Durham College Students learn the value of research!

Amanda Street-Bishop (Toronto’s Regional Information Specialist) received an invitation from Durham College’s Professor Kate Houze, to speak to their first year students enrolled in the Sport Administration and Sport Management programs. Students partook in a hands-on workshop which allowed them to learn about SIRC and how they can use us to help them in their second semester Sport Research Course. The purpose of this course is to present each student with a knowledge base and the relevant skills in order to better understand and function in the evolving sport management industry. The students study research and its application to the sport industry. Students examine research in detail – what it is, its purpose, its importance to industry, how to use, when to use it and then apply this knowledge to several research projects. Many sport management positions require one to research, to articulate an idea or concept and to present this information effectively to a board of directors, a client, a sponsor or other management groups making research an essential part of the Sport business environment.

The session was conducted in the school’s state of the art computer lab allowing each student to independently explore the SIRC site and the SportDiscus™ Database. The students were interested in scholarly, peer reviewed articles on a variety of topics including: steroid use in professional baseball, violence in amateur hockey and the promotion of mixed martial arts.

Here’s some of what they found:

• Financial Incentives and League Policy: The Example of Major League Baseball's Steroid Policy. Tainsky, Scott; Winfree, Jason A., European Sport Management Quarterly Mar2008, Vol. 8 Issue 1, p67
• Honor, ritual and violence in ice hockey. Colburn Jr., K., Canadian Journal of Sociology 1985: Vol. 10 Issue 2. p. 153-170
• Injury trends in sanctioned mixed martial arts competition: a 5-year from 2002 to 2007. Available Ngai, K. M.; Levy, F.; Hsu, E. B., British Journal of Sports Medicine Aug2008, Vol. 42 Issue 8, p686
• Mixed Martial Arts: The Book of Knowledge. Bolelli, Daniele, Journal of Asian Martial Arts 2007, Vol. 16 Issue 4, p86
• Public Perceptions of Steroid Use in Sport: Contextualizing Communication Efforts. Becker, Amy B.; Scheufele, Dietram A., International Journal of Sport Communication Dec2008, Vol. 1 Issue 4, p444
• The Relationship Between Spectator Motivations and Media and Merchandise Consumption at a Professional Mixed Martial Arts Event. Sport Marketing Quarterly 2009, Vol. 18 Issue 4, p199
• Sports MDs seek CMA support in bid to make hockey safer. Sullivan, P., Canadian Medical Association Journal Jan 15, 1990: Vol. 142 Issue 2. p. 157-159

2009 Sport Canada Research Initiative Conference

Check out the latest SIRC Newsletter -2009 Sport Canada Research Initiative Conference!

The third annual Sport Canada Research Initiative (SCRI) conference which was held in Ottawa on November 4, 2009 was a tremendous success. In all over 150 researchers, sport administrators, policy makers and sport enthusiasts attended the conference. The annual conference is a great opportunity to share knowledge and expertise with a view to maximizing the practical applications of sport participation research, more specifically to better evidence the benefits of, and barriers to, quality sport participation with the aim of improving Canadian sport policy outcomes. Be sure to check out the SCRI Conference video for a full recap.

http://sirc.ca/newsletters/mid-march10/index.html

Beat the Heat … Cramps!

When the weather heats up and humidity sores we are all on the lookout to prevent dehydration. We’ve been taught to drink up and replace lost fluids and electrolytes. But how do we prevent the muscle cramping that can also occur during this weather? Recently it has been suggested that diluted pickle juice, mustard or vinegar can help fight off exercise-related cramping.

Cramps can be caused by a lack of acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that stimulates your muscles to work. Mustard and pickle juice have acetic acid, which helps the body make more acetylcholine which loosens muscle tension. Apple cider vinegar is high in potassium and can help with muscle cramps caused by potassium deficiency.

While these home remedies have much anecdotal evidence, research is still being done to validate the claims.

Reference:
(2010). Combat Cramping. Lacrosse Journal, 34(1), 65.

2011 SIRC Research Award

Call for Papers
SIRC (Sport Information Resource Centre) is proud to announce the official launch of the 2011 SIRC Research Award and the SIRC Research Development Award.

SIRC invites Canadians associated with a Canadian University or degree granting institution to submit their original sport related research for consideration of the 2011 SIRC Research Award.

SIRC Research Award
The SIRC Research Award recognizes outstanding sport research that benefits the Canadian sporting community. SIRC invites Canadian researchers to submit sport related original research papers in consideration for the 2011 SIRC Research Award.


This year, the 2011 SIRC Research Award has two categories. Your submission must fall into one of these two categories.


The social impact of sport on the community:

This category contains research in four broad areas;

social, cultural, and/or economic benefits of sport
health and wellness
participation
education and life long learning


The impact of applied research on athletic excellence / high performance:

This category contains research in four key areas of study;

Sport Psychology
Sport Physiology
Sports Medicine
Kinesiology

The Award:
Winners receive $2,000, a SIRC membership, media coverage, inclusion in the SIRC Collection and international exposure to the sport and academic community through SIRC’s publishing channels.

Eligibility:
The applicant must be a Canadian citizen currently associated with a Canadian University or degree granting institution.
You must submit original research that has not been previously published.
Your paper must be written in English or French.
Your paper must be a minimum of 2500 words and up to a maximum of 4000 words (excluding references).
Your research must be relevant and benefit the Canadian sporting community.
Review Process:
Candidate’s abstracts will be initially screened by members of SIRC (or a representative group).

