INS Québec is developing and testing advanced methods for processing a variety of signals recorded by electronic instruments in training, assessment and competition settings. For example, recording and processing signals generated by athletes jumping on force plates allows for improved monitoring of neuromuscular performance.

Principal investigators :

• Mathieu Charbonneau, biomechanics specialist, INS Québec
• Julien Clément, performance analyst, INS Québec
• Samuel Marion, master’s student, Université de Montréal
• Aaron Manning, master’s student, McGill University

Period: 2018-2020
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI), OTP

INS Québec’s scientific team intends to work with Exonetik to develop an innovative strength and conditioning apparatus with intelligent resistance, incorporating the magnetorheological actuator invented by this Québec-based company. The project will go ahead when a financial partner joins INS Québec and Exonetik.

Principal investigator :

• Guy Thibault, Director, Sport Science, INS Québec; associate professor, Université de Montréal

Period: 2019-2021
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI)

INS Québec is developing a smartphone app that can inform and advise athletes, coaches and other training personnel regarding strategies to reduce the negative effects of trans-meridian travel.

Principal investigators :

• François Bieuzen, exercise physiologist, INS Québec; associate professor, Université Laval
• Jeremy Olson, Ph.D. student, McGill University
• Sarah Noël, industrial designer
• Gabriel Legault, undergraduate student, Université Laval

Period: 2017–2019
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI)

Working with researchers from the École de Technologie Supérieure, INS Québec is developing a tool that uses machine learning to assess the performance of elite divers using video. The video analysis does not require body markers or accelerometers.

Principal investigators :

• Carlos Vazquez, professor, École de Technologie Supérieure
• Rachid Aissaoui, professor, École de Technologie Supérieure
• Ramon Figueiredo Pessoa, Ph.D. student, École de Technologie Supérieure
• Mathieu Charbonneau, biomechanics specialist, INS Québec

Period: 2018-2021
Funding: OTP, Mitacs

In collaboration with a research team from McGill University, INS Québec is studying the issue of concussions in short-track speed skating, in particular by conducting impact tests on helmets and measuring the effects of falls on the brain using computer models. The study should lead to the development of a new helmet prototype that meets the specific needs of short-track speed skaters.

Principal investigators :

• Dr. Suzanne Leclerc, Medical Director, INS Québec
• David Pearsall, professor, McGill University
• Daniel Aponte, Ph.D. student, McGill University

Period: 2018-2020
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI), Mitacs

Dr. Suzanne Leclerc has gathered specialists from UQAM to study medical monitoring methods for when athletes return to their sports after a concussion. These methods are based on the objective measurement of the activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system

Principal investigators :

• Dr. Suzanne Leclerc, Medical Director, INS Québec
• David Martin, kinesiologist, INS Québec
• Alain Steve Comtois, professor, Université du Québec à Montréal
• Christian Soto, Ph.D. student, Université du Québec à Montréal

Period: 2017-2022
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI)

Erik Sesbreno is testing the prevalence of low energy availability among male volleyball players and its effects on jumper’s knee, cognitive function and countermovement jump performance.

Principal investigator:

• Erik Sesbreno, sport nutrition lead, INS Québec

Period: 2019–2020
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI)

On behalf of INS Québec, Jonathan Tremblay and his team are carrying out tests to determine the effects of eccentric cycling training on performance in high-level cyclists and runners.

Principal investigator:

• Jonathan Tremblay, professor, Université de Montréal

Period: 2019-2021
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI)

Guy Thibault développe un modèle empirique de l’effort intermittent menant à épuisement. Il s’agit d’aider les entraîneurs à élaborer de séances d’entraînement par intervalles convenant au profil et aux objectifs d’athlètes de haut niveau.

Principal investigators:

• Guy Thibault, Director, Sport Science, INS Québec; associate professor, Université de Montréal
• Sylvain Gaudet, exercise physiologist, INS Québec

Period: 2018-2020
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI)

Using state-of-the-art technologies such as virtual reality, Thomas Romeas is testing safe perceptual-cognitive strategies for improving boxers’ anticipation and decision-making skills.

Principal investigators:

• Thomas Romeas, neuroscientist, INS Québec
• François Bieuzen, exercise physiologist, INS Québec; associate professor, Université Laval
• Mathieu Charbonneau, biomechanics specialist, INS Québec

Period: 2019–2020
Funding: OTP

Université de Montréal professor Mickaël Begon and his team are working with INS Québec to establish standards regarding ratios and asymmetries for the maximum isometric strength of high-performance athletes’ hip abduction and adduction muscles. They are using artificial intelligence and machine learning to study the link between these metrics and the results of testing based on performance determinants

Principal investigators:

• Mickaël Begon, professor, Université de Montréal
• Patrick Marion, research professional, Université de Montréal
• Kevin Aizen, master’s student, EKSAP, Université de Montréal
• Élodie Monga-Dubreuil, master’s student, EKSAP, Université de Montréal

Period: 2017–2019 – Completed
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI)

This prototyping work in short track speed skating will improve understanding of skating biomechanics and benefit strength and conditioning and on-ice training.

