GPS Not Just For Your Car Anymore!

Technology is advancing at a rapid pace these days and there are applications available for almost everything. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are now considered standard equipment in cars and vehicles to help you get where you are going.

Recently, SIRC has discovered that more and more journals in the SIRC Collection are including articles on ways to use a GPS to help you in your sport and fitness training. From running, skiing, cycling, and walking to rowing, soccer and tennis, a GPS can provide a multitude of information to coaches and athletes to improve their training.

A GPS can help you:

• track speed and distance
• track an athlete in team sport
• simulate a race course
• even monitor heart rate when connected to other applications

These are only a few of the ways a GPS and technology in general can help you in your training. There are more innovative ways to use technology to push the envelope and achieve your next personal best.

Check out the following resources to help jump start your GPS training :

• GPS Applications in Sport
• Athletic Sports and GPS
• Get Back in Shape With GPS for Fitness and Training

Be sure to visit SIRC for even more great resources on GPS and training.

Exercise for Persons with a Disability

As we have recently been reminded, an increasing number of Canadians are overweight despite programming being implemented to address the issue (Canadian Community Health Survey). Many programs focus on the general population, but what about those who are Para or Quadriplegic. A recent article from the SIRC Collection discusses the value of exercise for individuals who have little or no voluntary movement (see reference below). The importance of exercising the legs in particular is addressed in their role as the main pump that returns blood to the heart. It is important to perform passive exercise that will help legs retain or improve their flexibility, range of motion, and bone strength, and help in atrophy prevention. Passive/active exercisers can allow the user to exercise from home while in a wheelchair or scooter or to continue their exercise on outings or while on trips. Passive/active exercise is beneficial for those with a wide range of physical disabilities including: paraplegia, quadriplegia, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, arthritis, diabetes, stroke patients or those who have suffered brain trauma.

The Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability also has a variety of resources and information on maintaining an active lifestyle. Resources include:

• Resource Library
• Activity Fact Sheets
• Service Providers & Practitioners Directory

Reference from the SIRC Collection:
Gray, R. Errol (2009). The Value of Exercise for Para and Quadriplegia, Total Access, Fall 2009, p.10-11.

Sleep Impacts Sport Performance

Participating in sport requires us to be at our best both physically and mentally. For optimal physical performance our brain and central nervous system (CNS) play a key role in biomechanics, muscle activation, reaction and reflex movement, and other physiological functions. In order to work at its best, the brain and CNS need to be well rested. Research has proven that sleep is a clear predictor of performance in skill based sport (Underwood (2010), order article from SIRC.

Our bodies need sleep to help recover from physical and mental stress accumulated during the day. Missing too much sleep has been shown to reduce cardiovascular function by 11% and impact brain function nearly twice as quickly. If an athlete is forgetting information given in a practice or isn’t making effective decisions during sport, chances are they aren’t getting enough sleep. Sleep also affects glucose metabolism which is the main energy source for athletes.

Tips that can help athletes get enough rest without impacting training:

• Include sleep in your training log
• Perform active recovery
• Include massage in your training
• Get adequate sleep
• Balance nutrition with training load
• Eat before exercise
• Eat for recovery

For more information on sleep and its physiological and psychological impacts please contact SIRC.

Reference: Underwood, John (2010). Sleep: Now Clearly a Predictor of Performance. Coaches PLAN du Coach, 17 (1), 31-34.

Canada Day – Let’s celebrate Canada’s Sporting Greats!

As Canada celebrates its 143rd birthday, what better way to commemorate this occasion, than by honouring some the great athletes Canada has produced. Now I am not talking about the Wayne Gretzkys, or the Steve Nashes of the world, they are honoured all the time. I mean some of those lesser known athletes who may not have made millions of dollars, but have accomplished great things in the sporting world.

For Example:
Graydon “Blondie” Robinson who won the 1969 AMF Bowling World Cup by only six pins with a 379-373 aggregate. Robinson was the first Canadian to win the world 10-pin championship and the championship's oldest winner at 41.

