Sport Research

Academic staff working in sport-related research are internationally recognised. Academic expertise is enhanced with access to world-class facilities at Oriam and elite athletes, as well as partnerships with leading organisations across the sport, exercise and health sectors.

Our research addresses the needs of society and is focused in three areas:

1. Sport, business and society; and
2. Sport, exercise and health sciences;
3. Sport and exercise psychology.

In addition, staff working in different areas collaborate on inter-disciplinary projects. One ongoing example is a project on ‘Gender dynamics and women's experiences in sport and exercise’ involving staff from two of our areas of expertise. Staff in other Schools within the University also engage in sport-related research, for example, Professor Bert Blocken, whose research interests include sport aerodynamics and wind tunnel testing.

Sport, business and society

Research in this area is focused on the social contributions of sport, using sport as a context within which social, economic, management and cultural challenges are addressed. Ongoing projects in this area include:

• Exploring the moral economy of sport
• The use of scenario planning within sport organisations
• Supporter ownership and involvement in football club governance
• Doping use and anti-doping policies in sport and fitness

Sport and exercise psychology

Research in this area is focused on Resilience and mental toughness, Pressure training, Neurodiversity, Social identity, and Performance and well-being. Two main themes of ongoing PhD and MSc work are:

• research that explores the biopsychosocial factors and mechanisms that explain mental toughness and resilience in high performance sport, where we are also working to develop novel interventions to facilitate resilience such as pressure-training methods.
• research that explores the health and well-being benefits of sport and physical activity for neurodiverse individuals, and which seek to help better understand the needs of neurodiverse elite athletes.

Sport and exercise science

The Sport and Exercise Science team at Heriot-Watt University conducts cutting-edge research, focusing on enhancing performance and health across various populations. We study human physiology, working with athletes, older adults, and clinical populations, and develop nutritional strategies to optimise health and performance. Our work in strength and conditioning, biomechanics, and sports engineering integrates advanced techniques and technologies to improve physical capabilities and athletic performance. By combining expertise in these areas, we drive innovation and excellence in sport and exercise science.