EIS consultancy for lecturer

Senior lecturer, Dr Jeanne Dekerle, is working with the English Institute of Sport (EIS) as a consultant.

Jeanne, who is course leader for Applied Sports Physiology MSc and Applied Exercise Physiology MSc at the School of Sport and Service Management, is supporting the team of EIS physiologists.

Her work to date has included working in boxing on the use of Critical Speed for monitoring squads’ fitness, producing normative values, and implementing training programme. The boxing team had no physiology-based programme and was not implementing any lab-based or field-based tests until two years ago when it appointed a physiologist.

They now profile every athlete of their three squads on a very regular bases during the year using the Critical Speed concept which is a research expertise of Jeanne. Her boxing research continues on the universities Eastbourne campus where we have a very strong university team.

Jeanne is also helping the EIS team developing a project called Norms for out-of-the-norm people. The project uses sets of data collected over the years by the EIS to develop normative values for the identification of weaknesses and strengths in an athlete’s profile. The descriptive stats produce meaningful, simple, contextualised data for the coaches based on the concept of Narrative Statistics.

Jeanne is working in athletics and boxing in particular, but the tool she’s developing is likely to be used by the whole physiology team and possible other teams within the EIS.

Her work has also given opportunities to students. MSc student, Emma Mitchell, is doing her 100-hour work experience with boxing at the EIS and is also involced in the research on campus. Jeanne is also finalising an MSc studentship funded by the EIS for next year to continue this research work.