Who are we?

The Sports Performance, Recovery, Injury and New Technologies (SPRINT) Research Centre is a group of internationally recognized sports scientists working towards advancing knowledge in the areas of human performance, recovery and injury. We deliver impactful and timely research using cutting edge research techniques at three sites across Australia. 

What do we do?

SPRINT research focuses on the interactions between human performance, fatigue, sleep and recovery interventions, and the prevention, risk identification and rehabilitation of injury with a strong emphasis on findings that directly translate into practice.

How do we do it?

We employ a holistic approach to all aspects of human performance. Our researchers work closely with several globally recognized organisations including the National Football League (US), FIFA (Global), PepsiCo (US), Australian Institute of Sport (AU), Queensland Academy of Sport (AU) and Tasmanian Institute of Sport (AU). Read more about our domestic and international collaborators here.

We have a wide range of capabilities across four campuses (Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Blacktown), making our expertise widely accessible.

Athlete tracking:

• STATSports GNSS units

Biomechanics:

• Five separate VICON 3D motion capture laboratories
  • With AMTI and Bertec ground embedded triaxial force plates
• XSens Awinda IMU motion capture system
• BlueTrident IMUs
• Bertec dual-belt triaxial instrumented treadmill
• Woodway Curve Force-treadmill
• Cometa wireless electromyography
• Stalker II Pro radar guns
• MuscleLab laser

Imaging:

• MRI (via academic and commerical partners)
• GE Lunar iDEXA
• Hologic SuperSonic real-time ultrasound (includes capacity for assessing muscle architecture and shear wave elastography)

Neurophysiology:

• OcaMon+ and PortaLite near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) (to assess cerebral oxygen concentration
• Tobii Pro Spectrum eye tracker
• MagStim Bistim transcranial magnetic stimulator
• MagStim Rapid² transcranial magnetic stimulator
• NeuroConn DC Stimulator Plus (for delivering transcranial direct current stimulation)
• Digitimer electrical stimulator

Physiological assessment:

• Cosmed K5 portable metabolic measurement system to assess oxygen consumption
• ParvoMedics TrueOne 2400 and Cosmed Quark laboratory based metabolic measurements
• Polar heart rate monitors

Sleep monitoring:

• Oura rings for at-home sleep monitoring
• Somfit partial polysomnography to assess sleep architecture in the home environment
• Overnight polysomnography as the laboratory gold standard for overnight laboratory sleep monitoring (via academic and commercial partners)

Strength testing:

• Biodex isokinetic dynamometer
• GymAware linear position transducers
• Flex optic laser
• Perch camera system
• NordBord hamstring testing system
• ForceDecks force plates
• ForceFrame testing system
• Custom-built fixed point dynamometry apparatus

Collaborations with Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research (MMIHR)

In addition to the capabilities within SPRINT, we are also fortunate to collaborate with world-leading researchers from MMIHR who can provide additional capability, including:

• CT scans
• Molecular and genetic analysis
• Resting metabolic rate

Study with us

For more information on our projects, visit our Study with Us page, or view the video below.

Work with us

Fill out our expression of interest form to get in touch.

Follow us

Twitter: @SPRINT_ACU