An international physiology expert who has helped athletes shave fractions of seconds off their times at the Beijing Olympics has been appointed Chairman of the UK Sport Research Advisory Group.
Professor Mike Tipton of the University of Portsmouth will provide expert advice to UK Sport-led human science research to ensure that Britain’s top athletes have the best possible chance of improving their performance.
The ultimate aim of the role is to boost the UK’s medal-winning potential in future European, World, Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Professor Tipton has spent over 20 years researching and advising in the area of environmental physiology, including thermoregulation in hot and cold climates and survival in the sea.
'Detailed consideration of environmental effects on athletic performance is a relatively new thing,' Mike said, 'but as margins between success and failure are so narrow it is important to consider all factors that can make a difference.
'For example, several British athletes have sat in deckchairs with their hands immersed in bags of cold water in order to cool down between warming-up, racing and between events. Hand immersion in cold water is an effective method of extracting heat from the body, which gives athletes a physiological as well as psychological advantage.'
Details of MSc Sports Performance at the University of Portsmouth can be found on the University's website.
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