Establishing the dose-response relationship of concentric and eccentric load on muscle hypertrophy and strength

This PhD studentship within the Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University is funded by Globus Corporation (Italy) and LJMU, and provides three years of support to cover an annual stipend, tuition fees and significant experimental costs.

Resistance training is widely used to enhance the morphology and function of skeletal muscle. In order to increase training load, eccentric-overload training paradigms have been devised and demonstrated to improve neuromuscular and hypertrophic responses. However, the optimum combination of load and volume of resistance training for gains in muscle mass and strength remains uncertain. This is especially the case in eccentric exercise, since excess muscle damage may hinder the molecular processes required for muscle recovery and adaptation for hypertrophy, the very process this training is designed to facilitate. The funders of this project (Globus Corporation) have developed the Kineo Exercise System as an advanced training technology to precisely control training load, and safely deliver eccentric-overloads even in multi-joint actions.

The aim of this project is to use the Kineo System to design optimally effective interventions to improve muscle mass and function. To do this, we will determine the dose-response relationship of concentric and eccentric-overload resistance training load on muscle hypertrophy and strength, and analyse blood and muscle biopsy samples to determine the molecular mechanisms that underpin these gains.

The Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University is recognised as an internationally outstanding research centre, being the highest rated Sport Science department in the UK and 6th in the world. Our multi-disciplinary research group brings together academics from biomechanics, strength and conditioning and molecular muscle physiology at Liverpool John Moores University, and the commercial partners Globus Corporation in this exciting opportunity.

Entry requirements

We need candidates with a Master’s degree in human movement or exercise sciences, or bio-medical/engineering related disciplines. Applicants will need to demonstrate knowledge of biomechanics, strength and conditioning and muscle physiology, and have experience or be prepared to learn experimental techniques in these disciplines. Candidates must have the personal skills to recruit and maintain engagement with participants throughout a demanding exercise intervention. A close working relationship exists with the external funders which will require international travel to manage the collaboration and for dissemination of project findings.