Neuroscience and sports scientists collaborate to help atheletes

Bioscientists and sports scientists are meeting this week to discuss the application of bioscience research to help investigate challenges presented by the UK high performance sport community.

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and UK Sport are bringing together scientists in the fields of neuroscience and musculoskeletal research with sports scientists with a view to establishing collaborative projects that will boost the chances of our top athletes in future competitions. A workshop is taking place today (28 September) and tomorrow at the Babraham Institute, an Institute of BBSRC, near Cambridge.

Professor Janet Allen, Director of Research, BBSRC said: "The bioscience community in the UK has knowledge and skills that could address many major challenges facing high performance athletes. The translation of fundamental bioscience, including the physiology of the nerve to muscle to tendon system, into strategies to fulfil physical potential could help give British athletes an edge as they prepare for a home Olympic and Paralympic Games in three years time."

Dr Scott Drawer, Head of Research and Innovation, UK Sport said: "Elite athletes train incredibly hard and maintain a very high level of fitness over a long time. While this makes them healthier than average, it can also expose them to more physical stresses and they can be prone to certain injuries and conditions. In some cases it almost seems like while they are operating at an incredibly high level they can easily topple and fall from that height.

"At UK Sport we have a well established Innovation Partnership Network from the best of British industry and academia, but we are constantly looking for new ways in which our athletes can improve the way they train, recover and perform, so we are delighted to be exploring this possibility with the BBSRC and their research community."

The workshop is designed to introduce bioscientists to the practical challenges faced by leading athletes and their coaches and trainers, so as to encourage application of knowledge in relevant fields. BBSRC and UK Sport will then collaborate to fund research projects in this area.

Professor Allen added: "High performance sport provides a unique model for investigating factors related to healthy physiology and so the projects that are taken on following this workshop are also likely to tell us something about increasing healthy lifespan for everyone."