Thursday, 19 February 2015
Graduate expands research work
Since its launch in 2008, approximately 200 interns have worked directly with researchers on a variety of projects across the university.
Hayley Vincent, who graduated with a First Class Sports Science degree, joined UCLan SENS as a URIS intern to work on a project focused on sports biomechanics.
In conjunction with Lecturer Dr Jonathan Sinclair, Hayley investigated how different squat techniques (front and back squat) affect the loads applied to the knee which may increase the risk of injury.
Dr Sinclair commented: "During Hayley's final year she investigated the effects of minimalist and sport specific footwear during netball movements. The results of the study were published in The Journal of Footwear Science.
"As knee injuries are extremely commonplace in squatting activities, the results of this research provides useful clinical information to those susceptible to injuries regarding the most appropriate squat lift to use."
The internship gave Hayley valuable experience in Sports Science research. She said she found the process extremely enjoyable: "I gained a real insight into the time and effort that goes into a research project.
"I was involved particularly in the recruitment and communication with participants and the testing process. It allowed me to get used to adjusting to different situations, as things can go wrong. For example, during the testing we had some equipment problems and I had to learn how to change and adapt to those circumstances.
"I had great support from my research team and I gained a lot of knowledge from the experience. It was great preparation for my Research Masters which I'm currently undertaking at UCLan."
Tuesday, 3 February 2015
26in/27.5in/29in - What's The Fastest MTB Wheel Size? - Part 2
The results of Dr Howard Hurst's study into wheel sizes and mountain bike performance have been published by the UK's top bicycle review website, BikeRadar.
The video above explains the findings. If you missed Part 1, please click here.
Friday, 23 January 2015
26in/27.5in/29in - What's The Fastest MTB Wheel Size? - Part 1
Dr Howard Hurst's study into wheel sizes and mountain bike performance is set to feature on the UK's top bicycle review website, BikeRadar.
The video above sets the scene for the study, with an article going on the BikeRadar website next week along with part 2 of the video which will discuss the findings.
Thursday, 15 January 2015
European Motocross testing enhances students' learning
Our programmes offer students the opportunity to enhance their career prospects by gaining 'real world' experience.Master's students Misha Murtagh and Joe Wood recently accompanied a professional Motocross team to Spain, where they conducted a series of research tests on the riders.
Misha and Joe have kindly provided us with a blog about their trip:
We travelled to Lloret De Mar for a few days to conduct some basic testing and profiling on high level Motocross riders. The riders included Max Anstie and Mel Pocock (Dixon Racing) and Reece Desoer (Preston Docks MX).
The testing had begun in the Physiology Laboratory in Darwin Building, where we tested the riders’ VO2 Max and monitored the effect that incremental increases in intensity had on their blood lactate levels in correlation to heart rate. When we went to Spain we recorded their heart rate and blood lactate in a setting more specific to the demands of the sport.
During our stay we visited two different tracks, both of which placed different demands on the riders. We worked the best we could on the side of the tracks as these tests are generally conducted in clinical laboratory settings, so we had to adapt to the environment and find ways around any problems presented. With the cooperation of the riders we were successful – they were fantastic to work with and really showed an interest in what we were doing.
This trip gave us the opportunity to apply the theory learnt at UCLan into a practical setting, where we had to adjust the protocols used to fit in with the unique scenario we experienced.
An example of this is that we had the riders stop as if it was a pit stop every five laps to take results, but the time it took would vary dependent on the smoothness of each lap, the speed of the rider and the other riders on the track.During testing even if we staggered the start times of the riders there would still be a chance of two coming in at the same time, so we allotted each other jobs and planned how to cope if two did come in at once. This only happened one time and was dealt with fluently causing minimal disruption to the training.
The testing links in well with our course and career opportunities as we were testing elite athletes in an extreme sport where little research has been conducted in these conditions.
We showed the ability to assess the physical demands of the sport and aim to identify areas in which their performance can be improved in the future - both of which are vital components of working in an elite sporting environment.
We'd like to thank John Desoer of Preston Docks MX and the Steve Dixon Racing Team for inviting us along to their training camp and taking good care of us while we were away, and Max, Mel and Reece for allowing us to test on them. It was a thoroughly enjoyable trip.
Monday, 5 January 2015
Workshop: Nutrition Policy to Practice in Pakistan - Exploring the Challenges and Research Opportunities
The British Council and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in Pakistan has launched a new five-year programme to encourage international research collaboration between ambitious researchers from the UK and eighteen countries around the world.
The programme, 'British Council Researcher Links' provides opportunities for early career researchers from the UK and internationally to interact, learn from each other and explore opportunities for building long-lasting research collaborations.
As part of this programme, a 'call to action' was issued in April 2014 for leading researchers to propose themes for bilateral workshops to be held in one of these countries which will bring together early career researchers to discuss their research and start to build international relationships.
Professor Nicola Lowe is the UK coordinator for this workshop event which will look at nutrition issues in Pakistan.
For further details about the workshop and how to apply, please click here.
The programme, 'British Council Researcher Links' provides opportunities for early career researchers from the UK and internationally to interact, learn from each other and explore opportunities for building long-lasting research collaborations.
As part of this programme, a 'call to action' was issued in April 2014 for leading researchers to propose themes for bilateral workshops to be held in one of these countries which will bring together early career researchers to discuss their research and start to build international relationships.
Professor Nicola Lowe is the UK coordinator for this workshop event which will look at nutrition issues in Pakistan.
For further details about the workshop and how to apply, please click here.
Wednesday, 10 December 2014
Food Matters for staff and students
UCLan SENS' staff and students recently attended the prestigious 'Food Matters Live' event in London.Lecturers Dr Steph Dillon, Dr Brigit Ramsingh, Dr Marisol Warthon-Medina and April Melia accompanied 25 students to London's ExCel for the annual gathering which is dedicated to food, health and nutrition.
