About the research group

The strength of our research environment is that we combine targeted cutting-edge expertise with broad applied knowledge – without compromising on quality. Our ultimate areas of expertise are biomechanics, sports physiology, sports psychology, leadership, exercise science, para sports and nutrition.

We want a research environment with a broad top that includes several competence groups and project managers, as well as projects where everyone has room and development. We strive for an innovative system with an environment that will stimulate collaboration, dialogue, meetings and knowledge exchange - with new ways of external financing and innovative thinking.

Our research is mainly based on three pillars. Research in direct collaboration with the sports movement, research in direct collaboration with the business community and a basic research-oriented direction.

The research in collaboration with the sports movement mainly consists of the Elite Sports Graduate School, which is run together with the Swedish Sports Confederation and Mid Sweden University. In terms of business collaboration, one of our flagships is the Swedish Parasport Academy , which aims to contribute to more people with disabilities being able to be more physically active and participate in sports.

Research in the Sports Performance and Sports Medicine environment takes place to a large extent in GIH's laboratories , which offer a strong infrastructure for everything from molecular to applied studies.

Purpose

We want to understand the details of how the body is affected by training, nutrition and recovery in order to be able to translate the knowledge into performance optimization and health promotion.

We investigate risk and health factors for sustainable sport from an interdisciplinary perspective, and evaluate measures for how it can be promoted.

We work to understand how exercise, nutrition and environmental factors can prevent and improve common injury and disease conditions. It is our ambition to conduct research and collaboration in close collaboration with sports and the business community, so that new knowledge is quickly shared - for the benefit of everyone.

We want to be involved in creating innovations that support our elite athletes and promote health for the exerciser. The research also aims to understand and develop leadership in sports where both performance and sustainability are in focus.

We want to understand the entire chain, from molecule to human, and have the expertise, the environment and the passion to do so.

Sports Performance & Sports Medicine

Sports performance

We have a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to the concept of sports performance. Performance in sports is an interplay of psychological aspects, biomechanical factors, physiological factors, equipment and more. We aim to understand all of these factors in detail, as well as how they interact.

For example, how can we exercise, eat, rest, think and create equipment that optimizes performance and at the same time promotes sustainability and health? This is the core of our sports performance business.

Sports Medicine

We have a broad definition of sports medicine that includes the concept of exercise-related medicine. We strive to identify how injuries and ill health can be prevented in sports, as well as how rehabilitation and return to sports can be optimized. This includes traumatic injuries, overuse injuries, illnesses and mental illness.

Exercise-related medicine includes how exercise, but also nutrition, can reduce the risk of, and treat common diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity and sarcopenia. We study this from the molecular level to practical applicability.

Competence groups

Research in Sports Performance & Sports Medicine is conducted in six competence groups:

1. Biomechanics. Coordinator: Toni Arndt
2. Physiology & Nutrition. Coordinator: Johanna Lanner
3. Sports medicine. Coordinator: Ulrika Tranaeus
4. Sports Psychology & Leadership. Coordinator: Göran Kenttä
5. Parasport. Coordinator: Anna Bjerkefors
6. Exercise theory. Coordinator: Henrik Petré

Financiers

Partners

Research topics

Medical and Health Sciences