Sport and Exercise Science
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Lecturer in Applied Sport Science and Performance
I am a Lecturer in applied sport science and performance in the department of sport and exercise sciences, teaching on sports coaching, sports physiology and sports performance units. I am uniquely positioned having worked full-time in high performance sport for 10 years as a senior physiologist at Sport Wales and the English Institute of Sport, and having completed my PhD investigating the physical and physiological demands of netball training and competition.
I have supported coaches and athletes to learn, develop and gain success at European and World Championships, Para and Olympic Games across a range of sports, and specialised in endurance and power endurance sports. I have previously been a senior physiologist and coach for the track endurance squads of the Great Britain Cycling Team, as well as a coach for a professional UCI World Tour cyclist, leading to success at the highest level.
I completed my PhD investigating the physical demands of elite netball training and competition at Swansea University. My research focuses on enhancing training quality through manipulation of prior exercise, maintaining performance across rounds of competition in a range of environments through training, preparation and recovery strategies, and the influence of menstrual cycle on neuromuscular and athletic performance.
I currently coach a number of international-standard track cyclists, working closely with them to help to achieve their aims of success at the Paris Olympic Games and am a member of the Cycling Ireland High Performance Management Group. Additionally I am a BASES accredited physiologist (and supervise students through supervised experience pathway), and use my experiences of working in high performance sport to enhance the learning and engagement of students.
I am the unit lead for L5 Assessing fitness, L6 Performance Analysis and L7 Work placement units and teach across a number of other units, including:
L4 Fundamentals of sports coaching
L6 Working in high performance sport
L7 Scientific principles of training
L7 Working in sport and exercise
Watch our video of how you can turn your sporting passion into a degree at Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport.
Whether your ambition is to help athletes smash world records, or imp…
Watch our video of how you can turn your sporting passion into a degree at Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport.
This course will challenge your perceptions, ideas and understanding …
Sport has an incredible power to touch people’s lives – transcending social divisions, promoting healthy lifestyles and opening doors to opportunity. Our two-year Manchester City Community…
My research has focussed primarily on sports performance in elite/ high performance populations.
Field, A., Birdsey, L., Marshall, B., Wood, G., Hearris, M., Carbry, C., Harper, L. 'Caffeine gum improves reaction time but reduces composure versus placebo during the extra-time period of simulated soccer match-play in male semi-professional players.' International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism,
Birdsey, L.P., Weston, M., Russell, M., Johnston, M., Cook, C.J., Kilduff, L.P. (2022) 'Acute physiological and perceptual responses to a netball specific training session in professional female netball players.' PLoS One, 17(2) pp. e0263772-e0263772.
Birdsey, L.P., Weston, M., Russell, M., Johnston, M., Cook, C.J., Kilduff, L.P. (2021) 'The neuromuscular, physiological, endocrine and perceptual responses to different training session orders in international female netball players.' European Journal of Sport Science, 22(3) pp. 314-325.
Birdsey, L.P., Weston, M., Russell, M., Johnston, M., Cook, C.J., Kilduff, L.P. (2019) 'Neuromuscular, physiological and perceptual responses to an elite netball tournament.' Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(19) pp. 2169-2174.
Hughes, M.G., Birdsey, L., Meyers, R., Newcombe, D., Oliver, J.L., Smith, P.M., Stembridge, M., Stone, K., Kerwin, D.G. (2013) 'Effects of playing surface on physiological responses and performance variables in a controlled football simulation.' Journal of Sports Sciences, 31(8) pp. 878-886.
Turner, A., Walker, S., Stembridge, M., Coneyworth, P., Reed, G., Birdsey, L., Barter, P., Moody, J. (2011) 'A testing battery for the assessment of fitness in soccer players.' Strength and Conditioning Journal, 33(5) pp. 29-39.
Birdsey, L., Dos'Santos, T., Runacres, A., Field, A. (2023) 'Training and recovery strategies to minimise performance decrement in multi-round competition performed within and on consecutive days: practice and perspectives of coaches, and practitioners.' 41. 16/11/2023 - 17/11/2023. Taylor and Francis, pp. 17-17.
Read, D., Evans, D., Breivik, S., Elliott, J., Birdsey, L. (2023) 'Heat acclimation of a professional soccer referee prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup: a case study.' In 10th World Congress on Science and Football. Groningen, Netherlands, 24/5/2023 - 26/5/2023.
Oliver, S., Walsh, N., Zurawlew, M., McIntyre, R., Gregson, M., Thie, J., Davies, V., Birdsey, L. (2017) 'Practical Heat Acclimation: Train Cool – Bathe Hot!.' In English Institute of Sport National Conference. 23/11/2017 -
Birdsey, L., Williams, N., Archer, M. (2017) 'Enhanced warm up in sprint athletes with cerebral palsy.' [Poster] In UK Paralympic Performance Conference. Date viewed 24/11/2017.
Birdsey, L., Hares, F. (2015) 'The effect of acute beetroot juice ingestion upon running economy and maximal exercise performance in elite international-standard runners.' [Poster] In BASES Conference. Date viewed 18/12/2015.
BSc (Hons) Sport & Exercise Sciences - University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
MSc Sport & Exercise Sciences - University of Wales Institute, Cardiff
Rowing Coach at Christ Church Boat Club, Oxford
Rowing Coach at Bath University
Physiologist at Sport Wales
PhD at Swansea University: Physiological and perceptual responses to training and competition in elite female netball players
Senior Physiologist at the English Institute of Sport with the Great Britain Cycling Team
Cycling Weekly October 2023 - Do you need an off-season break? Do you need an off-season break? | Cycling Weekly