Dr Kevin Thomas

Kevin’s research focusses on the neuromuscular responses to exercise interventions across a range of populations, including men and women, athletic and sedentary, young and old, and diseased and healthy. This includes examining how the neuromuscular system responds and adapts to interventions that include fatiguing exercise (single limb, multi-joint, and locomotor exercise), resistance training, and muscle damaging exercise. 

Kevin is also an accredited strength and conditioning coach, and an active football coach, and consequently has particular interest in the application of research to athletic populations (ranging from community sport to elite athletes), with a speciifc focus on association football.

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
• Corticospinal, reticulospinal, and motoneuronal contributions to fatigability during a sustained contraction of the elbow flexors, Hayman, O., Brownson-Smith, R., Atkinson, E., Spillane, P., Baker, S., Goodall, S., Howatson, G., Thomas, K., Ansdell, P. 5 Dec 2025, In: Experimental Physiology
• Flying high: Isometric strength training increases time of flight in junior elite trampoline gymnasts, Dyas, N., Green, D., Thomas, K., Matthew, E., Young, B., Howatson, G. 1 Jul 2025, In: European Journal of Sport Science
• Reticulospinal function can be measured in the tibialis anterior using the StartReact method, Hayman, O., Atkinson, E., Ansdell, P., Angius, L., Thomas, K., Howatson, G., Kidgell, D., Skarabot, J., Goodall, S. 1 Jun 2025, In: Advanced Exercise and Health Science
• The effect of the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptive pill on countermovement jump height, perceived recovery and readiness to train following a strength-based exercise session, McNulty, K., Ansdell, P., Goodall, S., Thomas, K., Elliott-Sale, K., Howatson, G., Hicks, K. 17 Oct 2025, In: Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal
• There Are No Differences in Startle Conditioned Cervicomedullary Motor Evoked Potentials Across Isometric, Concentric, and Eccentric Muscle Actions at the Same Absolute Force Output, Haigney, E., Atkinson, E., Ansdell, P., Vitório, R., Thomas, K., Goodall, S., Howatson, G., Angius, L., Kidgell, D., Spillane, P., Squires, E., Andrushko, J. 4 Aug 2025, In: European Journal of Neuroscience
• Anodal tDCS improves neuromuscular adaptations to short-term resistance training of the knee extensors in healthy individuals, Angius, L., Ansdell, P., Škarabot, J., Goodall, S., Thomas, K., Cowper, G., Santarnecchi, E., Kidgell, D., Howatson, G. 1 Dec 2024, In: Journal of Neurophysiology
• Changes in motor unit behaviour across repeated bouts of eccentric exercise, Hayman, O., Ansdell, P., Angius, L., Thomas, K., Horsbrough, L., Howatson, G., Kidgell, D., Škarabot, J., Goodall, S. 1 Nov 2024, In: Experimental Physiology
• Supraspinal, spinal, and motor unit adjustments to fatiguing isometric contractions of the knee extensors at low and high submaximal intensities in males, Angius, L., Del Vecchio, A., Goodall, S., Thomas, K., Ansdell, P., Atkinson, E., Farina, D., Howatson, G. 14 Jun 2024, In: Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985)
• The Symptoms Experienced by Naturally Menstruating Women and Oral Contraceptive Pill Users and Their Perceived Effects on Exercise Performance and Recovery Time Posttraining, McNulty, K., Ansdell, P., Goodall, S., Thomas, K., Elliott-Sale, K., Howatson, G., Hicks, K. 1 Jan 2024, In: Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal
• B-Mode Ultrasonography Is a Reliable and Valid Alternative to Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Measuring Patellar Tendon Cross-Sectional Area, Marshall, S., Hicks, K., Howatson, G., Cox, L., Thomas, K. 1 Feb 2023, In: Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
• Other: BBC Radio Newcastle 2022
• Oral presentation: Muscle damage and recovery in women 2021
• Oral presentation: Etiology and recovery of fatigue after heavy resistance, jump and sprint training 2018

Thomas Keeney Optimising preparation, performance, and recovery in elite women’s football Start Date: 01/09/2023

For a full list of research outputs visit https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LkwplXWakDQC&hl=en

• Law LLM June 30 2008
• Sports Science MSc November 30 2006
• Sports Science PhD May 06 2002
• Sports Studies BA (Hons) September 01 2001
• Educational Development PGDip June 01 1993
• Business and Administration PhD September 01 1992
• Chartered Scientist (CSci) Science Council 2014
• Fellow (FHEA) Higher Education Academy (HEA) 2014
• Affiliate Member Physiological Society 2014
• Member European College of Sport Science (ECSS) 2014
• Accredited Member British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) 2009