Current Honours Students Advance Diverse Research Portfolio

The Digital Athlete Lab currently mentors two exceptional Honours students pursuing diverse research projects that exemplify the lab’s interdisciplinary approach to exercise physiology and technology integration.

Current Honours Research Projects

Dana Litvak - KNES 590 Honours

Research Focus: “Cold Water Immersion for Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage Recovery: A Systematized Umbrella Review”

Dana’s comprehensive review project synthesizes the current state of evidence surrounding cold water immersion as a recovery modality. This systematic approach to literature analysis builds upon the lab’s ongoing cold water research while developing critical skills in evidence-based practice and research methodology.

Sia Gaur - KNES 590 Honours

Research Focus: “Assessing the Impact of Exercise Duration, Intensity, and Modality on Cardiovascular Health Outcomes Using Wearable Technology: A Correlational Analysis”

Sia’s project represents the cutting edge of digital health research, investigating how wearable devices can provide insights into the dose-response relationships between exercise parameters and cardiovascular adaptations. This work directly aligns with the Digital Athlete Lab’s mission to leverage technology for performance and health optimization.

Research Mentorship Philosophy

These projects demonstrate the lab’s commitment to student-driven research that combines rigorous scientific methodology with practical applications. Both students are developing skills in:

• Advanced research design and methodology
• Critical analysis of scientific literature
• Data collection and analysis techniques
• Professional presentation and communication

Expanding Research Portfolio

These Honours projects complement the lab’s ongoing graduate student collaborations and NSERC-funded undergraduate research, creating a comprehensive research training environment. The diversity of research topics—from systematic reviews to wearable technology applications—reflects the broad scope of modern exercise physiology research.

Both students are scheduled to present their findings at the Faculty of Kinesiology’s annual research showcase, contributing to the growing body of evidence-based knowledge in exercise science and technology applications.