Key to Prof Elliott-Sale’s work is the partnerships that Manchester Met has formed with sporting organisations, including Manchester Thunder Netball, Sale Sharks Rugby Union and UEFA.
She said: “Our partnerships are allowing us to bridge the gap between high-quality laboratory research, which is performed under very stringent conditions, and the reality of applied sport, which is performed under highly variable conditions.”
And this work is set to continue through an exciting new research partnership with the UK Sports Institute (UKSI), which aims to provide better understanding and support for sportswomen and coaches.
Prof Elliott-Sale said: “In the past, we have overlooked female athletes, especially elite ones, from sport and exercise science research. Our research programme with UKSI will allow us to finally conduct high-quality, fit-for-purpose research for elite female athletes.”
Discovering the role of genetics
Manchester Met’s expertise and research are also at the centre of global debates about biology and gender identity, the regulation of sport and the role of genetic testing.
Alun Williams, Professor of Sport and Exercise Genomics at the University’s Institute of Sport, is leading research on the role of testosterone on physical performance in athletes with differences in sex development (DSDs) and transgender athletes.
Explaining the significance of genetics in elite athletes, he said: “Runners with a certain version of one particular gene will be able to finish a marathon around three minutes faster than those who don’t have this type of gene. Three minutes might not seem massive, but on an elite level, it is really significant.”