College Athletes and Depression

There is a common perception that college athletes are tough and should be able to resolve problems that might lead to depression . In fact, just the opposite might be true. Having to handle what is essentially a full-time job and keep up with schoolwork might leave them feeling less well-adjusted than non-athletes. Along with the stigma attached to mental health issues, especially in the...Read more

Reducing inflammation

Inflammation is not all bad - in fact it's the body's way of naturally protecting itself and enabling the healing process to begin. It's when inflammation persists and becomes chronic that it can cause issues. Inflammation can be managed quite easily by following simple dietary requirements and lifestyle changes such as sleeping patterns. A common practice for reducing or treating inflammation is...Read more

Training logs as effective training tools

Sport is about the pursuit of excellence. Before you can get there, you have to invest a lot of time and effort into training. For cyclists, it means a lot of hours in the saddle, training you body to be able to ride your local road race or if you are one of the best in the world, the Tour de France . The 2013 Tour de France is comprised of 21 stages, completed in a 23 day period, covering over...Read more

Recovery Nutrition - Carbs and protein

Recovery nutrition should be an important goal that is placed at the top of any serious athletes training priorities. Immediately after training, muscles are primed to absorb nutrients such as carbohydrate (restores muscle glycogen) and protein (repairs damaged muscle fibres), both of which are essential for rapid recovery from intense exercise. Proper nutrition is an essential part of the...Read more

Can sleep loss contribute to weight gain?

It is well known that if we don't get enough sleep we have difficulty thinking and focusing clearly, we are irritable and may have trouble finishing tasks. It can be easy to think that a few hours of sleep loss isn't a big deal, but over the long-term the cumulative sleep debt may cause some health issues in the future. Current research now shows that sleep deprivation may also be linked to...Read more

Sleep

SIRC Newsletter now available online: Sleep Elite athletes push their bodies to extremes every day. This brings with it a considerable degree of physical fatigue while training, traveling and competing. Where fractions of a second often mean the difference between a win and a loss, studies have shown that there is competitive advantage to those athletes who recognize the value of recovery. To...Read more

Fighting Fatigue

Fatigue seems simple: your body has reached its limit, you're tired. The current understanding is that we feel exhausted because of physical factors . Not enough oxygen and fuel to the muscles and decreased blood flow to the brain means that your muscles are no longer able to generate power no matter how hard you try. While this is true, it may not be the only factor in feeling fatigued. A recent...Read more

Don't let age slow you down!

Many of you may not know that the International Council on Active Aging celebrates Active Aging Week , from September 23-29. A lot people participate in this annual event, with this year's theme being many journeys, many destinations. To celebrate this week, we are giving some tips for healthy, active living, so you don't have to let age slow you down! 1. Determine your participation style - Do...Read more

Train Like an Olympian

SIRC Newsletter now available online: Train Like an Olympian With everyone talking about the London 2012 Olympics, it’s fun to see what elite athletes do to attain such high levels of performance. For most athletes, the Olympics is the peak of their athletic career and as such, they strive to reach the highest levels of achievement. Training is long and intense and sometimes comes with setbacks,...Read more

I can't sleep...

Preparation for a competition often includes such things like packing your gear the night before, scheduling travel time and getting a good breakfast. Unfortunately, most people neglect an aspect of training and recovery that is one of the most important, getting a good night's sleep . Anxiety disrupts sleep - how many times have you lain awake at night worrying about the competition ahead? A...Read more