KPE Annual Research Report 2024-2025 by U of T Kinesiology & Physical Education

Welcome to the 2024-2025 Research Report of the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education. We are excited to share highlights from another transformative year of research that reflects our commitment to innovation, inclusion and impact—across many disciplines, communities and borders. Our work continues to show the value of the fundamental science that increases understanding of the mechanisms of human movement and performance—as well as the applied scholarship that leverages principles and theories to improve lives.

This year, our faculty continued to advance important conversations and initiatives around equity in sport, athlete safety and inclusive health. Our research tackled timely questions— such as how best to support athletes with intellectual disabilities through tailored concussion protocols, how sports betting is reshaping the landscape of fan and athlete engagement, and how climate change is affecting global sport participation and infrastructure. Across each of these studies, the values of ethical sport and healthy living remained central.

Faculty-led research broke new ground in women’s health with the launch of Ms. FIT, a landmark study focused on how Canada’s physical activity and dietary guidelines serve pre- and post-menopausal women. Other projects explored physical activity’s role in student mental health, demonstrated how virtual and augmented reality can alter human perception and movement and confirmed the influence of exercise-meal timing on blood glucose regulation in women.

KPE researchers continued to collaborate widely—partnering with hospitals, sport organizations, policy makers and international scholars to deepen impact and build inclusive frameworks for participation, safety and well-being. From prehabilitation programs in surgical care to community-based interventions in youth sport, the research underway at KPE is improving lives and strengthening global systems.

Altogether, our faculty secured significant new research grants and fellowships, published in high-impact journals and hosted national conferences as well as public panels. These achievements underscore our collective drive to support healthier people, stronger communities and a more equitable and sustainable future for sport and movement.

Collectively, our faculty published 180 peer-reviewed articles, 1 book and 27 book chapters this year. They held over $2.7 million in research funding across 41 research grants and contracts.

We hope you enjoy this year’s report and take inspiration from the breadth and depth of discovery happening at KPE. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you want to learn more about, take part in or support this outstanding work in any way.

ANNUAL RESEARCH REPORT 2024-2025

208

Total publications (combined books articles, and book chapters)

Ranked #4 in the world in sport-related subjects (QS World University Rankings)

17,000+ citations invited talks 70 honours and distinctions

$963,872 in federal and provincial infrastructure funding

251 conference contributions undergraduate research awards

3 Science Cafés

MEET THE RESEARCH FACULTY

Catherine Amara

Exercise and health physiology and functional capacity in aging; Scholarship of teaching and learning. cathy.amara@utoronto.ca

Kelly Arbour-Nicitopoulos

Exercise psychology; Disability and physical activity; Knowledge mobilization; Community engagement. kelly.arbour@utoronto.ca

Michael Atkinson

Physical cultural studies; Illness and suffering; Invisible disabilities; Ethics, ethnographic and narrative methods. michael.atkinson@utoronto.ca

Joseph Baker

Human skill acquisition; Sport performance; Visual perception; Talent identification and athlete development; Expert performance. joseph.baker@utoronto.ca

Robert Bentley

Oxygen delivery; Cardiovascular control; Exercise performance and tolerance; Phenotypic variability. robert.bentley@utoronto.ca

Timothy Burkhart

Injury and orthopaedic biomechanics. timothy.burkhart@utoronto.ca

Joyce Chen

Motor learning; Music; Stroke motor recovery; Neuroplasticity; Noninvasive brain stimulation; Biomarkers stimulation. joycelynn.chen@utoronto.ca

Simon Darnell

Sociology of sport and physical activity; Sport for development and peace; Sport and public policy. simon.darnell@utoronto.ca

Peter Donnelly

Sport subcultures; Sport and social inequality; Sport and space; Sociology of risk-taking. peter.donnelly@utoronto.ca

David Frost

Sport and exercise biomechanics; Movement assessment and exercise program design; Firefighter wellness and fitness; Teaching and learning. d.frost@utoronto.ca

Caroline Fusco

Sociology of physical activity and health; Cultural geographies of child and youth physical activity/sport environments. c.fusco@utoronto.ca

Jenna Gillen

Exercise and insulin sensitivity; Skeletal muscle glucose metabolism; Exercise nutrient interactions; Sex-based differences. jenna.gillen@utoronto.ca

Jack Goodman

Cardiac responses to prolonged exercise; Cardiac arrhythmias in athletes; Cardiovascular training adaptations; Cardiac risks of exercise. jack.goodman@utoronto.ca

Michael Hutchison

Sport concussion; Traumatic brain injury; Rehabilitation; Injury prevention; Kinesiology. michael.hutchison@utoronto.ca

Ira Jacobs

Exercise physiology; Adaptations to acute short-term, high-intensity exercise; Exercise pharmacology. ira.jacobs@utoronto.ca

Janelle Joseph

Indigeneity, diaspora, equity and anti-racism in sport; Black diasporas; Decoloniality. janelle.joseph@utoronto.ca

Gretchen Kerr

Psychosocial aspects of sport participation; Maltreatment in sport; Child protection and safeguarding; Coaching; Sport integrity. gretchen.kerr@utoronto.ca

Bruce Kidd

History and political economy of Canadian sport and physical activity; Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games; Sports betting. bruce.kidd@utoronto.ca

Amy Kirkham

Cardio-oncology; Breast cancer; Women’s cardiovascular health; Therapeutic nutrition and exercise; Cardiac rehabilitation. amy.kirkham@utoronto.ca

Marius Locke

Cellular response to muscle damage; Heat shock proteins and their ability to protect skeletal muscle from damage. marius.locke@utoronto.ca

Lynda Mainwaring

Emotional/psychological recovery from sport-related concussion; Psychological recovery from dance and athletic injuries; Sport/ performance and dance psychology; Qualitative methodology. lynda.mainwaring@utoronto.ca

Tricia McGuire-Adams

Indigenous health resurgence; Indigenous treaty relations and health/sport; Indigenous disability, sport and data; Martial Arts; Trauma-informed physical activity. tricia.mcguireadams@utoronto.ca

Dan Moore

Muscle protein metabolism; Dietary protein and amino acids; Muscle health with exercise and disuse. dr.moore@utoronto.ca

Madeleine Orr

Human dimensions of climate change; Climate vulnerability and adaptation in the sport sector; Sport as a platform for climate communication. madeleine.orr@utoronto.ca

Doug Richards

Clinical sport medicine; Biomechanics of injury; Injury prevention; Health and lifestyle; Concussions in sport. doug.richards@utoronto.ca

Catherine Sabiston

Physical activity and mental health; Psychosocial factors in sport and exercise; Body-related emotions. catherine.sabiston@utoronto.ca

Boba Samuels

Writing in the health sciences; Writing pedagogy; Rhetorical genre studies; Writing in the disciplines. boba.samuels@utoronto.ca

Daniel Santa Mina

Exercise oncology; Prehabilitation/rehabilitation; Professional practice kinesiology/clinical exercise physiology; Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. daniel.santamina@utoronto.ca

Ashley Stirling

Safe sport; Safe dance; Experiential education; Work integrated learning. ashley.stirling@utoronto.ca

Timur Taha

Theoretical physiology; Elite athlete training; Tactics and analytics in sport. t.taha@utoronto.ca

Katherine Tamminen

Sport psychology; Stress, coping and emotions in sport; Athlete mental health; Youth sport. katherine.tamminen@utoronto.ca

Scott Thomas

Increasing the role of exercise in health care; Sport performance and health; Increasing access to cardiovascular health. scott.thomas@utoronto.ca

Luc Tremblay

Multisensory integration; Vision, proprioception and audition; Neuromotor control of voluntary action. luc.tremblay@utoronto.ca

Linda Trinh

Theory-based behaviour change interventions; Physical activity and cancer survivorship; Sedentary behaviour and cancer survivorship. linda.trinh@utoronto.ca

Tim Welsh

Planning and control of goal-directed movements; Virtual reality; Selective attention; Movement in social contexts. t.welsh@utoronto.ca

Mobilizing research to help athletes at all levels perform better, recover faster and play safer: TISS conference

Photo:

“The inaugural TISS conference is a very rare opportunity to hear experts from around the world sharing their empirically based knowledge from research that has all been focused on high-performance sports and athletes.”

—Ira Jacobs

What kinds of opportunities can AI unlock for high-performance sport? Are there psychological considerations that need to be taken into account for female high-performance athletes? What are some persistent myths and emerging truths about the protein needs of highperformance athletes?

These are just some of the questions that were discussed at the Tanenbaum Institute for Sport Science (TISS) inaugural conference last fall. The conference, which took place mid-September 2024 at the University of Toronto (U of T) Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, featured internationally renowned speakers from Canada and abroad, who shared innovations in sport science and sport medicine.

“It feels gratifying, exciting and wonderful to see this conference come to fruition,” says Ira Jacobs, a professor of exercise physiology at the U of T Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) and director of TISS. “It’s gratifying because of the excellence of the researchers and practitioners who have accepted the invitation and, in most cases, will be travelling from afar to share their expertise at the inaugural scientific conference of an organization that is just finishing its second year of operations.

“It’s exciting because we had an opportunity to enjoy two intense days of experts sharing their accumulated knowledge across a broad spectrum of sport science and sport medicine disciplines—all focused on the wellness, safety and performance of high-performance athletes.

“And, it’s wonderful because we are able to share this amazing opportunity with researchers, clinicians and the broader high-performance sports community right here in the GTA.”

Geared towards the research community, the first day of the conference (Saturday, September 14) explored the latest research related to disability sports, enhancing performance with AI and advances in athlete recovery.

Open to the wider high-performance sport and athlete

community, the second day of the conference (Sunday, September 15) focused on critical issues affecting highperformance athletes such as sport integrity, inequities in sport, protein intake, sport concussions, early athlete development and wearable tech.

“The inaugural TISS conference was a very rare opportunity to hear experts from around the world sharing their empirically based knowledge from research that has all been focused on high-performance sports and athletes,” says Jacobs. “In fact, many of our speakers are researchers whose work has been instrumental in supporting the physical and mental needs of high-performance athletes competing at the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games—from training to coaching to rehabilitating from injury—so their perspectives will be very current and very timely.”

Jacobs hopes one of the takeaways of the conference was an increased awareness of the broad audiences TISS is hoping to inform—from scientists, clinicians and researchers interested in high-performance sports and high-performance athletes to the general high-performance sports community of athletes and those who support them, including their families, coaches, sport policy and decision makers, and members of integrated health and research support teams specializing in rehabilitation, physical and mental performance, sport analytics, nutrition, biomechanics, etc.

“TISS is a unique research-focused organization whose ‘raison d’être’ is to support the performance, wellness and safety of the high-performance athlete—and that includes athletes who are able bodied, those with disabilities, and the recreational athletes who aspire to achieve their personal definition of high-performance,” says Jacobs. “Supporting the generation of new knowledge that will be shared through events such as this conference is one of our key mandates.”

By Jelena Damjanovic

SDRCC grant to fund research project aiming to reshape youth sport programming

Simon Darnell, an associate professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE), has been awarded an Abuse-Free Sport Research Grant by the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SRDCC).

The grant, valued at close to $90,000 CAD, will fund a project with MLSE Foundation to evaluate collaborative best practices in fostering a positive, safe and brave culture for youth in sport over the next three years.

“This new project extends the scope and impact of the Change the Game research initiative—Canada’s largest youth sport study to date, and an important source of data on youth sport access, engagement and equity,” says Darnell. “The newly funded project will allow the research team to collaborate closely with up to 15 youth sport organizations over three years to develop, implement and evaluate evidence-based strategies and tactics to address youth sport culture issues in their community contexts.”

These interventions will address issues of safe sport, access and equity-related concerns, including disparities in

engagement related to aspects of identity such as gender, race and (dis)ability. They will also serve as an important addition to the existing study—a census-style project providing detailed intersectional data on the demographics of youth sport engagement and barriers across the province of Ontario.

“The end goal is to help reshape the youth sport programming space to better match what Ontario’s youth have told us they need and want through the Change the Game survey, which has engaged over 25,000 youth since 2021,” says Marika Warner, director of research and evaluation at MLSE Foundation. “These needs and desires include coaches who reflect their identities, organizations that respect their culture, sport programs that intentionally embed life skills development and sport environments that are welcoming, beginner-friendly, safe and pro-social.

“This project will contribute to the achievement of this objective by helping to distill what works on the ground to improve youth experiences in sport.”

In addition to the core research team from U of T and MLSE Foundation, youth sport organizations from the grassroots to the elite level will be engaged—including organizations that focus on programming for youth who experience increased barriers to sport participation.

The grant will enable the hiring of two research assistants for three years, adding capacity to the core research team and enabling deep and sustained engagement with youth sport organizations in Ontario communities. The funds will also support micro-grants providing funds to youth sport organizations to implement evidence-based practice changes expected to improve youth sport culture and safety.

“This project will benefit current and future generations of Ontario youth seeking fun, safe and inclusive opportunities to engage in sport and physical activity in their communities, as well as youth-serving sport organizations seeking to provide programming in ways that better support the evolving needs of youth,” says Darnell.

By Jelena Damjanovic

online 23/07/2024

KPE hosts launch for book on how climate change is changing sport

While writing her new book, sport ecologist Madeleine Orr visited the town of Iten in southwestern Kenya. Home to just 56,000 people, Iten has earned the nickname “Home of Champions” for producing elite athletes—including 14 men’s and nine women’s Boston Marathon winners since 1991.

Just an hour away lies Kaptagat, a rural town where many of the world’s fastest distance runners live and train. Sitting at 2,400 metres above sea level, the region is ideal for high-altitude training. Long, unpaved clay roads offer a gentler surface than pavement, reducing the impact on runners’ joints.

