Sports Physiology and Nutrition
Our Sports Physiology and Nutrition Research Group investigates the physiological responses and adaptations to exercise, and determines the efficacy and application of novel training, nutrition and ergogenic interventions to enhance sport performance.
Research themes
- Performance physiology (Andrew Kilding, Ed Maunder and Dan Plews)
- Exercise metabolism (Ed Maunder)
- Fatigue in exercise and sport (Simeon Cairns)
- Environmental physiology (Andrew Kilding and Ed Maunder)
- Nutrition for strength and body recomposition (Eric Helms)
- Nutrition for Sport Performance (Caryn Zinn, Andrew Kilding, Dan Plews)
- Clinical Exercise Physiology (Matt Wood)
If you're interested in pursuing postgraduate study and research with us, contact one of the researchers listed above. More information about the range of research topics within these general themes can be found below.
Our activities
Our research team has interest and expertise across a wide range of sport and exercise physiology research areas. Many supervising staff have identified priority research areas and are available to supervise new research students. See below for details and please contact any of the SPaN team if your interests align:
A/Prof Simeon Cairns
Muscle and exercise fatigue, supplementation and performance, high-intensity exercise, electrolytes, carbohydrate, team-sport
Priority areas of interest: Fatigue
Dr Eric Helms
Bodybuilding, weight class, hypertrophy, body composition, strength
Priority areas of interest: Improving strength, altering body composition
Prof Andrew Kilding
Endurance physiology, running economy, female athlete physiology, team sport conditioning, ergogenic aids, strategies to maximise aerobic adaptations and performance, heat stress/acclimation for performance
Priority areas of interest: Running economy, Team sport conditioning, Female athlete physiology
Dr Ed Maunder
Mitochondrial adaptation, durability, substrate metabolism, endurance physiology, heat stress
Priority areas of interest: Mitochondrial adaptation, Durability, Fatty acid metabolism
Dr Dan Plews
Ergogenic aids, micro-nutrient usage, recovery and sustainable training, durability, Carbohydrate restriction
Priority areas of interest: Right Fuel, Right Time training manipulation; Specific CHO supplementation for endurance performance; micro-nutrient usage for recovery, HRV and inflammation in athletes.
Matt Wood
Optimising exercise for health outcomes. Multi-component lifestyle strategies/health delivery models. Responses and adaptations to exercise in clinical populations.
Priority areas of interest: Optimising exercise strategies and health delivery models.
A/Prof Caryn Zinn
Dietary practice and manipulation for performance and health. Carbohydrate-restriction. Special population elite and recreational athletes (T2Diabetes).
Priority areas of interest: Carbohydrate-periodisation; continuous glucose-monitoring (CGM) use.