Meet the SSISA Group for Research Implementation and Translation (GRIT)

Since 1994, the Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA) in collaboration with UCT’s Health Through Physical Activity, Lifestyle, and Sport (HPALS) has been a game-changer in sports performance, sports injury prevention, and promoting healthy living. Our goal is to positively impact lives and to make our services, interventions, and expertise accessible.

The HPALS Research Centre seeks to optimize human performance and to promote health and well-being, addressing the growing pandemics of obesity and inactivity, and reducing the burden of disease and injury, through physical activity and sports participation.

Specifically, the objectives of the UCT HPALS research centre are to:
•    improve health and well-being
•    reduce the risk of injury
•    address the barriers to participation in physical activity
•    optimize human movement and sporting performance

To achieve this, SSISA has officially launched the SSISA Research Digest product, aimed at Sports Coaches, Athletes of both recreational and high-performance levels, Health Professionals (such as Biokineticists, Physiotherapists, Podiatrists, Psychologists, Dieticians, Physicians), Exercise Professionals (Sports Scientists, Exercise Scientists, Personal Trainers), and Sports Administrators (within Federations, Government, and Sports Councils).

SSISA Research Digest is a monthly subscription offer that provides ongoing educational, evidence-based content in the fields of sport, exercise, and health sciences. All of our content is created by industry experts with the coach, athlete, clinician, and student in mind. Our range of content offerings includes Research Applied Masterclasses, Lectures, Skillboosters, Q&A's, Mythbusters, Articles, and Toolkits. A subscription to Research Digest unlocks all of our existing content as well as new content each month.

Meet the SSISA GRIT team:

	Warren Lucas, MA, PhD (c) Warren Lucas is an Accredited Sport Scientist (SASMA), completing a PhD in Exercise Science at the University of Cape Town. His research is focused on designing patient-centered exercise interventions for youth with substance use and mental health conditions in treatment settings. His supervisors are Dr. Sharief Hendricks and Prof. Vicki Lambert (HPALS UCT).
	Devon Da Costa, MPhil, PhD (c) Devon Da Costa is a Qualified Biokineticist completing a PhD in Exercise Science at the University of Cape Town. She works as a Research Consultant and Lecturer at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa. Her research is focused on fuelling endurance sports performance through a variety of different dietary and supplementation strategies. She is supervised by Associate Prof Andrew Bosch (HPALS UCT).
	Tim Klein, BScMed Hons, MSc (c) Tim Klein is an Exercise Scientist who is currently completing an MSc in Exercise Science at the University of Cape Town. His research focuses primarily on the effects of resistance training on cycling performance. His research is supervised by Associate Prof. Mike Posthumus and Dr. Caroline D’Alton (HPALS UCT).
	Evan Knight, MSc Evan Knight is an Exercise Scientist with an MSc in Exercise Physiology from the Stellenbosch. University. He works as a Research Consultant at the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, and his research is focused on biomarkers and the intercellular adaptation and communication following different endurance running training regimes in elite runners.

Subject areas of SSISA Research Digest are expansive and aimed at synthesizing complex research into digestible and consumable pieces of information - making it your one-stop shop for the latest evidence-based Sport and Exercise Science research and insights.

To bring you the most evidence-based and cutting information in the fields of sports and exercise science and health, SSISA works alongside the UCT Research Centre for Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Sport (HPALS) to disseminate the latest research. HPALS research focuses on optimizing human performance and promoting health and well-being through physical activity, sports participation, healthy eating, and good sleep hygiene. Their work begins at the DNA, extends to the human performance laboratory, and ultimately to the community.

The Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA) exists to translate, simplify, and embed science in health, wellness, and human performance. SSISA uses the research evidence behind certain practices and end-consumer behaviour to provide market insights to corporates that have a shared objective of boosting the health and wellness of society.

We hope that you benefit from our research translation. Let us know what you would like to see more of by emailing research@ssisa.com and we will happily provide the latest insights via SSISA Research Digest

Yours in sports science,

The Sports Science Institute of South Africa