Sport and Exercise Science Research
The School of Sport and Exercise Science aspires to develop a national and international reputation for research.
Priority areas for development identified in the University of Worcester’s latest strategic plan include Physical Activity, Health and Wellbeing and Disability Sport. Research on lifestyle programmes and wellbeing is already underway in partnership with Worcestershire NHS Trust.
We aim to embrace all forms of research with a focus on applied research and knowledge transfer. The School has successfully supported 11 PhD and 1 MPhil students since 2008. Currently we have one FT studentship and 6 PT PhD students. The School is always seeking to work collaboratively with a range of partners to support PhD studentships.
Sport research interest groups
Staff engage in research activity as part of thematic research interest groups (RIGs). These include Regulation of Performance; Physical Education; Physical Activity, Health and Well-being; Gender, Identity and the Body and Performance Analysis. These groups provide a supportive environment for staff to share, discuss and develop their research.
Our research interest group membership is fluent and inclusive. If you are interested in any aspect of our work, if you wish to be involved, or to discuss, engage in, or commission any research or evaluation, please contact Professor Erica Bowen at e.bowen@worc.ac.uk.
Latest research and publications
We publish our research findings in a range of peer-reviewed journals and specialist magazines to share our innovative ideas with the international research community.
WRaP is an online catalogue of material produced by members of the University and contains details of our articles, conference papers, book chapters and publications.
Graduate Journal of Sport, Exercise and Physical Education Research
GJSEPER is an expert-reviewed journal edited by the University of Worcester that celebrates excellence in student-led research and intends to become the journal of choice for student research in sport, exercise and PE.
Recent publications
Mycock, D. and Molnár, G. (2021) 'The blind leading the blind' – A reflection on coaching blind football. EUJAPA. https://eujapa.upol.cz/corproof.php?tartkey=euj-000000-0145
Molnár, G. and Whigham, S. (2021) Radical Right Populist Politics in Hungary: Reinventing the Magyars through Sport. International Review for the Sociology of Sport. 56(1), doi: 10.1177/1012690219891656
Molnár, G. (2021) Sport, Labour and Migration. In: Wenner, L. (ed.), Oxford Handbook of Sport and Society. Oxford University Press
Molnár, G. and Doczi, T. (2020) A transitology of Hungarian Football. In: Rojo-Labaien, E., Rodríguez-Díaz, Á. and Rookwood, J. (eds.), Sport, Statehood and Transition in Europe: Comparative perspectives from post-Soviet and post-socialist societies. London: Routledge
Seymour, A. J. and Blakey, P. A. (2020) Digital Sport Marketing, Abingdon, Routledge
Piekarz, M., Blakey, P. A., Newbold, M. and Renfree, G. (2020) Sport Operational Management and Development, Abingdon, Routledge
Bateman, M. and Jones, G. (2019) Strategies for Maintaining the Coach-Analyst Relationship within Professional Football Utilising the COMPASS Model: The Performance Analyst’s Perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 10 (2064). ISSN Online: 1664-1078
Steward, C.J., Zhou, Y., Keane, G., Cook, M.D., Liu, Y. and Cullen, T. (2019) One week of magnesium supplementation lowers IL-6, muscle soreness and increases post-exercise blood glucose in response to downhill running. Eur J Apply Physiol, doi: .1007/s00421-019-04238-y. [Epub ahead of print]
Willems, M.E.T., Şahin, M.A., Berendsen T. and Cook, M.D. (2019) Effect of New Zealand blackcurrant extract on cycling performance and substrate oxidation in normobaric hypoxia in trained cyclists. Sports, 7(3)
Wadley, A., Keane, G., Cullen, T., James, L., Vautrinot, J., Davies, M., Hussey, B., Hunter, D.J., Mastana, S., Holliday, A., Petersen, S.V., Bishop, N.C., Lindley, M.R. and Coles, S. (2019) Characterisation of Extracellular Redox Enzyme Concentrations in Response to Exercise in Humans. Journal of Applied Physiology. ISSN Print: 8750-7587 Online: 1522-1601. http://eprints.worc.ac.uk/8271/
Francis, J., Owen, A. and Peters, D.M. (2019) A New Reliable Performance Analysis Template for Quantifying Action Variables in Elite Men’s Wheelchair Basketball. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, pp. 1–16. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00016
Francis, J.W., Owen, A. and Peters, D.M. (2019) Making every 'point' count: Identifying the key determinants of team success in elite men’s wheelchair basketball, Frontiers in Psychology, 10, pp. 1-16. doi: 10.3389/FPSYG.2019.01431
Guinan, J., Thomas, G. and Molnar, G. (2019) Women’s barriers to becoming and being a strength and conditioning coach. Women in Sport and Exercise Conference 11th - 12th June 2019, St Mary’s University Twickenham, London. WRaP link: http://eprints.worc.ac.uk/8202/
Holland, C.J., Hughes, J.D. and De Ste Croix, M.B.A. (2019) The effect of joint mobilisation treatment dose on dynamic balance in those with chronic ankle instability. Abstracts for the 24th Annual European College of Sports Science, 3-6 July 2019, Prague, Czech Republic