Myrtle Cook who was a member of the famous “Matchless Six”, Canada’s first ever women’s Olympic Track team. The year was 1928 and despite public protest, women were permitted for the first time to compete in track and field at the Amsterdam Olympics. Myrtle and her three team mates took the gold medal in the 4 X 100m relay. Myrtle went on to win gold in the 100m in meets in Paris and Philadelphia and also set a 100m world record at the Olympic Trials.

Tommy Burns, World Heavyweight Boxing Champion from 1906 to 1908. Despite being only 5’7”, he successfully defeated 6’ tall American Marvin Hart for the heavyweight championship title in 1906 and successfully defended his title 11 times over the next 2 years.

Lucille Wheeler won Canada’s first Olympic Skiing medal, taking home the bronze in 1956. She was also the first North American to win a world championship title, both for the downhill and giant slalom, in 1958. She paved the way for future skiing sensation Nancy Green.

Phil Marchildon Major League Pitcher with the Philadelphia Athletics who had his best season in 1946 after spending two years as a prisoner of war in the infamous German prison camp Stalag Luft III. He finished with a 19-9 record, second in the American League in wins behind All-Star Bob Feller, and even more remarkably-given the state of his health in 1945-Marchildon finished third in the American League in both games started and innings pitched.

Check out these great resources from the SIRC Collection:

• Canada's baseball legends: true stories, records and photos of Canadian-born players in baseball's major leagues since 1879. Shearon, J. Kanata, Ont. : Malin Head Press. 1994.
• Gridiron greats of Saskatchewan. Froggett, L. Hamilton, Ont. : Canadian Football Hall of Fame and Museum. 1995.
• Canada's Olympic hockey teams: the complete history, 1920-1998. Podnieks, A. Toronto : Doubleday Canada. 1997.
• Canadian olympic alpine teams 1936-1994. Alpine Canada. Ottawa : Alpine Canada. 1994.

Visit Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame to learn about other great Canadian Athletes. Happy Canada Day!

Learning from Disappointment

Athletes and coaches can have good and bad days and they must learn how to deal with both. Knowing what can trigger disappointment and how to deal with it can be beneficial to athlete and coach as well as those around them. A recent article in Modern Athlete & Coach provides tips in both of these areas.

Factors leading to disappointment:

• Unsatisfactory interpretation of results
• Unsatisfactory interpretation of performance standard during competition or training
• Missing training or competition.
• Injury
• Poor interpretation of training or missing training
• Challenging or poor relationship between athlete and coach or between athletes
• Inability to efficiently manage sport and life

Tips for managing disappointment:

• De-briefing after every competition
• Regular performance reviews
• Looking at what has been accomplished
• Developing a support network of professionals (mentors, psychologists)
• Incorporating cross training
• Linking performance to goals and time-plans
• Philosophy that you do not know whether an event is good or bad until long after
• Understanding that “disappointments” are part of sport

There are numerous factors that can lead to disappointment however managing it well can have a positive impact on coaches and athletes.

Klarica, Anthony. (2010) Dealing with Disappointment. Modern Athlete & Coach. 48(3), p.19.

Sport Injury Psychology

In a recent article in the SIRC Collection Dr. John Heil talks about the "10 Challenges" faced by the injured and recovering athlete, and the psychological tools that can help the athlete meet these challenges. He suggests that by approaching injury rehabilitation as part of the game that an athlete must play, the athlete can transfer sport skills to their rehabilitation. The following are the ten challenges he describes:

