of active men and women over 35 who compete in sports at a very high level; they can range from the weekend warrior to elite competitor. Baby boomers are a large part of the growing number of older adults who are either picking up a…

2015 IIHF World Junior Championships and the use of Emotional Intelligence

The 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship, which takes place from December 26, 2014 to January 6, 2015, will be showcasing some of the best young hockey plays under-20 years of age in the world. The tournament will have 10 national teams divided into 2 groups during the round-robin and will be hosted in the cities…

Nutritional Demands for Adolescent Athletes

Good nutrition for adolescents is essential for promoting proper growth and development and is even more important with the demanding training schedules of a young athlete. Canada’s Food Guide provides excellent nutritional information for teenagers aged between 12 and 18 years who participate in general physical activity. For teens that train at high intensities and compete…

How do you choose a medicine ball?

Many variations of medicine balls have come and gone throughout history but one thing remains constant, they are an excellent training tool for athletes. Medicine balls are essential for building the explosive strength that many athletes need to perform at their best. It’s a unique tool that has the ability to force the body to…

Hip flexors – why they shouldn’t be overlooked.

Every athlete can benefit from strong hip flexors; however hip flexor strengthening is very seldom included in athletic training regimens. The hip flexors are the group of muscles that allow you to lift your knees toward your chest or bend forward from the hips. They play an important role in stabilizing the body and having…

Post-Exercise Nutrition

Post-exercise nutrition should be an important goal that is placed at the top of any serious athletes training priorities. After an intense training session, your body will be sorely lacking the energy and nutrients it needs to recover. While we workout we burn through our body’s energy stores and cause micro tears in our muscle…