Research projects
Here you find the projects conducted by the research group Sport Performance and Exercise Research & Innovation Center-Stockholm, SPERIC-S.
Our projects
The list in the table consists of anchor links. Click on the project name if you are interested in reading more about the project. If you click on the researcher in charge you will be directed to their profile page.
Use of muscle fiber composition to identify early events in insulin resistance
This study uses muscle fiber composition to follow the natural development of insulin resistance, a risk factor for obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. Early detection of insulin resistance is critical since it can be reversed by non-invasive approaches such as exercise and diet.
Responsible researcher
Abram Katz
Project period
2022–2023
Use of xenotransfusion to evaluate the effects of training on multiple
The transfusion of mice that will develop multiple sclerosis with plasma from trained and untrained humans will demonstrate whether exercise results in a blood-borne factor that affects disease progression. This may lead to the development of pharmacological agents to prevent or treat neuromuscular diseases.
Responsible researcher
Abram Katz
Project period
2022-2023
The Swedish Parasport Academy – a development environment for collaboration around physical activity and sports
The project aims to investigate how a neuromusculoskeletal disability affects activities in everyday life, physical activity in free time, and para-athletes. The results are expected to lead to an increased understanding of how function can be optimized with assistive devices based on the individual's needs and conditions and how the load on the shoulder or arm and seat can be minimized. The goal is to find the optimal level between function and performance for wheelchair users in everyday situations and from a sports performance perspective.
Responsible researchers
Anna Bjerkefors and Yves Vanlandewijck
Project period
2022–2026
Development of a trunk multi-function test for seated Paralympic sports
This project aims to develop and evaluate a non-sport-specific core test for assessing strength, active range of motion, and coordination in para-athletes. Creating such a test battery increases knowledge about how trunk function can be evaluated, contributing to a fairer classification of Paralympic athletes participating in seated Paralympic sports.
Responsible researchers
Anna Bjerkefors and Yves Vanlandewijck
Project period
2022–2025
Activity breaks for brain health in wheelchair users (E-PABS)
The project evaluates how certain types of physical activity can affect the brain health of wheelchair users who have a spinal cord injury and are physically inactive. Acute effects of performing activity breaks with specific exercises are evaluated on biochemical and cerebrovascular mechanisms.
Responsible researcher
Anna Bjerkefors
Project period
2023–2025
Riksidrottsuniversitet with dual careers
Riksidrottsuniversitetet with dual careers is aimed at you who are elite athletes and connected to RIU. As an RIU student, we work to facilitate your study time through flexible and adapted solutions that aim to create a good development environment with opportunities to pursue university studies in parallel with your sport. Riksidrottsförbundet, GIH, and KTH collaborate on this issue for RIU students at GIH and KTH.
Responsible researcher
Dan Wiorek
Project period
2022–2026
GLIMPSE (Glucose, Immune function, Mitochondria, Performance and Sleep in Elite athletes)
This project is a longitudinal study for one year where we follow elite athletes in their regular training and competition using wearable technologies. The aim is to find early signs of overtraining and optimize the training programs for better performance.
Responsible researcher
Filip Larsen
Project period
2021 – ongoing
Isothiocyantes and Metabolic Health
In this project, we investigate the effects of isothiocyanates in the kale family's vegetables. We look at how these compounds affect insulin sensitivity, inflammatory markers, and resistance to oxidative stress.
Responsible researcher
Filip Larsen
Project period
2022 – ongoing
Validation and application of new methodology for power and force measurements in elite level sprint kayaking
The project aims to investigate whether new technology with new measurement variables for sprint canoeists can be used to monitor the intensity of the training and improve the efficiency of the canoeists.
Responsible researcher
Hans Rosdahl
Project period
2022–2023
Explore sustainable high-performance coaching through the lens of self-compassion
The project aims to develop tools for sustainable leadership in elite sports. The research is based on self-compassion theory and is in collaboration with Riksidrottsförbundet.
Responsible researcher
Karin Hägglund
Project period
2022–2026
Cultural and organizational development of distance education at the GIH – KOD project
The project's purpose is to lay the foundation for the long-term cultural development of GIH's organization around distance education. Within the project, various proposals are being tested on how an adapted distance and hybrid-based study environment can be realized.
