Sport and Physical Activity research

Research group team

Professor Stuart Fairclough (Lead), Dr Mhairi MacDonald, Dr Rhona-Martin-Smith, Professor Adrian Midgley

Research group summary

The group’s research focuses on evaluating the effects of physical activity and sedentary behaviour on health and wellbeing using a wide range of cutting edge, multidisciplinary approaches. The work aligns to the Behavioural Epidemiology Framework by focusing on correlates, measurement, intervention, surveillance and health outcomes research. The overarching aim of the research is to positively impact people’s health and wellbeing through changes to their movement behaviours. Much of this work is to develop and test interventions and health promotion programming with children, young people and schools, which complements our adult physical activity research in community settings. This applied research is disseminated in peer-reviewed academic publications, and to impact policy and practice, research findings are also reported through grey literature, workshops, and other forms of knowledge exchange.

Research group team

Dr Lee Nelson (Lead), Dr Anthony Maher (Lead), Kenny Greenough (Associate), Dr Chris Hughes, Dr Neil King, Dr Emily Lovett, Joanne McVeigh (Associate), Dr Jimmy O’Gorman, Mark Partington (Associate), Sarah Hunt (Associate), Dr Jack Sugden

Research group summary

This group’s research explores pedagogy, professional development and politics in physical education and sport. Our research is multidisciplinary, theoretically-informed and practically applied. A key aim of the group is to solve real-world problems. While much of our research is responsive and multifarious, the specific focus ranges from the politics and governance of sporting organisations and schools, to the bodies, lives, careers, practices and professional development of sports workers, athletes and educationalists. Through our research and consultancy work, we aim to influence the policies and practices of universities, schools, sporting organisations, and local councils.

Research group partners

Physical education and sport partners

• Youth Sport Trust
• English Football Association
• North West Counties Physical Education Association
• Association for Physical Education
• UK Deaf Sport
• British Blind Sport
• Activity Alliance
• Lansbury Bridge School and Sports College

Academic partners

• Liverpool John Moores University
• Sheffield Hallam University
• Loughborough University
• Leeds Beckett University
• University of Warwick
• University of Brighton
• Brunel University
• Dublin City University
• University of Virginia
• Old Dominions University
• University of Valencia
• University of Almeria
• University of Barcelona

Research group team

Professor Andy Smith (Lead), Dr David Haycock, Dr Laura Johnson, Jon Jones (Associate), Dr Emily Lovett, Dr Lee Nelson, Dr Jimmy O’Gorman, Dr Laura Purdy, Rachel Wilcock (Associate)

Research group summary

This group’s research focuses on the links between sport, work and health in community and professional contexts in local, national and international settings. It focuses particularly on how working in sport, physical activity and exercise domains impacts on health and wellbeing, with several projects focusing on mental health and suicide prevention. Underpinned by a range of sociological and policy approaches, our applied research involves working with a range of partner organisations in community sport, physical activity and exercise contexts (such as public, private, voluntary and community sectors) as well as professional sport settings (such as individual teams, clubs, national governing bodies). Our research users are diverse and include: participants/service users, athletes/players, coaches, managers, officials, administrators, policy-makers, and volunteers. The research produced by our group is published in academic peer-reviewed journals, in reports and policy briefings, and through a range of public engagement and knowledge exchange activities including workshops, training and CPD, government reports and media announcements.

Key research partners (in addition to those already listed on the website)

Physical education and sport partners

• Everton Football Club
• State of Mind Sport
• Warrington Wolves Foundation
• Salford Red Devils Foundation
• The Vikings Sports Foundation
• CHAMPS Public Health Collaboration
• Wirral Borough Council
• Mental Health First Aid England
• University of Chester
• Local schools and colleges

Members of this group are also active members of the Centre for Child Protection and Safeguarding in Sport research group.

Research group team

Professor Matt Greig (Lead), Dr Chris Brogden, Dr Ben Langley, Dr Pascual Marques, John McCreadie (Associate), Dr Richard Page, Steven Ross (Associate), Kristian Weaver (Associate), Lynsey Wilson (Associate)

Research group summary

The Sports Injuries Research Group comprises a blend of sports therapy and sports science practitioner-researchers with common themes in injury prevention and management. With access to excellent laboratory and clinical spaces, but also armed with a wealth of practical experience, the team strive to conduct laboratory and field-based research that provides real world solutions. Analysis is bespoke to the problem, often taking the science to the athlete, and using the athlete in developing solutions. This research is characterised by contemporary use of cutting edge data collection and analysis tools to make the research of functional relevance to the practitioner and/or athlete. Embedding sports science within the sports therapy competencies provides the team with a niche in being able to cater for all aspects of the injury process, to include epidemiology, aetiology, and interventions. This applied research is disseminated in peer-reviewed academic publications, and through other forms of knowledge exchange so as to inform practice in disciplines associated with performance enhancement and injury prevention. We put no restrictions on sport, gender, age, or playing ability.

Primary sub-themes within the research group currently reflect: Treatment and management of sports injuries, Biomechanical markers of injury risk.

Research group team

Professor Lars McNaughton (Lead), Dr Matt Greig, Dr Craig Bridge, Dr Greg Doncaster, Dr Ben Langley, Dr Pascual Marques, Dr Kelly Marrin, Dr Richard Page, Dr Andy Sparks, Dr David Marchant, Dr Evelyn Carnegie, Dr Lorcan Cronin, Dr Paul Ellison, Dr Emma Huntley (Associate), Dr Maria-Christina Kosteli

Research group summary

The Sports Performance, Exercise, and Nutrition research group has a multidisciplinary focus that broadly covers the Sport and Exercise Sciences. The research of this group is principally concerned with maximizing human performance in sport and exercise settings. Our research explores the acute and chronic responses to sports performance and various exercise modalities. The group has a strong research record investigating the interactions between diet, nutritional interventions, environmental conditions, and other scenarios that can alter human performance. Key areas of interest to the group are biomechanical, metabolic, and physiological factors that result in fatigue, alter sleep, circadian rhythms and exercise performance. Our psychology research explores optimising learning and performance in sport (such as attentional focus, visual information processing, motivation, feedback, competitive environments), the psychological benefits of sport and exercise participation (including youth life skill development, and cognition) and imagery use in sport.Our work is internationally renowned for identifying and resolving practical problems in the sport and exercise sciences. We regularly undertake research collaboratively with external organizations, sports clubs, individual athletes and colleagues in other universities nationally and internationally. The strong applied emphasis of our work leads us to collaborate with key research users, including sports coaches, physiotherapists, medical staff, nutritionists, General Practitioners, and strength and conditioning specialists.

The group includes researchers and postgraduate research students all actively engaged in a wide range of research projects.