• Challenge 1: Knowing the Game. Knowing the “how” and “why” of rehab engages the athlete in the process.
• Challenge 2: Identifying Goals. Understanding the “how” of rehab invests the athlete in the process.
• Challenge 3: Visualizing the Plan. “See, believe & achieve”.
• Challenge 4: Focusing on Thinking. Thinking about the right thing, at the right time, in the right way.
• Challenge 5: Managing Emotions. Channeling and modulating emotions (positive and negative) energizes rehabilitation.
• Challenge 6: Playing with Pain. Differentiate performance pain from injury and adjust accordingly.
• Challenge 7: Training with Intensity. Working smarter through physiological conditioning (intensity) and biomechanical precision.
• Challenge 8: Calculating Risk. Decision-making based upon knowledge of ability, intensity and pain.
• Challenge 9: Staying Mentally Tough. Turning negative momentum into positive by having the courage to take control of what can be controlled (personal thoughts, feelings, and actions).
• Challenge 10: Self-Actualizing. Personal growth and development in the pursuit of excellence.

While meeting these challenges can help an injured athlete face their recovery with a sense of purpose and direction, they are also applicable to anyone facing adversity and looking for a positive way to move forward.

Order the full article from SIRC: Heil, John (2009). Sport Psychology and the Injured Athlete. American Fencing, 59(3), 30.

Pilates: Great for Athletes

With the hectic and time consuming training schedule of athletes, it is often hard to find time to recover from a workout. Add to this the fact that often athletes are repeatedly using the same muscle groups, they are leaving themselves open to injuries. These days, many athletes (especially teenagers) are turning to Pilates as a great way to switch up their work out and help with injury prevention.

The following 6 basic principles of Pilates can be used by athletes to stay focus and improve performance:

• Concentration
• Centering
• Control
• Precision
• Breathing
• Flowing movement

The benefits of Pilates don’t end there. Because of the extensive core work, an athlete’s body alignment and awareness is improved. Pilates also focuses on conditioning the body and mind which can help improve sleep quality. Finally because Pilates incorporates numerous muscles of the body, athletes often work muscles they wouldn’t in their normal routine, which can lessen injury risk.

Reference from the SIRC collection:
Pilates: Tools for Teen athletes. Trap, Zoey., IDEA Fitness Journal Nov/Dec2010, Vol. 7 Issue 10, 80.

Just a hit to the head or a concussion?

We often hear about the severity of head trauma and coaches are encouraged to check for symptoms of concussions (dizzy, headache, light sensitive). However, recent studies are showing that repeated hits to the head, concussed or not, may result in long term side effects. In particular athletes who receive frequent head blows in sports such as football, boxing, soccer, equestrian etc may suffer significant visual memory loss.

It was estimated that a concussion may result from a head impact of over 80 times the force of gravity, (the average header in soccer produces an impact of 20 Gs) however, a recent study in the US monitored college football players and found that players were receiving approximately 150 hits/week with a force often between 100-250 Gs. The amount of force regularly hitting the players is astounding and yet these players were not exhibiting any symptoms of concussions and they appeared fine to their coaches and parents. What was disturbing was to find out was that the tests were showing a 20% decrease in visual memory capacity (in particular the area that requires rapid identification of recurring patterns) for players after just 3 months of training.

What this is saying, is that we need to be more aware of all head injuries. Be very careful of both major concussions as well as all those minor impacts that “chip away at the brain”.

Consensus Statement On Concussion in Sport

SIRC Newsletter: Concussions

Reference from the SIRC Collection: Epstein, David (2010). Unexpected Findings: The Damage Done. Sports Illustrated, 113 (16), 42-47.

Coaches and the Female Athlete Triad

There are awkward conversations some coaches avoid having with their female athletes. One of these discussions may be about the menstrual cycle, especially by male coaches. This awkwardness can be avoided by educating your athletes on the Female Athlete Triad.
The three clusters of the triad are:

• Disordered Eating (poor nutrition),
• Menstrual dysfunction (irregular or loss of period), and
• Osteoporosis (low bone density)

Athletes should be educated on proper eating habits to maintain or balance the use of energy when training, as to prevent low-energy availability. The low-energy availability and excessive exercise can lead to a lack of estrogen causing amenorrhea (loss of period) or menstrual irregularities. A lack of estrogen, and poor nutrition (especially calcium) can lead to the third cluster, osteoporosis.