But these near-perfect conditions may be at risk. “With the changing environment, drought, extreme heat and floods are sweeping through East Africa,” said Orr at the May 2024 launch of her book, Warming Up: How Climate Change is Changing Sport, hosted by the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE). “Drought can harden clay roads, increasing the risk of knee and hip injuries. Dry lands also lead to food shortages and wildfires, all of which affect local communities—including athletes.”

An assistant professor at KPE, Orr also shared how climate change is impacting sports in the northern hemisphere. Melting ice and reduced snowfall are threatening winter sports like pond hockey and skiing— and the cultural traditions tied to them.

“My father taught me to skate when I was two years old in Toronto,” she said. “He learned the same way from his father in Montreal. My grandchildren may not have that luxury.”

Despite the sobering reality, Orr remains hopeful. With goodwill, adaptability and innovation, she believes we can prevent the worst outcomes, protect athletes and even boost tourism. She spoke about these solutions during a panel discussion featuring Shireen Ahmed, senior contributor at CBC Sports and a sport media instructor at Toronto Metropolitan University; Marco Di Buono, president of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities; and Alicia Brown, a U of T alumna and track athlete now working in fitness and wellness at Hart House.

“We don’t need to lose athletes to heatstroke,” Orr said. “It’s preventable. Coaches should know the warning signs. We don’t need to cancel games—we can adapt schedules. Solutions don’t have to be expensive. We just need to be flexible and listen to the athletes— and the children.”

Brown shared her own experience competing at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, where events were pushed to late afternoons and evenings to avoid dangerous heat. The marathon even started at midnight. A few years later, she travelled to Germany for a race that was cancelled due to torrential rains and a flooded track.

“Sport relies on a healthy planet,” said Brown. “If the planet isn’t healthy, neither is sport.”

Ahmed emphasized how our individual and societal choices impact both our lives and the planet. If local communities lack accessible sports facilities, families are forced to make tough decisions. Driving children across the city contributes to emissions; using public transit can be timeconsuming. If you don’t have time because of work, your kids might miss out. Wouldn’t it be better—for the environment and the children—to build more local facilities?

“We need to rethink how we approach sport,” said Di Buono, who has helped create 24 inclusive play spaces through Jumpstart’s Inclusive Play Project. “We surveyed 3,000 kids, and most said they’d rather play at school than travel across town or ride public transit.”

“It’s all about connecting the dots,” said Orr. She pointed to Pakistan, where floods in 2022—caused by glacier melt and heavy monsoons, both climate-related—shut down much of the country and its sports. Despite contributing less than one per cent of global emissions, Pakistan suffered immense damage.

“Those with fewer resources are always hit the hardest,” said Orr. “That’s why those with privilege—athletes, coaches, politicians, thought leaders—must engage in these conversations. It’s all connected.”

By Jelena Damjanovic

Photo: Barry McCluskey

RTiming exercise around meals can affect women’s blood sugar, appetite: KPE study

esearchers at the University of Toronto have found that in healthy females, a post-meal rise in blood sugar was lower if they waited until after breakfast to exercise.

The researchers in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) also measured perceptions of appetite before and after exercise—and once every hour in the post-exercise period.

They found that study participants who exercised after eating breakfast had lower appetite immediately before and after the exercise session, compared to those who exercised before eating.

“It’s normal for blood sugar to increase after eating carbohydrate-containing meals,” says Alexa Govette, a PhD candidate in KPE who co-wrote the study published in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism with Assistant Professor Jenna Gillen. “However, exaggerated spikes in blood glucose concentrations after eating are associated with increased risk for cardiometabolic diseases, like type 2 diabetes.”

While low-volume, high-intensity interval exercise has been shown to reduce the increase of blood sugar in laboratory settings, these protocols often involve specialized exercise equipment, says Govette. A novel aspect of this study was that the interval exercise protocol

was equipment-free, consisting of only bodyweight movements such as jumping jacks, burpees and mountain climbers.

The timing of when you eat around exercise has also been shown to influence blood glucose concentrations and perceptions of appetite, but this has not been studied in the context of interval exercise or in an at-home setting.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate how exercise-meal timing influences blood glucose responses to highintensity interval exercise in females,” says Govette. “It is also the first study to assess the influence of exercise-meal timing on appetite perceptions in healthy females following bodyweight interval exercise.”

Govette says very few studies have examined the effects of exercise-meal timing in a female population, so this study in healthy young women provides much needed evidence for how blood glucose concentrations are influenced by the timing of exercise around meals.

From a practical perspective, the study offers new insight into the effect of exercising around meals on blood glucose regulation and perceptions of appetite in an at-home/non-laboratory environment.

“This study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic when research restrictions precluded us from conducting

in-person exercise studies in our laboratory,” says Gillen. “In the end, this allowed us to investigate how the timing of exercise around meals influences blood sugar control in an at-home setting, which hadn’t been done previously.

“Given the growing popularity of at-home and virtual workouts, our findings may be of interest to individuals who prefer to exercise at home or those that do not have access to exercise equipment.”

Next, the researchers hope to investigate the effects of exercise-meal timing on blood sugar regulation in females who are at-risk or who are living with type 2 diabetes, given that exercise-induced reductions in blood glucose increases have more clinical relevance in these populations.

“We currently have ongoing work that is comparing at-home bodyweight interval exercise to other forms of exercise in females with cardiometabolic risk factors to help address this question,” says Govette. “Additionally, it would be interesting to explore the influence of meal timing around bodyweight interval exercise over the course of several weeks to months, to assess the long-term effects on blood glucose regulation.”

By Jelena Damjanovic

KPE offers blueprint for integrating prehabilitation programs within hospitals

While data on the benefits of prehabilitation (a pre-surgery health conditioning program) is extensive and growing, and has contributed to recommendations and guidelines for prehab integration into usual patient care, few studies have examined how to implement a prehab program in a large surgical program—and if it could be successful.

Daniel Santa Mina , an associate professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) specializing in exercise oncology, and Ian Randall, staff anesthesiologist and intensive care unit physician at the University Health Network (UHN), set out to do exactly that.

They co-authored a study recently published in the Canadian Journal of Anesthesiolog y, in which they detail all the groundwork that went into the development and successful implementation of the UHN Surgical Prehab Program, of which they are both an integral part.

Photo: Barry McCluskey

“Our data contributes novel perspectives to the study, design and implementation of prehab programs, including identifying stakeholder priorities and factors that affect compliance and adherence to the program,” says Santa Mina. “Importantly, it shows that prehab programming can be feasibly integrated into a large surgical program at a tertiary health care centre, with numerous patient outcomes improved during the course of the preoperative period.”

The study, which involved numerous other clinicians, researchers and U of T graduate students, marks a significant milestone for the prehab program and highlights the innovative work being done under the leadership of Santa Mina and Randall to optimize care and improve outcomes for UHN’s most vulnerable surgical patients.

Some of these highlights include over 1,400 referrals and more than 1,000 participants in the prehab program since 2021, with 80 per cent of participants

coming from oncology, cardiac and solid organ transplant programs.

“Testimonials from patients, family members and referring surgeons all underscore the program’s positive impact on physical strength, functional status and overall preparedness for surgery,” says Santa Mina. “This is further supported by our data, which shows significant improvement in patient functional capacity prior to surgery—a key predictor of surgical outcomes.”

Currently one of the largest programs of its kind in the world, Santa Mina hopes UHN’s Surgical Prehab Program will continue to grow, while also providing a blueprint for similar programs to be implemented in comparable health settings.

By Jelena Damjanovic

Risking more than a game

Online symposium explores consequences of sports betting in Canada

Just hours after the federal government lifted its ban on single-game sports betting in Canada in 2021, ads for sports betting started springing up everywhere—causing many experts to sound the alarm bell about the potential harms.

Some of these experts had the opportunity to discuss the challenges and potential solutions for sports betting with the broader public recently, as part of the Science Café series organized by the University of Toronto Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE).

“The KPE Science Cafés are interactive discussion sessions that allow members of the KPE community and broader public to gain new insights into the research expertise and perspectives of our faculty and U of T more broadly,” said Timothy Welsh, a professor and associate dean of research at KPE. “Through them, we hope to ignite new discussions, opportunities and directions for research and further knowledge exchange.”

Canada and set national standards for prevention of risk for persons negatively impacted by sports betting.

“The new election will be a great opportunity to put pressure on every major party to make reining in these ads a part of their platform,” said Deacon, “and I’ll be there with my legislation.”

Kidd added: “If we can regulate ads for tobacco, cannabis and alcohol for health reasons, why can’t we have the same kind of regulations for something that we know is contributing to another kind of health hazard—gambling addiction?”

Kidd’s advocacy group is also lobbying the provincial government to stop the spread and prohibit the acceptance of bets on Olympic, Paralympic, school, university, college and amateur sports— and that’s not all.

he said. “What if every time you open the app to place a bet, it showed you how many times you lost?”

Kidd suggested disrupting the message.

“In the early days of the anti-tobacco campaigns, activists persuaded governments to require of media and schools to show ads demonstrating the harms of smoking,” he said.

Adams proposed being more aggressive with anti-gambling ads, recalling the effect that graphic anti-drug commercials had on him.

“We shouldn’t dance around the issue, we need to show the real impact of this addiction,” he said.

Importantly, said Joordens, we need to shake off the attitude that there’s nothing we can do about it.

“If we can regulate ads for tobacco, cannabis and alcohol for health reasons, why can’t we have the same kind of regulations for something that we know is contributing to another kind of health hazard— gambling addiction?” —Bruce Kidd

Independent senator for Ontario Marty Deacon was joined by KPE Professor Emeritus Bruce Kidd, the co-founder of the Campaign to Ban Ads for Gambling; Steve Joordens, a professor of psychology from U of T Scarborough; and Darrell Adams, the head coach of the Varsity Blues football team at U of T.

Moderated by KPE Professor Emeritus

Peter Donnelly, himself a member of the campaign to ban gambling ads, along with Professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of KPE, the panelists discussed everything from how sports betting undermines the integrity of sports to proposed legislation to help regulate it.

“There is growing Canadian data on the impact of sports betting on our population,” said Deacon, who in 2023 introduced Bill S-269 in the Senate.

The bill, if passed, would provide for the development of a national framework to regulate advertising for sports betting in

“We want to raise taxes on gambling transactions in Ontario, which are among the lowest in North America at 20 per cent,” he said. “For comparison, in the state of New York, sport betting is taxed at 51 per cent and proceeds go into treatment, research, education and provision of sport opportunities at the grassroots level.”

Coach Adams said the widespread use of cell phones has made sports gambling all too easy for youth.

“We have to find a way to provide alternatives to being online all the time,” he said. “Sport is the ideal alternative to that, but it’s become inundated with ads for gambling.”

It doesn’t help that it’s being endorsed by celebrities, including athletes, added Joordens.

“The ads all show them having fun, but they’re not showing the dark side of it,”

“Get active, be vocal, use your influence to delegitimize the culture of betting, push our elected reps at every level to ban or regulate ads that accentuate participation, use your influence with school boards, municipalities and community associations to get them to provide better opportunities for kids to engage in sports,” said Kidd.

Involve the parents, develop teaching modules to discuss the risk of gambling, add gambling ads to the list of risks to safe sport, were some of the other suggestions made by the panelists.

“Gambling poisons sport,” said Kidd. “If you’re only engaging in it on your phone to place small bets, all the joy of physical effort, of communal participation in sport with others, is lost.

“We need to stop gambling ads and start regulating sports betting in order to increase participation in healthy, embodied physical activity.”

By Jelena Damjanovic

Kelly Arbour-Nicitopoulos leads project on athlete concussion surveillance in Special Olympics sports

Every year starting on the last Sunday in May, Canadians celebrate National AccessAbility Week (NAWW). The week is an opportunity to celebrate Canadians with disabilities and raise awareness of the critical need for accessibility and inclusion in all communities and workplaces.

Kelly Arbour-Nicitopoulos, an associate professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) at the University of Toronto (U of T), has been at the forefront of research into adapted (disability) physical activity and behavioural psychology. She was recently awarded $120,000 in funding through the Tanenbaum Institute for Science in Sport (TISS) for an interdisciplinary research project examining athlete concussion surveillance in Special Olympics Sports.

“While concussion is a serious public health concern and has continued to gain increasing scientific attention, athletes with intellectual disabilities (ID) are vastly

underrepresented within concussion research, education and care,” says ArbourNicitopoulos. “This means that athletes with ID such as Special Olympics (SO) athletes may not be adequately protected when participating in sport, particularly because of the increased potential to sustain a concussion and higher risk of prolonged recovery following a concussion due to pre-existing conditions with balance, memory and other cognitive deficits.”

This project brings together experts in disability sport, sport-related concussion and ID to identify and support the concussion needs of the Special Olympics Canada (SOC) community. The team includes Nick Reed, an associate professor in the Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Pediatric Concussion; Emily Bremer, assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology at Acadia University and Canada Research

Chair in Healthy Inclusive Communities; Michael Hutchison, associate professor at KPE with expertise in sport concussion and rehabilitation; Tom Davies and Victoria Formusa from Special Olympics Canada; and the Centre for Sport-Related Concussion Research, Innovation and Knowledge.

Together, they are working on:

• developing and piloting an SO athlete concussion surveillance tool that can enable coaches and medical staff to capture concussion injury, demographic and sport characteristics; and

• surveilling Canadian SO competitive athlete concussion incidence and history.

