News

Félicitations à Camille Tremblay-Laprise et Catherine Desjardins, deux étudiantes à la maîtrise sous la Chaire de Recherche pour un Vieillissement en Santé, qui se sont vu décerner une prestigieuse bourse de maîtrise des IRSC!

Sous la supervision de la Pre. Isabelle Dionne, Catherine s’intéresse au plaisir perçu lors de différents types d’entraînement (musculation traditionnelle, entraînement en puissance et HIIT) chez les personnes aînées — une recherche essentielle pour mieux adapter l’activité physique aux préférences et au bien-être de cette population.

Sous la supervision de la Pre. Eléonor Riesco, Camille explore l’effet hypotensif de l’exercice aérobie d’intensité modérée et élevée chez des patients suivant un traitement contre un cancer curable avec effets cardiotoxiques. Son projet compare la réponse vasculaire post-effort entre l’exercice continu et l’exercice par intervalles.

Deux projets novateurs qui contribuent à une meilleure santé cardiovasculaire et un vieillissement actif! Bravo à vous deux pour votre travail remarquable et votre passion contagieuse!

Friluftsliv - Or life in the open air
The Research Chair for Healthy Aging - JL Gravel and B Breton Foundation invites you to a series of three interactive presentations on Friluftsliv, the Scandinavian philosophy that celebrates life in the great outdoors!

-Part 1: An inspiring study in which women aged 65 and over reached Everest base camp! A look at ageism and outdoor activities.
-Part Two: The health benefits, challenges and solutions of encouraging seniors to take part in outdoor activities.
-Part Three: A look at the Friluftsliv philosophy and its importance for Nordic countries like Quebec.

Great news! This workshop is part of the Forum plein air du Bas-Saint-Laurent, now offered FREE on April 9 and 10!

The Everest project in Virage magazine! 🏔️

We're delighted to see Project Everest featured in FADOQ's Virage magazine! 🎉 This unique project, which pushes boundaries and challenges ageism, continues to inspire and mobilize. Thanks to Virage for this wonderful showcase.

Great success for our conference on sedentary lifestyles and the “reasons” for physical activity

On February 20, the Research Chair in Healthy Aging was hosted by Sherbrooke's Faubourg Mena'Sen. Our team presented the results of our work on adopting an active lifestyle and reducing sedentary time. 🏃🏽

Over 50 people attended, demonstrating their keen interest in this theme! Many thanks to the Faubourg Men'Sen team, as well as to former doctoral student Katherine Boisvert-Vigneault and doctoral candidate René Maréchal, for their engaging and enriching presentations.

Enthusiasm was high: many questions were asked, underlining the importance of making our research accessible and sharing it with the community.

We look forward to organizing similar events in the near future! Stay tuned!

#HealthyAging #PhysicalActivity #Sedentary #Research #CommunityEngagement

At the Cancer Research Institute of the University of Sherbrooke (IRCUS), science is progressing with optimism. 🔬 Discover how IRCUS is pushing the boundaries of cancer screening and treatment to transform lives.

Moreover, Prof. Eléonor Riesco, co-holder of the Research Chair on Healthy Aging, along with several of her students, are working on the benefits of exercise for individuals with cancer. 🏃🏽‍♀️ Check out their work in the publications section of the website!

A big congratulations to all the IRCUS researchers for their inspiring research! 🔰

The Graduate Studies Day (GSD) once again brought together the community of the Faculty of Physical Activity Sciences with great success. 👏
A huge congratulations to the students of the Research Chair on Healthy Aging for their commitment and remarkable contributions to organizing this day. This event highlights each year the importance of research, emerging talent, and the impact of graduate studies in physical activity sciences. 🔬📚
Congratulations to the recipients for their great success! 🎖️✨

Professor Isabelle Dionne, co-holder of the Research Chair for Healthy Aging, and Marie-Noëlle Fontaine share valuable tips for staying fit and preserving muscle mass after the age of 50.

✅ Practical tips:

Prioritize resistance exercises, such as weights or resistance bands, to stimulate your muscles.

Pair it with a diet rich in protein to support recovery and muscle growth.

Don't forget to move daily: consistency is key!

For more information, check out this article published in L'Actualité.

Because it's never too late to take care of your health! 💪

We all know that the new year often rhymes with resolutions . In an article published in "La Presse", Jasmine Paquin, PhD candidate at the Research Chair for Healthy Aging, warns us regarding continuous sport challenges, without taking any breaks. She reminds us of the importance to plan rest days to promote recovery and sustain these physical activity changes in the long term.

Congratulations to all of the research teams from Quebec universities who are working hand in hand to advance science and contribute to societal progress. 🙌 The Université de Sherbrooke is a leader in scientific research in the province of Quebec, and our laboratory is no exception.