As coaches, the main focus should be on disordered eating, as this leads to the next two clusters. Women face many pressures these days to look a certain way, or have a certain body-type. For serious female endurance athletes, the pressures of training can produce the mind set of, “If I lose 5lbs, I can run faster.” These pressures can very easily lead an athlete into poor eating habits.

For more information on this topic please check the SIRC collection.
Female Athlete Triad Coalition

Sportsmanship: Connecting Fun and Competition

What is sportsmanship? Do we really understand how to exercise, teach, or encourage sportsmanship? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines sportsmanship as “fair play, respect for opponents, and polite behavior by someone who is competing in a sport or other competition.” Sportsmanship is the glue that holds competition and fun together.

As athletes, coaches, officials, or parents we need to lead by example. This can be done by:

• Thanking coaches and referees at the end of games
• Congratulating players and opponents
• Cheering for your teammates
• Being polite to the referees

Youth sport should be about having fun. However, as athletes get older the competitive drive gets bigger and often sportsmanship can be forgotten. Officials of highly competitive games can help to create a good sportsmanship atmosphere. Click Here for some tips on how officials can prepare.

Reference from the SIRC collection:
Woelfel, Rick. (2005). How to Build Good Sportsmanship. Referee, 30(3), 14.

Online Resources:
SIRC July Newsletter
TeensHealth: Sportsmanship

Hello from Halifax!

By Brandie Adams, SIRC Reference Librarian

The action at the Canada Games is happening everywhere. Whether you are in the stands watching hockey, at the Canada Games Centre watching gymnastics or at Ski Wentworth catching up on freestyle skiing great sport can be seen. There are also concerts, forums, receptions and more to provide the Canada Games community the opportunity to meet and share ideas.

Tuesday night CAAWS hosted a reception for women in sport and physical activity. They are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year. The room was packed with people in support. While there SIRC had the opportunity to catch up with members of the Canada Games Council and AthletesCAN. One highlight was chatting with Kyle Shewfelt, the 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist in Artistic Gymnastics Floor Exercise. If you have the opportunity to meet Kyle you should take it. He is currently an AthletesCan ambassador but is also a speaker and momentum coach.

The first week is coming to an end. You can feel that Halifax has embraced the Canada Games and there are signs of it everywhere. Huge posters on sidewalks and buildings, recognizable swag of volunteers, Canada Games staff and Team clothing (especially Team Manitoba in black/yellow/white retro) can be seen on the streets. It can be heard around the city how friendly everyone is and how great the volunteers are. The East Coast is keeping up their reputation at being a welcoming host.

Check out SIRC's Canada Games webpage for more information!

(Photo compliments of Canada Games)

Returning to play? Who decides?

So you lose your star player to injury. If you are a professional team, this may affect gate receipts. If you are in the hunt for a championship, this may cost you the title. So no matter the motivation to get your player back on the field of play, star of the team or not, how is the decision made and who makes it?

Does the athlete decide when they are ready? Should the coach make the final decision? Is it the team doctor, the athletic trainer, the parents or the family doctor? Whether the injury is a head concussion, sprained ankle, stress fracture or leg contusion, return to play protocols are a critical part of a physicians guidelines and they should be given the power and responsibility to abide by them for the sake of the athlete.

Conflicts of interest with players themselves, as well as with team management, are widespread. Because of the pressures associated from bringing together all the decision-making stakeholders involved in an athlete’s career, the decisions made by a physician or athletic trainer regarding an injured athlete’s return to play can occasionally have over-riding ethical dilemmas. Using a moral compass and doing the ‘right thing’ for the athlete, embraces the basic principles of ethical decision making.

And while the decisions need not be perfect, they should reinforce the medical practitioner’s responsibilities to the athlete. Decisions should focus solely on the athlete's welfare and not on the effect those decisions will have on the outcome of a sporting event.

