Welcome to Sport, Exercise and Nutritional Sciences (SENS)
SENS was born in 2008 to unite key areas in physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, and strength & conditioning. Our purpose built labs are designed to support these areas and are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment to facilitate learning, research and consultancy in sport, exercise and nutritional sciences. We have a strong team of researchers and practitioners who have the necessary expertise and are committed to providing excellence in every capacity support our labs. Ten years on, we continue to provide our students, funders and customers with an excellent service, and, as knowledge and practice advance, we continue to advance and improve with it.
Our consultancy services are designed to inform you of your current physiological status using measures related to performance, nutrition and health, and, depending on which services you choose, we can help you set goals and monitor changes over time.
Testimonials
From our happy clients
Pink Jersey Racing Team
“Pink Jersey Racing Team spent an evening in the UCLAN testing lab undertaking baseline testing ahead of winter training. For the Pink Jersey RT coaching team is was particularly useful, providing detailed information on each of the riders, which in turn has been used to help formulate individual training plans. The UCLAN staff were very friendly, professional and informative, feeding back on riding positions and core stability, in addition to the data gathered during the testing. As a new team of young riders, testing was a great experience for everyone involved.”
Wigan Warriors
“The official consultancy partnership between Wigan Warriors and UCLan has been in place for over 7 years. The scientific tests UCLan perform allow us to tailor individual training programmes for the players and over the last few years we have set a very high endurance standard, which gives us an edge going into the new season. We have been really impressed not only with the University’s top quality facilities, but also with the professionalism and expertise of all UCLan staff that Wigan Warriors have worked with over the years. We can truly recommend this service, to any team or individual who wants to improve their performance and become healthier.”
Facilities
Located in Darwin building, SENS is home to four specific laboratories to facilitate sport & exercise testing and research. These include:
Exercise Physiology Lab
Primarily used for measures of exercise performance and analysis. The lab is equipped with multiple Watt Bike Pros, two SRM ergometers, three concept rowers and two HP Cosmos treadmills complete with safety harnesses.
Using this equipment combined with our breath-breath gas analysis system (metalyzer 3B), allows us to accurately conduct VO2max and lactate threshold testing.
Additionally, the lab also houses a state-of-the-art Isokinetic dynamometer. This is used as part of our service to conduct muscular imbalance tests, which can be both used as a training tool and a rehabilitation tool to identify specific muscular weaknesses.
Sports Biomechanics Lab
As a two-storey facility, twenty metres in length, the biomechanics lab allows us to carry out a vast number of practical sport and exercise activities.
This lab houses an eight camera Qualisys Oqus system to enable real time motion capture, which is linked to a Kistler piezoelectric force platform allowing us to quantify the ground reaction forces generated during static or dynamic movements.
Data collected using this equipment can then be analysed using the intricate Visual 3D software, allowing us to identify biomechanical abnormalities in the way in which you walk or run (Gait Analysis). Additionally, our RS scan mat can be used to assess plantar pressure as part of our posture profiling service.
Nutritional Assessment Lab
This lab houses state-of-the-art equipment for nutritional assessment. This includes nutritional anthropometry (body composition, biochemical analysis and dietary analysis. We offer body composition analysis using air displacement plesmography (BODPOD).
Additionally members of our team have expertise in the use of skinfold callipers to measure subcutaneous fat. In terms of Dietary analysis, we use a validated software package, which enables a comprehensive assessment of your nutritional intake from dietary records. This allows us to assess your intake of macronutrients, vitamins and minerals and make appropriate recommendations to improve your diet quality. We also offer capillary blood sampling to assess numerous aspects of health.
Strength & Conditioning Suite
Our recently built S&C suite contains a multitude of specialist equipment. This include 2 Sterling half power racks with integrated lifting platforms, 1 centre lifting platform, 1 Olympic flat bench, men’s and women’s Olympic barbells, bumper plates from 1.25kgs-20kgs, dumbbells from 2kgs-35kgs and technique boxes.
This equipment and more can be used as part of our strength testing and programme design service, led by our S&C specialist staff.
If you are interested in studying the areas, then you may also want to look into our postgraduate and undergraduate courses we provide in SENS:
Our Courses
Undergraduate
Postgraduate
Sport & Exercise Science MSc
Strength & Conditioning MSc
Nutrition & Exercise Sciences MSc (Available from September 2019)
