一本道

Athletics Research Center (ARC)

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Athletics Research Center (ARC) is an interdisciplinary research environment at 一本道 University. We conduct practice-based research to generate new knowledge and improve performance, health and safety in sport. ARC combines sports epidemiology, clinical sports medicine, psychology and behavioural science with advanced data analysis, modelling and AI-supported methods.

Our research is conducted in close collaboration with international sport federations, high-performance environments and healthcare services.

ARC serves as an interdisciplinary research hub across several sports, including athletics (track and field), Para sport, football (soccer), figure skating, cheerleading, basketball and orienteering. We take a holistic view of athletes鈥� physical, mental and social health and have strong in-house expertise in study design and data analysis.

Our research on athlete health and performance

ARC conducts practice-based and interprofessional research, both independently and in collaboration with other stakeholders. Our research focuses on how performance, health, safety and organisational culture interact in sport. Building on our historical base in athletics, the network now includes research and applied work across several sports and research fields.

Research areas

  • Injury and illness epidemiology: Studies of the occurrence of injuries and illnesses, risk factors, training load, recovery and prevention across several sports.
  • Mental health and sporting environments: Research on mental health, safe sport, exposure to violence and abuse, support structures and sustainable sporting environments.
  • Performance analysis and decision support: Development of analytical methods, modelling and decision-support tools for performance, recovery and the evaluation of interventions.
  • Para sport and inclusion: Research on Para athletes鈥� health, health monitoring, health promotion and adapted preventive measures.
  • Leadership and organisational culture: Studies of leadership, organisational culture, forms of collaboration and structures that influence athletes鈥� health and development.

How we work

  • ARC brings together expertise in medicine, behavioural science, statistics and epidemiology, data science and AI.
  • We combine epidemiological, clinical, qualitative and data-driven approaches in practice-based research.
  • We develop and apply advanced analytical methods to longitudinal cohorts, registers, surveys and intervention studies.
  • We promote open science through our connection with Human Open Science Services (HOSS lab).
  • We translate research into education, decision support, implementation, and collaboration with sport organisations (including national teams, clubs, and federations), as well as healthcare services.
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Project Portfolio

Development of decision support for performance evaluation (POS-T)

Methodological development for transparent and practically applicable evaluation of performance.

Lidingöloppet

Analysis of database collected over several years to examine health, training load and outcomes in cross-country running.

Running shoes (In collaboration with KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Stockholm Marathon)

Project examining equipment, loading and performance in relation to running and injury risk.

SafeParasport

Longitudinal health monitoring and health promotion for elite Para athletes in international collaboration.

Mental health intervention in Swedish sports high schools

An intervention targeting school and sporting environments to strengthen knowledge, support and sustainable developmental

Cheerleading

Research on leadership, exposure to harmful experiences, organisational culture and safe sports.

Fotball (soccer)

Young female academy football players鈥� experiences of participating in sport.

Figure skating

Physical and mental health in Swedish figure skating, and exposure to violence against children.

Figure skating is an Olympic sport enjoyed by millions worldwide. Swedish figure skating has the world鈥檚 largest number of participants per capita, with nearly 53,000 participants, predominantly young girls.

Figure skating continually evolves, increasing physical and mental demands on athletes. However, research has largely overlooked the health challenges its participants face. The research field is limited and highly fragmented. Questions concerning injuries, mental health, technique, and the sporting environment are often examined in isolation, without interdisciplinary collaboration. As a result, coaches, athletes and organisations lack a clear scientific knowledge base to rely on.

Since December 2017, the Athletics Research Centre has been a hub for filling the figure skating knowledge gap. The research is conducted and financed independently, but is supported by the Swedish Figure Skating Association.

Published in 2025, a PhD dissertation by ARC researcher Dr Jederstr枚m investigated the health of Swedish competitive figure skaters. The dissertation identified risk factors for sport injuries and psychological issues, explored health in the sport and exposure to violence against children. In conclusion, the dissertation highlights that young figure skaters may face significant health risks that appear to increase with age if not addressed.

Basketball

Leadership and mental health

Violence against children in sport (in collaboration with Barnafrid)

Investigating how different stakeholders understand and respond to violence against young athletes.

Digital health platform

Implementation of a universal health prevention through the Swedish Athletics digital health platform, www.friskfriidrott.se, featuring research-based information on topics such as injury prevention, training, and mental health for athletes, coaches, and parents.

