Inside Sport andExercise Sciences

School of Sport and Exercise Sciences

World CongressPage 2

NewsPage 4

NewsPage 5

Research spotlightPage 2

April 2014

Inside this edition1 Research spotlight2 World Congress of Cycling Science4 News6 Contact

Welcome to the April 2014 editionof the School of Sport andExercise Science Newsletter,designed to provide cutting edgeinsights into the world of sportand exercise sciences and deliverthe latest news from the school.

University of Kent School of Sport and Exercise Sciences 1

Endura clothing Professor Louis Passfield and Dr JamesHopker have recently been working withEndura clothing in the testing of their newcycling clothing, specially developed forthe Movistar Professional Cycling Team. OliBeckingsale a triple GB Olympic mountainbike rider was tested in the School’sEnvironmental Chamber at a temperatureof 30 degrees to see how the clothingaffected his cycling performance. Thereare several further trials planned with avariety of cyclists taking part.

Research spotlight

2 University of Kent School of Sport and Exercise Sciences

These are a few of the questionsthat a gathering of world leadingsports scientists, coaches andmedical practitioners aim toaddress at the UCI-endorsed2nd World Congress of CyclingScience at the Rose Bowl inLeeds from Wednesday 2 toThursday 3 July, just days beforethe city hosts the Grand Departof the Tour de France (Saturday 5July).

The conference is organised byProfessor Louis Passfield and DrJames Hopker from the Schoolof Sports and Exercises who aretwo of Great Britain’s leading

names in the field. The conferencehas so far attracted representativesfrom the likes of UCI Pro Tour teamsGarmin-Sharp, BMC, Francais desJeux, Movistar and Omega PharmaQuickstep.

Integrating the various aspects ofcoaching, sports science, medicine,technology and performance, theCongress will provide a forum for thediscussion of performanceenhancement with a focus on theTour itself. Speakers and participantsinclude former riders turnedcoaches Charly Wegelius (Garmin-Sharp) and Marco Pinotti (BMC ProCycling Team), with other specialguests to be announced.

Professor Passfield, previouslya sports scientist with the GreatBritain Cycling Team, said that theaim of the conference is “to furtherthe use of science in cycling and tohelp share relevant information withcoaches and sports scientists. Theconference programme is designedto stimulate and inspire futurecollaboration and research-informed practice for the benefitof a new generation of cyclists”.Students from the School are alsoattending the Congress as bothdelegates and assistants who willensure the whole event runssuccessfully. Finally students fromthe School will also be involved inrunning an event for local primaryschool children that aims topromote science, cycling and thelinks between them. The eventhopes to inspire children to learnmore about science based subjectsand being physically active.

–Are Tour de France champions born or made? Shouldcyclists strength train? How can pain become gain?What are the real benefits of contemporary sportsnutrition? And – bottom line – can sports science helpmake race winners?

World Congress

World Congress of Cycling Science

University of Kent School of Sport and Exercise Sciences 3

2013/2014 is an exciting year forEmployability both with theUniversity and the School of Sportand Exercise Sciences. We havealready had one University wide‘Employability Week’ in Novemberand there are also other exciting

opportunities within the School, suchas the School Ambassador Schemeas well as ambassador trainingbeing provided by the Science,Technology, Engineering andMathematics Network.

4 University of Kent School of Sport and Exercise Sciences

News

StudentExperienceI am a 2nd year Sports Sciencestudent, a qualified PersonalTrainer and also volunteer at aCardiac Rehabilitation group. Iwas offered an opportunity tohelp out and train an individualwho had a stroke and wanted todo some exercise to help theirrecovery but had nowhere elseto go. I’ve been helping out nowfor around 3 months, and it issuch a rewarding part of myweek. The university offers somany opportunities and youneed to be open to trysomething new whilst you can.Gaining experience can be timeconsuming yes, but I know thatgaining trust and helpingsomeone’s confidence growwho has been through such anillness, make it so much morevaluable. I wasn’t sure what fieldI wanted to work in within sportand exercise when I came toUniversity, but by takingopportunities like this, I’veopened my mind to something Inever even thought of.

Roisin SullivanBSc Sport for Exerciseand Health

Current students shouldcontact:S.Meadows@kent.ac.ukto discuss similar workexperiences for themselves.

