Penny Oleksiak's withdrawal from world championships has us wondering - what even is 'whereabouts'?
Duration 1:56
CBC Sports' Brittany MacLean Campbell helps shine a light on the World Anti-Doping Agency process athletes follow to protect clean sport.
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CBC
21 minutes ago
- CBC
How sudden cardiac arrest can be different for athletes — based on their sex
Social Sharing When varsity rower Ruth McDonald competes, she's thinking about pushing herself hard and winning the race. The potential of suffering a medical emergency — while always possible — is the last thing on her mind. "Every sport, you have to be comfortable with pain and comfortable with getting uncomfortable," she said. "So something like injury or having cardiac arrest is not something you have on your mind, because you're so focused on working so hard and achieving the best results possible." Sudden cardiac arrests in female athletes are a rising concern for sports medicine experts because doctors say they're realizing how little they know about the heart health of female athletes, and their risk level for the condition. While rare, sudden cardiac arrests are a leading cause of death for young athletes. According to a Canadian study published in March, men are over 10 times more likely to experience a sports-related cardiac arrest than women. But women, when their hearts suddenly stop, are less likely to survive, according to several studies. Reasons unclear Dr. Paul Dorian, who co-authored the Canadian study, says there aren't clear explanations for the disparity between male and female athletes. But he pointed to one problem: Cardiac arrests in male athletes are more likely caused by heart rhythm disturbances, like an arrhythmia, due to a hardening of the arteries. "Think of it as a heart attack in waiting. So those are plumbing problems, which then cause an electric problem," said Dorian, a cardiologist at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital. In female athletes, by contrast, cardiac arrests are often from a different cause, says Dorian: They're more likely due to heart diseases from heritable causes, or which developed from viruses. Another factor, Dorian says, is that women may not always realize when they are about to have a cardiac arrest. Whereas men are more likely to have the classic symptoms of an emergency, like chest pain or chest tightness, women are more likely to experience symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath and exhaustion. Another key factor that can affect whether someone survives or dies of a sudden cardiac arrest: how quickly bystanders react, says Dorian. Bystanders tend to step in less frequently to resuscitate a woman, whether through CPR or putting the woman on an automated external defibrillator, also known as an AED. Researchers don't have a lot of data on why. It may be that some bystanders don't recognize the symptoms in women, or they feel reluctant to perform chest compressions, or to remove a woman's shirt and place the defibrillator pads on her chest. Physiological differences There are also differences between male hearts and female hearts — in size, electrical system and blood vessels, says Dr. Paula Harvey, a heart specialist and the head of medicine at Women's College Hospital in Toronto. "We are behind the game, so to speak, when it comes to understanding the biology of women's hearts with respect to the impact of different types of sports and different types of stressors," she said. Some of the key questions she wants answers to: the best ways to screen female athletes for structural heart disease and electrical heart problems that could put them at risk — and the best ways to respond to somebody who has a cardiovascular complication or emergency while on the playing field. Harvey is trying to fill in some of those blanks, researching how age and hormonal changes, like menopause, can affect women's cardiac health. Specifically, Harvey is studying female athletes who have stopped having periods and showing symptoms that resemble menopause, because they're not eating enough calories to balance out all their training — and how the energy imbalance impacts heart health. That can be hard on the cardiovascular system, suggests Harvey's research, which she recently presented at the Female Athlete Conference in Boston. She thinks not enough athletes are aware of the problem, which she says can easily be corrected — and the symptoms reversed — by eating more. "Even just a granola bar to increase that number of calories," she said. Dr. Steven Joseph, chief medical officer of Rowing Canada, also thinks there is much more to be learned about sex differences and risk factors for sudden cardiac arrest. "We're just starting to realize there are significant physiological differences," he said. "A lot of the old studies were based on male athletes and they're not transferable." Joseph is hoping there will be more research that could inform athletes and coaches on how to train safely — and manage risk factors. Because — Harvey, Joseph and Dorian all agree — physical activity has so many benefits for overall health, not just cardiac health. They just want everyone to be able to do it safely.
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Bichette's two-run double lifts Jays over Yankees 4-1; Toronto adds to division lead
Toronto Blue Jays first base Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) and outfielder George Springer (4) celebrate runs against the New York Yankees during fifth inning MLB baseball action in Toronto on Monday, July 21, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Thomas Skrlj TORONTO — Bo Bichette's two-run double sparked a four-run fifth inning as the Toronto Blue Jays opened a three-game series against the New York Yankees with a 4-1 win on Monday. Myles Straw hit an RBI single three batters later to drive home Bichette as Toronto (59-41) won its fourth straight. Leo Jimenez reached first on a throwing error in the next at bat, scoring Straw. The win gave the Blue Jays a four-game lead over the Yankees in the American League East. Kevin Gausman (7-7) was impressive, giving up the one run and striking out eight over seven innings of work. He allowed four hits and two walks. Relievers Brendon Little, Yariel Rodriguez and Jeff Hoffman preserved the win. Giancarlo Stanton's solo home run led off the fourth inning for New York (55-45). Carlos Rodon (10-7) allowed four runs, two earned, on six hits and five walks over five innings. He struck out four. Scott Effross and JT Brubaker combined for three innings of scoreless relief. TAKEAWAYS Yankees: It was a rough fifth inning for the left side of New York's infield. Third baseman Oswald Peraza's throw to first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was way off-line, turning what could have been a groundout into two bases for Myles Straw. In the next at bat, shortstop Anthony Volpe pulled Goldschmidt off the bag with his throw to allow Jimenez to reach safely and give Straw enough time to cross home. Blue Jays: Toronto loaded the bases in the second and fourth innings but wasn't able to score any runners, squandering an opportunity to break the game wide open. Bichette's double brought the sold-out crowd of 41,786 to their feet and finally took advantage of a solid night at the plate. KEY MOMENT Gausman issued two balls to Jazz Chisholm Jr., in the third inning with two runners on base and the game scoreless. But the Blue Jays starter bore down, skimming the bottom of the zone with back-to-back four-seam fastballs then getting Chisholm out when the slugger bit on a splitter for a foul tip. KEY STAT Bichette entered the game hitting an impressive .394 with runners in scoring position. His two-run double brought him up to .400 with teammates on second or third base. UP NEXT Max Scherzer (1-0) gets the start as Toronto continues its three-game series against New York. The Jays have won 11 in a row at Rogers Centre. Cam Schlittler (1-0) will take the mound for the Yankees. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2025. John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press
CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
‘It's a monster': Vancouver 2010 Olympics boss weighs in on World Cup prep
The architect of the 2010 Olympic Games sits down exclusively with CTV News and offers his insights on what local FIFA World Cup organizers are doing right – an
