The Sport & Exercise Research Group

The Sport & Exercise Research Group is engaged in activity across the following areas

  • Cardiovascular parameters and intermittent isometric exercise
  • Psychological skills for enhancing sport performance
  • Psychological responses to competitive injury
  • Adapted physical activity

Cardiovascular parameters and intermittent isometric exercise

Tony Baross

Existing evidence suggest that short intermittent periods of low intensity isometric muscle contractions have an affect on cardiovascular parameters such as blood pressure, both during exercise and significantly post exercise. The research being undertaken will develop this concept by more accurately determining the intensity and length of the contractions and establish a relationship for a range of intensities and cardiovascular parameters, particularly blood pressure. However, the initial studies will focus on the force/EMG relationship within the utilized muscle groups.

For further details contact Mr Tony Baross at tony.baross@northampton.ac.uk

Psychological responses to competitive injury

Dr Natalie Walker

Injury is an unfortunate consequence of participation in athletic activity. As participation has increased over the last decade, injury rates have subsequently increased. The physical aspects of athletic injury that influence injury onset and recovery have been, and continue to be, the primary focus of athletic injury research (e.g., aetiology, epidemiology, outcome measures, prevention, diagnosis, treatment). However, less attention has been directed to the psychological consequences of athletic injury. There remains a need to examine the psychological impact of athletic injury as such an understanding would assist rehabilitation personnel when treating injured athletes. Sports trainers, sport therapists, physiotherapists, medical staff, and sport psychologists should be aware of psychological factors impacting the injury experience when involved in an athlete’s rehabilitation if complete holistic recovery is to occur.

Current projects include

  1. The development of a valid and reliable measure of re-injury anxiety
  2. Exploring the efficacy of psychological interventions to assist athletes to cope with re-injury anxiety
  3. Exploration of the dynamic core of the integrated response model (Wiese-Bjornstal et al., 1998). What exactly is the relationship between appraisals, emotions, behaviours, and recovery outcomes?
  4. Using existential interviewing, exploration of the “meaning” of athletic injury from an athlete’s perspective (differences between genders, sports, injury severity, injury locations, injury onset time).

Other research interests include examining the relationship between exercise dependence and body image concerns (e.g., muscle dysmorphia), team dynamics and group cohesion, temporal patterning of anxiety in competition and the use of psychological skills training in peak performance.

For further details contact Dr Natalie Walker at natalie.walker@northampton.ac.uk

Adapted physical activity

Dr Mike Gillespie

Research in this area is centred on issues associated with physical activity participation for persons with disabilities. In particular, work is focused around physical activity, fitness, and motor parameters of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Current projects include examination of activity levels and patterns among persons with intellectual disabilities, reliability and validity of assessment instruments, and factors influencing skill acquisition and retention.

For further details contact Dr Mike Gillespie at mike.gillespie@northampton.ac.uk

The impact of stretch duration to force production, mechanics and neural activation of the muscle-tendon complex

Tony Kay

Athletic populations often have a carte blanche approach to pre-performance stretching under the mostly anecdotal belief in its injury preventative and performance enhancing properties. However more recent research has revealed several possibly detrimental effects including reduced force production, reflex and volitional activation, and altered tendon mechanics. To investigate these effects we are currently conducting research into the impact of stretch duration to all three parameters.

Ongoing projects include

  • Impact of repeated maximal isometric contractions to tendon mechanics
  • Effect of stretch duration to force production
  • Mechanisms behind stretch induced force losses

For further details contact Tony Kay at tony.kay@northampton.ac.uk

Psychological Aspects of Sports Injuries: The Role of the Physiotherapists

Monna Arvinen-Barrow

In the UK, sport/exercise related injuries account for 33% of all injuries. Although athletes are try to avoid injuries, virtually all athletes encounter injuries that limit their participation. During injury, athletes often experience emotional difficulties, and psychological issues can have a significant impact on recovery and athletes' responses to the injury. Existing evidence suggest that physiotherapists are in ideal position to address psychological aspects of injuries. However many of them may receive (or have received) very little or no training in terms of how psychological techniques can facilitate recovery processes and how to use these techniques in their work. This can be seen as problematic: in order for sport physiotherapists to provide treatment which meets the minimum threshold of professional performance, incorporating psychological care to the treatment process is regarded as essential.

Current projects include

  1. Exploring the role of the physiotherapists in the psychological treatment of the injured athlete
  2. Collaborative work (journal articles, a book) with Finnish Sport Psychologists in the area of Team Building in Sport
  3. Other research interests include the use of range of psychological intervention skills with figure- and synchronized skaters, team dynamics, and cross-cultural research.

For further details contact Monna Arvinen-Barrow at monna.arvinen-barrow@northampton.ac.uk
 

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