Additional Resources:

• Stovitz, S. D., & Satin, D. J. (2006). Professionalism and the Ethics of the Sideline Physician. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 5(3), 120-124.
• Dunn, W. R., George, M. S., Churchill, L., & Spindler, K. P. (2007). Ethics in Sports Medicine. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 35(5), 840-844.
• International Federation of Sports Medicine / Fédération Internationale de Médécine du Sport – Code of Ethics
• Swisher, L., Nyland, J., Klossner, D., & Beckstead, J. (2009). Ethical Issues in Athletic Training: A Foundational Descriptive Investigation. Athletic Therapy Today, 14(2), 3-9. Available in the SIRC Collection.
• Borowski, Bill, Pack, Cory & Powell, David (2007). Ethical Issues in Sport Medicine. Unpublished. Retrieved from the Internet March 17, 2011.

“The Warning Signs” - Sudden Cardiac Death

The sad facts are that at least 700 Canadians under the age of 35 die from Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) annually, and 50% of those who die suddenly experience at least one of the “The Warning Signs” prior to their deaths. Early medical intervention is the key to preventing SCD in children and young adults since many cardiac arrhythmia disorders are genetic and with proper medical assessment, many of these disorders are identifiable and treatable.

SCD in youth is a non-traumatic and unexpected sudden cardiac arrest that occurs within 6 hours of a previously normal state of health. They are the third leading cause of death in youth behind only suicides and accidents. The Canadian Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes Foundation (SADS), a registered Canadian charity, is the only patient advocacy group in Canada dedicated to supporting families affected by inherited cardiac rhythm disorders and committed to raising awareness about “The Warning Signs” for these devastating disorders.

Knowing “The Warning Signs” can help save a life before the condition becomes fatal. They are:

• Fainting (syncope) or seizure during physical activity
• Fainting (syncope) or seizure resulting from emotional excitement, emotional distress or startle
• Family history of unexpected sudden death during physical activity or during a seizure, or any other unexplained sudden death of an otherwise healthy young person

SADS promotes on-going collaborative efforts to educate any group who works with youth including sports organizations, school boards and recreational centres, and this week in Ottawa, SADS will host the “Living with Inherited Cardiac Rhythm Disorders” Conference.

While recognizing “The Warning Signs” is the road to prevention, needing to react immediately at the time of a cardiac arrest is crucial to the survival of the patient as it can all happen so fast. So acting upon the policy recommendation identified in the Canadian Heart Health Action Plan, the Canadian Government has invested in a $10 million initiative dedicated to helping cover the cost of putting a life-saving Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in every hockey arena and recreational centre in Canada that does not have one, and will support training for attendants in using them.

Online resource:
Cardiovascular Screening of Canadian Athletes for Prevention of Sudden Death: Review, Rationale & Recommendations

Contact SIRC for more information about Sudden Cardiac Death in sport!

Ice, Ice Baby!

Ice or heat? This is one of the most frequently asked questions regarding injury management following an acute or slow developing chronic injury. While ice packs and heating pads can be found in almost every household, how do you know which to use and when?

The simple rule is that to promote healing, ice, along with compression and elevation of the soft tissue injury site, is commonly used for acute and recent injuries (less than 48 hours old). The old adage “R.I.C.E.” for “Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation” serves as a quick treatment reminder of how to take care of an acute injury, such as ankle sprains, contusions, jammed fingers, re-aggravated shin splints or plantar fasciitis. Recommendations for sprains and strains includes stopping activity to the damaged area, followed by the early and often application of ice (in combination with compression and elevation) for 15-20 minutes – any longer and the cold temperatures can damage to the skin tissues (even frostbite). Icing treatments can be done repeatedly, but it is imperative to allow the injury site to warm for approximately 45 minutes and return to a normal sensation before applying ice again. Overuse injuries in athletes can benefit from ice treatments after activity as a way to control inflammation.

The application of a heat treatment should be used for chronic conditions to stimulate blood flow to an injured site in that it assists to help relax and loosen up the damaged tissues. However, heat should not be used after exercise nor on an acute injury.

