Research

The overarching focus of research during the most recent period continues to be the determinants/consequences of physical activity and inactivity, and the policy issues and challenges that arise from the current state of organized physical activity in Canadian society.

Physical activity is the interaction between the various components of the body, between the mind and the body, and between individuals, both within and outside the activity and the environment. As such, research in the Faculty of Physical Education and Health is multidisciplinary, combining expertise in the areas of behavioural science, biophysical science and socio-cultural studies to further understanding of these interactions.

Behavioural

Have you ever found your focus wandering while playing tennis, or that you get distracted during the big game? This kind of question is just one of the many under consideration by the faculty and students in the psychology of sport area. They study the behavioural and psychological development and overall mental health of children, youth and adults. Behavioural scientists in the Faculty examine the psychosocial determinants and consequences of physical activity/inactivity, including the role of stress, the psychological consequences of injury and the role of exercise in mental health.

Biophysical

Faculty physiologists ask questions such as, “Is physical activity as effective as hormone replacement therapy in the prevention of heart disease?”, or “Are carbohydrate drinks more effective for men or women?” Biophysical science researchers explore how skeletal muscles adapt to exercise, stressful environments and disease, the regulation of the various physiological systems of the body during activity, and the role of physical activity in prevention and management of disease. Among biophysical scientists, the overall ambition is to understand the continuum of physical activity from cell animal to the whole human body, through the stages of life. Individual faculty members pursue studies that range from the biochemical structure and properties of heat shock proteins to the determinants of amenorrhea and chronic diseases such as diabetes to cardiovascular rehabilitation and nutritional intervention.

Socio-cultural

How the media influences adolescents’ views of physical activity and how economic, social and cultural issues affect acceptance and participation in sport and physical activity, as well as the types of activities in which people engage, are among the many questions studied by socio-cultural researchers. Their findings broaden our understanding of the social nature of physical activity, as well as the economic and cultural issues that provide context to the types of physical activities in which we engage. Faculty in the socio-cultural area work on studies of inequality, the mass media, public policy issues and body culture, seeking to better understand the systems of power which distort the landscape of Canadian physical activity in the direction of masculinist, capitalist sport and constrain more inclusive, progressive programming in physical activity.