Blog
Understanding how the healthy human body works during exercise, and how sport and physical activity promote health (both physically and mentally).
Cluster lead
Background info
The aim of this research cluster is to bring together the diverse expertise within the sport and exercise BCU community. We have a range of established researchers, early career researchers, PhD, masters, and undergraduate students contributing to this important work to improve performance and health across the city of Birmingham and beyond.
We believe in a philosophy that promotes and encourages engagement at all levels, to improve quality of life and to foster the values of BCU including inclusivity, partnership working and community focused outcomes. The cluster operates with key strategic aims to build a national and international reputation:
- Promoting an inclusive research environment for all study levels and backgrounds
- Ensuring practical application of our research through external partnership working and offering sport and exercise solutions for sporting bodies
- Creating a research environment that supports collaboration and growth to tackle real-world problems in sport and the wider community.
Research objectives
- To understand the mechanisms involved in improving the technique/efficiency of athletes, reducing the incidence of injury/illness in athletes, helping athletes peak for competition, and the mental preparation of athletes.
- To provide research for academics and students that are orientated towards sport and exercise sciences research.
- To support the development of research themes and groups within sport and exercise sciences.
RAYSD Lab
Group Leader – Dr Adam Kelly
The Research into Athlete Development and Youth Sport Development (RAYSD) lab has been designed around three integral outcomes: (a) Participation, (b) Personal Development, and (c) Performance (the 3Ps). The overall purpose of ADYS is to work alongside collaborative partners to design, implement, and evaluate new and existing organisational structures in sport. Moreover, ADYS’ mission is to help create evidence-based approaches to facilitate more appropriate athlete development and youth sport settings.
Human Performance and Health Lab
Lab lead - Dr Lewis Gough
The Human Performance and Health research group is a vibrant and dynamic research community spanning from postgraduate research students through to established experts. The team has a wealth of experience across a number of disciplines and their research activity spans a wide remit. Our team also actively engage in applied work offering evidence-based solutions to improve performance or health to a wide range of national and international partners.
Our goal is to conduct wide-reaching, impactful and internationally significant research to provide insight into the achievement and maintenance of peak performance and health to benefit both athletes and the wider community.
We are committed to pursuing improved sport performance through research exploring factors contributing to athletic success; including training, recovery and adaptation. We also aim to further our understanding of the components influencing and limiting optimal human health and quality of life.
Physical Activity Society and Environment (PHASE)
Lead - Dr Simon Cook
The BCU Physical Activity, Society and Environment (PHASE) research group aims to understand the impacts of physical activity on people, communities, places, and environments, and in turn, the impact they have on physical activity.
Physical activity is a meaningful component of life, society and environment, influenced by diverse cultures and identities, political landscapes, ecologies, and spaces. Working alongside a range of local, national and international organisations, we are dedicated to promoting active and inclusive lives, places and communities, where we work collaboratively to generate critical insights into the dynamic interplay of physical activity, society, and the environment, paving the way for positive change.
Our mission:
- Study, explore and understand the interactions between physical activity, society and the environment.
- Apply multidisciplinary approaches to address societal inequalities through effective use of physical activity and surrounding environments.
- Collaborate with the local, national and international communities, promoting physical activity for all, supporting access, inclusion and opportunity.
- To trailblaze and showcase applied and informed physical activity projects and interventions with policy makers and governing bodies.