So now that spring has sprung and we are heading straight into summer, the desire to get outside and be more active also arrives. Remember that you don’t have to be an athlete to get injured! Injuries can come doing anything – tripping on the steps, hauling in bags of dirt for your garden, wiping out on your bike ride to the store, or getting kicked in the shin while playing ‘rec’ soccer. So be sure to reach for the ice first!

Contact SIRC for more information on sport injury!

A Different Kind of Athlete

Athletes. They come in all shapes, size and types. They are high performance, professional, amateur, recreational, college and high school. They are also industrial. Unlike the sporting athlete who is physically trained to participate in their sport, encouraged to take the appropriate amount of rest, receives professional sports medicine and nutritional advice, the industrial athlete is not. They do not have the luxury to rest for a few days after many sessions of physical labour, and most often do not receive physical support services. Injuries to the industrial athlete can cause down time in production, lost revenue, and an increase in injury claims.

The “Industrial Athlete” is an industrial fitness and rehabilitation service provider for the company whose employees’ normal work day in the manual material handling (MMH) world requires repetitive carrying, lifting, twisting, turning and moving, often under extreme conditions. Companies such as Cintas, reported by Report on Business Magazine as one of Canada’s Best Employers, have incorporated a new training initiative for thousands of their employees, who wash and move products such as heavy mats and uniforms, to some 800,000 businesses across North America. In an effort to reduce the risk of injuries to their service representatives on the road, and workers in the plants and  distribution centers, Cintas uses the Industrial Athlete Sports Medicine Model program which includes daily warm ups (“Stretch and Flex” exercises), proper lifting and carrying training, rehabilitation, advice on nutrition, and how to achieve the all important work-life balance. For this effort, Cintas’ Workers’ Compensation premiums are 22 percent better than the industry average.

Companies that have implemented similar programs have found that employees are responsive to exercises and appreciate that getting their bodies ready for work makes good sense. So treat employees like professional athletes by respecting them as industrial athletes. This not only affects the bottom line financially, it also allows workers to lead safer, more comfortable lives on and off the job.

Contact SIRC for more information on athlete injury prevention!

SIRC at AthletesCAN Forum

To kick off a new partnership Jaime McLean, SIRC's Project Coordinator, is attending the AthletesCAN Forum which is being held at the Westin Edmonton Hotel, September 15-18. SIRC is onsite to help familiarize and answer questions from the AthletesCAN members.


This partnership provides our athletes with easy access to the most comprehensive competitive and training resources; a sport librarian to help answer any questions; and the latest opportunities related to careers in sport. An athlete is always searching for ways to improve; now it’s easier to find the resources and strengthen their competitive intelligence.

Drop by the booth and see how SIRC can help you!

Long Live the King of Pollen Allergies

Images of the fall season include football, the return to school, the changing of the leaves, crisp and cool days and evenings, and the autumn harvest. It’s also the time for fall allergies caused by weed pollen that will last until the first frost. Weed pollen, the fine coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, is the origin of the allergy problem. Often referred to as the “King of Pollen Allergies,” ragweed is the number one offender for the fall season in North America.

For a human that is sensitive to pollens, there can be allergic responses any time of the year, known as “hay fever” or “allergic rhinitis” which is the inflammation of the nasal airways. With approximately one in three people having an active allergy at any given time, and knowing that at least three in four people develop an allergic reaction at least once in their lives, this is an enormous problem to a very high segment of our society. 

As an athlete, managing allergies in relation to training or activity is of high importance. Ragweed is tough as nails and grows aggressively in an assortment of places. So for someone who suffers from fall allergies associated with ragweed, pollen levels peak for this plant peak between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm.

The management of allergic rhinitis includes:

• Checking your local pollen counts (go to the The Weather Network)
• Minimize exposure to pollen
• Consider staying indoors
• Keep windows closed
• Prevent and reduce symptoms by taking over-the-counter antihistamines and intranasal corticosteroids

Taking these particulars into consideration when planning outdoor activities no matter if it’s a run, bike ride, or dog walk, will go a long way in safeguarding that an allergy sufferer is not outside at the peak of the potential misery.

