The SportLab
68 West Road, Unit 2 P1H 1L8 Huntsville, ON, Canada

Support local athlete Trevor Kiers who will again represent Canada on our National Biathlon Team. Biathlon Canada has launched a fundraiser to make it possible for our Canadian Team to compete on the world stage. Please consider supporting their online auction by either donating or bidding on an item at: https://m.charityauctionstoday.com/m/auctions/15802... Local support from Algonquin Outfitters and The SportLab.

Our own Dr. Greib will be discussing effective recovery strategies to avoid injury on IG later this afternoon.

Wishing all of our friends from the Muskoka Algonquin Runners a great race weekend at the MuskokaMarathon. Be safe and crush the course!!!

Great to see sport returning to our community! If you are an organization looking to recruit athletes, please let us know so that we can share your return to sport!

Huntsville’s very own Kyle "The Monster" Nelson is on this weekends UFC card. Preparations from his training camp have been excellent! Looking for another win...

Huntsville’s very own Kyle "The Monster" Nelson is on this weekends UFC card. Preparations from his training camp have been excellent! Looking for another win...

Can changes in estrogen levels during a woman's menstrual cycle influence her athletic performance? Find out in our most recent blog post - TheSportLab.ca/blog

The iliotibial band is long and massive tendon that is attached along the length of the femur. In fact, it is the longest tendon in the body running from the top of your hip bone to the bottom femur. (is it actually considered a tendon then?) Being that it is anchored to the femur it makes it extremely difficult (virtually impossible) to move. It is a structure that stores and releases elastic energy. Do we really want to make significant changes of those important energy t...ransferring properties? The following should clear up a few common misconceptions: Common stretches for the IT band do little (or more likely nothing) to lengthen the IT Band. Advanced, carefully applied stretching MAY lengthen the IT band (albeit transiently) by ONLY 2 millimeters. IT bands that are surgically excised and machine stretched can STILL only be ‘stretched’ by a few millimeters. Foam rolling the IT band does NOTHING to lengthen it. IT band syndrome is caused by dysfunctional patterns in muscle performance and kinetic movement deviations rather than contracture of the IT band. If you feel like you may an ‘IT Band’ condition, ensure that your biomechanics for the activities that you participate are appropriate. The dysfunctional loading mechanics are likely the cause of your pain.

After the age of 30, we are all susceptible to progressive degeneration of muscle. Statistically, most people will lose 40% of their muscle mass between the ages of 30 and 60 years old. What may be even more alarming is that after 60 years old, one can lose up to 30% of their muscle per decade! This epidemic is know as sarcopenia and there are several ways to stop it in its tracks. Sedentary behaviour, on its own, will lead to body composition changes. The old adage of ‘...use it or lose it’ is pretty accurate! An exercise strategy is essential to maintain muscle health. Include resistance training into a scheduled exercise program. Lifting weight is one of the only ways to simulate the growth of muscle (not to mention mitigate the loss of strength that goes along with muscle loss). Muscle growth results when appropriate quantities of protein are consumed. There are plenty of lean protein sources that should be consumed each and every day. Decrease systemic inflammation. Our tissue (muscle included) loses resilience as we get older and, as such, we are prone to more inflammation in our body. This inflammation can increase the rate at which muscle wastes (i.e. the catabolism of the tissue). Support your mitochondria - the power houses of each muscle cell in the body. Not only does weight need to be lifted to grow muscle, we need to support energy production through aerobic exercise. Keeping our mitochondria healthy directly influences muscle breakdown. Skeletal muscle metabolism is something that you can take into consideration at any point in life. Physical activity and appropriate nutrition can go a long way to keep us all active and healthy as we age.

After the age of 30, we are all susceptible to progressive degeneration of muscle. Statistically, most people will lose 40% of their muscle mass between the ages of 30 and 60 years old. What may be even more alarming is that after 60 years old, one can lose up to 30% of their muscle per decade! This epidemic is know as sarcopenia and there are several ways to stop it in its tracks. Sedentary behaviour, on its own, will lead to body composition changes. The old adage of ‘...use it or lose it’ is pretty accurate! An exercise strategy is essential to maintain muscle health. Include resistance training into a scheduled exercise program. Lifting weight is one of the only ways to simulate the growth of muscle (not to mention mitigate the loss of strength that goes along with muscle loss). Muscle growth results when appropriate quantities of protein are consumed. There are plenty of lean protein sources that should be consumed each and every day. Decrease systemic inflammation. Our tissue (muscle included) loses resilience as we get older and, as such, we are prone to more inflammation in our body. This inflammation can increase the rate at which muscle wastes (i.e. the catabolism of the tissue). Support your mitochondria - the power houses of each muscle cell in the body. Not only does weight need to be lifted to grow muscle, we need to support energy production through aerobic exercise. Keeping our mitochondria healthy directly influences muscle breakdown. Skeletal muscle metabolism is something that you can take into consideration at any point in life. Physical activity and appropriate nutrition can go a long way to keep us all active and healthy as we age.

The detail in this post punctuates our recent blog article on fitting a shoe (see the full article at TheSportLab.ca/blog). The thermal imaging photos are telling regarding the biomechanical effects on blood flow in the foot. Cold toes? Plantar fasciopathy? Bunions? Fallen arches? All can lead to decreases in circulation. Amazing work from our colleague Dr Ray (and team ) at Northwest Foot & Ankle, LLC for the great summary!

There is a lot of opinion about how to fit shoes for activity, but what does science suggest? Read out latest blog article to find out! TheSportLab.ca/blog

In times where social distancing is the new normal, our regular sporting routines may be disrupted. Fortunately, by living in Muskoka, we have an abundance of outdoor recreation opportunities that can benefit both physical and mental health. Here are just a few pluses of connecting with Mother Nature: Movement outdoors can decrease depression and improve mood. Exposure to sunlight enhances Vitamin D production which can enhance mood and your immune system.... Being in nature has no cost! Mother Nature is accessible. Huntsville has an abundance of open outdoor space. Exercising outdoors can help you feel grounded and will deepen your connection with your outdoor environment. Something that we quite often lose touch with in our busy lives. With summer well under way, it may just be the perfect time to reconnect with the great outdoors!

As long time supporters of our local Fire Department we were excited to bring this community partnership together! #betterfaster

Excited to be a partner in this initiative. A special than your to those that support and participate in the Responders Run. It is our own First Responders who allowed this placement to happen!

Healthy aging is one of the keys to longevity! Dr. Greib spent some studio time the Mr. O chatting about how we can improve health as we get older.

Healthy aging is one of the keys to longevity! Dr. Greib spent some studio time the Mr. O chatting about how we can improve health as we get older.

Was a significant day for the Team at The SportLab! Through our presentation of the Responders Run and the support of Action First Aid this life saving device was unveiled in the core of the community. Thanks to Mayor Terziano, Councillor Armour and Deputy Chief Monahan for your support in this endeavor.

The value of pre-injury normative concussion testing allows a Health Professional to delineate whether there is individual variability from a pre-injury state to an injured state. But what is involved in normative testing? Head to TheBlog to learn more - www.thesportlab.ca/blog