The Training and Performance Laboratory conducts research that addresses three critical questions:
- How can we make exercise more accessible and effective for people with chronic health conditions
- How can we use exercise training and assessment to help athletes achieve healthy high performance
- How can we expand access to Registered Kinesiologists to improve health through exercise
The laboratory is currently looking for:
- Motivated undergraduate students interested in doing a research study or review of literature (KPE390-KPE490, KPE495)
- Participants for research studies on interval training to improve performance
- Participants for research studies examining Peripheral Arterial Disease and exercise
Research
Research Studies
| Research Area | Topic Question | Stage | Researchers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise and Chronic Disease | What exercise routines are safe and effective for patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease? | Systematic Review on PAD and Data Analysis on PAD participants in Cardiac Rehabiliation Determine responses to HIIT | S Thomas (lead) P Oh (TRI) S Marzolini (TRI) J Goodman C Nguyen (MSc complete) E Lin (MSc work)
|
| Exercise and Chronic Disease | What are the interactions between exercise and treatment for breast cancer? | Systematic review under way Cardiac function study in progress Intervention Trial to begin. | S Thomas P Oh (TRI) J Goodman |
| Exercise and Chronic Disease | Which handgrip exercise is most effective in reducing hypertension in older women? | Data collection Analysis started Abstracts | S Thomas D Bentley |
| Training Healthy High Performance | What are the physiological demands of wheelchair basketball? | Data collection completed Data analysis and writing in progress | S Thomas E Fernandes (MSc work) |
| Training Healthy High Performance | Can we use technology to better characterize physical demands of wheelchair sports ? | Data collection in progress. | S Thomas M-C Tsai (Can Sport Inst. Pacific) M Klimstra (U Victoria) R Rupf (PhD Work) |
| Training Healthy High Performance | Does a menthol rinse improve cycling performance in the heat for women? | Data collection in progress | S Thomas H Sprenger E Gavel (MSc work) |
| Healthy High Performance | Can Heart Rate Variability help identify those at risk of prolonged recovery from concussion | Studies in progress | M Hutchison (PI) S Thomas D Richards A Battista |
Publications
Oliveira-Dantas, FF, Brasileiro-Santos M do S, Thomas SG, Silva AS, Silva DC, Browne RAV, Farias-Junior LF, Costa EC, da Cruz Santos A. Short-Term Resistance Training Improves Cardiac Autonomic Modulation and Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Older Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Strength and Conditioning Research. 2019.
Lin E, Nguyen CH, Thomas SG. Completion and adherence rates to exercise interventions in intermittent claudication: Traditional exercise versus alternative exercise – a systematic review. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. In Press: DOI: 10.1177/2047487319846997
Paniccia M, Taha T, Keightley, M, Thomas S, Verweel L, Murphy J, Wilson K, Reed, N Autonomic Function Following Concussion in Youth Athletes: An Exploration of Heart Rate Variability Using 24-hour Recording Methodology JOVE-Journal Of Visualized Experiments, ISSN 1940-087X, 09/2018, Volume 2018, Issue 139.
Bentley D, Nguyen C, Thomas SG. Resting blood pressure reductions following handgrip exercise training and the impact of age and sex: a systematic review and narrative synthesis. Syst Rev. 2018; 7: 229. DOI: 10.1186/s13643-018-0876-5
Di Battista AP, Moes KA, Shiu MY, Hutchison MG, Churchill N, Thomas SG, Rhind SG. High-Intensity Interval Training is associated with alterations in blood biomarkers related to brain injury. Frontiers in Physiology, section Exercise Physiology. 9: 1367-, 2018 https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.01367
Paniccia, M., Verweel, L., Thomas, S., Taha, T., Keightley, M., Wilson, K., & Reed, N. Heart Rate Variability Following Youth Concussion: How do Autonomic Regulation and Concussion Symptoms Differ Over Time Post-Injury? BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine Oct 2018, 4 (1) e000355; DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000355
Nolan RP, Feldman R, Dawes M, Kaczorowski J, Lynn H, Barr SI, MacPhail C, Thomas S, Goodman J, Eysenbach G, Liu S, Tanaka R and Surikova J. A randomized controlled trial of e-counseling for hypertension: REACH. Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. 2018;11:e004420. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.117.004420.
Scientific Team
Graduate Students
| Student /Program | Research Topic Area | Location/Contact |
|---|---|---|
| A Bonsignore, PhD | Cardio-oncology; Breast Cancer and cardiac and cardiovascular function | Goldring High Performance Sport Centre 4th Floor 100 Devonshire U of Toronto |
| J Dellatolla, MSc | Reflection, mental toughness and performance | Goldring High Performance Sport Centre 4th Floor 100 Devonshire U of Toronto |
| E Fernandes, MSc | Energy Demands and Response in Wheelchair Basketball | Goldring and Canadian Sport Institute Ontario, U of T Scarborough, TPASC |
| E Lin, MSc | Interval Exercise for patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease | Goldring High Performance Sport Centre 4th Floor 100 Devonshire U of Toronto |
| M Rosenblat, PhD | Programming Interval Training To Optimize Endurance Sport Performance | Goldring High Performance Sport Centre 4th Floor 100 Devonshire U of Toronto |
| R Rupf, PhD | Technology innovations in Wheelchair Sport measurement and analysis | Goldring High Performance Sport Centre 4th Floor 100 Devonshire U of Toronto |
| H Wykes | Role of health education for adults with congenital heart disease | Toronto Western Hospital |
Collaborators
| Person | Affiliation | Research |
|---|---|---|
| Dr L Banks | Cardiac and Secondary Prevention Program, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network | High Intensity Interval Training for patients with Type 2 Diabetes |
| Dr. Jack Goodman | Fac. Kinesiology and Phys. Ed., U of Toronto | Exercise and Chronic Disease/Cardiovascular regulation |
| Dr Susan Marzolini | Cardiac and Secondary Prevention Program, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network | Exercise and Chronic Disease in Cardiac Rehabilitation/ Peripheral Arterial Disease |
| Dr. Rob Nolan | Behavioral Cardiology, Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network | Exercise and Chronic Disease/ Hypertension, Heart Failure |
| Dr. Paul Oh | Exercise and Chronic Disease in Cardiac Rehabilitation/ Peripheral Arterial Disease | |
| Dr Ming Chang Tsai | Canadian Sport Institute Pacific | Technologies and High Performance Sport |
| Dr Marc Klimstra | University of Victoria | Technologies and High Performance Sport |
