Research that Supports Elite Athletes and Officials
In the run-up to the Olympics, we are lining up our researchers whose work contributes to the success of elite athletes and sports officials. Our research teams are helping elite athletes make their sporting dreams a reality and ensuring they continue to enjoy the experience through improvements in technique, equipment, and mental health provision.
Dr. Gerard McMahon - Advanced Footwear for Sprinters
As a Lecturer in Exercise and Health Physiology, Gerard's research is analysing how we can help sprinters run even faster using advanced footwear design.
“With my research on 'super spikes', an advanced footwear design that has seen world records being smashed, I have been working with Athletics Ireland, helping elite Irish sprinters find out how super spikes might help them improve sprint performance in prep for Paris 2024 Olympics.”
Sprinter Footwear
Dr. Noel Brick - Protecting Mental Health
Noel's research focuses predominantly on two areas: the psychology of endurance performance, and abuse experiences and mental health in sports officials.
“My research primarily focuses on experiences of abuse and its impact on mental health. I am working with a number of sporting organisations to help tackle abuse and to develop support and training interventions to protect the mental health of sports officials within these organisations.”
Protecting Mental Health
Dr. Carla McCabe - Improving Elite Athlete Performance
Working with PhD Researcher, Ryan Keating, Carla is working with elite swimmers to improve performance in the run-up to the Olympics, making crucial adjustments that may help bring home a medal.
“Through load-velocity profiling, we are determining the in-water strength and speed characteristics of elite Irish swimmers and how these change throughout the last year of an Olympic cycle. We have identified individual weaknesses and provided specific interventions ahead of the Olympics.”
Elite Swimmers
