JYU-Vuokatti's year in numbers

The year 2025 has once again been extremely active in terms of international scientific publications. The following 14 peer-reviewed publications include contributions from researchers in our unit. 

1. Köykkä M. * Optimising biathlon standing shooting: insights into aiming strategies. Journal of Biathlon Coaching. 2024; https://doi.org/10.71006/dhfa7074
2. Löfberg I, Karppinen J, Laatikainen-Raussi I, Hackney AC, Ihalainen J, Lehti M & Mikkonen RS. Peak Fat Oxidation During Submaximal Exercise Remains Consistent across Menstrual Cycle and Combined Oral Contraceptive Phases Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2025; https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000003676
3. Mikkonen R and Häkkinen K. Evidence for periodizing strength and/or endurance training according to menstrual cycle phases to optimize female athlete performance is lacking. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 2025; https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000917
4. Kuorelahti T, Ihalainen JK, Linnamo V, Badenhorst C, Kettunen O & Mikkonen RS. Influence of "live high-train low" on hemoglobin mass and post-exercise hepcidin response in female endurance athletes. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2025; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-025-05762-w
5. Köykkä M, Laatikainen-Raussi I, Vierola S, Cronin NJ, Waller B & Vänttinen T.  Development, validation and test-retest reliability of a load cell-based device for assessment of isometric forearm rotation torque. Physiological Measurement. 2025; https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6579/adf488
6. Köykkä M, Laaksonen MS, Ruotsalainen K & Linnamo V. Stability of hold and postural control during static hold assessment can provide valuable information for biathlon standing shooting but aiming strategy should be acknowledged. European Journal of Sport Science. 2025; https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsc.70045
7. Salmi V, Karppinen J, Piltonen T, Kyröläinen H, Hulmi J, Ihalainen J & Mikkonen R. Androgen levels of premenopausal females are not observably associated with body composition and physical performance, but may interact with hormonal contraceptive use. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2025 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-025-05993-x
8. Löfberg I, Kuljukka A, Salmi V, Ihalainen J, Kyröläinen H, Hackney AC & Mikkonen R.Influence of 8-week Endurance Training on Resting Energy Expenditure and Body Composition in Women. Physiological Reports. 2025; https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.70591
9. Beníčková M, Ihalainen J, Mikkonen R, Wagner A, Bozděch M and Gimunová M. When Time Matters: Circadian Rhythm Outweighs Menstrual Cycle in Strength, but Not in Motivation. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2025;  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2025.09.014
10. Mikkonen RS, Ihalainen JK, Bruinvels G, Mkumbuzi NS, Smith-Ryan A, Kaikkonen M, Kasongo M, Hackney AC. Monitoring Menstrual Health in Footballers: Considerations for tracking menstrual and hormonal contraceptive cycles in the field to support performance. Sports Medicine. 2025; https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-025-02338-8
11. Mikkonen R, Hackney AC, Hulmi J, Isola V, Ahtiainen J, Ihalainen J. Endogenous hormones in hormonal contraceptive using and naturally menstruating Finnish physique athletes. European Journal of Sport Science. 2025; https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsc.70076
12. Kettunen O, Mikkola J, Ihalainen J. Associations Between Body Composition and Performance in Elite Endurance Athletes. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2025; https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2024-0506
13. Kuorelahti T, Ihalainen JK, Linnamo V, Badenhorst C, KettunenO, Mikkonen R.‘Live high -train low’ induced changes in hemoglobin mass and the erythropoietin – erythroferrone -  hepcidin axis in female endurance athletes. Physiological Reports. 2025; Accepted for publication.
14. Mikkonen RS, McClung H, Giersch G, Van Cutsem J, Wright H, O’Leary T, Greeves J (2025) Menstrual Health in Servicewomen: The Menstrual Cycle, Menstrual Disturbances, and Occupational Consequences. Sports Medicine Open. 2025; Accepted for publication.

Some of our researchers contributed to writing chapters of books.

1. Piirainen J ja Lesch KJ. Tasapaino ja sen mittaaminen. Teoksessa: Toim. Avela J & Virmavirta M.Biomekaniikan perusteita liikunta-alan ammattilaisille. Mäntsälä, VK-Kustannus
2. Kulmala JP ja Piirainen JM. Ikääntymisen vaikutukset biomekaniikkaan. Teoksessa: Toim. Avela J & Virmavirta M. Biomekaniikan perusteita liikunta-alan ammattilaisille. Mäntsälä, VK-Kustannus
3. Linnamo V ja Ohtonen O. Hiihdon biomekaniikka. Teoksessa: Toim. Avela J & Virmavirta M. Biomekaniikan perusteita liikunta-alan ammattilaisille. Mäntsälä, VK-Kustannus

Our unit produced 18 international congress abstracts.

