Heriot-Watt University

Sports science

The Sports Active Treatment & Rehabilitation Centre offers sports science services at the Centre for Sport & Exercise on Heriot-Watt University's Edinburgh Campus.

We offer human performance testing designed to provide coaches and players with data that can be used to underpin training and improve both team and individual performance.

Our Sports Science Lab is accredited by the British Association of Sport & Exercise Sciences for the scientific support of elite level athletes, and our physiologists are widely experienced, working with a range of sports and athletes.

We offer:

Physiological support for team sports

Making sure that your players are optimally conditioned for the demands of their sport throughout the competitive season is difficult; more so when your squad only trains on a part-time basis.

Our consultant physiologists can help to improve the conditioning levels of your team through the following services:

  • sport-specific aerobic assessment of your squad
  • linear speed assessment
  • agility assessment
  • explosive power assessment
  • body composition assessment

Physiological support for athletes

Managing a demanding training regime alongside an already busy lifestyle is a problem faced by a number of talented amateur athletes. Our sports physiologists can help you to manage the intensity of your training sessions and to structure your training timetable effectively.

We can monitor your physiological response to exercise, calculate individualised fitness thresholds and prescribe the most effective training for you, helping you to get the most out of yourself each day.

All our assessments are tailored to your individual needs or can be accessed as an all-inclusive package or individually, depending on your individual requirements.

Our assessments include:

Body composition

Body composition is measured using the skin fold thickness of eight sites around the body by a qualified practitioner who can calculate from these results your somato type and body fat percentage. Results can be used to assist in the appraisal of training interventions and compared to norms for your discipline.

Lung function

Our lung function assessments can determine whether you would benefit from an inhaler to help your breathing when training at high respiratory rates or in dry air conditions. Lung function results are also a useful monitoring tool when studying the success of a training program.

Hydration

We can measure your hydration levels and give you advice on how to administer a successful and personalised drinking plan to optimise performance.

Aerobic fitness

Aerobic fitness assessments for either sub-maximal or maximal aerobic capacity are performed on an ergometer of your choice and the data is measured using gas analysis, heart rate monitoring and blood lactate assessment.

The sub-maximal aerobic capacity provides specific information on your physiological responses to a number of increasing exercise intensities. Results can be used to control the emphasis of training on a day-to-day basis by ensuring an adequate training level is delivered without overreaching.

The maximal aerobic capacity assessment provides information relating to your VO2 max. This is an important variable in many endurance sports and is sensitive to specific training programmes.

Anaerobic fitness

These assessments measure your anaerobic and help you to identify and track improvements through your training calendar. Results can also be used to successfully taper training as you approach a competitive block of the season.

Therapeutic Use Exemption

The Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) process is a means of obtaining approval to use a prescribed Prohibited Substance or Prohibited Method for the treatment of a legitimate medical condition.

Sport Active offers these assessments, which comprise a lung function test and an appointment with our sports doctor. Please contact us for an appointment or further details.

Sports science price list

Treatment type (individual athletes) Treatment time Price
Body composition (full profile) 45 minutes £35.00
Body composition, lung function and resting bloods 60 minutes £40.00
Sub maximal assessment 75 minutes £60.00
Sub maximal assessment + gas analysis 90 minutes £90.00
Maximal assessment 75 minutes £60.00
Sub-maximal assessment + maximal assessment 120 minutes £120.00
All inclusive assessment 180 minutes £150.00