Determinants of wheelchair basketball performance: Implications for developing players
Entry requirements 2:1
Full-time 3.5 years
Start date 1 October 2021
Application deadline 18 July 2021
UK fee Fully funded
International fee Fully funded
Location Loughborough
Department Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences
This studentship provides an opportunity to join a world-class multi-disciplinary team on a project designed to make a performance impact for the British wheelchair basketball teams leading into Paris 2024. The project will utilise the ‘embedded scientist’ approach supported by researchers within the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport. Principle supervisor is Prof Vicky Tolfrey whose expertise lies in physiology and the high-performance preparation of Para athletes. The project is jointly funded by British Wheelchair Basketball (BWB), which will facilitate access to players.
The programme of research will address the following objectives.
- Defining the physiological ‘cost’ of elite men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball tournaments at the highest level.
- Clarity of the physiological determinants of wheelchair basketball players to be world best.
- Physiological testing protocols refined to provide clarity on player developmental feedback to individuals and coaches within the BWB performance programme.
- Athlete profiling developed to inform and support the BWB performance programme in refining its WITTW model elite men and women.
- Support individual player physical preparation programmes in conjunction with BWB technical wheelchair coaches, S&C staff and physiotherapists to ensure players are physically at their peak for key international tournaments and competitions.