For more information on health, fitness and the environment, please visit SIRC.

Can endurance athletes be vegetarians?

by Michelle Caron

Algonquin College Library Technician Student

SIRC Intern

All athletes want to be better, faster and stronger than their opponents. On race days, athletes need food that will give them the energy to get through to the end of the day. In order to accomplish this goal, the right combination of carbohydrates, proteins and fats are required. Endurance athletes need to consume more calories than the average person, so when an athlete makes the decision to become a vegetarian it can be a complicated move.

High performance comes with good health so many athletes have been exploring vegetarianism as a viable lifestyle change. There are various types of vegetarianism:

• Vegan: This group excludes animal food and animal products. They eat only plant-based food. 
• Lacto-Vegetarian: This is a pure plant diet that includes dairy products. 
• Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian: Will not eat meat products but includes eggs and dairy 
• Pesco-Vegetarian: Does not eat meat but includes fish. 

Comprehensive research is highly recommended so that athletes can make an informed decision before cutting meat out of their diet. Without that knowledge base, vegetarian diets have the potential to be unhealthy (saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, low protein, iron, zinc and calcium). That being said, vegetarian diets are able to support an athletes’ needs and with careful planning it can be done. Some tips to consider:

• Prepare your meals at home 
• Vary the foods you eat 
• Make smart choices by monitoring protein intake 
• Try to eat small, frequent, nutrient packed meals throughout the day to keep energy and blood levels stable

Nutrition deficiency can happen very easily when someone is going through intensive training. This can be avoided if you incorporate nutrient rich foods. Some staples to incorporate into your diet should include: 

• Hummus 
• Beans – kidney, black beans and lentils 
• Nuts and nut butters – almond, cashew 
• Brown rice 
• Whole grains 
• Fortified soy milk 
• Seeds containing Omega 3 – flax, hemp, chia, sesame, pumpkin, sunflower 
• Good iron sources – spinach, broccoli, oatmeal and fortified cereals 
• Vitamin supplements 

If you feel you are out of your depth regarding nutrition and vitamin supplements, Dieticians of Canada is a wonderful resource that provides comprehensive information on healthy nutrition for athletes. It is possible to maintain a healthy, plant-based diet and still perform at higher levels if you educate yourself and ensure all your nutritional needs are met. 

For more information on vegetarianism and sport, please contact SIRC. 

References from the SIRC Collection: 

1. Crosland, J. "The Athlete's Guide To Turning Vegetarian: More And More Athletes Are Turning Vegetarian. But It's Vital They Follow Some Simple Guidelines. Jeanette Crosland Suggests How It Should Be Tackled." The Coach (Peterborough, England) 4 (2001): 42-44. 
2. Eberle, S.G. "Vegetarian Diets For Endurance Athletes." Strength & Conditioning Journal 26.4 (2004): 60- 61. Fuhrman, Joel, and Deana M. Ferreri. "Fueling The Vegetarian (Vegan) Athlete." Current Sports Medicine Reports 9.4 (2010): 233-341. 
3. Nisevich, Pamela M. "Training Tips For Vegetarian Athletes." IDEA Fitness Journal 6.4 (2009): 56-58. 
4. Seebohar, Bob. "VEGETARIAN EATING Life Style." Triathlon Life 10.4 (2007): 36. 
5. Venderley, Angela M., and Wayne W. Campbell. "Vegetarian Diets: Nutritional Considerations For Athletes." Sports Medicine 36.4 (2006): 293-305.

The Need for Fibre

Although it has very little caloric value, fibreis still essential to your diet and offers a wide range of health benefits. The recommended daily allowance of fibre is 20-35 grams per day between soluble and insoluble varieties (although the average daily fibre intake is closer to 15 grams). While all athletes, recreational and competitive, need to make sure of a regular supply of fibre in their diets, athletes may need to decrease fibre pre-competition to prevent intestinal problems.