The University of Kent’s dedicatedRespiratory Clinic has been verybusy over the past three months;supporting GB Boxing, GBSwimming, Liverpool FC andIpswich Town FC. Following thesuccess of work undertaken byDr John Dickinson from the Schoolof Sport and Exercise Science inadvance of the 2012 OlympicGames, the latest work has involvedsupporting in-depth analysis andscreening of GB Boxers, GBSwimmers and professional footballplayers for exercise induced asthma(EIA) and dysfunctional breathing.

The University of Kent’s RespiratoryClinic, which has a permanent basewithin the Medway Sports Centre,conducts research and consultancyaround the prevalence, diagnosisand treatment of EIA anddysfunctional breathing problemsduring exercise.

Dr Dickinson, The Respiratory Clinicand School’s RespiratoryPhysiologist, has been leadingtesting of Britain’s elite athletes inthis area of expertise since 2003.His experience includes testing over1,000 elite athletes, spanning allOlympic and many professionalsports, such as rugby and PremierLeague football, as well ascelebrities for Sport Relief.

Kent’s Respiratory Clinic

Employability: Helping our studentsstand out

University of Kent School of Sport and Exercise Sciences 5

News

StudentExperienceWork Experience as an ExerciseInstructor with Medway Council’sPhysical Activity Team atMedway Park. I first got my workexperience placement when Iapproached Phil in my lecture.He came in to do a talk aboutwhat he does, it really interestedme and I wanted to follow in hisfootsteps. At the end of thelecture I went and spoke to himpersonally and I ended upforwarding my CV for him to passon. I had to go through the wholeinterview process and had to gothrough all the relevant securitychecks as I was working withvulnerable people, this processtook approximately 2-3 weeks.I was able to plan my workexperience around my Universitywork which was very helpful. Inow attend 4 hours on a Mondayat Medway Park. Duties involvemeeting patients on prescribedNHS Phase IV referral schemesand making them feelcomfortable and relaxed in orderto follow preset exercise routineswith me. I give one-to-onesupport to the patients and usemy own initiative to be flexiblewith each patient. I am reallyenjoying it and I hope to carrythis on until I am able get a fulltime paid job.

Myles TannerBSc Sport for Exerciseand Health

95% of 2011 Kent Sports graduatesfound employment or went ontofurther study within 6 months, withan average salary of £18,000.Recently, University of Kent SportsTherapy graduates James Alvarezand Isabella Jimenez teamed up torun the Sport On Therapy Clinic,situated in Gibraltar. Isabella also

studied Sports Therapy at theUniversity of Kent and graduated in2007 before setting up the clinic,and James Alvarez completed bothhis undergraduate BSc and hispostgraduate MSc degrees at theUniversity of Kent graduating in2009 and 2010, respectively.

Graduate Focus: Isabella Jimenezand James Alvarez

Professor Samuele Marcora willannounce the results of his researchinto the physiological andpsychological demands ofadventure motorcycling at a publicevent on Thursday 12 June at theUniversity of Kent’s ChathamMaritime campus.

Professor Marcora, who is a keenmotorcyclist and Research Directorat the University’s School of Sportand Exercise Sciences based at thecampus, will present the findings of

his research conducted last year onhis scientific motorcycle expeditionfrom London to Beijing.

The marathon bike ride, runningfrom April-July 2013, saw ProfessorMarcora use himself and fellowbikers on the Globebusters’-organised adventure ride tomeasure how the gruellingconditions affected physical andmental performance. The researchfindings will include details of theeffects of using caffeine to reducefatigue in motorbike riders.

‘Adventure motorcycling: the impacton mind and body’, which will takeplace from 7-9pm at the PilkingtonLecture Theatre, Chatham Maritime,on 12 June. As well as thepresentation of the researchfindings and a Q&A session, theevening will feature a screening ofthe Globebusters’ film ‘The Ride-London to Beijing’.

Adventure motorcycling: the impact on mind and body

www.kent.ac.uk/sportsciences/

ContactSchool of Sport & Exercise SciencesUniversity of KentMedway BuildingChatham MaritimeKent ME4 4AG

T: +44 (0)1634 888463E: sportsciences@kent.ac.uk

OPEN DAYS IN 2014Medway CampusSaturday 21 JuneSaturday 11 October

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