The event brings together the food and drink industry, retailers, food service providers, government, academia and features seminars, workshops as well as a vast array of exhibitors.
The trip was an excellent opportunity for the group to learn about the latest food innovations, make contacts with members of the food industry and health professionals, and sample products from companies that have developed allergen-free alternatives, functional foods, and tapped into trends such as the Paleo diet and 'raw' and 'natural' snacks.
Students had the opportunity to network with exhibitors from the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) and the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF International) about industry related topics and also discuss student placement opportunities.
Master's by Research student Suruci Pradhan (right) commented: "It was an extremely innovative and educational event."It was interesting to know about food products, technologies and different careers in food industry through wide range of exhibitors. I'm really looking forward to attending this event next year."
April Melia added: "The event was an ideal opportunity for staff and students to meet exhibitors from all areas of food safety, food hygiene and food science.
"There were so many interesting and exciting development areas covered by exhibitors and the students really engaged with the whole experience.
"It was also an opportunity to attend seminars and conferences covering the latest research from around the world.
Friday, 5 December 2014
PhD Studentship in intermuscular coordination
The role of intermuscular coordination in the transfer of strength gains to maximal sports performance.
Location: Sport City Manchester and Sheffield Hallam University
£13,863 per annum stipend plus fees
Closing Date: 19th December 12.00pm.
In collaboration with the English Institute of Sport (EIS), the Centre for Sports Engineering Research (CSER) at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) invites applications for a PhD exploring the role of intermuscular coordination in the transfer of strength gains to maximal sports performance.
Increases in strength, in general, transfer positively to the performance of maximal sports movements. The magnitude of performance gain can vary dramatically across training modalities and sporting movements.
For example, while the majority of training studies demonstrate performance increases with strength gains, some report that strength gains are not accompanied by increases in performance, and others even report a decrease in sports performance.
It is hypothesised that these counter-intuitive findings can be explained by the notion that intermuscular coordination needs to be adapted to exploit the increase in muscle strength. That is, without appropriate adaptation in intermuscular coordination, the increase in muscle strength will not result in improved performance.
This issue raises a host of interesting motor control and biomechanics questions, as well as providing an opportunity to enhance sports performance by improving the transfer of strength gains to maximal sporting movements.
This PhD project will explore the biomechanical, motor control and morphological changes following a period of strength training. Using a maximal cycling model, the effect of strength changes on intermuscular coordination will be investigated both computationally and experimentally.
Adopting an ecological dynamics theoretical framework, the PhD will also seek to use this understanding to design interventions that improve the transfer of strength to performance, possibly utilising biofeedback.
Applicants should have a 1st or 2:1 honours degree (or equivalent) in sports science, biomechanics, engineering or a related area. An MSc. in a related area would be beneficial, as would experience of providing applied support to athletes.
As well as academically talented, applicants should be self-motivated, autonomous and have excellent problem solving abilities. Suitable candidates from outside the UK/EU can apply but non UK/EU students must fund the difference between the International and UK/EU fee. Applicants for whom English is not their first language are required to have an IELTS overall band 6 with a minimum score of 5.5 in all skill areas.
Please send a one-page covering letter outlining your interest and proposed approach with an accompanying CV (maximum length two A4 pages) to cser@shu.ac.uk by 12 pm (midnight) 19th December 2014.
For further information please email Dr Jon Wheat or Dr Paul Barratt.
Location: Sport City Manchester and Sheffield Hallam University
£13,863 per annum stipend plus fees
Closing Date: 19th December 12.00pm.
In collaboration with the English Institute of Sport (EIS), the Centre for Sports Engineering Research (CSER) at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) invites applications for a PhD exploring the role of intermuscular coordination in the transfer of strength gains to maximal sports performance.
Increases in strength, in general, transfer positively to the performance of maximal sports movements. The magnitude of performance gain can vary dramatically across training modalities and sporting movements.
For example, while the majority of training studies demonstrate performance increases with strength gains, some report that strength gains are not accompanied by increases in performance, and others even report a decrease in sports performance.
It is hypothesised that these counter-intuitive findings can be explained by the notion that intermuscular coordination needs to be adapted to exploit the increase in muscle strength. That is, without appropriate adaptation in intermuscular coordination, the increase in muscle strength will not result in improved performance.
This issue raises a host of interesting motor control and biomechanics questions, as well as providing an opportunity to enhance sports performance by improving the transfer of strength gains to maximal sporting movements.
This PhD project will explore the biomechanical, motor control and morphological changes following a period of strength training. Using a maximal cycling model, the effect of strength changes on intermuscular coordination will be investigated both computationally and experimentally.
Adopting an ecological dynamics theoretical framework, the PhD will also seek to use this understanding to design interventions that improve the transfer of strength to performance, possibly utilising biofeedback.
Applicants should have a 1st or 2:1 honours degree (or equivalent) in sports science, biomechanics, engineering or a related area. An MSc. in a related area would be beneficial, as would experience of providing applied support to athletes.
As well as academically talented, applicants should be self-motivated, autonomous and have excellent problem solving abilities. Suitable candidates from outside the UK/EU can apply but non UK/EU students must fund the difference between the International and UK/EU fee. Applicants for whom English is not their first language are required to have an IELTS overall band 6 with a minimum score of 5.5 in all skill areas.
Please send a one-page covering letter outlining your interest and proposed approach with an accompanying CV (maximum length two A4 pages) to cser@shu.ac.uk by 12 pm (midnight) 19th December 2014.
For further information please email Dr Jon Wheat or Dr Paul Barratt.
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