Sports Performance
Sports performance is the applied science of how athletes and physically active people achieve, sustain and improve their best. It draws on exercise physiology, biomechanics, sports psychology, nutrition, coaching science and training methodology to understand the biological, mechanical and psychological factors that determine athletic performance, and to develop the practical and analytical skills needed to work in sport performance support roles. The field sits at the intersection of academic sports science and professional practice, and graduates are equipped to contribute to the preparation and development of athletes across many sports and levels.
At the University of Gloucestershire you will have access to specialist performance analysis facilities including motorised treadmills, stationary bikes, ergometers, breath-by-breath analysis systems, blood lactate sampling and heart rate tracking, giving you hands-on experience with the equipment that professional sports science support teams use to measure cardiopulmonary and physiological changes during exercise. The programme runs full time over three years and develops your ability to assess, monitor and interpret performance data, to design and evaluate training programmes and to understand the multifactorial nature of athletic performance.
You will develop competence in physiological testing, performance analysis, strength and conditioning principles, nutritional support for athletes, sports psychology and the professional skills needed to work effectively with athletes and coaches. The combination of technical knowledge and practical laboratory experience is central to the programme's design.
Graduates from sports performance programmes move into careers in sports science support with professional and elite sports organisations, strength and conditioning coaching, performance analysis, coaching, talent identification and development, and roles in national governing bodies. Many also pursue postgraduate study in sports science, strength and conditioning, sports medicine or related applied fields, which is increasingly required for roles at the highest performance levels.