Kinesiology Taping – Is it worth the hype?

If you watch sports regularly, you've likely seen the brightly coloured tape that commonly adorns athletic bodies. Of course these colourful patterns aren't just for show, many athletes are using kinesiology tape (KT) primarily to treat and prevent musculoskeletal injuries or increase performance. First of all, what is it and what does it do? Kinesiology tape is made of a thin, light stretchy...Read more

Should Athletes try the Paleo Diet?

The Paleolithic Diet is hugely popular right now with its proponents touting its benefits through books, websites, personal blogs and health and fitness magazines. Athletes are always striving to gain an edge so it's not surprising that many are turning to this diet in the hopes that they will improve their race performance. What's the appeal? Many people are attracted to the diet because on the...Read more

The Placebo Effect: Why the mind is a powerful thing

The advancement of sport science and sport medicine has brought many fields to work to together in order to maximize athletic performance. Integrated Support Teams (IST) are the norm of today in elite athletics. Such teams consist of physicians, nutritionists, psychologists, biomechanics, videographers, statisticians, etc. all designed to help coaches and athletes in various aspects of training...Read more

The high impact of low iron

Iron is an essential mineral for both health and athletic performance . High performance athletes, because of their heavy training schedule, can rapidly decrease their body's iron stores. Iron deficiency , if left undiagnosed, can leave your body tired, flat and unable to train. Canadian Olympic athlete Paula Findlay experienced this first hand when she was diagnosed with anemia after her...Read more

Pre-workout fueling for athletes

Athletes of all sports and abilities have wondered at one time or another, what food they should eat before a training session. To get the most out of a workout, you will need to devote some time and attention to your nutrition habits in order to know what works the best for your body. Many athletes fear gastrointestinal distress during competition and will refrain from eating. This can cause...Read more

Does caffeine improve sport performance?

Caffeine has a wide range of effects on the body, many of which we are very familiar with. It is frequently used by athletes in an attempt to enhance sport performance, but does it actually work? Studies have had mixed results since people vary dramatically in their responses to caffeine. It is difficult to know if an athlete will notice a difference in performance, since those who consume...Read more

Conquer competition anxiety and harness it for success

Everyone of us has experienced anxiety at one point in our lives, sweaty palms, 'butterflies' in your stomach, your heart starts to pound and you think "I can't do this." Anxiety in athletes usually occurs during high stress moments, competitions, performance evaluations, and fears of re-injury. The good news is there are many ways in which an athlete can take these feelings and use them to their...Read more

Confidence for Competition

Having confidence is the key to achieving many great things - whether it's on the field or off of it. Highly confident athletes have the ability to focus on the task at hand and execute it, all while under intense competition pressure . Although some athletes have a natural "knack" for this, there is an element of control required that anyone can learn to increase their self-confidence . Below...Read more

Myths and Truths on Juicing

Many people tout the health benefits of adding freshly squeezed juice to our diets, but with all the conflicting information out there it can be hard to know what is true and what is not. When talking about adding fresh squeezed juice (fruit or vegetable), we are referring to the fresh juice that you can easily make at home if you have the right equipment. Juicing gets rid of the toxins in your...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