All students who enrolled in autumn 2024 have continued their sports technology studies this year. (Including students from our dual career for athletes and coaches in collaboration with Kajaani University of Applied Sciences.)

One Master's thesis wa granted in 2025: Pääkkönen Timo: Liikuntateknologisten laitteiden ja sovellusten vaikutus liikuntamotivaatioon ja hyvinvointiin inaktiivisilla ja ylipainoisilla henkilöillä.

In addition, there are 12 doctoral dissertations in progress, which are supervised or co-supervised by supervisors from our unit. The doctoral researchers work in Vuokatti, Jyväskylä, or Ruka.

Our doctoral program celebrated its 20th anniversary. Over the past 20 years, 10 doctors of sports science have completed their dissertations at JYU-Vuokatti.

A total of five students from other educational institutions completed internships/practical training related to their studies at our unit.

In 2025, our staff was invited to give eighteen lectures at domestic or international conferences and symposia.

JYU-Vuokatti has been an active project participant throughout its entire history. There are currently 13 different projects underway. You can learn more about the projects here. Four of the projects were launched this year. One notable concrete result of these projects is the success of the FIN ski grinds implemented in the ski service project. These grinding patterns were used to ski all of the Finnish medals at the World Championships in Trondheim. In addition, thanks to the project, a ski service center, Toivon keskus, was opened in Vuokatti.

Another significant development was the research cooperation agreement with KalPa, the reigning Finnish ice hockey champions, which was initiated by University Researcher Jarmo Piirainen in the JÄTTI project.

In terms of events and seminars, the past year has once again been a busy one. We were involved in organizing the second Vuokatti Elite Sports Week, a series of live seminars on endurance training, Jyväskylä Business Networking Day, and the Lupaan liikun seminar.

Throughout the year, we have also invited various parties and organizations to familiarize themselves with the activities of our unit. A total of 12 different visits were arranged. The most memorable visits were those by President Alexander Stubb and Minister of Sport, Youth and Culture Mika Poutala. In addition to Poutala, Ministers Sari Multala and Mari-Leena Talvitie also visited our unit to learn about our activities. Janne Hänninen, who took up his post as the new High Performance Director at the Finnish Olympic Committee in July, has visited Vuokatti several times during the year.

In October, we organized a Science Afternoon for the local Upper Secondary School physical education and sports upper school class. Three different demonstrations introduced ninth graders to the world of sports science. the science afternoon was modeled after Researchers' Night, which is held every autumn on the main campus of the University of Jyväskylä.

Our unit's researchers once again received significant recognition. Ritva Mikkonen was awarded the Piikkarit Grand Prize for promoting equality in physical activity and sports. PhD Oona Kettunen, who works as a coaching expert at JYU-Vuokatti, and project manager MSc Miika Köykkä tied for third place in the young researchers' competition at the international ICSS congress in Italy in January.

On December 1, 2025, Jarmo Piirainen, university researcher and degree program coordinator, was awarded a docentship in sports technology at the University of Eastern Finland (Faculty of Science, Forestry, and Technology).

Long-term researcher and project manager Antti Leppävuori retired in July but will continue working under an emeritus agreement.

The coming year 2026 will bring changes to the management of our unit. Vesa Linnamo, the long-time director of JYU-Vuokatti, has been appointed dean of the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences and will take up his new position on January 1, 2026, continuing his service at the University of Jyväskylä. Ritva Mikkonen will take over as head of the Vuokatti unit, and Olli Ohtonen will become vice director.
 

"JYU-Vuokatti continues its successful operations and has earned well-deserved positive visibility in several national media outlets throughout the year. Cooperation with various partners is working excellently, which is also reflected in the results measured by various indicators. I would like to thank everyone for this, especially the wonderful staff at JYU-Vuokatti. My own duties will change at the beginning of 2026, and it is with a heavy heart but also with confidence that I will continue to follow the unit's success story," sums up Vesa Linnamo.

Ritva Mikkonen is of the same opinion:

"Our results reflect the unit's established, positive operating culture and multidimensional, systematic cooperation in the areas of teaching, supervision, research, and innovation. We would like to thank our partners and the wonderful staff at JYU-Vuokatti for this. In 2026, we will continue this work by responding to the changing needs of both the scientific field and the operating environment based on the principle of 'from science to practice'."