Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences
Key staff:
Dr Mark Goss Sampson, Mark Chapman, Dr Monem Jemni, Bettina Karsten, Jenny Strickland, Dr Judith Allgrove, Sion Thomas.
We are all aware of the importance of physical fitness, but how many of us really know how fit we are? Do you have high blood pressure? How many of you have had it measured recently, or know how much fat (cholesterol) is circulating in your blood? How many days have you taken off work in the past 12 months? If you are an employer, how many employee working days have you lost due to stress-related problems or illness?
Staff in the Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences can answer these and other questions. Our specialist exercise physiologists pride themselves on their facilities and equipment. We are able to cater for all types of individuals. You may be wondering if you should embark on an exercise or fitness programme. You may be an elite competitive athlete.
What sports or physical activities can we support?
We can meet the needs of most sport/physical activities, and stress the importance of sport-specific testing. At Medway Campus we have excellent resources for able-bodied and physically disabled athletes.
What is the purpose of physiological monitoring?
This determines basic fitness levels in a controlled, objective environment. We also:
- recommend training methods and exercise intensity domains;
- monitor adaptations to training and then track improvements in fitness;
- help maximise an athlete’s sporting potential;
- explore new and alternative forms of training;
- examine the benefits of ergogenic aids;
- help coaches identify individual needs and prescribe training programmes.
Our services
- Anthropometry (measuring body shape, composition and flexibility).
- Assessment of anaerobic power (sprint) capacity.
- Determination of aerobic power capacity (endurance, sport-specific VO2 max testing).
- Detection of anaerobic threshold and associated training recommendations.
- Assessment of isokinetic and isometric muscular power, strength and endurance.
- Assessment of strength and (core) conditioning with provision of training programmes.
- Blood profiling including haematology and lipid profiles.
- Markers of immune function in response to exercise.
- Help and advice with dietary and exercise requirements.
- 2D and 3D analysis of movement and muscle activation.
- Sport-specific field testing.
Research areas and scientific support
Recent sports related work has been done in association with British Gymnastics, British Judo Association, UK Handcycling Association UK, professional football clubs, professional and amateur golfers, boxers, swimmers, track and field athletes. There are also ongoing collaborations with the Metropolitan Police, Medway Council and Age Concern.
Current research projects
- Biomechanics and modelling of golf performance
- Biomechanics of the pole vault
- Physiology and biomechanics of upper-body exercise in relation to disabled handcycling
- The effects of exercise on immune function
- Beneficial effects of power training on daily activities in the elderly
- Novel treatment of Osgood-Schlatter’s disease in young athletes
- Effects of training on growth, development and hormonal regulation in elite athletes
Research
In exercise physiology, we have several lines of enquiry. A particular strength is in the area of upper-body testing where we research methodological considerations associated with endurance capacity and all-out sprint tests.
We have purpose-built test rigs for examining physiological responses to generic arm crank ergometry. We have also recently commissioned a piece of equipment that enables handcyclists to bring their own bikes into our laboratory for the purpose of undertaking sub-maximal and exhaustive tests. In addition to laboratory-based work, we are also able to test in the field and have portable capability for respiratory gas analysis, and electrical muscular activity (EMG), as well as a team heart rate monitoring system.
Though most of our research focuses on physiological responses to upper-body exercise, we can adopt a distinct multi-interdisciplinary approach. In addition to collecting physiology data, we can gather sophisticated biomechanical information that provides us with an insight into the causes of fatigue and might help improve technique. We report our findings through national and international conference proceedings and peer-reviewed publications.
Recent work has been done in association with professional and amateur boxers, competitive swimmers, the British Judo Association and the UK Handcycling Association. Our research is not only of interest to readers of journals we publish in, but also helps athletes realise their true potential. Our work is held in high regard by coaches, performance directors of national governing bodies and other sport and exercise scientists.
Publications
Allgrove, J.E., Gomes, E., Hough, J. and Gleeson ,M. (2008). Effects of exercise intensity on salivary antimicrobial proteins and markers of stress in active men. J Sports Sci. 26 (6): 653-661.
Jemni, M., Sands, W., Friemel, F, Cooke, C, and Stone, M. (2006) Effect of gymnastics training on aerobic and anaerobic components in elite and sub elite men gymnasts. J. Strength Cond Res. 20 (4): 899-907.
Jemni, M., Sands, W., Friemel,.F.and Delamarche, P. (2003). Effect of active and passive recovery on blood lactate and performance during simulated competition in high level gymnasts. Can. J. Appl. Physiol. 28 (2), 240-256.
Price.M.J., Collins, L., Smith, P.M. and Goss-Sampson .M. (2007) The effects of cadence and power output upon physiological and biomechanical responses to incremental arm-crank ergometry. Appl Physiol Nut Met. Physiol. 32 (4), 686-692.
Sands W, McNeal J, Stone M, Kimmel W, Haff G, Jemni M. (2008) The Effect of Vibration on Active and Passive Range of Motion in Female Elite Synchronized Swimmers. Eur J Sport Science, April 2008. (In press)
Smith PM, Chapman ML, Hazlehurst KE, Goss-Sampson MA. (2008) The influence of crank configuration on muscle activity and torque production during arm crank ergometry. J Electromyogr Kinesiol (In press)