Principal investigators:

• Laurent Daignault, head technician, national short track speed skating team
• Éric Wagnac, professor, École de Technologie Supérieure
• François Bieuzen, exercise physiologist, INS Québec
• Julien Clément, performance analyst, INS Québec
• Benoit Lussier, performance analyst, INS Québec

Period: 2019-2021
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI)

In collaboration with the Québec-based company Hexfit, INS Québec is developing solutions that will make it easier not only to share sports, medical and scientific data but also to analyze this data using the most up-to-date methods. Organizations such as sports clubs, federations and institutes that may be interested in using this cutting-edge tool for sharing and processing data related to high-performance sports can contact INS Québec’s Scientific and Medical Expert Advisor, Thomas Romeas (tromeas@insquebec.org)

Principal investigator:

• François Bieuzen, exercise physiologist, INS Québec; associate professor, Université Laval

Period: 2017-2020
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI)

Whether on the track or on the ice, sprint speed is an important determinant of performance in hockey. This study aims to examine the relationship between the height of vertical jumps on force plates and sprint performance in high-performance female hockey players. This study will make it possible to improve hockey players’ training programs by using vertical jumps to track performance.

Principal investigator:

• Cory Kennedy, strength and conditioning coach, INS Québec
• Michelle Caron, master’s student, McGill University

Period: 2018-2019 (completed)
Funding: OTP

With the support of a private company, François Bieuzen conducted an analysis of internal and external training load indices among high-performance short-track speed skaters. The ultimate goal is to make personalized adjustments to training programs. François is also providing guidance to interns involved in developing statistical analyses of training databases for high-performance training groups in order to identify situations that pose a high risk of injury.

Principal investigators:

• François Bieuzen, exercise physiologist, INS Québec; associate professor, Université Laval
• Alix Renaud-Roy, strength and conditioning coach, INS Québec; master’s candidate, Université de Montréal
• Bastien Bontemps, intern, INS Québec
• Marcus Leite Fraga, intern, INS Québec
• Jérémy Briand, bachelor’ student, McGill University
• Pierre-Olivier Breault, master’ student, Université de Montréal

Period: 2017-2019 (completed)
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI), OT

This innovative task involves programming an interface using the language Python to generate reports showing accelerometry data recorded using inertial measurement units on short track speed skaters. This research will make it easier for athletes, coaches and members of the IST to make use of on-ice acceleration and performance data.

Principal investigators:

• Benoit Lussier, performance analyst, INS Québec
• François Bieuzen, exercise physiologist, INS Québec; associate professor, Université Laval

Period: 2019–2020
Funding: OTP, MÉES (PRIDI)

Myriam Paquette is testing warm-up strategies that optimize racing performance while taking the needs of para-swimming athletes into account.

Principal investigators:

• Myriam Paquette, exercise physiologist, INS Québec; Ph.D. student, Université Laval
• Jared Fletcher, exercise physiologist; professor, University of Calgary
• Jean-Michel Lavallière, master’s student, University of Canberra

Period: 2018-2019 (completed)
Funding: OTP

As part of her Ph.D. in exercise physiology, Myriam Paquette is leading an empirical study to identify training methods that can be used to improve and optimize muscles’ ability to extract oxygen. This project is carried out in cooperation with the national sprint Canoe Kayak team and will help to optimize training programs in multiple sports.

Principal investigators:

• Myriam Paquette, exercise physiologist, INS Québec; Ph.D. student, Université Laval
• François Billaut, exercise physiologist; professor, Université Laval
• François Bieuzen, exercise physiologist, INS Québec; associate professor, Université Laval

Period: 2017-2020
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI)

INS Québec has joined forces with the ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur and Bishop’s University professor Maxime Trempe to develop teaching materials to improve critical thinking among coaches of high-performance athletes.

Principal investigator:

• Maxime Trempe, professor, Bishop’s University

Period: 2018-2019
Funding: MÉES

The team led by Université Laval professor François Billaut is working for INS Québec to identify the ergogenic effects of ischemic occlusion between two maximum exertions. Ischemic preconditioning is a noninvasive technique in which the blood (and therefore, oxygen) supply to a muscle is repeatedly restricted for a short time, which may lead to a substantial improvement in the muscle’s performance.

Principal investigators:

• François Billaut, exercise physiologist; professor, Université Laval
• Pénélope Paradis-Deschênes, Ph.D. student, Université Laval

Period: 2018-2020
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI)

INS Québec has developed and empirically tested advanced techniques to analyze the accelerometric measurements of the propulsive phases in cyclical sports such as para-swimming. This work has led to a user-friendly feedback tool for coaches.

Principal investigators:

• Mathieu Charbonneau, biomechanics specialist, INS Québec
• Julien Clément, performance analyst, INS Québec

Period: 2018-2019 (completed)
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI)

Para swimming integrated support team is using a protocol including three phases to decrease the impact of injury and excessive fatigue: investigate the recovery activities offered in other national para swimming training centers; study the associations between training load and incidences of injuries or discomfort during training; and assess the accuracy of post-training procedures in order to improve recovery between sessions and increase the training capabilities of athletes.

