Project Themes

The Centre's Projects are divided into two strands of research which are:

Sport Science led by Dr Vicky Tolfrey and Sport Culture & Policy led by Dr David Howe.

John Lenton - Research Assistant is involved in the:

"Development of current and new field-based testing techniques of wheelchair athletes"

“Towards evidence based classification in Paralympic athletics – reliability of methods for evaluating sports-specific range of movement”, collaboration with Dr Sean Tweedy, University of Queensland, Brisbane.

Barry Mason - Associated PhD student is:
"Investigating the effects of rear wheel camber upon mobility performance"

He is currently looking to recruit Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Tennis players.

Wheelchair Propulsion and Mechanical Efficiency project themes are:

1. The effects of push strategy on mechanical efficiency.

Ergonomics of Wheelchair Configuration for Optimum Sports Performance project themes are:

1. What makes a good sports wheelchair – athlete’s views.

2. The effect of glove type on wheelchair rugby sports performance. Barry Mason's poster on this project won him first prize at this year's BPA conference.

3. Seat height and wheeling performance.

Nutritional, Anthropometric & Bone Health Aspects of Wheelchair Athletes project themes are:

1. Fluid Balance (sweat loss and fluid intake) and thermoregulation (ability to control the body’s internal temperature) of athletes with a disability.

2. Nutritional profiles of wheelchair athletes.

3. The relationship between dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and body composition obtained by skinfolds in competitive wheelchair athletes.

4. Tibia geometry with spinal cord injury

5. Energy expenditure of Paralympic athletes

Training Strategies for Wheelchair Participants project themes are:

1. The use of ‘rating of perceived exertion (RPE)’ for monitoring training intensity in wheelchair athletes.

2. Inspiratory muscle training and wheelchair performance

Physiology of Wheelchair Tennis project themes are:

1. Physiological profiling

2. Cooling strategies

3. Validation of field based testing for wheelchair athletes

Physiology of Disability Football project themes are:

1. Physiological profiling

The project themes are:

1. Physicality and sport

2. Paralympism

3. Women’s Participation in Paralympic sport

4. Cultural history of the Paralympic Movement

5. Classification, sport science and technology interface