“Current return-to-play (RTP) concussion protocols give little regard to the unique experiences of athletes with ID, whose characteristics may mimic some of the symptoms one would expect following a concussion,” says Arbour-Nicitopoulos.

Photo: Seyran Mammadov

“Through this research, we aim to develop a prototype athlete concussion surveillance tool that can assist with removal-fromplay and return-to-play strategies for SO athletes.”

The project, spread over two years, consists of three phases:

Phase one involves gathering feedback and consensus from medical staff and coaches on the items to be included within a prototype SO concussion surveillance tool. The prototype SO concussion surveillance tool will build upon any of the existing injury tracking mechanisms used at national and provincial SO games and the collected concussion information will be adapted based on the group’s consensus.

multi-day SO competitions. These games will include over 2,300 SO athletes across a range of SO sports. Onsite survey data collection will occur with caregivers and athletes to capture retrospective concussion history while focus groups with a subgroup of medical staff and

“The lack of inclusion of athletes with ID has left the Special Olympics Canada (SOC) community with unmet concussion needs, inappropriate concussion education resources and unknown concussion incidence rates,” says Arbour-Nicitopoulos.

“Through this research, we aim to develop a prototype athlete concussion surveillance tool that can assist with removal-from-play and return-to-play strategies for SO athletes.”

Kelly Arbour-Nicitopoulos

coaches will be conducted to gain an understanding of their experiences with using the surveillance tool.

Phase two, currently underway, will use prospective and retrospective approaches to pilot the implementation of the surveillance concussion tool at large

Phase three will support knowledge translation and dissemination activities to enhance the uptake of the study findings among the SO and sport science community.

“This research places athletes with ID at the forefront in concussion prevention, care and recovery to ensure quality sport experiences and longterm involvement in sport for all athletes.

“Importantly, the dataset we collect through this project can serve to explore additional research questions surrounding sport-related injuries in athletes with ID that are relevant to the international sport research community.”

By Jelena Damjanovic

Published online 27/05/2024

Photo: Seyran Mammadov

Ms. FIT

Filling the gaps in women’s health research

Assistant Professor Amy Kirkham was reading a historical review of the research informing the prevention of heart disease when she was struck with an idea for an ambitious new study.

“The review outlined how the basis for using strategies such as medications and lifestyle changes, including diet and physical activity, to help prevent heart disease stemmed from two major studies based entirely on men,” says Kirkham, whose research is focused on developing evidence-based lifestyle interventions to prevent and improve cardiovascular dysfunction and disease, specifically in women.

The Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial, aptly named MRFIT, begun in 1972, and the Physicians’ Health Study, begun in 1982, included approximately 12,000 and 22,000 middle-aged men, respectively. These large-scale studies evaluated the effectiveness of prevention and treatment strategies for heart disease. However, the applicability of the results of these major studies to women raised public concerns about the historical exclusion of women from this type of research.

Ms. FIT study participant Melissa DeSouza

“The review posed the question of how it is possible that studies of heart disease, a condition known to be the most common cause of death in women, relied solely on male participants?” says Kirkham. “As I was reading this, I felt a fire light under my feet.

“I’m pretty sure I wrote an email to Jenna Gillen right after that to say, ‘we need to do a Ms. FIT study for women!’”

Gillen, an assistant professor in KPE focusing on exercise physiology, didn’t need any convincing.

“If you look at the landmark studies in muscle physiology that explore responses to exercise, you’ll find that most were conducted in young, healthy males,” Gillen says, “and the reason for not including women in these studies has historically been that women are more complicated to study—among other things, because their hormones change throughout the menstrual cycle, so it’s just easier to study males.

“That got me thinking, rather than it being a challenge or a barrier, isn’t this a good topic for research? How does the menstrual cycle affect muscle physiology and what happens during menopause?”

Gillen and Kirkham agreed to join forces on a research project that would measure, for the first time, the impact of following Canada’s physical activity and dietary guidelines on the cardiovascular and metabolic health of pre- and postmenopausal women. True to form, they named the study Ms. FIT.

“Health Canada recommends that all adults follow Canada’s food and physical activity guidelines to help prevent and treat chronic disease,” says Kirkham, “but since most of the research that’s informed these guidelines has been done primarily in men, we don’t actually know whether these are the best guidelines to improve women’s health broadly.

“We also know that women experience different life stages, including pregnancy and postpartum, and pre- to peri- to postmenopause, but without knowing if the existing guidelines are good in general for women, it’s hard to know how they apply to all these different life stages specifically.”

To this end, Ms. FIT also includes a substudy focusing on women with a history of breast cancer, a condition affecting more than two per cent of the female population in Canada.

“Women are not small men,” says Kirkham. “We have different biology and unique needs, so, at minimum, we need new evidence that is specific to women to inform what we’re telling them to do.”

The researchers plan to recruit 90 pre-menopausal and 90 postmenopausal women for the study, making it the largest study of its kind. It’s also one of only a few studies in women—or men—to measure the impact of physical activity and food guidelines on such a breadth of biological systems, all in one study under one roof in the research labs housed in the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport.

“We’re looking at the impact of these guidelines on women’s hearts, blood vessels, skeletal muscle and adipose tissue [body fat] in order to understand where in that chain women experience the most health benefits and whether this differs with menopausal status,” says Kirkham.

The researchers say existing evidence shows that a lot of the expected health benefits with exercise are blunted or do not occur in post-menopausal women. For example, aerobic exercise is expected to make the heart grow stronger, however researchers have observed limited positive changes to the heart in pre-menopausal women and almost none in post-menopausal women compared to men.

“So, one of the main things that we expect to occur with exercise is not occurring in women,” says Kirkham.

A meta-analysis that looked at results from many different studies investigating the impact of exercise on heart health in male and female participants also found that the effects of aging have a bigger impact on women, in terms of how their hearts respond to training.

There are also differences in how the muscles adapt to exercise, although limited studies exist that focus on muscle physiology in females specifically.

“We don’t have a meta-analysis that would demonstrate so profoundly the differences between males and females, but we do know some aspects of metabolism differ,” says Gillen. “For example, females burn different fuels than males during exercise. While males tend to burn carbohydrates, females burn more fats or lipids for fuel, which can affect their responses to exercise.”

The researchers will take thigh muscle biopsies in about half of the study participants, which is far more than most muscle physiology studies, according to Gillen, who says typically these studies have sample sizes of 10 or less per studied group. In part, she explains, that’s because of the invasive nature of muscle biopsies, as well as the cost that comes with all the consumables required for the molecular analysis.

Enter Daniel Moore, a professor in KPE specializing in muscle physiology, who’s been making his own contributions to address

“Women are not small men. We have different biology and unique needs, so, at minimum, we need new evidence that is specific to women to inform what we’re telling them to do.”

—Amy Kirkham

the imbalances in the study of women’s health by researching, among other things, the differences in protein requirements between male and female endurance athletes. Moore volunteered to perform the muscle biopsies for the Ms. FIT study and simultaneously trained Gillen to start doing them as well.

Professor Catherine Sabiston has also offered to help, giving Gillen and Kirkham the use of her Mental Health and Physical Activity Research Centre (MPARC) for exercise training sessions that are part of the study.

Having the support of full professors has been helpful and encouraging, say Gillen and Kirkham, who are leading this study with contributions from two other early career faculty members, Associate Professor Linda Trinh, who specializes in exercise oncology, and Assistant Professor Robert Bentley, who has expertise in cardiovascular physiology.

Trinh is a co-investigator on the project, lending her expertise in behaviour change to the development of remote exercise and education sessions in the Ms. FIT study.

Trinh’s graduate student is working as a trainer for these exercise sessions, some of which take place in her exercise oncology lab, and has made the study’s evaluations of the barriers and facilitators to exercise the basis of her master’s thesis.

Bentley has been supporting the study by contributing his expertise in cardiac and vascular assessments and sharing equipment necessary for the project. His graduate student is also working as a paid trainer for the study.

With nearly half of the 180 study participants already recruited, the researchers are busy with data collection. They’re working on three fronts at the moment: conducting initial testing of new study recruits to analyze their hearts, vessels and muscles at baseline; following a group of participants who have started the six-month-long intervention; and doing assessments of the study participants who have completed the intervention to identify any changes to their cardiometabolic systems.

They estimate the data will take around two and a half years to collect, taking them to the end of 2026.

“We hope the information we generate will inform new guidelines, but also lead to other important outcomes, such as the development of the first-ever women-specific exercise physiology textbook—and course,” says Kirkham. “Wouldn’t it be impactful if our Faculty was leading the world in that area?”

Kirkham and Gillen are also very proud of their focus on training the next generation of scientists in women’s physiology, with so many KPE students, post-doctoral fellows and staff working on the study.

Alfred Min, a first-year PhD student in KPE, joined Kirkham’s lab as a master’s student interested in exercise interventions for improving physiological outcomes. He worked on a precursor to Ms. FIT—a six-week condensed version of the study. That work recommended him for the position of lead exercise trainer in the Ms. FIT study today.

“Another reason women aren’t studied is because they are harder to test; their muscles, veins and hearts are smaller, so data collection is often more difficult.”

—Jenna Gillen

“This has been a unique learning experience,” says Min. “Interacting with study participants has allowed me to observe how regular exercise improves various physiological health outcomes while positively impacting the study participants’ lives.”

Ms. FIT is funded by a close to $1M grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), one of the biggest CIHR grants in KPE history. Kirkham and Gillen also recently received funding from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) for infrastructure and equipment for their new lab, which they’re calling the Centre for Cardiometabolic Oncology, Diet and Exercise Research in Women (CODE-W).

CODE-W will tackle critical gaps in women’s health by generating new knowledge that will inform prescriptions for physical activity and nutrition interventions for the prevention and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes in women. It will also provide a training environment that will empower the next generation of scientists and clinicians working on women-centred research.

Kirkham and Gillen are also eager to highlight the support they were provided by Professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of KPE, for their work.

“She understands the challenges that come with being a woman in science trying to run a research lab and conduct studies with women participants,” says Gillen.

With Kerr’s support, the researchers were able to hire a phlebotomist, who’s now working part-time in the Faculty to help with blood draws in women, who generally tend to have smaller veins.

“That’s another reason why women aren’t studied, because they are harder to test; their muscles, veins and hearts are smaller, so data collection is often more difficult,” says Gillen.

Women also have other unique barriers to participation in research, including limited availability because they generally take on more house care and caregiving responsibilities.

“The Ms. FIT study, and all other research projects conducted under the umbrella of CODE-W, are very intentional about removing barriers that have historically limited the participation of women in research,” says Kirkham.

Study participants are offered flexible schedules, financial support for time off work and child or elder care, female study staff and remote participation to help them balance their busy lives.

“In turn, our participants have been excited to be part of this historic research that has the potential to change what we know about women’s exercise physiology and chronic disease prevention in women,” says Kirkham. “This research would not be possible without them, and we are so grateful for their participation.”

By Jelena Damjanovic

This piece appeared as the cover story in the spring 2025 issue of Pursuit , KPE’s alumni magazine

Assistant Professors Amy Kirkham and Jenna Gillen

Federal funding linked to more medals for Canadian Olympians —but

less participation in grassroots sport:

Study

Aresearch report from the Faculty of Kinesiology & Public Education examines the relationship between federal funding, Olympic success and participation in sports.

Federal funding for sport is associated with Canadian athletes winning more Olympic medals—but this comes at the cost of reduced participation in grassroots recreational and competitive sport.

That’s according to a report from the Centre for Sport Policy Studies at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education. The study examines the relationship between high-performance sport and grassroots participation, challenging the notion that funding elite athletes produces a “trickle-down” effect inspiring broader participation.

Inspiration alone, the researchers argue, cannot overcome barriers such as family income, gender and sexuality, (dis)ability or geographic location.

Using data on sport participation, Sport Canada budgets and Olympic medal counts since 1988, the researchers found a shift in federal priorities. While Canada once invested equally in high-

exceeding a quarter of a billion dollars annually. “As other countries in the sporting arms race increase their budgets, it will cost more and more just to maintain our medal standing,” says Donnelly. This dynamic, they argue, distorts the sport system by channelling funding towards medal-rich sports, leaving grassroots participation underfunded.

“People may be inspired by high-performance athletes, but without changing the conditions for participation, the legacy of increased sport engagement will remain an illusion.”

—Professor Peter Donnelly

performance sport and broad-based participation, the 1970 creation of Sport Canada marked a pivot towards elite sport, accompanied by a steady decline in adult sport participation—from 44 per cent in 1990 to 27 per cent today.

To counter this, the report proposes concrete solutions: assessing the capacity of sport organizations to welcome new participants; offering public “open house” events after major Games; targeting underrepresented groups; revitalizing school sport; enhancing public promotion; ensuring community use of Games facilities; and evaluating the impact of participation initiatives.

“We do not dispute that excellent performances by national athletes are inspirational. However, the effect of inspiration on increasing participation is far less clear,” says Peter Donnelly, professor emeritus of sport policy and politics at the Faculty, who co-authored the report with Bruce Kidd , professor emeritus of sport and public policy and former Olympian.

Though demographic shifts and rising costs play a role, Donnelly and Kidd point to Canadian sport policy’s emphasis on international success. “Data in other countries show a similar pattern —more money means more medals, and medals cost a lot,” Donnelly notes.

Since Beijing 2008, Sport Canada’s budget has more than doubled, now

The researchers welcomed Sport Minister Carla Qualtrough’s recent announcement of a review of the Canadian sport system. “People may be inspired by high-performance athletes,” says Donnelly, “but without changing the conditions for participation, the legacy of increased sport engagement will remain an illusion.”

By Jelena Damjanovic

Published online 04/07/2025

Picking winners: What do scouts really look for in an athlete?