Abstracts will be assessed based on the following criteria:

Abstract content
The results of long-term impact of the paper on the Canadian sporting community.

The review criteria for the paper are:

Relevance/significance of topic to sport, fitness or sport science in Canada
Relevant literature
Clarity of conceptual framework /appropriate methodology
The value to the Canadian sport system
All criteria will be evaluated on a 5-point scale (1 = poor, 5 = excellent). Judges are selected nationally and are considered experts in various areas of study within sport.


Important Submission Deadlines:

January 14th, 2011: Abstract and bio submission

March 25th, 2011: Research paper is electronically received by researchaward@sirc.ca. In addition, a complete hardcopy of the applicant’s submission, which includes a bio, an abstract, a photo of the applicant (passport photo) and the signed SIRC Content License agreement and eligibility outline, with original applicant signature, is received in our offices by 4:30 pm EST

SIRC’s mailing address is 180 Elgin Street, Suite 1400, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2K3

Winners will be notified by June 17th, 2011


*Subject to change without notice.

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!

University of Toronto Gets Green Light for New Sports Lab

The Faculty of Physical Education and Health at the University of Toronto has announced that the build is on for a dazzling new sports lab facility geared towards high performance sports science research. With inspiration and direction from the previous Dean of Physical Education and Olympian, Bruce Kidd, the The Goldring Centre for High Performance Sportwill open its doors in 2014 in downtown Toronto, Ontario, just across from Varsity Stadium.

In 2006 Warren Goldring, a 1949 graduate of the University of Toronto, and his family gave an $11 million gift to establish the high performance research centre. The green light came in November 2011 when the province’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities contributed $22.5 million towards the construction. 

Under the direction of the new Dean Ira Jacobs, the centre is said to be the first facility in Canada to dedicate itself to the rudimentary science of elite athletics advancement. The vision behind Goldring is to create synergies that bolster research in the areas of sport and exercise research, sport medicine, training and competition. A much needed resource to the University of Toronto and the province of Ontario, the Centre will house the necessary laboratories and testing equipment to analyze athletic performances and test scientific hypotheses. And with a name like "Goldring", there will no doubt be gold medal research and success that is produced to benefit athletic performance and sport in Canada.

For more information on sports science research, please contact SIRC.

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

Keeping the Momentum

Whether you’re planning a March break getaway or already thinking ahead to summer vacation, a little time away can be the highlight of your year. Travel typically involves departing from your daily routine which can include your workout or training schedule. Sometimes a break in training can be seen as a setback in the hard work you've put into reaching your fitness goals. Keeping up training momentum is actually a lot similar to organizing a good vacation; it’s all in the planning.

As an athlete vacationer, the first thing you should do is adjust your mindset and approach to training while you’re on vacation. Workout expectations should be different from what they would be at home.

Planning Suggestions:

Do Some Research: Find out what facilities will be available. Are there going to be gyms in the vicinity and do they offer day passes? Will there be places that offer fitness classes? Take advantage of any you find to help keep a bit of routine to training.

Be Flexible: Fit in workouts whenever you can; go for a swim, hike on a trail, bike around the city, or try something new. If you aren’t able to fulfill your typical workout, that’s okay, view the week as light training or as a cross-training opportunity.

Stay on Top of Your Nutrition: It’s a given that there will moments of indulgence while on vacation, just avoid making it every meal. Either bring some nutritious snacks along or explore a local market for fresh fruit and vegetables.

Go Ahead, Relax: Don’t waste time worrying about undoing your conditioning, strength and endurance will not disappear overnight. It takes roughly 2-3 weeks for well-trained athletes to show a less than 10% loss of power and endurance when training stops. Planning a scheduled rest period can even benefit training.

If you plan to incorporate training into your holiday, remember to take time and enjoy your vacation. Just like your training, time, effort, and money have been invested in planning your getaway, so have fun and stay fit.

References Available from SIRC Collection:

1. Krause P. The Benefits of Cross-Training. AMAA Journal. Spring2009 2009;22(2):9-16. 
2. Marques M, Zajac A, Pereira A, Costa A. Strength Training and Detraining in Different Populations: Case Studies. Journal Of Human Kinetics. December 2, 2011;:7-14. 
3. McMaster D, Gill N, Cronin J, McGuigan M. The Development, Retention and Decay Rates of Strength and Power in Elite Rugby Union, Rugby League and American Football.Sports Medicine. May 2013;43(5):367-384. 
4. Meeusen R, Duclos M, Gleeson M, Rietjens G, Steinacker J, Urhausen A. Prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the Overtraining Syndrome. European Journal Of Sport Science. March 2006;6(1):1-14.
5. Oliveira V, Leite G, Prestes J, et al. EFFECT OF A DETRAINING PERIOD ON NEUROMUSCULAR VARIABLES IN HANDBALL ATHLETES. / EFECTO DE UN PERÍODO DE DESENTRENAMIENTO SOBRE VARIABLES NEUROMUSCULARES EN ATLETAS DE BALONMANO. Fitness & Performance Journal (Online Edition). March 2009;8(2):96-102.
6. Thomas L, Mujika I, Busso T. A model study of optimal training reduction during pre-event taper in elite swimmers. Journal Of Sports Sciences. April 2008;26(6):643-652.