Post-graduate Researcher

Team Northumbria Nutritionist

Department: Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation

Humans produce an adaptive response to a single bout of maximal eccentric exercise which reduces muscle damage markers in an identical bout performed a second time, known as the repeated bout effect (RBE). Several mechanisms including neural adaptations, changes in the inflammatory response, and mechanical adaptations are thought to be driving the RBE, however this is not fully understood. This research will predominantly focus on mechanical adaptations within the muscle-tendon unit (MTU) and the differences in response between males and females. It has been suggested that increased tendon compliance, following a bout of damaging eccentric exercise, might result in reduced lengthening of the muscle fascicle and lead to fewer indices of muscle damage. Using ultrasonography, the behaviour of the MTU and markers of muscle damage will be assessed before, during and after a bout of damaging maximal eccentric exercise of the knee extensors. An identical bout of exercise, and all assessment methods, will be repeated after 4 weeks and comparisons of MTU properties and muscle damage markers will be compared. The results of this first study will then be applied to an exercise method consisting of whole body movement, making the findings more applicable to a sporting environment.

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Qualifications

MSc Nutritional Science
BSc Sport & Exercise Science

Overview of Doctoral Research

Determinants of exercise-induced muscle damage and the repeated bout effect in males and females

Humans produce an adaptive response to a single bout of maximal eccentric exercise which reduces muscle damage markers in an identical bout performed a second time, known as the repeated bout effect (RBE). Several mechanisms including neural adaptations, changes in the inflammatory response, and mechanical adaptations are thought to be driving the RBE, however this is not fully understood. This research will predominantly focus on mechanical adaptations within the muscle-tendon unit (MTU) and the differences in response between males and females. It has been suggested that increased tendon compliance, following a bout of damaging eccentric exercise, might result in reduced lengthening of the muscle fascicle and lead to fewer indices of muscle damage. Using ultrasonography, the behaviour of the MTU and markers of muscle damage will be assessed before, during and after a bout of damaging maximal eccentric exercise of the knee extensors. An identical bout of exercise, and all assessment methods, will be repeated after 4 weeks and comparisons of MTU properties and muscle damage markers will be compared. The results of this first study will then be applied to an exercise method consisting of whole body movement, making the findings more applicable to a sporting environment.

Publications/Outputs

Marshall, S. J., Livingstone, K. M., Celis-Morales, C., Forster, H., Fallaize, R., O'Donovan, C. B., Woolhead, C., Marsaux, C. F. M., Macready, A. L., Navas-Carretero, S., San-Cristobal, R., Kolossa, S., Tsirigoti, L., Lambrinou, C. P., Moschonis, G., Godlewska, M., Surwillo, A., Drevon, C. A., Manios, Y., Traczyk, I., Martinez, J. A., Saris, W. H., Daniel, H., Gibney, E. R., Brennan, L., Walsh, M. C., Lovegrove, J. A., Gibney, M., Mathers, J. C. and Food4Me, S. (2016). Reproducibility of the Online Food4Me Food-Frequency Questionnaire for Estimating Dietary Intakes across Europe, Journal of Nutrition, 146(5), 1068-1075.