We are investigating how acute fatigue, accumulated fatigue, and pain affects neurological, cardiovascular, metabolic, and psychological responses during high-intensity interval cycling (HIIT). You will be required to attend the Human Performance Lab for a total of 8 sessions. In the first session, you will perform a maximal cycling test to determine your aerobic fitness. In the following sessions, you will perform various HIIT protocols on the bike. The last 5 sessions will be completed in a row (i.e., you will come to the lab 5 days in a row), and this will help us see how this type of training might affect fatigue and influence your performance. During these sessions, aside from cycling, we will measure you breathing rate, heart rate, and blood lactate (via fingerprick). We will measure your pain threshold using a handheld pressure device. We will also stimulate your femoral nerve and motor cortex to examine your neural pathways. All of these measures are non-invasive (aside from the lactate measure, which is very minimally invasive) and will cause no or very minimal discomfort.

Iron deficiency is the most common and widespread nutritional disorder in the world. It is estimated that of 30% of all females experience iron deficiency, with a greater prevalence in female endurance athletes. Sub-optimal iron stores can lead to anemia which causes fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness, and pale skin. It can have several consequences to an individual's health, and in the case of female athletes, sport performance. The prevention and treatment of sub-optimal iron levels depend on the underlying cause and severity of the deficiency. While a balanced diet adequate in iron-rich foods is essential, diet alone is often insufficient to correct the problem. In such cases, iron supplements are recommended for individuals with sub-optimal iron status or those who are at high risk of developing it. The rate of absorption from currently available iron supplements is generally very poor and ranges from 2-20%. Furthermore, supplementation from these sources is commonly associated with side-effects including gastrointestinal distress, nausea, and constipation. As a solution, this research aims test a new novel, food-based iron-yeast supplement. The administration of iron as a part of a pasteurized nutrition yeast is thought to shift the site of absorption (from upper to lower gastrointestinal tract), enhance iron absorption and result in fewer side effects. The purpose of this research study is to determine if 8 weeks of consuming a yeast-iron complex-fortified cookie every other day can improve iron status and if that may improve exercise status. We are also interested in assessing how our unique supplement influences the bacteria that reside in the gastrointestinal tract (i.e., the gut microbiome).

The Quantum Menstrual Health Monitoring Study will follow participants as they track their menstrual cycle changes using an at-home urine fertility monitor over 3 menstrual cycles. Internal (vaginal) ultrasounds will be done to identify the exact day of ovulation.

This purpose of this study is to understand how the menstrual cycle impacts on high performance female athletes' lived experiences training and perceptions of readiness to perform through the use of 40-60 minute online interviews.The impact of the menstrual cycle (MC) on female athletes’ performance experiences and their perceived readiness to perform has not been studied. However, many studies have highlighted the need to consider a female athletes’ views on the MC and performance which may inform their training.

We are conducting a research study to examine the role of oxygen in the development of muscle fatigue during exercise. Over a total of 5 visits you will perform bouts of cycling, one will be a maximal exercise test, one will be a familiarization session with a small amount of exercise and breathing some lower oxygen gases, and three sessions will be exercising till exhaustion. During two of the exercise to exhaustion tasks you will be given a slightly lower than normal amount of oxygen to breathe. During these sessions we will be giving you stimulations to your femoral nerve to measure your muscle fatigue and we will also be measuring your breathing and heart rate.

The aim of this study is to identify the physical activity knowledge and attitudes of women undergoing fertility treatment, and how they put this knowledge into practice in the context of their fertility journey. Physical activity can impact fertility for different populations in different ways, so it is important to understand what the participant population knows regarding the relationship between fertility and exercise to improve their fertility. This study will require participants to complete a 30 minute online survey one time, answering questions regarding fertility and physical activity. The study is anonymous. The questions in the survey will help researchers to gain a better understanding of the physical activity habits of women undergoing fertility treatment, and any common misconceptions on the topic.

Through a one- week camp or a Multi-week program participants with disabilities will be introduced to a variety of adapted or inclusive sport and recreation activities that are offered within the Calgary community (e.g., sledge hockey, wheelchair sports, rock climbing, gymnastics, etc.). During this time we would like to learn about participants physical activity levels using Activity monitors. Using quality of life and participation questionnaires, we are hoping to determine if the camp, participation in physical activity affects quality of life, and quality participation. Additionally, we want to determine if the camp could facilitate a pathway to regular participation in physical activity.

R2Play hopes to increase health experts’ confidence in allowing youth to safely return to sports and would lower the risk of repeat concussions. We would like you to test the R2Play assessment and learn about your experience running through the R2Play assessment. The R2Play prototype is a tablet-based system with buttons and includes completing a series of tasks such as running to press appropriate buttons which are placed on the ground. We will ask you to wear a heart rate monitor and movement sensor. The study involves completing the R2Play assessment with the guidance of a clinician and answering questions regarding your experience with R2Play. Examples of questions we will ask you includes: What was your favourite part of the assessment? What did you think about how long the assessment took? This information will help us develop a useful, relevant and efficient R2Play assessment system. You will be asked to bring exercise attire (e.g. running shoes, a t-shirt, shorts/track pants) since the R2Play assessment requires moderate exercise. You will also fill out a questionnaire about your concussion symptoms, how you perceive movement and pain, as well as a demographic questionnaire.

We are conducting a research study examining how hormonal contraceptives alters pain perception and muscle function before and after constant load exercise. In a total of 5 visits, you will perform constant load exercise and tests to determine pain perception and muscle function. The tests will be brief (~ 1.5 hour for each visit), and are not dangerous.

The Doyle-Baker Lab is looking for healthy, female USPORTS athletes aged 16-28 years that are interested in participating in a study involving personal reflection of the menstrual cycle for increasing performance readiness. The study goal is to understand how athletes might prepare for training and competition during the different phases of their menstrual cycle. You will fill in two surveys. The first survey takes about 20 minutes and is your background information. This will tell us a little about you, your sport and menstrual cycle. The second survey takes about 10 minutes and we ask that you complete it once a week after either a training or competition day. It is a reflection of how you felt. You will need a mobile device to complete the surveys.