Managing Calf Strains

Whether you are a high performance or recreational athlete, you have all probably experienced cramps in your calves at one point or another. The main cause of calf strain comes from muscle fatigue and can happen while participating in a variety of different sports. It is commonly believed that cramps can be caused by low electrolytes/sodium but so far there has been no evidence to support that...Read more

Coaching and Constructive Feedback

The goal of great coaching is to guide, inspire and empower athletes to develop to their fullest potential. Much of coaching depends on the ability of the coach to communicate criticism in a way that fosters trust and positive outcomes. Providing constructive feedback can be one of the most challenging skills for coaches to master but when done properly can yield great results. Every athlete and...Read more

Hit the Start Line Prepared!

You’ve been preparing for your big competition and it’s finally here. Managing stress when you are about to compete is always a challenge when you’ve put so much effort in the hopes of being successful. Pre-event planning is not something to be overlooked and can be essential to your achieving your goal. Knowing that everything is in order and accounted for can help to ease your mind and help you...Read more

Music for Motivation

Everyone has those days. It's filled with stress and things just dont’t seem to go your way. On those days it just seems more appealing to stay in your pajamas rather than working out. So why not use music as a motivational tool to get your body moving. The idea that music motivates you during exercise is not new, but what is interesting is that recent studies have indicated that music can...Read more

Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games Study

Canada is hosting the Pan/Parapan American Games in Toronto in 2015. SIRC , Canada's national sport information resource centre, is pleased to be working together with the Canadian Olympic Committee to conduct a study on the Games. In particular we are looking at the following areas: Expectations for our athletes Importance of the Games Potential opportunities for the Canadian sport community and...Read more

Body Type and Training Athletes

How can We know that every athlete is different. However, when it comes to body types , these differences in shape may determine how your body adapts to high intensity training. Some will argue that it is all common sense, when you carry some extra weight your performance is impacted. However, sometimes having a little extra weight can benefit swimmers and bikers on a flat surface while at the...Read more

Making waves in the big pond!

On their pathway to higher competition, athletes find themselves adapting to different levels of competition and moving from being the "big fish in the little pond" to the "little fish in the big pond" as a recent article in the SIRC Collection says. This move from being the best at one level to being one of the many who are the best at the next can often be a psychological challenge for many...Read more

Weight gain ... the healthy way!

Contrary to popular belief there is a time and a place for weight gain. Many athletes are required to gain weight to increase strength, increase their size or increase their musculature. In sports with weight categories, being a heavier weight may not always mean being "fatter" but having a fit heavier body mass. The focus of a recent article in the SIRC Collection addresses athletic weight gain...Read more

Yoga Poses and Meditation for back pain

Yoga - the ancient physical, mental and spiritual discipline - has been found to be a great intervention for chronic back pain. And many high level athletes use yoga as a part of their training and recovery programs. The physical stretches are the most helpful part of the recovery but let us not forgot that the mental aspect of the discipline is quite beneficial to recovery as well. By holding a...Read more

It's more than just an injury

Often when athletes get injured and have to spend time away from sport, we only think about the recovery of the physical injury. A successful return to competition can be dependent on psychological rehabilitation as well. An article from Athletic Therapy Today, ' Psychological Rehabilitation for Recovery From Injury: The SCRAPE Approach ' by Christopher James Hinderliter and Bradley J. Cardinal,...Read more