Holland, C.J. and Godwin, M. (2019) The metabolic demand of external load carriage in golfers: A comparison of a single versus double-strap golf bag. J Sports Med Phys Fitness
Gibson, O.R., James, C.A., Mee, J., Willmott, A.G.B., Turner, G., Hayes, M. and Maxwell, N.S. (2019) Heat alleviation strategies for athletic performance: A review and practitioner guidelines. Temperature. ISSN Print: 2332-8940, Online: 2332-8959 (In Press) https://eprints.worc.ac.uk/id/eprint/8802
Zurawlew, M., Mee, J.A. and Walsh, N.P. (2019) Post-exercise Hot Water Immersion Elicits Heat Acclimation Adaptations That Are Retained for at Least Two Weeks. Frontiers in Physiology. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2019.01080/full
Kanemasu, Y. and Molnar, G. (2019) Against All Odds: Fijiana’s Flight from Zero to Hero in the Rugby World Cup? In Harris, J. and Wise, N. (eds.), Rugby in Global Perspective: Playing on the Periphery. Oxon: Routledge
Postlethwaite, V., Kohe, G.Z. and Molnar, G. (2019) Inspiring a Generation: An examination of stakeholder relations in the context of London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics educational programmes. Managing Sport and Leisure. SI: Creating and Managing a Sustainable Sporting Future, 23(4-6)
Martín, J.J.D., Renfree, A., Fernández-Ozcorta, E.J., Torres, M. and Santos-Concejero, J. (2019) Pacing and Performance in the 6 World Marathon Majors. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. ISSN Online: 2624-9367 (In Press)
Hanley, B., Casado, A. and Renfree, A. (2019) Lane and Heat Draw Have Little Effect on Placings and Progression in Olympic and IAAF World Championship 800 m Running. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. ISSN Online: 2624-9367
Veen, J., Corbett, M. and Renfree, A. (2019) Maximal Sprints Within the Warm-up Does Not Affect Pacing or Performance in a 10 km Cycle Time Trial. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise. ISSN Online: 1988-5202 (In Press)
Gonzales-Mohino, F., Santos del Cerro, J., Renfree, A., Yustres, I. and González-Ravé, J.M. (2019) The Relationship Between Tactical Positioning and the Race Outcome in 800-m Running at the 2016 Olympic Games and 2017 IAAF World Championship. Journal of Human Kinetics. ISSN Print: 1640-5544 Online: 1899-7562 (In Press)
Casado, A., Moreno-Pérez, D., Larrosa, M. and Renfree, A. (2019) Different Psychophysiological Responses to a High-intensity Repetition Session Performed Alone or in a Group by Elite Middle-distance Runners. European Journal of Sport Science, 19 (8). pp. 1045-1052. ISSN Print: 1746-1391 Online: 1536-7290
Renfree, G. and Kohe, G.Z. (2019) Running the club for love: challenges for identity, accountability and governance relationships, European Journal for Sport and Society, DOI: 10.1080/16138171.2019.1623987
Thomas, G., Cullen, T., Davies, M., Hetherton, C., Duncan, B. and Gerrett, N. (2019) Independent or Simultaneous Lowering of Core and Skin Temperature Has No Impact on Self‑paced Intermittent Running Performance in Hot Conditions. European Journal of Applied Physiology. ISSN Print: 1439-6319 Online: 1439-6327
Cullen, T., Thomas, G., Wadley, A.J. and Myers, T. (2019) The effects of a single night of complete and partial sleep deprivation on physical and cognitive performance: A Bayesian analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, pp.1-9
Vinson, D. and Parker, A. (2019) Vygotsky and sports coaching: Non-linear practice in youth and adult settings. Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education, 12(1), 91-106
Vinson, D., Cale, A., Christian, P., Huckle, V., Faulkner, C. and Jones, G. (2019) Investigating the value created through a selective talent and performance coach development programme. In Corsby, C. and Edwards, C.(eds.) (in press) Context and Contingency: Exploring research in sports coaching pedagogy, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Cambridge, 73-84
West, J. (2019) Research Ethics in Sport and Exercise Science. In: Iphofen, R. (eds) Handbook of Research Ethics and Scientific Integrity. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76040-7_48-1. Online ISBN 978-3-319-76040-7. https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-3-319-76040-7_48-1.pdf
For more information, please visit our Worcester Research and Publications webpage.
Latest research news
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Tuesday, 27 April 2021
The third international Women in Sport & Exercise conference, hosted by the University of Worcester, has smashed all previous records for participation, welcoming over 700 delegates and speakers from across the world, roughly seven times the attendance of previous events.
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Tuesday, 20 April 2021
The University of Worcester has been selected as one of four universities to become part of a new women’s premier league for British Wheelchair Basketball.
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Monday, 19 April 2021
The University of Worcester has welcomed the news that Professor Nobuko Tanaka-Hibino has been appointed to the Board of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Organising Committee.