The MRes studentship is with University of Salford and Performance Biomechanics LTD.
Academic Supervisor: Dr Paul Comfort
Academic Co-Supervisor: Dr Paul Jones
Industrial Supervisors: Mr Neil Day
Final date for applications: Tuesday 9th August 2022
Interviews will be held on: Friday 30th August 2022
The candidate must be in a position to register by Monday 19th September 2022
Description:
There is a large body of evidence indicating that increasing the force generating capacity (maximal force production and rapid force production) of lower limb muscles, not only reduces the risk of injury, but also enhances performance in athletic tasks, especially in team sport athletes. This is due to impulse (force x time) determining the acceleration and deceleration of a given mass, be that an athlete (e.g., during a sprint), an athlete’s limb, or an object that they are throwing or hitting.
Numerous devices (e.g., force platforms, strain gauges, isokinetic dynamometers) are available to evaluate isometric and dynamic force production capability and are commonly used in research and applied practice, to evaluate neuromuscular function. These methods are usually laboratory based and rarely replicate the postures adopted during these athletic tasks. In contrast, the novel device that will be evaluated during this research replicates some of the postures associated with sprinting, which may be more indicative of the force production capacity of the associated musculature during different phases of the gait cycle. As such, this method of assessment and the associated data may provide greater insight regarding associations with sprint performance. Such assessments of force production are usually used to identify potential injury risk, monitor acute changes in neuromuscular function (fatigue / preparedness) in response to training and competition, and chronic changes in performance in response to structured training. However, in order for these devices and the resulting data to be considered appropriate it is important to establish if the assessments (device and protocols) are valid (i.e., measure what they are supposed to me measuring), reliable (i.e., individual performances are consistent within and between testing sessions), with an acceptable measurement error (i.e., the error between testing sessions is sufficiently small to permit evaluation of acute and chronic changes within an appropriate magnitude).
Aims
To establish the reliability, measurement error and validity of a novel device to evaluate isometric force production capabilities during combined knee flexion and hip extension, and hip flexion.
To determine if isometric force production capabilities during combined knee flexion and hip extension, and hip flexion are related to performance in functional tasks (e.g., are the force production capabilities associated with sprint performance).
The successful candidate will complete systematic review of literature and two experimental studies to achieve the aims above.
Candidates:
Should have a minimum of an upper second-class honours degree in sports science degree or related discipline. Ideally, candidates will also have completed a taught masters degree in a related area.
Enquiries: Informal enquiries may be made to Dr Paul Comfort by email: [Email Address Removed]
Curriculum vitae, supporting statement explaining their interest and a brief research proposal (no more than 3 pages) outlining the proposed methods to achieve the aims, set out above, should be sent to [Email Address Removed]
Note to applicant: In addition to applying for this role the successful candidate will also be required to complete the University application process which applies to all students wishing to study at The University of Salford. How to apply for research studies can be found here:
https://www.salford.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/applying/applying-for-research
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