Principal investigator:

• Myriam Paquette, exercise physiologist, INS Québec; PhD student, Université Laval

Period: 2019–2020
Funding: OTP

As part of his Ph.D. at McGill University, Félix Croteau is leading a study to identify risk factors for accidental or overuse stress injuries in aquatic sports. This includes developing ways to quantify the training load using accelerometric measurements.

Principal investigators:

• Félix Croteau, physiotherapist, INS Québec; Ph.D. student, McGill University
• Shawn Robbins, professor, McGill University
• David Pearsall, professor, McGill University

Period: 2017-2021
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI)

Université de Montréal professor Mickaël Begon and his team are developing a dynamic model of complex movements for INS Québec. They are also creating an interactive and immersive virtual reality environment to help athletes learn aerial acrobatics (applications in trampoline, gymnastics, diving, etc.).

Principal investigators:

• Mickaël Begon, professor, Université de Montréal
• François Bailly, postdoctoral intern, Université de Montréal
• Eve Charbonneau, master’s student, Université de Montréal
• André Venne, master’s student, Université de Montréal

Period: 2018-2020
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI), Mitacs

INS Québec and the Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur have joined forces to study the context in which athletes specialize in sports such as diving, gymnastics and figure skating at a young age. The researchers are considering the possibility of following up their work with a longitudinal study over a period of at least five years.

Principal investigators:

• Josiane Roberge, physiotherapist, INS Québec
• Dr. Suzanne Leclerc, Medical Director, INS Québec
• Marc-André Duchesneau, educational psychologist, Université de Montréal

Period: 2018-2019
Funding: MÉES

This team of scientists is working to quantify water polo goalkeepers’ movements in training using inertial measurement units, in order to better gauge their external training load.

Principal investigators:

• Félix Croteau, physiotherapist, INS Québec; PhD student, McGill University
• Julien Clément, performance analyst, INS Québec
• Mathieu Charbonneau, biomechanics specialist, INS Québec

Period: 2019–2020
Funding: OTP, MÉES (PRIDI)

Mathieu Charbonneau is developing software that brings together a variety of trampoline performance metrics to provide feedback quickly and also to track performance and training load over time.

Principal investigator:

• Mathieu Charbonneau, biomechanics specialist, INS Québec
• Eve Charbonneau, master’s student, Université de Montréal

Period: 2018-2019
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI)

In collaboration with the team led by Polytechnique Montréal professor Maxime Raison, INS Québec is applying artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to analyze high-performance sports data, particularly with respect to para-cycling, para-swimming and short track speed skating. The researchers are studying how AI can be used to complement traditional performance analysis methods, especially to identify which training parameters are most closely correlated to changes in health and fitness levels.

Principal investigators:

• Maxime Raison, professor, Polytechnique Montréal
• Sana Raouafi, Ph.D. student, Polytechnique Montréal
• Luis Antonio Pereira de Lima, Ph.D. student, Polytechnique Montréal
• François Bieuzen, exercise physiologist, INS Québec; associate professor, Université Laval
• Myriam Paquette, exercise physiologist, INS Québec; Ph.D. student, Université Laval

Period: 2019
Funding: IVADO

As part of her Ph.D. at Université de Sherbrooke, Catherine Naulleau is studying the efficacy of a quick weight-cutting method (for sports with weight classes) based on water loading and a low-fibre diet.

Principal investigators:

• Catherine Naulleau, nutritionist, INS Québec; Ph.D. student, Université de Sherbrooke
• Éric Goulet, professor, Université de Sherbrooke

Period: 2018-2020
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI), OTP

Nicolas Berryman is establishing the validity and reliability of an agility test in water polo.

Principal investigators:

• Nicolas Berryman, exercise physiologist; INS Québec; professor, Bishop’s University
• François Bieuzen, exercise physiologist, INS Québec; associate professor, Université Laval
• Lily Dong, master’s student, McGill University

Period: 2018-2019
Funding: OTP

Nicolas Berryman is establishing the validity of a repeated sprint ability test that involves the upper limbs. This test was designed to meet the particular needs of judo athletes.

Principal investigators:

• Nicolas Berryman, exercise physiologist; INS Québec; professor, Bishop’s University
• François Bieuzen, exercise physiologist, INS Québec; associate professor, Université Laval
• Nicolas Klug, master’s student, Université de Montréal

Period: 2017-2019
Funding: OTP, MÉES (PRIDI)

On behalf of INS Québec, Dr. Ian Shrier is assessing the effectiveness of visual tests for managing post-trauma vision syndrome in athletes.

Principal investigators:

• Dr. Ian Shrier, physician, professor, McGill University
• Dr. Suzanne Leclerc, medical director, INS Québec

Period: 2019–2020
Funding: MÉES (PRIDI)