Sport, Exercise, and Rehabilitation Sciences

From Initiation to Maintenance: The Psychophysiological Mechanisms Underpinning Sustained Physical Activity

Lead supervisor: Dr Izzy Wellings

Why do some people maintain an exercise habit while others stop? This PhD will investigate the psychophysiological mechanisms underpinning sustained physical activity, combining laboratory exercise testing, psychological assessment and wearable technology. The project will identify mechanisms predicting long-term adherence and explore whether targeted self-regulation strategies can support sustained exercise behaviour.

Overview of PhD Project

Regular physical activity is very effective in improving and maintaining long-term health. However, although many people begin exercising, most struggle to maintain participation over time. Research has identified a range of psychological factors associated with undertaking physical activity, including motivation, self-efficacy, affect, identity and social support. But we know considerably less about why people continue to exercise once they have started, and the psychophysiological mechanisms that underpin sustained physical activity behaviour. Previous research has shown that psychological experiences during exercise, such as motivation and affect, fluctuate in response to physiological changes. This project will investigate whether these dynamic psychophysiological responses help explain why some individuals successfully maintain physical activity over the longer term, while others do not.

The PhD will adopt a mixed-methods, longitudinal approach, combining laboratory-based exercise testing, psychological assessment, and wearable technology to investigate the mechanisms underpinning sustained physical activity. The project will:

• Identify psychophysiological mechanisms associated with sustained physical activity behaviour change.
• Determine whether psychophysiological responses measured during laboratory exercise predict long-term adherence to community exercise programmes.
• Establish whether identified mechanisms can be modified using targeted self-regulation strategies.

The research will combine measures of psychological experiences with physiological and wearable-derived data, including heart rate, activity levels, blood lactate concentration and ventilation. Laboratory responses will be examined in relation to subsequent real-world physical activity and exercise adherence. Building on these findings, the final stage of the PhD will investigate whether an identified mechanism can be modified through targeted self-regulation strategies, such as conscious reflection or self-affirmation.

The project will provide new insight into the psychophysiological processes underlying sustained physical activity and establish a foundation for future interventions designed to help people maintain an active lifestyle. Ultimately, the research aims to generate the mechanistic evidence needed to develop more effective approaches to tackling physical inactivity and improving long-term health.

Supervisory team: Dr Izzy Wellings (i.wellings-13@kent.ac.uk), Dr Sam Smith (s.a.smith-75@kent.ac.uk) and Professor Lex Mauger (l.mauger@kent.ac.uk). Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact a member of the supervisory team for further information about the project before applying.

How to apply

Applicants must contact the relevant supervisor for their chosen project before submitting an application for the scholarship. Supervisor contact details are provided alongside each available project.

Please apply through the PhD application pathway on the following link and select the relevant project’s lead supervisor.

Sport, Exercise, and Rehabilitation

In your application please include:

• explain reasons for study
• provide an outline of a research proposal
• provide details and evidence of qualifications
• provide details of any teaching experience
• provide two academic references
• provide other personal information and supporting documentation
• make sure you include that you want to be considered for the GTA on the application
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact a potential supervisor before applying. Supervisors may be found here: Izzy Wellings (iw13@kent.ac.uk)

The Influence of Chronotype and Circadian Alignment on Biomechanical Variability and Injury Risk in Athletes

Lead supervisor: Dr Julie Gooderick

This project will recruit ~50 athletes from professional sports networks and the University of Kent TASS programme; initial work will characterise chronotype, sleep-wake patterns and physical performance of participants. A randomised, counterbalanced, crossover study will then investigate whether training at circadian aligned/misaligned times affects biomechanical variability. Participants will complete standardised exercises at two time points representing circadian-aligned and misaligned conditions, with biomechanical variability calculated using 3D motion capture and force platforms. Finally, the applied feasibility of chronotype-informed training prescription will be investigated.

Overview of PhD Project

Background and rationale:

Athletic performance is influenced by circadian rhythms, with neuromuscular function demonstrating meaningful variation across the day. An athlete’s chronotype appears to moderate physical performance and fatigue; morning-types tend to perform comparatively better earlier in the day, whereas later chronotypes may experience substantial performance impairment when required to perform soon after habitual waking.

Existing research has predominantly investigated whether circadian alignment affects performance outcomes; but whether chronotype influences consistency of movement and biomechanics remains largely unknown. This represents an important knowledge gap, as greater variability in joint kinetics and kinematics could influence performance efficiency and mechanical loading – both factors previously shown to represent a significant contributor to injury.