KPE researchers designed a unique experiment to reveal how coaches and scouts make their high-stakes decisions.

Denver Nuggets centre Nikola Jokić, one of the NBA’s biggest stars, was famously drafted ... during a Taco Bell commercial.

Selected 41st overall in the second round of the 2014 draft as ESPN cut away to the fast-food ad, Jokić would ultimately go on to become a championship-winning, threetime MVP, raising questions about how coaches and scouts ultimately make their high-stakes decisions.

“It could be argued that one of the most difficult predictions a person makes is what another person’s future will look like,” says Kathryn Johnston, a senior research associate in the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE).

In an effort to better understand the forces at play, Johnston decided to conduct an experiment with the help of Joseph Baker, a professor at KPE and the Tanenbaum Chair in Sport Science, Data Modelling and Sport Analytics.

For their study, the researchers created an online tool—similar to a dating app —that tasked 18 coaches with making mock selections for a hypothetical roster based on 15 athlete profiles. Each profile included pictures, anthropometric information (the measurements and proportions of the athletes’ bodies) and a description of the athletes’ interests, abilities and statistics.

The findings, published in the journal Sport, Science and Performance Psychology, show a slight preference for athletes who were labelled as hard workers as opposed to natural talents. The coaches also preferred certain anthropometric qualities, passion and commitment to sport, speed and explosiveness.

The researchers observed the greatest variety of approaches when it came to defining what constitutes success and talent, receiving nearly 18 different definitions—essentially one for each coach in the sample. The coaches also weighted the information sources in unique ways, each valuing various aspects of the players’ information differently.

“For some, profile pictures were critical; for others, it was the birthdate, etc.,” says Johnston.

The researchers say their findings could help illuminate preferences, biases and tendencies when making athlete selection decisions. That, in turn, could help scouts, coaches and other participants better align their approaches with organizational priorities while addressing any blind spots.

Next up, the researchers plan to examine decision-making behaviours in athlete selection on a much larger scale.

“We are going to use a similar design to try and determine whether selectors are selecting in line with their stated preferences or otherwise,” says Johnston. “Beyond that, we hope to create adaptations of this experiment to better understand how subtle language changes might actually influence selection behaviour.”

By Jelena Damjanovic

Photo: Tyler Schank/Clarkson

Nikola Jokic´ #15 of the Denver Nuggets dribbles around Daniel Gafford #21 of the Dallas Mavericks in the second half at Ball Arena on November 10, 2024 in Denver, Colorado.

Research project to expand range of physical activity programming to meet mental health needs of students

Melissa deJonge a PhD student at the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, was recently awarded the 2023-2024 Inlight Research Fellowship, given by the Inlight Student Mental Health Research Initiative at the University of Toronto.

The $10,000 fellowships support graduate scholars who are currently leading research projects that aim to improve student mental health and well-being on campus and recognize the importance of student-led and co-designed research solutions.

“The overarching aim of my research project is to co-produce a framework with post-secondary students for supporting processes of social inclusion, for example social support, belongingness, a positive campus climate and mental health through on-campus physical recreation programs,” says deJonge, whose supervisor is Catherine Sabiston a KPE professor and Canada Research Chair in Physical Activity and Mental Health.

“Applying youth co-design principles,” explains deJonge, “and using a qualitative grounded theory approach, strategies for facilitating meaningful engagement from students throughout the research process will be used to co-produce the framework.”

deJonge explains that the incorporation of co-design principles is important for fostering research results that are student-centered, and will enhance the relevance and use of the research findings. The co-produced framework will be the first of its kind and will inform an implementation toolkit.

“A toolkit will be foundational for guiding decision making and resource allocation to enhance the national and global impact of the proposed work, with the aim of promoting widespread dissemination of physical recreation and social inclusion practices for fostering mental health across post-secondary campuses,” says deJonge.

“Overall, the results from this project will support a high-impact research agenda focused on promoting protective factors in the university setting for supporting student mental health and well-being, with an important focus on physical recreation.”

Now in the fourth year of her PhD at KPE, deJonge completed her bachelor of science in psychology at Queen’s University and her master of science in exercise sciences at U of T. She became interested in the relationship between mental health and physical activity while

completing her undergraduate degree at Queen’s. After starting her graduate studies of exercise sciences at KPE, she worked with Sabiston as a research coordinator, with the aim of furthering her knowledge on physical activity intervention research for mental health.

“It was during this time that I became increasingly interested in physical activity as an evidence-based lifestyle alternative to psychotherapy and medication for supporting mental health and wellbeing in both clinical and non-clinical populations,” says deJonge. “The postsecondary environment is of particular interest to me, as post-secondary students represent a population where the risk of onset and prevalence of mental illness and symptoms of poor mental health are high.

“Expanding the range and quality of alternative lifestyle interventions such as physical activity programming and recreation opportunities available to students, is important for meeting the diverse mental health needs of the postsecondary community.”

By Jelena Damjanovic

Published online 06/05/2024

Photo: Xiao Xiao

Image of a She Moves conference participant

Soundtrack to recovery

KPE PhD candidate explores music’s role in stroke rehabilitation therapy

Anthonia Aina’s first encounter with physiotherapy was personal—her father was bedridden for three months after a car accident caused a minor vertebral shift (spondylolisthesis). Physiotherapy helped him walk again.

“I remember the first day I saw him walking; I was so overjoyed,” says Aina, now a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education (KPE) at the University of Toronto. “Watching his recovery motivated me to pursue physiotherapy. I love being part of the process that helps people get better.”

While studying physiotherapy in Nigeria, Aina observed something that would later shape her research. During her undergraduate clinical experience, she noticed that stroke patients seemed to engage more actively in therapy and reported fewer symptoms of depression when listening to their favourite music.

At KPE, Aina is expanding on that early observation, working under the supervision of Associate Professor Joyce Chen in the Training and Enhancing Motor Performance Outcomes (TEMPO) Lab. Her research focuses on understanding how music can influence movement in stroke rehabilitation, with a particular interest in the emotional and reward-based effects of music on patient engagement.

Aina’s work is supported by the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Personnel Awards for Black Scholars, in partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

(CIHR) and Brain Canada. This program aims to increase the number of highly qualified Black trainees in heart and brain research across Canada.

Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability in Canada, often resulting in long-term physical, cognitive and behavioural impairments. Music has shown potential as a valuable addition to rehabilitation because it stimulates multiple areas of the brain—including those responsible for motor, sensory, cognitive and emotional functions.

Research suggests that incorporating music into rehabilitation can improve the quality of movement and increase patient engagement. For example, a 2016 study published in Brain Imaging and Behavior demonstrated that stroke patients who used electronic drums or digital keyboards during therapy experienced significant improvements in movement speed, precision and smoothness in the affected hand. Functional MRI scans revealed increased activation in both damaged and undamaged areas of the brain responsible for movement and music processing, suggesting enhanced brain connectivity after a stroke.

“There is a correlation between engagement and functional recovery,” Aina explains. “The more you engage, the better your recovery outcome.”

Aina’s research also considers key mechanisms through which music can impact therapy. One is the entrainment effect—the body’s natural tendency to

synchronize movements to a rhythmic beat, which is especially evident in walking. Another is the Mozart effect, where listening to music enhances mood and may improve performance in cognitive tasks.

She is particularly interested in the reward response triggered by enjoyable music. “Music activates similar brain areas as other rewards, like food or money,” Aina says. “When we listen to music we like, it influences mood and arousal levels, which can encourage greater engagement in rehabilitation exercises.”

Currently, Aina is in the experimental phase of her research. She plans to first examine how music affects movement in individuals without a stroke history, then expand her work to stroke survivors, partnering with stroke communities to collect data.

Her ultimate goal is to make rehabilitation exercises more engaging and accessible, especially for individuals in rural or underserved areas, and to enhance the use of virtual therapy sessions.

“Once we understand how to harness music in therapy, it can be integrated both within and beyond the clinic,” Aina says. “Music has the potential to help people continue their recovery at home, making therapy more enjoyable and effective.”

By Jelena Damjanovic

Published online 01/02/2025

Anthonia Aina explores the emotional and award benefits of incorporating music in therapy for stroke patients

No performance boost from ischemic preconditioning before intense cycling

Who would have thought that cutting off blood flow to muscles could actually enhance athletic performance? Sports scientists have taken cues from surgeons who found that ischemic preconditioning (IPC)—repeated bouts of blood flow occlusion, and then releasing that occlusion—could optimize surgical outcomes if performed before surgery.

Now, that practice is being adopted by high-performance athletes. However, a new study led by researchers at the KPE Human Physiology Research Lab has found that IPC does not enhance endurance performance during high-intensity cycling, regardless of whether applied five or 30 minutes before the activity.

In site of IPC’s growing adoption in the high-performance sports world, the research, conducted by Dr. Ira Jacobs’s research team from the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, adds to the growing body of evidence that questions the practical benefits of IPC for endurance athletes. The study was a student research project conducted by former KPE undergraduate student Alex Isidori, now an MSc student at the University of Calgary.

IPC involves temporarily occluding blood flow to a limb using a pressure cuff, followed by a period of reperfusion—when blood flow is restored. This cycle is usually repeated a few times and is thought to offer performance benefits by protecting the body from ischemic stress. Some past studies have suggested IPC could improve exercise performance by enhancing muscle efficiency and oxygen delivery. However, evidence has been mixed, particularly for endurance sports like cycling.

The KPE study involved 14 recreationally active participants who completed as much work as possible while cycling for 10 minutes. Each participant completed the test on three separate occasions, under different conditions: once after IPC was applied five minutes before cycling, once after IPC was applied 30 minutes before, and once with no IPC at all (the control condition).

“The choice to use the five- and 30-minute intervals in our study was primarily based on the observations we published back in 2021 on methodological differences among IPC studies,” says Liam O’Brien, the KPE PhD student who guided Isidori (along with Professor Ira Jacobs, who directs the KPE Human Physiology Research

lab and the Tanenbaum Institute for Science in Sport). “We theorized that these methodological differences may contribute to the wide variability in response rates throughout the IPC literature. The studies we reviewed in that article showed that most IPC studies conducted exercise performance tests either immediately after (i.e., within the first five minutes) applying IPC or waited a period of approximately 30 minutes. There were a number of studies that had found performance enhancement when the IPC was applied within these intervals, so we were curious to compare each end.”

To induce IPC, participants had blood flow to their legs occluded using pressure cuffs inflated to ~220 mmHg—roughly the same pressure used to measure blood pressure— for five minutes at a time, repeated four times. In the control session, the same timing was followed but without occluding blood flow.

The results showed no significant differences in performance between the three conditions. Whether IPC was applied shortly before the test, 30 minutes in advance or not at all, the cyclists completed similar amounts of work during their 10 minutes of cycling. Key physiological

measures such as oxygen uptake (VO₂), heart rate, muscle blood volume, muscle oxygenation and blood lactate levels also remained similar across all conditions.

IPC has been widely promoted as a non-invasive way to potentially boost athletic performance—a performance enhancing strategy that is not banned by sport governing bodies. However, the current study’s findings add to several others that suggest that IPC may not provide any real advantage for self-paced, high-intensity endurance events like short-distance cycling. This is particularly important information for athletes and coaches who may be considering adding IPC to their training or pre-competition routines.

The researchers also note that the effectiveness of IPC may depend on the type of exercise being performed. While it has shown promise in some sprint-based or longer-duration endurance tasks, this study suggests it may not translate to every sporting context.

“Performance enhancement is often hit or miss,” says O’Brien. “You can find several similar studies that indicate IPC absolutely does improve performance and others

that find no performance enhancement whatsoever. While we have several theories, we still do not really know why certain individuals respond to IPC with performance enhancement whereas others do not. Because the response rates reported throughout the literature are so variable, I have learned to temper my expectations over whether IPC will or will not demonstrate performance enhancement.”

Although IPC is a burgeoning area of study in exercise science, the research team emphasizes the need for more rigorous and sport-specific testing before IPC can be recommended as a performanceenhancing strategy. Dr. Jacobs commented that when he has been asked by coaches and athletes about the effectiveness of IPC, he responds that it’s best to try to find out with each individual athlete in advance of competition whether or not they respond favourably to IPC. And both O’Brien and Jacobs advise that for now, athletes may be better off focusing on tried-and-true methods like proper training, nutrition and recovery.

O’Brien says that the big picture on IPC largely depends on the population of interest. “IPC may be useful for providing an extra boost to performance in athletes,

but may not be as worthwhile for the everyday exerciser,” he says. “In previous research, IPC has been shown to produce a performance improvement in the range of one to four per cent, which can mean the difference between a gold medal and missing the podium at the Olympics. But for a recreationally active person training for a 5k race, a one to four per cent improvement may not be as meaningful to their performance as well-structured training or a nutrition plan.” Furthermore, since IPC is a relatively time-consuming technique and can be uncomfortable, its use may be worthwhile for someone at peak shape looking to perform at a high level but may not be as worthwhile for “lower-stakes” athletes. “In either event, IPC has not been reported to worsen performance—so it is really a personal choice.”

This research was published in the Journal of Sports Sciences on April 8, 2025 and contributes to U of T’s ongoing commitment to evidence-based approaches in sports sciences and human performance.

By Michael Strizic

Published online 05/05/2025

Our researchers have generated new knowledge with academics from around the world. This map shows the number of academics in each country who have contributed to the publications of our researchers.

KPE RESEARCH FUNDING 2024-2025

Research Funding by Year

2023–2024 FUNDING BY SPONSOR

Faculty were also awarded $1,097,098 in infrastructure funding from federal and provincial agencies.

