Lecturer in Sport Science and Physical Activity

I have teaching experience at both undergraduate and postgraduate level within the area of exercise physiology, nutrition and research methods, with a primary focus on health and wellbeing. I also contributes to several other units across the undergraduate and postgraduate programme.

I am interested assessing and enhancing physical and cognitive performance, musculoskeletal function and quality of life through nutritional intervention strategies, in children and adults.

I obtained my BSc in Sport and Exercise Science, MRes Sport Science, PGCHE and PhD from Nottingham Trent University. My PhD was focused on investigating the effect of β-alanine supplementation on neuromuscular performance with Professor Craig Sale and Dr Cleveland Barnett. I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

I am an active researcher within the department and a member of Institute for Sport and Physical Activity Research (ISPAR) and the Exercise Clinic programme at the University of Bedfordshire. I am an BASES Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist (Research and Exercise Physiology), Chartered Scientist and UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) Accredited Advisor. In 2018, I was awarded the ‘British Nutrition Foundation Drummond Pump Priming Award’ to fund research examining ‘Acute impact of breakfast consumption and omission on glycaemia and insulinaemia in adolescent girls’. I am also an ad-hoc reviewer for sport science periodicals, including Sports Medicine, Journal of Sport Science and Medicine, International Journal Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism and Journal of Sports Sciences.

Other References

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Qualifications

• PhD, The effect of β-alanine supplementation on neuromuscular performance with Professor Craig Sale and Dr Cleveland Barnett - Nottingham Trent University
• MRes Sport Science – Nottingham Trent University
• BSc Sport and Exercise Science – Nottingham Trent University

Teaching Expertise

• PGCHE – Nottingham Trent University
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Research Interests

• Nutritional supplements
• Ageing
• Neuromuscular performance
• Skeletal muscle function

Publications

• Artioli, G.G., Sale, C., Jones, R.L. (2018) Carnosine in health and disease, European Journal of Sport Science, DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2018.1444096
• Jones, R.L., Barnett, C.T., Davidson, J., Maritza, B., Fraser, W.D., Harris, R.C., Sale, C. (2017) β-alanine supplementation improves in-vivo fresh and fatigued muscle relaxation speed. European Journal of Physiology, 117 (5), 867-879. DOI: 10.1007/s00421-017-3569-1
• Jones, R.L., Stellingwerff, T., Artioli, G.G., Saunders, B., Cooper, S.B., Sale, C. (2016). The dose-response to sodium bicarbonate ingestion highlights the need for individuality in supplementation. IJSNEM, 26, (5), 445-453. DOI: 10.1123/ijsnem.2015-0286
• Cooper, S.B., Bandelow, S., Nute, M., Dring, K.J., Stannard, R.L., Morris, J., Nevill, M. (2016). Sprint-based exercise and cognitive function in adolescents. Prev Med Rep, 4, 155-161. DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2016.06.004
• Hannah, R., Stannard, R.L., Minshull, C., Artioli, G.G., Harris, R.C., Sale, C. (2015). β-alanine Supplementation Enhances Human Skeletal Muscle Relaxation Speed but Not Force Production Capacity. J Appl Physiol. 118 (5), 604-612. DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00991.2014

Research supervision PhD

• Opie Charlett (due to submit 2022) Director of Studies. The effects of interrupting sedentary behaviour on cardiometabolic risk markers in older adults. www.beds.ac.uk/ispar/research-students/opie-charlett
• Abi Saunders (due to submit 2023) 2^nd Supervisor. Understanding and optimising concentric left ventricular hypertrophy through resistance exercise and beta-alanine supplementation.

Masters by Research

• Victoria Morari (due to viva 2020) Director of Studies. Acute impact of breakfast consumption and omission on glycaemia, insulinaemia and subsequent exercise metabolism in adolescent girls. www.beds.ac.uk/ispar/research-students/victoria-morari
• Rachael Champion (due to submit 2021) 2nd Supervisor. Acute impact of breakfast consumption and omission on glycaemia and insulinaemia in adolescent girls. www.beds.ac.uk/ispar/research-students/rachael-champion
• Charlotte Murphy (due to submit 2021). 2nd Supervisor. Does mixed method pre-match and half-time cooling augment cognitive function during a soccer-specific simulation on a non-motorised treadmill, in a hot and humid environment.

Contact Details

T: +44 (0)1234 793080
E: rebecca.jones@beds.ac.uk