Centre for Human Performance

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Knowledge exchange between academic researchers and policy and practice communities is crucial to developing evidence-informed systems. This ethos has inspired our innovative, integrated research-practice model; developed and implemented with various professional sports clubs, national governing bodies and organisations.

Elite sports people and endurance professionals continue to push through the perceived limits of human performance. We are a multidisciplinary team focused on developing evidence-informed policy and practice, to support optimising physical performance while protecting athletes’ wellbeing.

Our research spans basic science conducted in our laboratories through to translational science on the track, on the pitch and in the mountains.

Although we are interested in optimising human performance, we believe this should never compromise wellbeing and welfare. Therefore, our research also offers a critical understanding of the psychosocial, moral and cultural dimensions of sport.

We provide a range of consultancy and applied services to meet your needs focussing on developing human performance and well-being.

Our team has expertise that spans:

Physiology
Biomechanics
Psychology
Perceptual-motor control
Orthopaedic medicine
Nutrition
Biochemistry

Our Team

Professor Susan Backhouse

Director of Research & Knowledge Exchange / Carnegie School of Sport
Dr Matthew Barlow

Senior Lecturer / Carnegie School of Sport
Dr Tim Bennett

Senior Lecturer / Carnegie School of Sport

State-of-the-Art facilities

home of sport

The University has invested £45m in a state-of-the-art building providing an iconic home for the Carnegie School of Sport, housing specialist teaching and research laboratories. The facility provides a focus for the School’s undergraduate, postgraduate, research and enterprise programmes. It will also act as a hub for elite athletes, teams and industry partners.

The building includes the following laboratories; Exercise Physiology, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Human movement, Body Composition (including dual energy x-ray absorptiometry), Biochemistry, Histology, Psychology, Human behaviour, Hot and Cold water Immersion, Nutritional Education, as well as two Extreme environmental chambers, Alter-G, Physiotherapy clinic, Performance analysis suites, Health and well-being studio, Indoor running track and Strength and conditioning area.

Carnegie School of Sport Environmental Laboratories Professor John O’Hara gives insight into how the world-class environmental chambers at the Carnegie School of Sport will be used.

In the Carnegie School of Sport building, we have two world class environmental chambers capable of reaching temperatures as low as -30 degrees C and as high as 50 degrees C, an ability to replicate humidity between 15 and 95%, and able to simulate altitude up to 8,848 metres, which is the top of Everest.

You'll see on the bench behind me that we have a range of equipment which we use to measure physiological responses at rest and during exercise. These environmental chambers are unique compared to other chambers as we're able to manipulate the temperature, the humidity, and the altitude, and also the chambers work independently of each other. This will really enhance our ability to deliver practicals with undergraduate and postgraduate students which have a focus on firmer regulation and high altitude. Students can gain a real experience of what it's like working in in extreme environments.

These two environmental chambers will underpin our active research programmes. In particular, they will help us with our collaboration with the defence medical services where we work on projects related to heat illness as well as high altitude. These chambers are also used and will help to support our work with national governing bodies and athletes in terms of our partnerships in preparing athletes for performing in extreme environments.