The role of intermuscular coordination in the transfer of strength gains to maximal sports performance

Louise Burnie is a PhD student in the Centre for Sport Engineering Research, working in collaboration with the English Institute for Sport and British Cycling.

For her PhD she is investigating the role of intermuscular coordination in the transfer of strength gains to maximal sports performance. The project will explore the biomechanical, motor control and morphological changes following a period of strength training. Using a maximal cycling model, the effect of strength changes on intermuscular coordination will be investigated both computationally and experimentally. Adopting an ecological theoretical framework, the PhD will also seek to use this understanding to design inventions that improve the transfer of strength to performance, possibly utilising biofeedback.

After graduating from Imperial College with a first class honours MEng in Civil Engineering, Louise worked as a Structural Engineer in large multidisciplinary engineering consultancies for 7 years in London and New Zealand. She returned to university to study an MSc in Sports Biomechanics at Loughborough University, graduating with a Distinction in 2014.

In her spare time Louise is a keen cyclist and competes in road racing and time trialling throughout the UK in the National Women's Road League and Team series. She has the UK Athletics coaching assistant award and has been a volunteer coach at Morpeth Harriers and Charnwood AC, working with junior middle and long distance runners.