RESEARCH OPERATING FUNDING: EIGHT-YEAR TREND

$3,000,000

$2,500,000

$2,000,000

$1,500,000

$1,000,000

$500,000

Source: RIS Award Report by Sponsor, April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education.

$2,709,743

PUBLICATIONS (2024-2025)

This list is presented in alphabetical order by first-listed author. It includes accepted or in-press publications.

Book Chapters

Atkinson, M. (2025). Sport, physical culture, and deviance. In J. Scherer & B. Wilson (Eds.), Sport and Physical Culture in Canadian Society (3rd ed). Pearson Education.

Atkinson, M. (2025, accepted). The consumption of sports violence. In J. SmithMaguire (Eds.), Research Handbook on the Sociology of Consumption. Routledge.

Baker, J., Johnston, K., Teyssier-Roberge, G., & Fortin-Guichard, D. (in press). The psychology of recruitment and selection. In A. Williams, F., Preckel et al. (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Expertise and Expert Performance (3rd ed.), Cambridge University Press.

Clark, M., Bridel, W., Laurendeau, J., McGuireAdams, T., Fawaz, N.V., Uy, D., & Bosnjak, E. (forthcoming). Conversation on future directions. In M. Clark & W. Bridel (Eds.), Social Issues in Canadian Sport Textbook Human Kinetics Canada.

Darnell, S. C. (2025). Ontology, design and the multiple lifeworlds of sport for development and peace. In J. Rookwood (Ed.), Sport, Development and Peace: Critical Global Challenges. Palgrave Macmillan.

Darnell, S. C., & Blundell, M. (2025). International development and global qualitative research in sport & physical culture: Biopolitics, postcolonialism, and field methods. In M. D. Giardina, M. K. Donnelly, & D. J. Waldman (Eds.), Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research in Sport and Physical Culture. Sage.

Darnell, S.C., & Hayhurst, L. M. C. (2025). Globalization, sport and international development. In J. Scherer & B. Wilson (Eds.), Sport and Physical Culture in Canadian Society, (3rd ed.). Pearson Education.

Donnelly, P. (2025). Child labour in sport: Sports, work and child exploitation. In M. Hartill & B. Rulofs (Eds.). Child Abuse in Sport: Critical Perspectives. Emerald Books. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1476-285420250000025002

Fusco, C., Sullivan, E., Thomure, R. T., & Sher, C. (accepted). Food and sport. In J. Sumner & M. Classens (Eds.), Teaching Food Studies Edward Elgar.

Gurgis, J., Kerr, G., & Stirling, A. (in press). Coaches’ roles and needs around safeguarding in sport. In B. Callary, G. A. Bloom, S. B. Rynne, & B. T. Gearity (Eds.), Handbook on Sport Coaching Research

Jorgensen, M. P., Safai, P., & Mainwaring, L. (2025, in press). Toward broader theorizing in sport-related concussion research: Considerations for the in/visibility of the injury. In D. Malcolm. (Ed.), The Handbook of Sport, Concussion and Brain Injuries. Routledge

Kerr, G., & Battagalia, A. (2024). The crisis of toxic cultures in competitive sport. In B. Strauss, S. Buenemann, C. Behlau, M. Tietjens, & K. Tamminen (Eds.), Psychology of Crises in Sport: Causes, Consequences and Solutions Springer.

Kerr, G., & Willson, E. (2024). Athlete maltreatment. In L. Davis, R. Keegan, & S. Jowett (Eds.), Social Psychology in Sport (2nd ed.), Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics.

Mainwaring, L. (in press). Dance injury: Psychological and psychosocial factors in prevention, recovery and return to performance. In E. Altenmüller, M. Kellmann, J. Beckmann, & G. M. Moyle (Eds.), Recovery and Well-being in the Performing Arts Routledge.

Mazhar, A., Dionigi, R., Horton, S., & Baker, J. (in press). Psychosocial factors affecting athletic performance in later life. In J. Rittweger (Ed.), Track and Field Masters Athletics. Springer.

McAuley, A. B. T., Baker, J., Johnston, K., & Kelly, A. L. (2025). Artificial intelligence in talent identification and development in sport. In C. Dindorf, et al. (Eds.), Artificial Intelligence in Sports, Movement, and Health. Springer.

O’Rourke, R., Ricketts, C., & Sabiston, C. M. (2025). The intersection of disability and body image. The Palgrave-MacMillan Encyclopedia of Disability. Palgrave-MacMillan.

Razack., S., & Szto, C. (2025). Thinking through race and racism in the Canadian sport context. In J. Scherer & B. Wilson (Eds.), Sport and Physical Culture in Canadian Society (3rd ed.). Pearson Education

Rumbold, J. L., Stirling, A., Davis, &: L., & Newman,J. A. (Eds.). (2025). Protecting the welfare of individuals operating in organized sport. Frontiers Research Topics. https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/59742/ epub

Sabiston, C. M., & Lucibello, K. (in press). Body-related self-conscious emotions. In T. Tylka, J. Webb, R. Rogers, & M. FullerTyszkiewicz (Eds.), The Handbook of Body Image. Guilford.

Sabiston, C. M., & Ricketts, C. (in press). Sport culture. In T. Tylka, J. Webb, R. Rogers, & M. Fuller-Tyszkiewicz (Eds.), The Handbook of Body Image. Guilford.

Stirling, A., Kerr, G., Banwell, J., MacPherson, E., & Heron, A. (2024). A practical guide for work-integrated learning: Effective practices to enhance the educational quality of the structured work experience offered through colleges and universities (2nd ed.). Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario/ Education at Work Ontario

Tamminen, K. A., & Wolf, S. (2025). Collective emotions and interpersonal emotion regulation in sport. In M. Eys & M. Beauchamp (Eds.), Group Dynamics in Exercise and Sport Psychology: New Perspectives (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Tamminen, K. A., Curtis, R., Bennett, E., & Bundon, A. (accepted). Chapter 21: Generative Artificial Intelligence and visual qualitative methods. In A. Bundon & V. Goodyear (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Digital Technologies in Sport, Exercise and Physical Education. Routledge.

Till, K., Baker, J., Emmonds, S., & Kelly, A. (in press). Talent identification and development. In R. Lloyd & J. Oliver (Eds.), Strength and Conditioning for Young Athletes. Routledge.

Whiskeyjack, L., Gaudet, C., McGuireAdams, T., & Ward, J. (2024). kimiyokîsikaw: Iskwêwak reclaiming an old but new way, a love letter from decolonial self-lovers. In M. Lavell-Harvard & J. Brant (Eds.), Forever Loved: Exposing the Hidden Crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in Canada (2nd ed.).

Willson, E., & Kerr, G. (2024). Body shaming as a form of emotional abuse in sport. R. J. Schinke (Ed.), Mental Health in Sport and Physical Activity: Selected Writings From the ISSP Academy of Science. Routledge.

Book

Sailofsky, D. (2025). Playing through Pain: The Violent Consequences of Capitalist Sport. The University of North Carolina Press. https:// dx.doi.org/10.1353/book.136107

Journal Articles

Alibhai, S. M. H., Papadopoulos, E., Santa Mina, D., Ritvo, P., Tomlinson, G., Sabiston, C. M., et al. (2024). Home-based versus supervised group exercise in men with prostate cancer on androgen deprivation therapy: A randomized controlled trial and economic analysis. Journal of Geriatric Oncology, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jgo.2023.101646

Anderson, N.D., D’Amico, D., Rotenberg, S., Addis, D.R., Gillen, J., Moore, D., Furlano, J.A., Tan, B., Binns, M., Santarossa, M., & Chertkow, H. (2024). Validation of a community-based approach toward personalized dementia risk reduction: The Kimel Family Centre for Brain Health and Wellness. Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disorders. 11:1455-1466 https://doi. org/10.14283/jpad.2024.98

Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K. P., Bassett-Gunter, R. L., James, M. E., Latimer-Cheung, A. E., Moore, S. A., Voss, C., Best, K. L., Leo, J., Bremer, E., & Martin Ginis, K. A. (2025, in press). Canadian children and youth with disabilities are not meeting the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines: Cross-sectional results from the national physical activity measurement (NPAM) study for children and youth with disabilities. Disability and Health Journal https://doi. org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2025.101842

Arnold, D. M. J., Ho, E. S., Switzer-McIntyre, S., Amara, C., & Agur, A. M. R. (2024). Anatomical study of the innervation of the posterior elbow joint capsule: Implications for ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve block and radiofrequency ablation procedures. Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. https://doi. org/10.1136/rapm-2024-106098

Ashdown-Franks, G., Atkinson, M., & Sabiston, C. M. (2025). A therapeutic landscape for some but not for all: An ethnographic exploration of the Bethlem Royal Hospital parkrun. Sociology of Sport Journal, 42(1), 77-86. https://doi.org/10.1123/ ssj.2023-0083

Bai, Y., Brillinger, M., Karlinsky, A. D., Poliakoff, E., Welsh, T. N., & Gowen, E. (2025). Speedaccuracy trade-offs in action perception, motor imagery, and execution of hand movements in autistic and non-autistic adults. Scientific Reports, 15, 13255. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-02597036-w

Baker, J., & Johnston, K. (2024). An evolutionary psychology perspective on athletic development and performance: Differences between proximate and ultimate explanations.. Sports Medicine, 55. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s40279-024-02155-5

Baker, J., Johnston, K., & Till, K. (2024). Is it time to retire "talent" from discussions of athlete development? High Ability Studies, 35(1), 93-105. https://doi.org/10.1080/13598139.2023.2295320

Bannoura, D., Dreidi, O., Macauley, M. D., McCullough, K., O’Keeffe, R., Pijetlovic, K., Chen, C., Rochon, R., & Sailofsky, D. (2025). Can there be “normal” sport in an abnormal world? Sport boycott and athlete activism for ceasefire in Gaza. Sociology of Sport Journal https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.2024-0118

Battaglia, A., Kerr, G., & Buono, S. (2024). Coaches’ perspectives of the influence of Safe Sport-related education. The Sport Journal, 1-20

Battaglia, A., Kerr, G., & Tamminen, K.A. (2024). The dropout from youth sport crisis: Not as simple as it appears. Kinesiology Review, 13(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1123/kr.2023-0024

Bek, J., Sabiston, C. M., Thibodeau, D. E., & Welsh, T. N. (2024). Gender-specific effects of self-objectification on visuomotor adaptation and learning. Body Image, 51 https://doi.org/10.1016/j. bodyim.2024.101795

Bélanger, M., Goguen, J., Beauchamp, J., Gallant, F., Boucher, A., Chevarie, J.-S., DeGrâce, S., Saheb, Y., Gagnon, M., Doré, I., & Sabiston, C. M. (2024). Identification of distinct physical activity profiles through adolescence: a longitudinal qualitative description study. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 6. https://doi. org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1230999

Bentley, R. F., Bernal, J. B., Basile, D. C., Di, A. N., & Schwartz, J. L. (2024). The effect of body position on cardiovascular, skeletal muscle and ventilatory responses to submaximal cycling. Experimental Physiology, 110(3). https://doi. org/10.1113/ep092256

Bentley, R. F., Nikolovski, N., & Goodman, J. M. (2024). How does the dose and type of exercise impact acute cardiovascular function in healthy individuals? Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 41(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cjca.2024.12.016

Bentley, R. F., Yo, S. W., Mok, K. H., Valle, F. H., Goligher, E. C., Carvalho, C. G., Granton, J. T., Mak, S. S., & Ryan, C. M. (2024). Impact of positive airway pressure on right ventricular afterload in pulmonary arterial hypertension. ERJ Open Research, 11(3), 00796-2024. https:// doi.org/10.1183/23120541.00796-2024

Bonin, S., Harnois-Leblanc, S., Béland, M., Simoneau, G., Mathieu, M. È., Barnett, T. A., Sabiston, C. M., & Henderson, M. (2024). The association between depressive symptoms and overweight or obesity in prepubertal children: Findings from the QUALITY cohort. Journal of Affective Disorders, 367, 486-495. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.138

Bonk, D., & Tamminen, K. A. (2025). Dysregulated gaming and emotion regulation flexibility. Psychology of Popular Media https:// doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000591

Boparai, J. K., Dunnett, S., Wu, M., Tassone, V. K., Duffy, S. F., Cuartas, V. Z., Chen, Z., Jung, H., Sabiston, C. M., Lou, W., & Bhat, V. (2024). The association between depressive symptoms and the weekly duration of physical activity subset by intensity and domain: population-based, cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2007 to 2018. Interactive Journal of Medical Research, 13, e48396–e48396. https://doi.org/10.2196/48396

Brillinger, M., Wang, X. M., & Welsh, T. N. (2025). The assumed motor capabilities of a partner influence motor imagery in a joint serial disc transfer task. Cognition, 254 https://doi. org/10.1016/j.cognition.2024.105964

Bruce, J. M., Riegler, K. E., Meeuwisse, W., Comper, P., Hutchison, M. G., Delaney, J. S., & Echemendia, R. J. (2025). Response to comment on: “A machine learning approach to concussion risk estimation among players exhibiting visible signs in professional hockey.” Sports Medicine https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-025-02212-7

Bruce, J. M., Riegler, K. E., Meeuwisse, W., Comper, P., Hutchison, M. G., Delaney, J. S., & Echemendia, R. J. (2024). A Machine Learning Approach to Concussion Risk Estimation Among Players Exhibiting Visible Signs in Professional Hockey. Sports Medicine, 55. https://doi. org/10.1007/s40279-024-02112-2

Buenemann, S., Behlau, C., Strauss, B., Tietjens, M., & Tamminen, K. A. (accepted). Examining correlates of threat states through the lens of team performance crises and the role of losing streaks. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology.

