SPORT AND EXERCISE SCIENCE REPORTS

ver 5,000 people will graduate with a degree in sport and exercise science disciplines this year, but what is sport and exercise science?

O

Sport and exercise science is the application of scientific principles to the promotion, maintenance and enhancement of sport - and exercise-related behaviours. It is the application of these scientific principles through one of the three branches of science or through interdisciplinary approaches: n Biomechanics – an examination of the causes and consequences of human movement and the interaction of the body with apparatus or equipment through the application of mechanical principles n Physiology – the branch of the biological sciences concerned with the way that the body responds to exercise and training n Psychology – the branch of sport and exercise science that seeks to provide answers to questions about human behaviour in sport and exercise settings n Interdisciplinary – involves seeking to contribute to the body of knowledge or solve a real-world problem in sport or physical activity using two or more disciplines in an integrated fashion from the outset. A multidisciplinary approach involves more than one discipline, but not necessarily in an integrated fashion.

The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences

(BASES) is the professional body for sport and exercise sciences in the UK (www.bases.org.uk). One of the many benefits of BASES membership is the opportunity to attend and present research at the annual conference (Leeds Metropolitan University, 1–3 September 2009) or the student conference (University of Hull, 31 March–1 April 2009). The BASES annual conference allows individuals the opportunity to network, exchange good practice, present research and explore collaboration opportunities. The BASES student conference provides a forum for students to meet other sport and exercise science students, practitioners and researchers, but it is also an opportunity for undergraduate and postgraduate students to present their research in a supportive environment, with encouraging scientific discussions and the potential for collaborations. In addition, the programme includes keynote lectures and workshops from national and international researchers and applied practitioners, as well as careers advice and postgraduate opportunities.

CONFERENCE REPORT: FRASER HOUSTON – BASES STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE, MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY, CHESHIRE The BASES student conference 2008 held at Bedfordshire University was really my first experience of an academic convention. I, along with three other fellow students (James

18

This article shows how sport and exercise undergraduates apply scientific principles to promote, maintain and enhance sport-and-exercise-related behaviours and how the use of poster presentations can provide succinct information in a brief format.

Gavin, Kyle Bennett, Lawrence Hayes) and two members of staff (Clare Pheasey, Chris Morse), attended the 2-day event. The conference was a fantastic opportunity for us to present our undergraduate dissertation to fellow students and academics. Students can choose to present either orally or in poster

format. We all chose the poster format, as this allowed us to present in less pressurised circumstances than with the oral method, facilitating those first difficult steps into conference presentations. However, before any of the poster work is undertaken, students must first have their dissertation abstracts accepted by the host university. This process provides excellent experience of conference abstract-writing, focusing the student on the pertinent areas of their research. The poster presentation involved standing next to your poster with about 30 other undergraduate and postgraduate students, answering questions posed by interested onlookers. It is a relaxed and yet professional atmosphere, allowing students to experience what it is like to try to defend a piece of research. In fact, I cannot recommend highly enough the experience that we all gained from presenting our dissertations in this manner. Meeting the requirements of the conference administrators, experiencing the conference itself, and meeting professionals in the roles to which we aspired provided an amazing insight into the real world of sport and exercise science.

CONCLUSION

The student conference is an excellent way of gaining experience at presenting scientific data, which is essential to those students hoping to continue at postgraduate level, where scientific conferences are a way of disseminating one’s research to the wider scientific community. Over the following pages we show the research posters presented by four undergraduate students from the BSc sport and exercise degree course at Manchester Metropolitan University, Cheshire. All four students from Manchester Metropolitan University, Cheshire who presented their undergraduate dissertations at the 2008 student conference have remained within higher education this academic year, studying at MSc or MRes level. Fraser Huston is currently completing an MSc in exercise physiology and hopes to study to PhD level in America next autumn.

sportEX dynamics 2009;21(Jul):18-23