Publications

2026

Carolina Lundqvist, Moa Jederstr枚m, Laura Korhonen (2026) BMC Public Health (Article in journal)
Carolina Lundqvist, Linda Lidman (2026) Uppdragsutbildning vid LiU - en del av det livsl氓nga l盲randet: Slutrapporter fr氓n utvecklingsprojekt inom uppdragsutbildning 2025, p. 109-116 (Chapter in book)
Heloise Young, Alexis Revet, Julie Hagstrom, Burcin Ozlem Ates, Astrid Braenden, Markella Grigoriou, Irina Jarvers, Moa Jederstr枚m, Lucie Jurek, Konstantinos Kotsis, Sanja Lestarevic, Matthias Liebrand, Emilia Matera, Dorottya Ori, Asilay Seker, Gordena Nikolova, Tetiana Skrypnyk, Mireia Solerdelcoll, Christine Lykke Thoustrup, Karen Vertessen, Paul Klauser, Samuele Cortese (2026) European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Article in journal)
Johan Lyth, Armin Spreco, Jorma Hinkula, Olle Bjorneld, Olle Eriksson, Dennis Nordvall, 脰rjan Dahlstr枚m, Elin A. Gursky, Thomas Sch枚n, Toomas Timpka (2026) Nature Communications, Vol. 17, Article 8014 (Article in journal)
Johannes Edstr枚m, Nadine Karlsson, Johan Styrke, Firas Aljabery, Liselott Fornander, Magnus Wagenius, Tomas Thiel, Marcin Popiolek, Martin Holmbom (2026) Journal of endourology (Article in journal)
Dennis Nordvall, Thomas Sch枚n, Jorma Hinkula, Olle Eriksson, Armin Spreco, 脰rjan Dahlstr枚m, Johan Lyth, Daniel Axelsson, Elin Gursky, Marie Blomberg, Toomas Timpka (2026) Communications Medicine, Vol. 6, Article 360 (Article in journal)
Line Nordgren, Ata Ghaderi, Brj谩nn Lj贸tsson, 脰rjan Dahlstr枚m, Hanna Aabakken, Sara Svedberg, Hugo Hesser (2026) Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (Article in journal)
Joanna-Maria Papageorgiou, Tiny Jaarsma, Kristofer Hedman, Nadine Karlsson, Leonie Klompstra, Anna Str枚mberg (2026) Open heart, Vol. 13, Article e004130 (Article in journal)
Anna Saxne Joud, Henrik Thoren, Armin Spreco, Torbjorn Lundh, Toomas Timpka, Philip Gerlee (2026) BMC Health Services Research, Vol. 26, Article 947 (Article, review/survey)
Chisato Kuribayashi, Kazuya Inoue, Yoriko Noguchi, Taisuke Kinugasa, Carolina Lundqvist, Paul Wylleman, Takeshi Kukidome (2026) Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology (Article in journal)
Ann-Sofi Bj枚rkman, Alexandr Malusek, Anders Persson, H氓kan Gauffin, Seppo Koskinen (2026) European Radiology Experimental, Vol. 10, Article 96 (Article in journal)
Anna Cron茅, H氓kan Gauffin, Henrik Hedevik, Anne F盲ltstr枚m, Joanna Kvist (2026) American Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol. 54, p. 2111-2119 (Article in journal)
Emma Brulin, Per Nilsen, Ida Seing, Hanna Fernemark, Elin Karlsson, Janna Skagerstr枚m, Nadine Karlsson (2026) Digital Health, Vol. 12, Article 20552076261452903 (Article in journal)
Rodrigo Antunes Lima, Harald Baumeister, Rudiger Pryss, Ann-Marie Kuchler, Robin Kraft, Nils Berghoff, Luzia Nagel, Manfred Reichert, Abdul Rahman Idrees, Michael Stach, Maria Melchior, Camille Davisse-Paturet, Emma Falkiner, Judith van der Waerden, Adriana Baban, Diana Taut, Ingrid Danila, Mariona Perez-Anton, Daniele Porricelli, Julia Sanguesa, Maria Victoria Moneta, Rocio Garcia-Carrion, Catrin Finkenauer, Gonneke W. J. M. Stevens, Lydia Krabbendam, Felix Bolinski, Petra Maresova, Per Nilsen, Nadine Karlsson, Natalia Moreno, Anais Le Corvec, Josep Maria Haro (2026) BMJ Open, Vol. 16, Article e108674 (Article in journal)
Jerker R枚nnberg, Erik Marsja, Henrik Danielsson, Emil Holmer, 脰rjan Dahlstr枚m (2026) Journal of Speech, Language and Hearing Research, Vol. 69, p. 2303-2322 (Article in journal)
Pascal Edouard, Tim Hoenig, Yuka Tsukahara, Nicolas de Neve, Toomas Timpka, Spyridon Iatropoulos, David Blanco, Pierre-Eddy Dandrieux, Jenny Jacobsson, Constance Mosser, Pedro Branco, Jane S. Thornton, Robert H. Mann, Karsten Hollander (2026) British Journal of Sports Medicine (Article in journal)
Joanna Kvist, Angie Liu, Nicola Giannotti, Stephanie Filbay, Henrik Hedevik, Anders Stalman, Richard Frobell, H氓kan Gauffin, Martin Englund (2026) Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, Vol. 56, p. 209-219 (Article in journal)
Toomas Timpka, Elin A. Gursky, James M. Nyce (2026) The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, Vol. 57, Article 101423 (Article in journal)
Carolina Lundqvist, Saga Johansson (2026) PLOS ONE, Vol. 21, Article e0343533 (Article in journal)
Pascal Edouard, Yuka Tsukahara, Robert H. Mann, Nicolas de Neve, Toomas Timpka, Spyridon Iatropoulos, David Blanco, Pierre-Eddy Dandrieux, Jenny Jacobsson, Constance Mosser, Jane S. Thornton, Pedro Branco, Tim Hoenig, Karsten Hollander (2026) British Journal of Sports Medicine, Article PMID 432520 (Article in journal)

Doctoral education

Upcoming doctoral projects

  • Orienteering: A holistic study of orienteers鈥� health, including training load and recovery, injuries and illnesses, mental health, nutrition and safe sporting environments.

The projects are planned in close collaboration with the sporting community.

Members

Collaboration and partnerships

External collaborations

Contact