MSc in Sport and Exercise Science available research topics When applying for our MSc in Sport and Exercise Science, to complete your application you will need to select a topic of research from the list below. Research topics are offered based on staff expertise being available at the University and as such may be subject to change according to academic availability. Some research areas may be offered as part-time study or January start only due to the nature or timing of the data collection. For further information please email Kjell.Van-Paridon@anglia.ac.uk Supervisor: Dr Itay Basevitch (itay.basevitch@anglia.ac.uk) Research topic: Decision making and perceptual-cognitive skills in sports Examine team decision making in team sports Do expert teams share or distribute information to make a successful team decision? Examine the continued development of decision making skills once athletes reach high-levels How can experts improve performance? Develop decision making (anticipation, option generation) measurement tools Is it possible to develop reliable and valid measurement tools to evaluate decision making skills? Develop decision making training protocols What is the best training method to develop decision making skills that are transferable to the natural environment? The role of post-task feedback on development of expertise Do experts and novices differ in eye gazing behaviour post-performance? The role of other environmental information in decision making (e.g., score/result/situation, audio, tactile) What role does the game score/situation have in altering the decision making process? Research topic: The relationship between exertive tasks and cognitive factors (e.g., attention, effort, enjoyment and cognitive function) Develop an I-sense (e.g., audio, smell) device Can an I-sense device be useful for exercisers? Integrating exercise in the learning environment What effect does exercise have on learning in a natural learning environment (class)? Expand the knowledge in the relationship among exercise, perceived exertion and attention allocation How and when does attention shift from associative to dissociative as a function of exercise intensity and sensory stimuli? Unveiling the underlying mechanisms in which exercise might affect executive functions Does what you think about during exercise affect cognitive functions?
Supervisor: Dr Francesca Cavallerio (Francesca.Cavallerio@anglia.ac.uk) Research Topic: The role of sport culture on the psychosocial experience of youth elite athletes How does the way media portray gymnastics affect its cultural practices? Discourse analysis: how does coaches way of communicating with their athletes affect the development of a sport culture? Research Topic: Sustainability in youth elite sport / Athletes health and well-being during and following their sport career Understanding the psychosocial impact of talent identification and development in early specialization sports on athletes health Exploring the role of parents in the development of a sustainable high performance environment for young athletes Exploring coaching practices that can foster a sustainable elite youth sport environment: challenging the dominant sport culture? Narratives of emotional abuse in elite youth sport: gaining a better understanding to build a safer environment Research Topic: Coach-athlete relationship Understanding how parents influence the coach-athlete relationship in elite youth sport Attachment theory and the coach-athlete relationship in a sport injury context Bob Challis (bob.challis@anglia.ac.uk) Research topic: Performance Analysis in Judo Examine the technical components of judo Examine the tactical components of judo Examine the temporal component of judo Develop an understanding of cultural differences in any of the above Develop a performance model for any of the above Research topic: Strength & Conditioning in judo Tapering Periodisation Cardiovascular training for judo Strength training for judo Injury prevention in judo
Monitoring of training load Metabolic mat based training Research topic: Coaching children in judo Developing technique Event management Developing a technical profile Club management and marketing Developing the child holistically through judo Motor learning in judo Applying the windows of opportunity to judo training Supervisor: Dr Mathew Dowling (mathew.dowling@anglia.ac.uk) Research topic area: The examination of organisational, political, and systemic change within sport The adoption and implementation of Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) in sport organisations and coaching practice Governance issues in sport how sport organisations are governed and the cooperation, collaboration between sport organisations and key stakeholders Professionalisation of sport organisations and sport systems Evaluation of local sport development initiatives and small-scale sporting events (e.g., StreetGames, Parkrun etc) Sport policy change and the influence of national government policy on sport organisations The role and influence of higher education/universities in delivering government sport policy objectives Corporate social responsibility - the use of corporate social responsibility by sport organisations and how sport is used by corporate businesses Supervisor: Michael Ferrandino (Michael.Ferrandino@anglia.ac.uk) Research topic: The player surface interaction The effect of different surface frictions on change of direction ability how do athletes adapt to changing direction on different surfaces? How do different shoe types affect the player surface interaction do different shoe sole materials cause movements to change?
