International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2019
In recognition of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, today’s SIRC blog features the Ability Toolkit, an evidence-informed resource that adapts the recommendations of the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for children and youth with disabilities.
Concussion Newsletter – November 2019
By championing a mix of “hard goods and soft goods solutions,” Freestyle Canada has prioritized the creation of an environment in which athletes can test their limits without sacrificing safety or risking traumatic brain injuries. Learn more in the SIRC November Concussion Newsletter.
Weight Training for Children
Is weight training appropriate for children and youth, or does it risk damaging growth plates and stunting growth? A review of the literature in the SIRCuit provides parents, coaches and athletes with the facts.
Is There a Role for Weight Training in the Physical Development of Children?
Once considered a fringe activity, weight training has grown in popularity in the last 20 years due to its benefits for improving health, physical fitness, and performance. Weight training is often included in high school physical education classes and promoted for young athletes as a supplement to sport training. However, various myths regarding weight training…
Early specialization and coordination patterns
New research reported in the Journal of Athletic Therapy discovered early specialization was associated with unstable hip and knee coordination patterns in female youth athletes. Proprioceptive, agility, and other neuromuscular-training techniques should be used by coaches and athletic trainers to correct the coordination differences to reduce the risk of injury.
Development in minor hockey
Hockey Canada recommends a ratio of two (or more) practices for every game played — claiming that one efficient practice will provide a player with more opportunities for skill development that 11 games combined. This article from The Conversation explores how the competition-oriented structure and win-at-all-costs culture of minor hockey limits opportunities for players to…
NBA sleep deprivation
Sleep loss reduces physical performance, eye-hand coordination, and attention span. Chronic sleep loss contributes to higher risk for cancer, heart disease, dementia and depression. A recent article from ESPN examines the impacts of competition and travel schedules on the sleep patterns, and ultimately the health, of NBA athletes.
Hacking Exercise for Health
Interested in updating your workout regime with the latest strength and conditioning science? A new massive open online course (MOOC) from McMaster University launches today, designed to provide insight and practical tips to apply evidence-based techniques to achieving your health and fitness goals. Learn more about Hacking Exercise for Health.
Music and HIIT
Music is often used as a dissociative strategy to draw attention away from the body’s physiological responses to exercise such as an increased heart rate or sore muscles. While listening to fast tempo, motivational music during high-intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions, new research from the University of British Columbia showed participants exhibited higher heart rates…
Bianca Andreescu & Mental Toughness
Bianca Andreescu made history on Saturday as the first Canadian tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles championship. Her success is attributed, in part, to her mental toughness. Learn how athletes manage stress and stay focused through goal setting, self-talk, imagery and arousal control in this article from The Conversation.