Ruth has recently returned to Northumbria University as a PhD candidate after previously graduating from Northumbria with a BSc (Hons) in Sport, Exercise and Nutrition. Throughout her academic journey, Ruth gained a particular interest into the use of nutritional interventions to improve athletic performance and systemic health. This has encouraged Ruth to return to studies to investigate the metabolic health and thyroid function in adolescent male footballers. Whilst conducting her research Ruth will also work alongside this population at NUFC academy.
BSc (Hons) Sport, Exercise & Nutrition
Ruth’s PhD focuses on investigating the metabolic health and thyroid function in adolescent male footballers. Whilst the importance of thyroid function and metabolic rate is well-established there is limited knowledge into the metabolic health of adolescent athletes.
Metabolic rate is governed by the thyroid hormones and the liver and is vital for systemic health as well as sporting performance. Therefore, liver and thyroid function are key to maintaining metabolic health. However, due to a multitude of stress factors associated with maturation and training loads, adolescent athletes could be at risk of thyroid dysfunction and in turn disruptions to metabolic rate. This in turn could have a negative impact on growth, development and performance.
Therefore, over the course of her project Ruth aims to profile the players thyroid function and metabolic rate in relation to their training loads and energy intake. This will enable Ruth to identify any points in the season where metabolic health is most at risk and implement appropriate nutritional interventions to alleviate these issues.
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