Responsible researchers
Kerstin Hamrin and Eva Fors
Project period
2022–2023
Knee biomechanics and sport – with emphasis on progression in rehabilitation and return to sport after knee injury
The project aims to increase knowledge about how external load is distributed in the various structures of the knee joint by creating a musculoskeletal model that non-invasively analyzes how knee load is affected by movement, load, muscular activation, and after a knee injury. The purpose is also to investigate how well self-assessed knee health relates to objective measures of knee function.
Responsible researcher
Jonas Enqvist
Project period
2021–2025
Tests of the physical ability of the rescue service
The project's mission is to review and find common grounds for tests and requirements concerning recruitment, consensus regarding annual physical tests, and a standard guideline for physical training.
Responsible researcher
Lasse ten Siethoff
Project period
2021–2022
The potential role of lactate in the molecular regulation of muscle adaptations to exercise
In this project, we have given young, healthy subjects a venous infusion of lactate or a placebo during strength training to artificially raise lactate levels during exercise. Blood and muscle samples were taken in conjunction with the intervention to study the potential effect of lactate on the exercise response.
Responsible researcher
Marcus Moberg
Project period
2018–2023
Lactate – a multi organ signaling molecule with important health implications
In this project, we give young, healthy subjects a venous infusion of lactate or placebo during complete rest. Blood samples, muscle samples, and adipose tissue samples are taken in connection with the intervention to study the horn-like effects of lactate in the brain, muscle, and adipose tissue.
Responsible researcher
Marcus Moberg
Project period
2022–2025
The influence of hypoxia on the molecular response to resistance exercise
In this project, healthy individuals were allowed to do strength training in normoxia (regular air) or hypoxia (simulated high altitude). Muscle samples were taken with the training to study the influence on the molecular response to training.
Responsible researcher
Marcus Moberg
Project period
2019–2023
Effect of intrasession exercise order of flywheel resistance and high-intensity interval training on maximal strength and power performance in highly trained team sport athletes
The project investigates how the strength and conditioning training sequence affects elite active athletes' (men) development of maximal strength jumping ability.
Responsible researcher
Niklas Psilander
Project period
2021–2023
The effect of different rest periods after endurance training on strength and power in female, elite ice-hockey players
The project examines how long the rest must be after a hard conditioning session for elite active hockey players (women) to regain maximum strength and jumping ability.
Responsible researcher
Niklas Psilander
Project period
2022–2023
Myonuclear permanence in gastrocnemius muscle after Achilles tendon rupture
The project investigates what happens to the cell nuclei of the calf muscles after the Achilles tendon ruptures and the muscle cannot be loaded for longer (men and women).
Responsible researcher
Niklas Psilander
Project period
2019–2023
Molecular mechanisms underpinning anabolic resistance in sarcopenic obesity
The project aims to understand more about how skeletal muscle is affected by aging and obesity. More specifically, the project will investigate which cellular and molecular factors in blood plasma and muscle tissue may be behind muscle loss in sarcopenic obesity.
Responsible researcher
Oscar Horwath
Project period
2022–2024
HEInnovaSport: Building innovation capacity and entrepreneurship in sport science
HEInnovasport is a knowledge and innovation collaboration project to promote innovation and entrepreneurship within the university, focusing on sports, health, and performance development.
Responsible researcher
Sofia Brorsson
Project period
2022–2024
Molecular mechanisms for muscle growth in the fast and slow-twitch muscle fibers of the young and old
Our fast and slow muscle fibers have different capacities for muscle growth and are affected very differently by aging. The purpose of this project is thus to investigate whether the molecular signaling pathways that control muscle growth are expressed differently in our fast and slow muscle fibers.
Responsible researcher
Sebastian Edman
Project period
2020–2023
Fast-twitch muscle fiber mitochondria favor power over efficiency
Studies on the mitochondrial population in our fast and slow muscle fibers have previously been methodologically limited. Still, thanks to our new method of fiber type identification, we can now study the mitochondria in living human muscle fibers for the first time. This has the potential to give us unique insights into how to exercise muscle activity affects human health and performance.