Research topic: Strength & Conditioning Biomechanical effects of heel lifts during squatting what is the effect of raising the heel during squatting on the mechanics of the movement? Muscle activation patterns during strength exercises how do eccentric Nordic curls and weighted glute bridges stimulate the hamstrings? Strength training in female athletes what are the strength profiles of different female sports? Research topic: Biomechanics The effect of fatigue on jump performance can the force profile be used to identify neural or peripheral fatigue? Force profile during jump performance - can the force profile distinguish between trained and untrained jump athletes? Research topic: Rugby Kicking in rugby plant foot mechanics in drop kicks. Scrummaging preferred scrimmaging position and its effects on force production in the scrum. Supervisor: Dr Dan Gordon (Dan.Gordon@anglia.ac.uk) Research topic: Limitations to maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) Is the manifestation of a plateau at VO2max dependent on the protocol used? Are the secondary markers for identifying a maximal effort during an incremental test to exhaustion functions of ramp rate Is the plateau at VO2max a trainable parameter? Is the manifestation of the plateau at VO2max associated with the circadian oscillator? Research topic: The pacing paradigm and athletic performance Is pacing strategy affected by the time of day? The effects of sensory deprivation on the outcome of a time-trial Is pacing strategy in children a function of the anaerobic capacity rather than cognitive development? Pacing strategies and training status
Research topic: Oxygen uptake kinetics Effects of single and double legged cycling on the VO2-kinetic response and blood lactate clearance. Effects of different cadences at the same absolute workload on the VO2- kientic response. Effects of upper and lower body exercise on repeated VO2-kinetic responses Research Topic: Cardiovascular responses to exercise Effects of posture on the SV response to maximal and sub-maximal exercise Effects of altered blow dynamics on the SV responses to exercise Effects of HiiT, SiiT, RAS training on cardiovascular fitness Dr James Johnstone (james.johnstone@anglia.ac.uk) Research topic: Field based/in-match assessment of sporting performance using mobile monitoring technology (i.e. GPS) In-match movement/physiological profile and its relation to performance indicators Investigation of training intensity to actual in-match demands Performance indicators in fast-medium bowling in cricket Physiological and movement profile of different performance standards in youth sport using GPS technology Research topic: Officiating in cricket Profiling the decisions made by umpires in different formats of cricket (Performance Analysis) An investigation in to the characteristics and qualities of elite cricket umpires Physiological and visual assessment of umpires during officiating duties Supervisor: Katrina McDonald (Katrina.McDonald@anglia.ac.uk) Research Topic: Athlete education Examining Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) Exploring Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) Investigating athlete learning Investigating athlete development Looking at schemes delivering athlete support
Supervisor: Dr Justin Roberts (justin.roberts@anglia.ac.uk) Research topic: Nutritional strategies to enhance fat oxidation and body composition Does the use of green tea extract (GTE) improve total fat oxidation under nonexercise training conditions? Does timing of green tea ingestion improve fat oxidation during exercise? Is there an optimal dosage of GTE which elicits maximal fat oxidation rates? Does prior meal composition impact on the effectiveness of GTE use? Is fat oxidation enhanced with HIT v continuous training when taking GTE? Can selective intermittent fasting enhance fat metabolism and body composition? What is the impact of a high fat ( ketogenic ) evening meal on i) exercise recovery and ii) fat oxidation during morning exercise? Novel strategies to enhance fat oxidation pathways i) with concurrent training approaches; ii) resistance training; iii) endurance training. Research topic: The impact of nutrition and exercise on physical resilience and cardiometabolic health Can resilience be quantified through responses to exercise? Does a low carbohydrate, ketogenic dietary approach influence acute recovery responses to exercise? Does alpha lipoic acid supplementation improve exercise tolerance? Is there a relationship between evening dietary intake and sleep quality? What is the impact of consuming a whey protein isolate containing additional L-theanine on sleep quality, exercise tolerance and recovery? What are the implications of taking part in home based high intensity training programmes on cardiometabolic health? Research topic: Mindful Nutrition in Practice Research topic theme: Developing practical strategies to modify nutritional choices and behaviours of athletes. Do pre-meal relaxation techniques improve consumption patterns, and can this impact on healthy eating behaviours? Is there a relationship between food choice/ quantity and perception of intensity of exercise? Assessing the impact on number of treat meals per week on adherence to weight loss protocol (with or without exercise) Assessing meal planning rigidity on adherence to a weight loss protocol (with or without exercise)
Supervisor: Adrian Scruton (adrian.scruton@anglia.ac.uk) Research topic: Performance Analysis in Football To explore the impact of performance analysis on coaching process To evaluate the differences in Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across levels of football and / or different styles of play. Supervisor: Dr Anna Stodter (Anna.Stodter@anglia.ac.uk) Research Topic: Learning, Practice and Knowledge in Sports Coaching Perceptions and impact evaluations of coach education / CPD Coaches informal learning e.g. mentoring Coaches Learning and knowledge development Coaching behaviour and practice Supervisor: Dr Lee Smith Research topic: Promoting physical activity through active play in children and adolescents Research topic themes Investigate associations between school playground design and physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents. Is school playground density associated with physical activity and sedentary levels? Is the provision of play equipment in playgrounds associated with physical activity and sedentary levels? Is length of recess associated with physical activity and sedentary levels? Identifying factors associated with out-of-school playground use. Explore the current literature on interventions that promote physical activity through play. Research topic: Reducing sedentary behaviour in working adults Research topic themes Investigate the impact of different postures (sitting/standing/desk cycle) on indicators of productivity (motor and cognitive skills), with or without a cognitive load. How do office workers identify sedentary and physical activity behaviours? For example, in a photo of a person sitting at a computer, do observers primarily see a person sitting, or a person using a computer? Do sedentary and physical activity levels differ between working from home and in the office?
Research topic: Understanding free-living sedentary behaviour in athletes Research topic themes What are the levels and patterns of free-living sedentary behaviour in athletes? Is there variability in athletes levels and patterns of free-living sedentary behaviour between sports? Are free-living levels and patterns of sedentary behaviour associated with athletic performance? Are free-living levels and patterns of sedentary behaviour associated with recovery? Dr Matthew Timmis (matthew.timmis@anglia.ac.uk) Research topic: Visual search in cycling Visual search and hazard perception in young and adult cyclists Visual search and hazard perception in experienced and novice cyclists Research topic: Visual search and sport The effect of expertise on visual search strategy in sport The effect of task demand on visual search strategy in sport The influence of anxiety on visual search strategy in sport Research topic: Visual impairment and sport Research topic theme: How do different levels of visual impairment influence the execution and outcome of a sporting task? The impact of visual impairment on human movement