Research News - Page 2

A high number of handball players struggle with shoulder injuries, but what can we do to help them when they themselves feel that prevention takes too much time?

What is the secret behind sports success, world championship medals and an effective coach-athlete relationship? Communication. Some people make it work, but the vast majority have to work at it. A lot.

– More activity in school? Sure! However, everyone – from teachers to politicians – is thinking too narrowly about how to get pupils moving more. Students are thus missing out on some great opportunities to learn in a much better way.

Many sports injuries – and the risk factors involved in developing them – are overlooked by coaches. In order to reduce injuries and dropouts, training should be more adapted to accommodate growth and maturity than is currently the case.

Overweight people have a shorter life expectancy but can enjoy a much longer life by keeping active. And it doesn’t have to be that hard.

The Oslo Marka Forest transformed from a agricultural area for the few to a wilderness park for the many. As the public’s perception of the forest changed, so did the physical landscape.

A number of ex-footballers have suffered serious injuries. Stian Bahr Sandmo is investigating the extent to which heading can be blamed. “If football were invented today, it would surprise me if heading were allowed to such an extent.”

Young people involved in endurance sports could just as easily benefit from engaging in varied, technical workouts rather than exerting themselves by doing tough interval training, for example. 

Can better blood tests reveal if you are at risk of developing life-threatening illnesses as you become older? A new study on a large group of ten-year-olds suggests that they can.

How can we avoid so many young people, particularly those with minority backgrounds, feeling left out in physical education?  It’s not easy, but physical education teachers can do a lot to help - if they are aware of the problem.

School pupils are not getting the PE classes to which they are entitled. The classes are prepared according to a sports-related logic that benefits those who are already good at sports. The rest of the pupils are left behind.

With exercise, our fat cells behave differently and help deter diabetes. This has been demonstrated by a new American study conducted using mice and data from tests in which two students from the Norwegian School of Sports Sciences (NIH) played key roles.

We already know that typical endurance training makes you fitter. But what actually happens in your body when you work to get fitter?

How much your mother and you as a baby weigh can be decisive for your health later in life. There is particular risk of cardiovascular diseases if you have a low birth weight, but physical activity can help reducing the risk.

“Athletes found guilty of doping should not be made into scapegoats. If we want to eliminate doping, the sporting organisations have to act more responsibly.” 

NIH is happy to announce, that over the course of the next week we will be expanding access to our buildings - following new signals from the Ministry of Education and changes in infection control rules.

A lot and fairly intensive physical activity during preschool years can provide better motor skill development several years later. Although physical activity is crucial to health, not all children are active enough – and girls are often less active than boys.

A new method that enables the detection and repair of knee injuries that have so far resulted in a whole host of outcomes, ranging from permanent pain to the need for prosthetics. One in six people who sustain a meniscus injury also have this “new” type of damage.

Too heavy, too thin, too fat, too short, too wide... “All” young people suffer from body-image pressure, but a few simple measures imposed by schools could make their everyday lives easier. Boys in particular struggle to accept permanent help.

If you are active at a very young age, you reduce the risk of heart problems and type 2 diabetes when you get old. You can be spared from great suffering and also: It will save society enormous costs. School plays an important role here, especially for those young people with the worst “cardiometabolic health profiles”.

The cost of success and perfectionism can be significant for young talent aiming for the top. Around a third of this group active in sport and performing arts struggle with negative feelings, stress and performance anxiety. Their coaches may be both the problem and the solution.

Even a completely non-challenging stroll can significantly reduce the risk of premature death.

"The supportive coach" has to be able to deal with people who just want to have fun as well as more result-oriented figures. This is crucial both in terms of lifting the team and getting individuals to continue with the sport for as long as possible.

Getting fit by phone or e-mail: does that sound odd? Or is it an efficient way of encouraging more people to get fit? The answer is that it actually helps.

- Stop there! OK, keep it very still, says Ola Eriksrud as he takes a bearing using a plumb line towards a bull’s eye on the floor. His aim is to measure how far the football player can actually stretch – and he is confident that the method he has now developed will be of importance for training and rehabilitation.