C Chen, X., Chiu, C., Cheung, H. H. T., Crowder, S. L., Chen, X., Trinh, L., & Arthur, A. E. (2024). Breast cancer survivors' diet and physical activity preferences and barriers: How COVID-19 changed the intervention landscape. Current Developments in Nutrition, 9(1), 104519. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.cdnut.2024.104519

Carlson, L. E., Jones, J. M., Oberoi, D., Piedalue, K.-A., Wayne, P. M., Santa Mina, D., Lawal, O. A., & Speca, M. (2025). Mindfulness and Tai Chi for Cancer Health (MATCH) Study: Primary outcomes of a preference-based multisite randomized comparative effectiveness trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology https://doi. org/10.1200/jco-24-02540

Carranza, V. A., Getgood, A., Willing, R., & Burkhart, T. A. (2024). Comparing simulation approaches used in finite element modelling of a medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy. Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 53(3). https:// doi.org/10.1007/s10439-024-03662-2

Cheng, D. T., Tremblay, L., Fjeld, K., Krigolson, O. E., & Binsted, G. (2025). The neural correlates of target and hand vision during movement planning and execution. Experimental Brain Research, 243(4), 93. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-025-07043-6

Churchill, N. W., Hutchison, M. G., Graham, S. J., & Schweizer, T. A. (2025). Post-concussion brain changes relative to pre-injury white matter and cerebral blood flow. Neurology, 104(7). https://doi.org/10.1212/ wnl.0000000000213374

Churchill, N. W., Hutchison, M. G., Graham, S. J., & Schweizer, T. A. (2025b). Post-concussion changes in the functional brain connectome relative to pre-injury baseline: A prospective observational study. Journal of Neurotrauma https://doi.org/10.1089/neu.2024.0499

Clarke, H., Waisman, A., Aternali, A., Axenova, K., Almohawis, A., Curtis, K., … Santa Mina, D., et al. (2025). Ten years of transitional pain service research and practice: Where are we and where do we go from here? Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, 50(2), 188–203. https://doi. org/10.1136/rapm-2024-105609

Cloyd, J. M., Sarna, A., Arango, M. J., Bates, S. E., Bhutani, M. S., Bloomston, M., … Santa Mina, D., et al. (2025). Best practices for delivering neoadjuvant therapy in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. JAMA Surgery, 160(2), 172–180. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamasurg.2024.5191

Cournoyea, M., & Seeley, S. (2025, in press). “I’m not worried about robots taking over the world. I guess I’m worried about people”: Emoting, teaching, and learning with generative AI. Teaching & Learning Inquiry.

Cournoyea, M., Samuels, B., & Calloway, D. (2024). Inked: Graduate writing groups as writing centre pedagogy. Special Issue: Discourse and Writing/Rédactologie, 34, 82-92. https://doi. org/10.31468/dwr.1059

Craig, B. -A. P., Morrison, L., McDonough, M. H., Sabiston, C. M., Bennett, E., Doré, I., et al. (2025). Social support in physical activity interventions for adults: An overview of reviews. Kinesiology Review, 1-13 https://doi.org/10.1123/ kr.2024-0026

Craig, M. O., & Sailofsky, D. (2024). “We cannot win this fight if we don’t acknowledge any such fight exists”: Examining media coverage of Black women’s risk for intimate partner violence. Crime, Media, Culture https://doi. org/10.1177/17416590241306019

Cuda, N., Sabiston, C. M., ArbourNicitopoulos, K.P., Tabaczynski, A., Ha, M., & Trinh, L. (2024). A remotely delivered, aerobic and resistance exercise training program for mental health In women living with and beyond breast cancer. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 56(10S), 1040. https://doi.org/10.1249/01. mss.0001061560.14402.6d

Cuda, N., Tabaczynski, A., Bastas, D., Whitehorn., A., Ghazinour, G., & Trinh, L. (2024). Changes in physical activity and wellbeing among cancer survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study. Advanced Exercise and Health Science, 1(3), 178186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aehs.2024.08.002

Da Silva, B. R., Kirkham, A. A., Pagano, A. P., Gonzalez, M. C., Haykowsky, M. J., Joy, A. A., King, K., Paterson, I., Pituskin, E., Thompson, R., & Prado, C. M. (2024). Estimating energy requirements in patients with breast cancer and survivors. Clinical Nutrition ESPEN, 63, 1054. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clnesp.2024.07.235

Da Silva, T., Momen, R., Al Kaabi, N., Masrur, M., Holdsworth, S., Prevost, K., Logan, S., Santa Mina, D., et al. (2024). Online resources as a source of information for exercise and physical activity in solid organ transplant recipients. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 6 https://doi. org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1353663

Darnell S. C. (2025). Commentary: Ethical dimensions of the global sport for development and peace sector. Indian Journal of Medical Ethics, X(2), 97–101. https://doi.org/10.20529/ IJME.2025.019

Dastamooz, S., Wong, S. H. S., Sit, C. H. P., Yang, Y.-J., & Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K. P. (2024). Association between objectively measured physical activity and salivary cortisol levels in adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 56(10S), 778–779. https://doi. org/10.1249/01.mss.0001059236.78404.98

deJonge, M. L., Sabiston, C. M., Hamza, C. A., & Darnell, S. C. (2025). Modeling associations between physical recreation engagement and correlates of post-secondary student psychosocial well-being: Exploring differences among students living with and without a mental health condition. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 79, 102846. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102846

Dickson, B. A., Woolford, D. G., Samuels, B., & Kotsopoulos, D. (2024, accepted). Active learning in post-secondary statistics and data sciences teaching: Moments or alternative models. Journal of Statistics and Data Science Education.

Donachie, T. C., Mallinson-Howard, S. H., Hill, A. P., & Tamminen, K. A. (2025). Exploring how soccer players with perfectionism navigate challenges in talent pathways. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 47(2), 90–101. https://doi. org/10.1123/jsep.2024-0166

Dwyer, T., Gordey, E., Ajrawat, P., Lameire, D. L., Theodoropoulos, J., Ogilvie-Harris, D., Faulkner, G., Sabiston, C.M., & Chahal, J. (2025). Accelerometer-assisted physical activity outcomes during the first year of recovery after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A prospective cohort pilot study. Orthopedics, 48(2), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.3928/01477447-20250123-02

Ehlers, D., Trinh, L., & Hartman, S. (2024). Physical activity and cancer-associated cognitive change. Frontiers in Cognition, 3. https://doi. org/10.3389/fcogn.2024.1523982

Ekhtiari, S., Fahey, C., Hache, P., Hache, R., Rubinger, L., Khan, M., Richards, D., & Grant, J. A. (2025). Load management among professional hockey goalies: A retrospective cohort study. Sports Health, 17(1), 183–189. https://doi. org/10.1177/19417381241271556

Evans, M., Lees, M. J., Aguilera, J. A., West, D. W. D., da Fonseca, G. W. P., Amigo-Benavent, M., Carson, B. P., Moore, D. R., & Egan, B. (2024). Postexercise Dietary leucine retention for wholebody anabolism is greater with whey protein isolate and fish-derived protein hydrolysate than nonessential amino acids in trained young men. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 35(1), 24–33. https://doi. org/10.1123/ijsnem.2024-0157

Firasta, L., Vani, M. F., Lucibello, K. M., & Sabiston, C. M. (2025). Understanding social media appearance preoccupation: The role of body image emotions. Psychology of Popular Media, 14(3), 472–477. https://doi.org/10.1037/ ppm0000559

Fortin-Bédard, N., Ladry, N.-J., Bouchard, D., Rahn, C., Borisoff, J., Sweet, S. N., ArbourNicitopoulos, K. P., Routhier, F., & Best, K. L. (2025). Exploring social participation among adults with spinal cord injury during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Disabilities, 5(1), 19. https://doi. org/10.3390/disabilities5010019

Foulkes, S. J., Haykowsky, M. J., Sherrington, R., Kirkham, A. A., Grenier, J., Seres, P., Paterson, D. I., & Thompson, R. B. (2025). Reference values for water–specific T1, intermuscular and intramuscular fat content in skeletal muscle at 2.89 T. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 62(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.29718

Gallant, F., Giroux, M., Gunnell, K., Registe, P. W., Mekari, S., Doré, I., Sabiston, C. M., & Bélanger, M. (2024). Basic psychological need satisfaction as correlates of physical activity trajectories during adolescence. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, 34(10). https://doi. org/10.1111/sms.14743

Gee, C. M., Tsui, B. T., Martin Ginis, K. A., Bennett, E. V., Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K. P., & Voss, C. (2024). Using qualitative geospatial methods to explore physical activity in children with developmental disabilities: A feasibility study. Disabilities, 4(4), 856-871. https://doi. org/10.3390/disabilities4040053

Grainger, A., Kelly, A., Garland, S.W., Baker, J., Johnston, K., & McAuley, A. (2025). Athletes’, ‘talents’, and ‘players’: Conceptual distinctions and considerations for researchers and practitioners. Sports Medicine, 55, 9-15. https:// doi.org/10.1007/s40279-024-02101-5

Gregor, S., Mansfield, A., Mochizuki, G., Chen, J., & Patterson, K. K. (2025). Feasibility and reliability of an online version of the beat alignment test in neurotypical adults and people with stroke. Biomedical Engineering Online, 24(1), 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12938025-01352-1

Grondin, S., Fortin-Guichard, D., Lemoyne, J., Trudeau, F., & Baker, J. (2025). Relative age effects in ice hockey extends to coaching. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 6. https:// doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2024.1507386

Harnois-Leblanc, S., Van Hulst, A., Lucibello, K. M., Harbec, M.-J., Sabiston, C. M., Maximova, K., Sylvestre, M.-P., & Henderson, M. (2024). Associations between weight-loss attempts, weight-related stress, and body image during childhood and adolescence in children with parental obesity. Childhood Obesity, 20(6), 434–441. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2023.0082

Harrington, M. S., Di Leo, S. D. F., Hlady, C. A., & Burkhart, T. A. (2024). Musculoskeletal modeling and movement simulation for structural hip disorder research: A scoping review of methods, validation, and applications. Heliyon, 10(15), e35007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. heliyon.2024.e35007

Harrington, M. S., Hlady, C. A., & Burkhart, T. A. (2024). Associations between early specialization and ice hockey goaltender hip kinematics: A cross-sectional study. JOSPT Open, 3(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.2519/ josptopen.2024.0069

Hart, N. H., Stout, N. L., Haywood, D., Ashbury, F. D., Chan, R. J., Fitch, M. I., Jefford, M., Lustberg, M. B., Etemadi, Y., Rauch, A., & WHO Technical Working Group and WHO Development Working Group for Cancer (incl. Santa Mina, D.) (2024). World Health Organization package of interventions for rehabilitation for cancer: A MASCC-endorsed resource for global action to address unmet rehabilitation needs of people affected by cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer, 32(7), 417. https://doi. org/10.1007/s00520-024-08569-1

Hilderley, A. J., Fehlings, D., Taylor, M. J., Chen, J. L., & Wright, F. V. (2024). An exploratory study of functional brain activity associated with gross motor function improvement in children with unilateral cerebral palsy. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 27(8), 311–319. https://doi.org/10.1080/17518423.2024. 2410184

Hirsch, S. M., Chapman, C. J., Singh, H., Baker, D. G., & Frost, D. M. (2025). A critical appraisal of using barbell velocity data to regulate training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 39(3), 360–372. https:// doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000005050

Hou, S. H. J., Petrella, A., Tulk, J., Wurz, A., Sabiston, C. M., Bender, J., et al. (2024). An evaluation of racial and ethnic representation in research conducted with young adults diagnosed with cancer: Challenges and considerations for building more equitable and inclusive research practices. Current Oncology, 31(4), 2244-2259. https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol31040166

Howard, A., Gunnell, K., Gimro, Y., & Tamminen, K. A. (Stage 1 Registered Report –In-Principle Acceptance). The role of pre-existing beliefs about social media harms in shaping daily message effects on well-being in young adult Instagram users. Centre for Open Science.