Soluble fibres, which have the added bonus of reducing blood cholesterol levels and help control blood sugar levels, are found in lentils, beans, nuts and some vegetables and fruit. This fibre forms a gel by attracting water, which slows down digestion. In addition it helps with over eating and weight loss. 

• Weight loss aid - an apple and a biscuit both have 60 calories. However an apple which has high fibre content and water compared to the sugar and fat of the biscuit. The apple is more filling and satisfying unlike the single biscuit. Many of us can eat a few biscuit in a single serving but the same cannot be said for an apple. 

On the other hand insoluble fibres pass through the gastrointestinal tract relatively quickly and add bulk to our diet.  It is believed that insoluble fibres help to decrease your risk of colon cancer by removing toxins from the colon and controlling/balancing the acidity levels in the intestine.  Insoluble finders can be found in whole wheat and grains, seeds, the outer skins of fruits and vegetables.

• Digestive health- our intestines are made of smooth muscle, these muscle require, like any other muscle to be exercised. Food is pushed through the intestines in an action called peristalsis. Fibres add bulk to our food, helping the food pass with less pressure. Lack of fibre can cause diverticulitis. This is a painful and serious medical condition where bacteria filled bulges develops on the walls of the intestine.  

To get your daily fix of fibre eat a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, grains, and other natural foods.

Foods high in fibre  · Cooked black beans   · Kidney beans  · Bran cereal  · Apples and pears with skin  · Avocado  · Red lentils

Foods low in fibre  · White bread  · White rice  · White pasta  · Refined meals

Source from the SIRC Collection:

Dale, P. The F Word (2011). Ultra-FIT.

Can Deception Improve Athletic Performance?

When we're trying to climb a particularly steep hill, or run those last few kilometers in the marathon, we often try to trick our minds into ignoring any possible aches and pains or believing that those distances are shorter than they seem. If we use it in the context of making an effort seem easier, is it possible to use deception to make performance better?

According to an interesting research study from Northumbrian University, deceiving the athlete brain can lead to some improvements in athletic performance.  In a study done at the university, cyclists were asked to race against an avatar (a virtual cyclist figure), which they thought was moving at the personal best pace of each cyclist, except they were actually cycling one percent faster. The cyclists, who could see their own performance on the virtual course alongside the avatar, were not only able to match their opponent, they were actually going faster.  This lead to a two percent increase in power which may seem insignificant but not when that could be the difference between gold and not even getting on the podium.

Due to the improved performance in this study, some questions were raised out: 

• What are the limiting factors on how fast a person can go in an athletic event?
• Which fatigues first – the body or the brain?
• How much competition can affect the athlete’s speed?
• Does the brain conserve the body’s limited fuel resources?

It was also learned in the research environment that money did not increase athletic performance, for when athletes were offered money to go faster and better their own times, they could not.

Results from the experiment showed that deception can indeed lead to improved performance when the cyclists were told that the avatar was going the same speed as their personal best. But if they thought the avatar was already going faster than they had ever gone, the cyclists had a tendency to give up faster.

The “belief system” of the athlete plays a role, within limits, and if the athlete thinks a certain performance is possible, they can draw on the energy reserves that the brain is programmed to hold back.

For more information on coaching techniques, please visit SIRC.

Reference
Northumbria University (2011, October 17). Pushing the limits of performance. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 15, 2012, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2011/10/111017075514.htm

Original Research
Stone, Mark R.; Thomas, Kevin; Wilkinson, Michael; Jones, Andrew M.; Gibson, Alan St Clair; Thompson, Kevin G. Effects of Deception on Exercise Performance: Implications for Determinants of Fatigue in Humans. (2011). Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: POST ACCEPTANCE, 19 August 2011. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e318232cf77. Retrieved February 15, 2012 from http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Abstract/publishahead/Effects_of_Deception_on_Exercise_Performance_.98845.aspx