One of our publications was selected by La Presse Plus as one of the 10 most notable medical research publications of 2024! 🧠💪

In collaboration with McGill University and other universities, our team studied 22 individuals in their fifties who were bedridden for 14 days, half of whom exercised for one hour per day. The active group showed no adverse effects, while those who did not exercise experienced muscle atrophy and a decrease in their cardiovascular and metabolic capacity. To read the scientific article, follow the link: https://karger.com/ger/article/69/11/1284/863007/Impact-of-14-Days-of-Bed-Rest-in-Older-Adults-and

The Research Chair for Healthy Aging is proud to support not only innovative research but also the mobilization of knowledge to inspire positive changes in our society. 🌱📖

Katherine successfully completed her thesis titled: “Les effets à long terme d’un programme d’entraînement supervisé sur la pratique d’activité physique des femmes aînées – Application de la théorie de la salutogenèse.” 💪👵 Her work contributes to the support of an active lifestyle for older women.

Under the supervision of Pre Isabelle Dionne, Co-holder of the Research Chair for an Healthy Aging, and Pre Suzanne Garon, Katherine discovered five personal resources that kinesiologists can use to encourage physical activity among older women! 🧠🏃‍♀️.

Last Friday, Professor Eléonor Riesco, co-holder of the Research Chair on Healthy Aging, along with several students, participated in a training day focused on the theme: Diversification of knowledge transfer approaches. 📚

💡 Considering the mandate of the Research Chair on Healthy Aging, which focuses on knowledge transfer, this day was incredibly enriching. It provided the scientific community with better tools to mobilize knowledge in a more creative and accessible way, particularly through the use of comics. 📖👀

👏Thank you to the Population Aging Unifying Theme of the University of Sherbrooke and the Research Center on Aging (CdRV) for this insightful workshop.

👉 Follow the Research Chair on Healthy Aging to discover our new scientific outreach initiatives!

The Research Chair on Healthy Aging was well represented at CSEP 2024! 🇨🇦🔬

This year, several students from the Chair had the opportunity to present their research findings at the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) conference, held in Montreal. 🎤📊 Congratulations to René Maréchal, Jasmine Paquin, Laurence Poirier, Renaud Tremblay, Sara Plante, Geneviève Marcotte, and Catherine Desjardins for their presentations! The chair is proud to support their success and actively contribute to the transfer of scientific knowledge. 📚

💡 The conference fostered numerous enriching scientific exchanges and opened the door to potential collaborations between researchers across Canada. 🤝🍁

📢 Stay tuned! The results of the research presented will soon be published and disseminated for the benefit of a wider audience! 🤓

Several students, along with alumni from the Research Chair on Healthy Aging, participated in the 1st edition of the Congrès International Francophone en Activité Physique (CIFAP)! 🌍💪

🎙️ Professor Isabelle Dionne was also present as a guest speaker to discuss the importance of physical activity in the prevention and management of chronic diseases. 🏋️‍♀️🩺

🏆 Special congratulations to René Maréchal, who won the best presentation award in the PhD/Post-Doctoral category! 🎉👏

This congress highlights the quality of science in the french community and emphasizes the importance of supporting such initiatives. 🌟 The Research Chair on Healthy Aging is proud to contribute to the advancement of science and knowledge exchange! 📚🤝

PhD student co-supervised by Dr. Isabelle Dionne (University of Sherbrooke) and Dr. Audrey Bergouignan (University of Strasbourg) Philippe presented the first results of his thesis at the Canadian Space Health Research Symposium at Western University (Ontario, Canada). 🌌📚

His work focuses on alterations in energy metabolism in the context of extreme inactivity and sedentary behavior, a key topic for:

✨ Astronauts health in space
🌍 Health challenges on Earth, particularly obesity and metabolic syndrome.

🙏 Thanks to the Quebec Network for Research on Aging (RQRV), the Canadian Space Health Research Network (CSHRnet), the Faculty of Physical Activity Sciences, and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) for their essential support!

Researchers from the University of Sherbrooke, including professors Isabelle Dionne and Eléonor Riesco, co-holders of the Research Chair on Healthy Aging, have tackled a critical question in the field of blood sugar management: Is gaining muscle mass necessary to improve one’s blood sugar control with resistance exercise? 🤷‍♂️

🌍 Many individuals and healthcare professionals think that increasing the size of your muscles is a prerequisite in order to improve blood sugar control. This belief comes from the fact that nearly 80% of blood sugar after a meal is absorbed by our muscles. Therefore, it could seem obvious that increasing muscle mass would naturally improve blood sugar control.
However, other scientific evidence, including work by Professors Dionne and Riesco, show that the relationship between muscle mass and blood sugar control is not so straightforward. 🔍 To answer this question, the researchers conducted a meta-analysis, meaning they reviewed and compiled the existing scientific literature on the subject 📚. They specifically looked at studies measuring gains in muscle before and after a strength training program, as well as changes in blood sugar control.

📊 In total, 33 studies were included in this work. In general, strength training does promote increased muscle mass 💪 and improved blood sugar control 🩸. Nothing surprising here! However, there no direct relationship was between these two changes. even though we might expect those who gain the most muscle to improve their blood sugar the most, this was not the case here! ❌

In summary: Strength training is one of the keys to managing blood sugar, whether you gain muscle or not! 🏋🏽‍♀️ The important thing is to stay active daily and choose a physical activity that suits you!