Hurst, P., Chatziefstathiou, D., & Stirling, A (2025). British junior elite track and field athletes’ experience of maltreatment, psychological safety, and subjective vitality. Journal of Sports Sciences, 43(9), 906–914. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414. 2025.2479964

Hutchison, M. G., Di, A. P., & Pyndiura, K. L. (2025). Evaluating user experience and satisfaction in a concussion rehabilitation app: Usability study. JMIR Formative Research, 9, e67275–e67275. https://doi.org/10.2196/67275

Hutt, K., & Tamminen, K. A. (2025). A qualitative longitudinal exploration of interactions between female athletes and sport medicine staff during injury rehabilitation. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 1–6. https://doi. org/10.1123/jsr.2023-0406

Infantino, E., Barnett, T. A., Côté-Lussier, C., Hulst, A. V., Henderson, M., Mathieu, M.-E., Sabiston, C. M., & Kakinami, L. (2024). Feeling safe: A critical look at the effect of neighborhood safety features and perceptions on childhood symptoms of depression. BMC Pediatrics, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-024-05236-6

Isidori, A., O’Brien, L., & Jacobs, I. (2025). No ergogenic effect of ischemic preconditioning applied 5 or 30 min before maximal self-paced cycling exercise. Journal of Sports Sciences, 43(10), 969–977. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2025. 2481532

Iziduh, S., Dhakal, S., Sihota, R., Ye, X., Friedenreich, C. M., Khanlou, N., Sabiston, C. M., Smith-Turchyn, J., Tomasone, J. R., & Gagliardi, A. R. (2024). Raising awareness about physical activity’s role in reducing cancer risk: Qualitative interviews with immigrant women and community agency managers. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 2072. https://doi.org/10.1186/ s12889-024-19612-5

Iziduh, S., Lee, J., Umutoni, B., Brahmbhatt, P., Sabiston, C. M., Friedenreich, C. M., Khanlou, N., Smith-Turchyn, J., Tomasone, J. R., & Gagliardi, A. R. (2024). Physical activity promotion intervention improved physical activity knowledge, confidence and behaviour among diverse immigrant women: Pre–post multiple methods feasibility study. BMJ Open, 14(11), e086653–e086653. https://doi.org/10.1136/ bmjopen-2024-086653

James, M. E., Rhodes, R. E., Cairney, J., Sabiston, C. M., Finlay-Watson, T., & ArbourNicitopoulos, K. P. (2024). Parent support for physical activity and motor skills during early childhood: A mixed-methods application of the multi-process action control framework. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 58(4), 264-274. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaae004

James, M., Martin Ginis, Kathleen A., Bassett–Gunter, Rebecca L., Best, K., & Arbour–Nicitopoulos, K. P. (2025). A cross–sectional examination of movement behaviours and guideline adherence rates among preschool–aged children with disabilities. Child Care Health and Development, 51(3). https://doi. org/10.1111/cch.70088

Jebanesan, N., Alibhai, S. M. H., Santa Mina, D., Jones, J., Legacy, N., Freeman, L., et al. (2025). Supporting older adults with cancer and their support person through geriatric assessment and remote exercise and education: The SOAR study protocol. Journal of Geriatric Oncology, 16(3), 102194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jgo.2025.102194

Jevdjevic, A., Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K. P., Martin, K. A., & Voss, C. (2025). School-based physical activity levels and quality of physical education participation experiences of children with physical and sensory disabilities living in British Columbia, Canada. Disabilities, 5(1), 8–8. https://doi.org/10.3390/disabilities5010008

Johnston, K., & Baker, J. (2025). Take your pick! Examining decision-making behavior in athlete selection: A methodological description and pilot study. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 14(1), 175–192. https:// doi.org/10.1037/spy0000348

Jorgensen, M. P., Hagopian, M., Mainwaring, L., & O’Hagan, F. T. (2024). Match official experiences with the Blue Card protocol in amateur rugby: Implementing Rowan’s Law for concussion management. International Journal of Sport Policy and Politics, 16(2), 291-306. https:// doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2023.2290111

Jorgensen, M. P., Safai, P., & Mainwaring, L. (2024). An examination of social relations and concussion management via the Blue Card. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 6, 1392809. https://doi.org/10.3389/ fspor.2024.1392809

Joseph, J., Pennock, K., & Brown, S. (2024). Black hair is a safe sport issue!: Black aesthetics, access, inclusion, and resistance. Sociology of Sport Journal, 42(2), 190–198. https://doi. org/10.1123/ssj.2023-0204

Keen, C., Grenier, J., Šereš, P., Stobbe, R., White, J., Beaulieu, C., Sherrington, R., Kirkham, A. A., Paterson, D. I., & Thompson, R. (2025). MRI assessment of lung water density in individuals previously infected with COVID–19: A cross–sectional study. Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, 62(3), 767–778. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.29814

Kim, J., & Tamminen, K. A. (2025). Is helpseeking for mental health concerns “normal” for college athletes? A social norm perspective. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 47(2), 115–125. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2024-0190

Kim, J., Ellard, C., Tamminen, K. A., & Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K. P. (2024). Special Olympics athletes’ experiences of mental health and help-seeking. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/1041320 0.2024.2437185

Kim, J., Tamminen, K. A., & Cai, R. (2025). Social norms and emotion regulation among youth athletes. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 1612197X.2025.2493690

Korf, J., & Baker, J. (2025). Defining eminence in endurance cycling sports: A delphi study with some of the world’s most successful cyclists, coaches, and directors. Journal of Expertise, 8(1), https://www.journalofexpertise.org/articles/ volume8_issue1/JoE_8_1_Korf_Baker.pdf

Kotsiopoulos, J., Giannis, I., Sabiston, C. M., & Wrosch, C. (2025). Maintaining physical activity in older adults: The importance of health-specific control strategies. International Journal of Behavioral Development https://doi. org/10.1177/01650254241308506

Lee, E. Y., Dogra, S., Manson, G., Manyanga, T., McGuire-Adams, T., & Yi, D. K. J. (2025). Call to Action on indigenization and equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in physical activity and health research: Recommendations for Canadian institutions, tri-agency, and academic societies. Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 22(6), 644–649. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2025-0032

Lewis, J., Bentley, R. F., Connelly, K. A., Dorian, P., & Goodman, J. M. (2024). Are subjective reports of exercise intensity accurate in recreational athletes? Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 41(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j. cjca.2024.11.008

Liu, C., Liang, X., Yang, Y., Liu, R., ArbourNicitopoulos, K. P., & Sit, C. H. (2024). Mechanisms linking physical activity with mental health in children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders: A systematic review. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 67(4). https://doi.org/10.1016/j. amepre.2024.05.022

Liu, C., Yang, Y., Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K. P., Ho, R. T., Cheung, J. S., Leung, A., & Hui-ping Sit, C. (2025). Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and suicidal ideation in adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: The mediating effects of mental health. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(9). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-025-06809-9

Liu, K., Chan, T. C. Y., Burkhart, T. A., & Hutchison, M. G. (2024). Altered intersegmental coordination in athletes with a history of concussion. Journal of Sports Sciences, 42(21), 2061–2069. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640 414.2024.2422736

Liu, K., Hirsch, S., Singh, P., Chan, T. C., Burkhart, T. A., & Hutchison, M. G. (2025). A comparison of lower extremity squat, lunge, and hip hinge kinematics between marker based and markerless motion capture systems. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part P Journal of Sports Engineering and Technology https://doi. org/10.1177/17543371251348697

Lucibello, K. M., Gohari, M., Ferro, M. A., Faulkner, G., Sabiston, C. M., Leatherdale, S. T., & Patte, K. A. (2024). The moderating role of appearance self-concept in the relationship between sport and flourishing among adolescents: A COMPASS study. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2024.2443652

Lucibello, K. M., Marashi, M., Vani, M. F., Thibodeau, D., & Sabiston, C. M. (2025). Comparing the associations between body appearance and fitness self-conscious emotions across physical activity modalities: A multipart study. Body Image, 53, 101893. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.101893

Lucibello, K. M., Sabiston, C. M., Murray, R. M., Pila, E., Arbour–Nicitopoulos, Kelly P., & Gilchrist, J. D. (2024). Associations among negative weight–related experiences, weight bias internalization, and body–related self–conscious emotions in adolescents: A daily diary study. Journal of Adolescence, 97(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12425

Lucibello, K. M., Zhang, Q., Sabiston, C. M., Carson, V., Leatherdale, S. T., & Patte, K. A. (2025). The prospective associations between internalized weight bias and physical activity among adolescents. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 79, 102855. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. psychsport.2025.102855

Mac, A., Kalia, M., Reel, E., Amir, E., Isenberg, A., Kim, R. H., Kennedy, E., Koch, C. A., Li, M., McCready, D., Metcalfe, K., Okrainec, A., Papadakos, J., Rotstein, S., Rodin, G., Xu, W., Zhong, T., ABODE Study Group (incl. Santa Mina, D.), & Cil, T. D. (2025). At-home breast oncology care celivered with ehealth solutions (ABODE) study protocol: A randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open, 15(5), e091579. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-091579

Mah, A., D’Agostino, N., Santiago, A. T., Garland, S. N., Petrella, A., Sabiston, C. M., Chalifour, K., Eaton, G., & Bender, J. L. (2024). Connectedness to the young adult cancer community and post–traumatic growth: A young adults with cancer in their prime study. Psycho-Oncology, 33(3). https:// doi.org/10.1002/pon.6325

Marashi, M., Lucibello, K. M., & Sabiston, C. M. (2024). The female athletic ideal — Friend or foe? Fit, thin, and athletic body ideals and their associations with women’s body image. Body Image, 48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. bodyim.2023.101672

Marashi, M., O’Loughlin, E. K., Brown, D. M., & Sabiston, C. M. (2025). A body image training program for health professionals: A single group pre-post evaluation. Body Image, 53, 101863. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.101863

Marashi, M., Quesnel, D. A., O’Loughlin, E. K., Brown, D. M., & Sabiston, C. M. (2025). Perfectionism and disordered eating in exercise and nutrition professionals: The role of self-compassion. Eating Behaviors, 57, 101990–101990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. eatbeh.2025.101990

Mazhar, A., Patelia, S., & Baker, J. (2024). Perceived benefits of curling in older Canadian women. The Journals of Gerontology Series B, 79(6). https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbae041

McAuley, A. B. T., Baker, J., Johnston, K., Doncaster, G., & Kelly, A. L. (2024). Selection and re-selection throughout a national talent pathway: Exploring longitudinal relative age effects in Northern Ireland male soccer. High Ability Studies, 35(2), 231–247. https://doi.org/10. 1080/13598139.2024.2404410

McGee, S., Atkinson, M., & Stirling, A. (2025). Winning-at-all-costs: Learning to conform to the sport ethic norms. Sport, Education & Society. doi.org/10.1080/13573322.2025.2461616

McGee, S., Kerr, G., Atkinson, M., & Stirling, A. (2024). “I always just viewed it as part of sport”: Psychological maltreatment and conformity to the sport ethic. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 37(4), 487–506. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/10413200.2024.2414002

McGuire-Adams, T. (in press). Grappling with settler colonialism through martial arts: How trauma-informed martial arts provides intergenerational healing. Journal of Emerging Sport Studies – Special Issue Anti-Colonial Autoethnography in Sport

McLaughlin, M., Dizon, K., & Jacobs, I. (2025). The effects of aerobic exercise and heat stress on the unbound fraction of caffeine. Frontiers in Physiology, 15 https://doi.org/10.3389/ fphys.2024.1370586

Milne, A., Atkinson, M., Kerr, G., & Stirling, A. (2024). Instructional practices and interpretations of harm: A qualitative inquiry with 24 competitive dancers. Journal of Dance Education, 25(1), 55–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/1 5290824.2023.2224799

Min, A., Murray, R. M., den Houdyker, T., & Sabiston, C. M. (2022). Varsity athletes’ fitness perceptions, fitness-related self-conscious emotions and depression when sidelined from play. Journal of American College Health, 72(6), 1955–1960. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.202 2.2098035

Montiel, C., Bedrossian, N., Kramer, A., Myre, A., Piché, A., McDonough, M. H., Sabiston, C. M., Petrella, A., Gauvin, L., & Doré, I. (2025). Barriers and facilitators of supportive care access and use among men with cancer: A qualitative study. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 19 https:// doi.org/10.1007/s11764-023-01467-1

Montiel, C., Bedrossian, N., Myre, A., Kramer, A., Piché, A., Mcdonough, M. H., Sabiston, C. M., et al. (2024). “In my mind, it was just temporary”: A qualitative study of the impacts of cancer on men and their strategies to cope. American Journal of Men’s Health, 18(1). https:// doi.org/10.1177/15579883231215153

Moore, D. R., Gillen, J. B., West, D. W., Kato, H., Volterman, K. A. (2024). Protein requirements may be lower on a training compared to rest day but are not influenced by moderate training volumes in endurance trained males. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 49(8),1124-1128. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm2023-0297

Muhonen, J., Stirling, A., & Kokkonen, M. (2024). Athletic identity affects prevalence and disclosure of emotional abuse in Finnish athletes. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. Special Issue: Protecting the Welfare of Individuals Operating in Organized Sport, 6. doi.org/10.3389/ fspor.2024.1406949

Mullan, D., Barr, I., Brannigan, N., Flood, N., Gibson, O. R., Hambly, C., Kennedy-Asser, A. T., Kielt, A. C., Matthews, T., & Orr, M. (2025). Extreme heat risk and the potential implications for the scheduling of football matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. International Journal of Biometeorology, 69 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484025-02852-4

Murray, R. M., O’Loughlin, E., Smith-Turchyn, J., Fong, A. J., McDonough, M. H., Santa Mina, D., Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K. P., Trinh, L., Jones, J. M., Bender, J. L., Culos-Reed, S. N., Tomasone, J. R., Vani, M. F., & Sabiston, C. M. (2025). Connecting women who are diagnosed and treated for breast cancer to engage in physical activity: A two-arm randomized controlled trial. BMC Sports Science Medicine and Rehabilitation, 17(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/ s13102-025-01131-4

Murray, R. M., Sylvester, B. D., Sabiston, C. M., Doré, I., & Bélanger, M. (2024). Does participating in a variety of activities at a variety of locations or with different people predict physical activity behavior among adolescents? The mediating role of perceived variety. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 46(2), 93-99. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsep.2023-0276

Murray, R. M., Vani, M. F., Welsh, T. N., & Sabiston, C. M. (2025). Daily bursts of bodyrelated self-conscious emotions relate to attention and reaction time in adolescents. Journal of sport & exercise psychology, 47(3), 176–184. https://doi. org/10.1123/jsep.2024-0230

Myers, A. M., Barlow, R. C., Baldini, G., Campbell, A. M., Carli, F., Carr, E. J., … Santa Mina, D., et al. (2024). International consensus is needed on a core outcome set to advance the evidence of best practice in cancer prehabilitation services and research. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 132(5), 851–856. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2024.02.021

Neville, A. R., Tabaczynski, A., Whitehorn, A., Bastas, D., & Trinh, L. (2025). Sedentary time transitions and associations with quality of life in cancer survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 43(1), 16–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/07347332.20 24.2346560