Aims:

To determine whether alignment between an athlete’s chronotype and the timing of exercise influences biomechanical variability during athletic movements. This will aid understanding of whether biological rhythms should be considered as part of an injury prevention strategy.

Significance and Impact:

The project will move circadian sports science beyond the question of “when do athletes perform best?” towards the mechanistically and clinically important question of “when do athletes move most consistently?” Current evidence demonstrates time-of-day effects on jumping and agility tasks but provides little insight into the variability underpinning those performances.

Findings from this project could provide a foundation for chronotype-informed training prescription. Ultimately, the project has potential to establish circadian alignment as a novel, modifiable component of athlete performance management and injury-risk mitigation and would lead to the question of whether biological rhythms should be considered as part of injury prevention and overall athlete health strategy.

How to apply

Applicants must contact the relevant supervisor for their chosen project before submitting an application for the scholarship. Supervisor contact details are provided alongside each available project.

Please apply through the PhD application pathway on the following link and select the relevant project’s lead supervisor.

Sport, Exercise, and Rehabilitation

In your application please include:

• explain reasons for study
• provide an outline of a research proposal
• provide details and evidence of qualifications
• provide details of any teaching experience
• provide two academic references
• provide other personal information and supporting documentation
• make sure you include that you want to be considered for the GTA on the application
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact a potential supervisor before applying. Lead Supervisor: Dr Julie Gooderick j.gooderick@kent.ac.uk

Personalised Exercise in Parkinson’s: Integrating Biomechanics, Tissue Mechanics and Artificial Intelligence

Lead supervisor: Dr Jake Bowd

This PhD will investigate why people with Parkinson’s respond differently to exercise. Combining 3D motion analysis, ultrasound imaging, clinical assessment and machine learning, it will examine biomechanical, muscle and connective tissue mechanisms and compare AI informed with therapist-led exercise, aiming to develop markers that enable more precise, personalised exercise prescription.

Overview of PhD Project

Parkinson’s is a rapidly growing neurological disorder affecting more than 10 million people worldwide. Progressive changes in gait, balance and mobility can substantially reduce independence and quality of life. Exercise can improve movement and function; however, responses vary considerably between individuals, and exercise prescription does not always reflect differences in underlying movement impairment. Moreover, research has predominantly focused on neurological mechanisms, despite emerging evidence that changes in muscle and connective tissue mechanics may also contribute to stiffness and movement restriction. Artificial intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities to personalise exercise, but its application in Parkinson’s has largely focused on diagnosis and monitoring rather than treatment selection.

This interdisciplinary PhD will investigate why people with Parkinson’s respond differently to exercise and whether AI can help personalise exercise prescription. Integrating biomechanics, muscle and connective tissue physiology, clinical rehabilitation and data science, the project will investigate mechanisms underlying movement restriction and exercise response.

Using 3D motion analysis, ultrasound imaging, clinical assessment and machine learning, the project will examine movement alongside muscle and fascial tissue behaviour. It will compare AI-informed exercise with standard therapist-led exercise and investigate whether baseline characteristics can predict individual responses.

The project will: (1) determine changes in gait, movement and function following AI-informed and therapist-led exercise; (2) investigate biomechanical, muscular and connective tissue mechanisms associated with movement restriction and exercise response; and (3) determine whether multimodal biomechanical, ultrasound and clinical measures can identify response phenotypes and predict individual exercise outcomes.

The successful candidate will be supervised by a nationally and internationally renowned multidisciplinary group with established expertise in Parkinson’s research, biomechanics, rehabilitation and movement science. The project offers advanced training in biomechanics, ultrasound imaging, exercise rehabilitation, Parkinson’s research and applied AI, with the aim of developing clinically meaningful markers to enable more precise, personalised exercise for people living with Parkinson’s.

How to Apply:

Applicants must contact the relevant supervisor for their chosen project before submitting an application for the scholarship. Supervisor contact details are provided alongside each available project.

Please apply through the PhD application pathway on the following link and select the relevant project’s lead supervisor.

Sport, Exercise, and Rehabilitation

In your application please include:

• explain reasons for study
• provide an outline of a research proposal
• provide details and evidence of qualifications
• provide details of any teaching experience
• provide two academic references
• provide other personal information and supporting documentation
• make sure you include that you want to be considered for the GTA on the application
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact a potential supervisor before applying. Supervisors may be found here: Dr Jake Bowd (Primary supervisor), Lecturer in Biomechanics, Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Kent. Email: Bowd@kent.ac.uk .