Responsible researcher
Sebastian Edman
Project period
2020–2023
Advanced Footwear Technology (AFT) shoe energy return protocol for potential integration in World Athletics rules for regulation
Shoes with AFT are mechanically tested and the research group at GIH in collaboration with KTH is suggesting implementation of this testing protocol in the regulation of shoes worn by elite athletes governed by World Athletics.
Responsible researcher
Toni Arndt
Project period
2019–2023
Individual runners’ characteristics and their correlation to performance enhancement in AFT shoes
Recent studies have shown an improved running economy when running in AFT shoes. However, there is a considerable spread in the runners' response to the shoes. This study will investigate anthropometric, strength, and biomechanical characteristics. The reason is to identify whether any runner-specific characteristics provide better prerequisites for some runners to be responders and gain more significant advantages from AFT shoes.
Responsible researcher
Toni Arndt
Project period
2019–2023
One year longitudinal analysis of recreational runners’ use of different shoes and potential injury consequences
In collaboration with Linköpings University we will follow over 300 recreational runners over one year with weekly follow-up in a phone app describing running volume, shoes worn, and injuries. This will be the first longitudinal study identifying whether AFT shoes may increase or decrease injury risks.
Responsible researcher
Toni Arndt
Project period
2022–2024
Achilles tendon internal displacement during running in minimalistic shoes
A continuation of previous Achilles tendon works with KTH and KI using the speckle tracking ultrasound method first used by this group already in 2012. An application to see whether barefoot running or minimalistic shoes may decrease non-homogenous displacement in the tendon and potentially expose it to significant risk of chronic and acute injury.
Responsible researcher
Toni Arndt
Project period
2017–2023
Biomechanical modelling of loading in knee structures as tool for guiding return to sports decisions in elite alpine skiers
The decision to return to elite alpine skiing after knee surgery is based on expert opinion from medical and training staff. This project intends to provide information on the load's knee structures. In particular, the anterior cruciate ligament is subjected to functional movements to guide the decision-making process with scientific data.
Responsible researcher
Toni Arndt
Project period
2021–2025
Cognitive abilities under pressure/stress/crisis before and after exhaustion/physical exertion
The study is designed to answer questions about how cognitive abilities are affected in the short term by stressful exercises in military training and which factors influence any changes. We primarily study the impact of commonly occurring elements in training and the more extreme exercise elements.
Responsible researcher
Torbjörn Helge
Project period
2021–2023
Psychosocial factors associated with the recovery stages following sport-specific injuries at different levels of performance: A systematic review
The purpose of this systematic review article is to compile previous research on the needs of injured athletes during the rehabilitation period and their motivation to return to sports.
Responsible researcher
Ulrika Tranaeus
Project period
2022–2023
From risk to return, a consensus project
This systematic review article aims to compile previous research on the needs of injured athletes during rehabilitation and their motivation to return to sport. This project aims to summarize the research on psychological aspects of risk factors for injuries, rehabilitation needs, and criteria for return to sports. This article should be used in training coaches, naprapaths, and physiotherapists and as information for coaches and medical teams in sports.
Responsible researcher
Ulrika Tranaeus
Project period
2022–2025
Fiber type specific regulation of protein synthesis in young and elderly muscle
The project investigates the molecular mechanisms that control protein synthesis in type I and type II muscle fibers in young and elderly healthy individuals.
Responsible researcher
William Apró
Project period
Project period
2020–2023
Muscle protein breakdown and the role of glycogen availability and amino acid supplementation
The project investigates the molecular mechanisms that control muscle protein breakdown and how these are affected by high or low glycogen availability and amino acid intake.
Responsible researcher
William Apró
Project period
2018–2023
Fiber type specific cell-signalling responses to energy and nutrient availability
The project investigates the cellular signaling cascades that regulate protein turnover in type I and type II fibers and how these are affected by high or low glycogen availability and amino acid intake.
Responsible researcher
William Apró
Project period
2020–2024
Towards an evidence-based and fair classification system for athletes with Cerebral Palsy
The project aims to develop and evaluate an instrument for measuring arm function in athletes with coordination impairment. The results can then be used in creating a test battery for classifying athletes with impaired coordination, such as athletes with Cerebral Palsy.
Responsible researcher
William Apró
Project period
2022–2026
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