O’Callaghan, K. M., Funk, C., Fariha, F., Nagaria, M. H., Dasiewicz, A., Harrington, J., Mahmud, A. A., Abrams, S. A., Ahmed, T., Moore, D. R., & Roth, D. E. (2025). Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and intact parathyroid hormone as functional biomarkers of bone mass in early childhood. The Journal of Nutrition, 155(6), 1782–1794. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2025.03.022

O’Loughlin, E. K., Marashi, M., Beer, S., Sabiston, C. M., Nesbitt, A. E., O’Rourke, R. H., Sylvestre, M.-P., & O’Loughlin, J. L. (2025). Factors associated with low self-compassion in young adults. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 116, 446-455 https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-02400965-8

O’Loughlin, E. K., Sabiston, C. M., Riglea, T., Naja, M., Bélanger, M., Wellman, R. J., Sylvestre, M.-P., & O’Loughlin, J. L. (2024). Natural course and predictors of sustained exergaming in young adults. Games for Health Journal, 14(3). https:// doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2024.0021

O’Rourke, R. H., Vani, M. F., O’Loughlin, E. K., Thibodeau, D. E., & Sabiston, C. M. (2024). Exploring the reasons for wanting a peer partner to be physically active among women living with and beyond a cancer diagnosis: A content analysis. Supportive Care in Cancer, 32(7). https:// doi.org/10.1007/s00520-024-08602-3

O’Rourke, R. H., Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K. P., Voss, C., Martin Ginis, K. A., Brown, D. M. Y. (2024). Differential associations between device-assessed and parent-reported physical activity with indicators of mental health in children and youth with disabilities. Pediatric Exercise Sciences Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1123/pes.2023-0178

Orr, M. (2025). Motives and barriers to climate activism by elite and professional athletes. European Sport Management Quarterly, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1080/16184742.2025.2473321

Orr, M., & Sailofsky, D. (2025). Are athlete activists credible on climate and environmental issues? Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 67(4), 32–42. https://doi. org/10.1080/00139157.2025.2494968

Orr, M., Kellison, T., Ross, W. J., Trendafilova, S., Pelcher, J., Watanabe, N., Howell, J., & Rouhas, Z. (2025, in press). Climate risks in motorsport: Setting and exceeding boundary conditions in Formula 1. European Sport Management Quarterly.

Orr, M., Murfree, J. R., & Ross, W. J. (2025). Football on the frontlines: The unjust burden of the climate crisis on Pacific Island nations. Leisure Studies, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/0261 4367.2025.2490547

Orr, M., Ross, W. J., & Pelcher, J. (2024, in press). Natural to artificial: A spectrum of sport spaces fit for the Anthropocene. Sport in Society.

Orsso, C. E., Gormaz, T., Valentine, S., Trottier, C. F., Matias de Sousa, I., Ferguson-Pell, M., Johnson, S. T., Kirkham, A. A., Klein, D., Maeda, N., Mota, J. F., Neil-Sztramko, S. E., Quintanilha, M., Salami, B. O., & Prado, C. M. (2024). Digital Intervention for behaviouR changE and Chronic disease prevenTION (DIRECTION): Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of a web-based platform integrating nutrition, physical activity, and mindfulness for individuals with obesity. Methods, 231, 45–54. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.ymeth.2024.09.009

Peters, T. M., Brazeau, A.S., Bally, L., Govette, A., Heyman, E., Jung, M. E.,…Gillen, J. B., & Yardley, J. E. (2025). Exercise and glycemic management in females and women with diabetes: The role of sex and gender across the lifespan. Canadian Journal of Diabetes, 49(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjd.2025.02.001

Pila, E., Sabiston, C. M., Christensen, R. A. G., Huellemann, K. L., Hallward, L., Taylor, V. H., Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K. P., & Wharton, S. (2025). Consequences of daily self-weighing: A pilot study in higher-weight women with a history of breast cancer. Psychology & Health, 40(4), 594–615. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446. 2023.2247426

Pranjić, M., Leung, J., Tam, K. L., Polatajko, H., Welsh, T., Chau, T., & Thaut, M. (2024). Children with developmental coordination disorder display atypical interhemispheric connectivity during conscious and subconscious rhythmic auditorymotor synchronization. Scientific Reports, 14, 19954. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-69807-4

Randall, I. M., Au, D., Sibley, D., Matthew, A. G., Chen, M., Brahmbhatt, P., Mach, C., Sellers, D., Alibhai, S. M. H., Clarke, H., Darling, G., McCluskey, S. A., McKinney, L., Ng, K., Quereshy, F., Karkouti, K., & Santa Mina, D. (2025). Starting a surgical prehabilitation program: Results from a pragmatic nonrandomized feasibility study. Canadian Journal of Anaesthesia, 72(1), 162–172. https://doi. org/10.1007/s12630-024-02861-8

Riglea, T., Wellman, R. J., Sylvestre, M.-P., Sabiston, C. M., & O’Loughlin, J. (2025). Factor structure and measurement invariance of the GAD-7 across time, sex, and language in young adults. Journal of Affective Disorders, 375, 359–365. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.01.117

Rumbold, J. L., Newman, J. A., Higham, A. J., Davis, L., & Stirling, A. (2025). Editorial: Protecting the welfare of individuals operating in organized sport. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, Special Issue: Protecting the Welfare of Individuals Operating in Organized Sport. doi. org/10.3389/fspor.2025.1580898

Sailofsky, D. (2024). The privilege to do it all? Exploring the contradictions of name, image and likeness (NIL) rights for women athletes and women’s sports. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 60(3), 459–471. https://doi. org/10.1177/10126902241268278

Schorer, J., Faber, I., Busch, D., Baker, J., & Wattie, N. (2025). Longitudinal investigations of the development in handball and its association with relative age effects. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 7 https://doi. org/10.3389/fspor.2025.1528684

Schwartz, J. L., Fongwoo, T. A., & Bentley, R. F. (2024). The effect of self-identified arm dominance on exercising forearm hemodynamics and skeletal muscle desaturation. PLoS ONE, 19(6), e0305539–e0305539. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. pone.0305539

Scratch, S., Shore, J., DuPlessis, D., Lovell, A., Hickling, A., Gill, P.,…Schneider, K., Hutchison, M. G., Gagnon, I., Caron, J., Reed, N., & Biddiss, E. (2025). Return-to-play with R2Play: Protocol for evaluating cross-site feasibility, face validity, and content validity of a multidomain concussion assessment tool for youth. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 34(3), 210–224. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.2024-0106

Serota, K., Atkinson, M., Upshur, R., & Buchman, D. Z. (2025). Dignity narratives in complex MAiD bereavement stories: A critical qualitative analysis. Advance online publication on Project MUSE https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/ nib.0.a956587

Sicova, M., McGinn, R., Emerson, S., Perez, P., Gonzalez, R., Li, Y., Famure, O., Randall, I., Santa Mina, D., Santema, M., Wijeysundera, D. N., Van Klei, W., Kim, S. J., & McCluskey, S. A. (2024). Association of intraoperative hypotension with delayed graft function following kidney transplant: A single centre retrospective cohort study. Clinical Transplantation, 38(10), e70000. https://doi.org/10.1111/ctr.70000

Slepian, P. M., Axenova, K., McCarthy, M., Siegal, R., Gobin, K., Weinrib, A., Buryk-Iggers, S., Santa Mina, D., McGillis, L., Mittal, N., Katz, J., & Clarke, H. (2025). Rates of mental health concerns among individuals assessed at the GoodHope Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Clinic. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, 20(1). https:// doi.org/10.1186/s13023-025-03550-5

Smith, K. A., Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K. P., & Widger, K. (2024). Parents’ experiences of waiting for their child’s transplant: A focus on how healthcare providers can impact the waiting process. Health: An Interdisciplinary Journal for the Social Study of Health Illness and Medicine, 29(3). https://doi. org/10.1177/13634593241281602

Smith, M., McGuire-Adams, T., & Eady, K. (2025). Anti-oppression pedagogy in health professions: A scoping review. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 30, 281–320. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-024-10336-0

Smith-Turchyn, J., Mukherjee, S. D., Tomasone, J. R., Fong, A. J., Nayiga, B. K., Ball, E., Stouth, D. W., & Sabiston, C. M. (2024). Evaluating wallmounted prompts to facilitate physical activityrelated discussion between individuals with cancer and oncology health care providers: A prepost survey study. Physiotherapy Canada, 76(1), 34–45. https://doi.org/10.3138/ptc-2023-0046

Smith-Turchyn, J., Sabiston, C. M., Edward, H., Richardson, J., Nayiga, B. K., Page, A., Brooks, D., & Mukherjee, S. D. (2025). Implementing physical activity for individuals with cancer during treatment: Protocol for the IMPACT implementation–effectiveness trial. BMJ Open, 15(3), e101013. https://doi.org/10.1136/ bmjopen-2025-101013

Smith-Turchyn, J., Sinclair, S., O’Loughlin, E. K., Innes, A., Vani, M. F., Beauchamp, M., Phillips, S. M., Richardson, J., Thabane, L., & Sabiston, C. M. (2024). A pilot randomized controlled trial of a virtual peer-support exercise intervention for female older adults with cancer. BMC Geriatrics, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-05495-z

Solomon–Krakus, S., Quesnel, D. A., Uliaszek, A., & Sabiston, C. M. (2025). The relationships between body–related emotion intolerance and restrictive eating as a function of multidimensional perfectionism. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 81(5), 311–323. https://doi. org/10.1002/jclp.23770

Sunderji, S., Murray, R. M. & Sabiston, C. M. (2024). Gender differences in the implicit and explicit perceptions of sport. Sex Roles, 90, 1188–1199. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-024-01499-6

Sutton, M., Stanley, S., Doherty, A., Driediger, M., Calogero, R., Sabiston, C. M., Meadows, A., Maharaj, A., & Pila, E. (2025). Weight-inclusive physical activity: A systematic evaluation of virtual resources. Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 22(4), 502–511. https://doi.org/10.1123/ jpah.2024-0571

Tabaczynski, A., Sabiston, C. M., ArbourNicitopoulos, K. P., Rhodes, R. E., & Trinh, L. (2024). Feasibility and acceptability of a peer training program to deliver a theorybased physical activity behavior change intervention to inactive people living with and beyond cancer: A mixed methods study. OBM Integrative and Complementary Medicine, 09(04), 1–35. https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.icm.2404067

Taha, T., & Orlov, I. (2025). More direct attacks increase likelihood of goals in 2018- and 2022-Men’s World Cup Soccer Finals. PLoS ONE, 20(3), e0314630. https://doi.org/10.1371/ journal.pone.0314630

Tamminen, K. A., Bonk, D., Milne, M. J., & Watson, J. C. (2025). Emotion dysregulation, performance concerns, and mental health among Canadian athletes. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 2962. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-86195-5

Taylor, J. L. I., & Burkhart, T. A. (2025). Tired of ACL injures: A review of methods and outcomes of neuromuscular fatigue as a risk factor for ACL injuries. Biomechanics, 5(1), 11. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomechanics5010011

Taylor, L. G., Bourke, M., Alvarez, L., Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K. P., Burke, S. M., & Tucker, P. (2025). Exploring occupational therapists’ use of movement guidelines for young children with disabilities. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy https://doi. org/10.1177/00084174251318200

Thibodeau, D. E., Sutherland, S., Brown, D. M., Quesnel, D. A., & Sabiston, C. M. (2025). Coaches say lighter is better, but at what cost? A qualitative exploration of the lingering impact of body image on disordered eating in retired elite women athletes. Qualitative Health Research https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323251331800

Thibodeau, D., Gollish, S., Bivjoet, E., & Sabiston, C. M. (accepted) The "ideal" body according to AI: Body image implications for athletes and non-athletes. Popular Media.

Traberg, J., Orr, M., & Horbel, C. (2025). What will a greenwashing ban entail for the sport industry? Managing Sport and Leisure, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/23750472.2025.2482222

Tremonte, I. L., Mack, D. E., Wilson, P. M., & Sabiston, C. M. (2025). Making the cut: Investigating body image and well-being among female powerlifters. Performance Enhancement & Health, 13(2), 100333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. peh.2025.100333

Trinh, L., Rhodes, R. E., Alibhai, S. M. H., Campbell, K. L., Langelier, D. M., Chang, E., Colella, T., Chan, B., Santa Mina, D., Oh, P., & McAuley, E. (2025). A randomized controlled trial adding behavioral counseling to supervised physical activity in people living with and beyond cancer (BOOST-UP-): A study protocol for a live remotely-delivered behavior change intervention. BMC Cancer, 25(1), 847. https://doi.org/10.1186/ s12885-025-13904-8

Tripp, T. R., Kontro, H., Gillen, J. B., & MacInnis, M. J. (2025). Fit for comparison: Controlling for cardiorespiratory fitness in exercise physiology studies of sex as a biological variable. The Journal of Physiology, 603(8). https://doi.org/10.1113/jp287735

van der Wel, R. P. R. D., Prodanova, Y., Snyder, J., Welsh, T. N., & Böckler, A. (2024). Is emotion perception altered by gaze direction, gender appearance, and gender identity of the perceived face? Emotion, 25(1), 33–45. https://doi. org/10.1037/emo0001406

van Moorsel, H., Engels, B., Buczny, J., Gorter, J. W., Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K. P., Takken, T., Engelbert, R. H. H., & Bloemen, M. A. T. (2024). Psychometrics of wearable devices measuring physical activity in ambulant children with gait abnormalities: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation, 6(4), 100384. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. arrct.2024.100384

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