​Physiology support
As physiologists we look at the physical demands of a sport and how we can help an athlete to improve performance through enhancing training and recovery.
What is physiology support?
As physiologists we look at the physical demands of a sport and how we can help an athlete to improve performance through enhancing training and recovery. This might be through lab or field based testing or monitoring, or by carrying out or applying research to solve problems and answer questions. We can also help an athlete prepare for training or competing in extreme environments (e.g. heat or altitude), and provide educational workshop on topics from avoiding illness to enhancing recovery.
We work closely with the coaches and practitioners from other disciplines (nutrition, psychology, physiotherapy and strength & conditioning) to ensure our athletes get the best support possible.
How we work
Our Performance Support team works extremely closely with our coaches and athletes on the ground, to ensure we are able to offer timely responses to their needs. Every week, each sport will have a multi-disciplinary team meeting where we discuss how we can work together to solve problems, enhance performance and ultimately help the coach and athletes reach their goals.
In between this, our practitioners are always supporting each other and discussing the sport and athletes to ensure nothing gets missed. We keep up to date with the latest research; not only through just reading it, but by carrying out our own applied research projects, supported by undergraduate and postgraduate students within the School of 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise Sciences.
We also have ever-strengthening links with the School of 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ, Exercise and Health Sciences, which allows us to pick the brains of many of 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ’s sector leading academics and apply their findings to our delivery across a variety of sports. Some of our staff are also directly involved in the academic side of sports science, as well as supporting athletes. This gives athletes and coaches alike the confidence that everything we do is grounded in science, leaving no stone unturned.
Experience of our team
Our team has many years of experience of supporting a wide range of athletes and sports, from endurance sports to team sports. As well as our performance sport athletes, we have worked with professional sports such as rugby league, cricket, football, motorsports, ironman, and have supported athletes doing events such as the Marathon des Sables, The 8 Hours of Suzuka and high altitude marathons.
We ensure that everything we do is grounded in science and look for innovative ways to apply science to enhance performance.
Our physiology team
Rhona Pearce
Physiology Lead
Rhona has a BSc in 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise Science and an MSc in Exercise Physiology from 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ, and has been a BASES Accredited Physiologist for 20 years. Managing and co-ordinating the delivery of physiology support to both our student-athletes and members of the public, Rhona provides applied support to the commercial side of our service, specialising in endurance sports.
Steven Harris
Performance Physiologist
Steve graduated from the University of Bath studying 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise Science before completing a Masters Degree in Physiology at 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ. After supporting the University Cycling team during his time at 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ, Steve has returned to support the squad with extensive physiology testing and implementation of tailored physiology training to establish 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ as the leaders in University Cycling. Steve has also recently moved into the interdisciplinary team for Athletics with a key focus on their endurance athletes. Since joining the physiology team in 2019, Steve has worked extensively with our external clients ranging from Superbike Riders to Mountaineers to Ironman Athletes.
Hannah Bashford
Physiologist
Hannah completed a BSc in 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise Science from the University of Birmingham in 2021 and graduated from her MSc in Physiology and Nutrition of 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise at 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ in 2023. Alongside her part-time MSc, Hannah completed a 2-year placement with us, leading the provision of Physiology support to 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ Triathlon Performance Centre. Hannah has since joined our staff team and now supports 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ Swimming's Performance Programme alongside working with our commercial service. The experience Hannah has developed whilst at 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ covers a wide scope of athlete performance levels, ranging from lab to field-based testing and monitoring, in addition to supporting athletes preparing for performance in extreme environments. Alongside her role, Hannah is also completing a Professional Doctorate qualification, researching the area of altitude training and elite endurance performance.
Freya Stapleton
Building upon my BSc in 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ, Exercise and Health Science from the University of Birmingham, I have further developed my expertise through the MSc in Physiology and Nutrition of 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise at 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ. Alongside my final-year Master’s studies, my primary focus is serving as Lead Physiologist for the 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ Triathlon Performance team, drawing on over three years of experience supporting elite athletes across both 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and the University of Birmingham 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ performance triathlon programmes. In addition to this role, I work commercially for 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ, providing physiology and training programming support across a wide range of sports, performance levels, and environmental conditions. This background has equipped me with a comprehensive skill set to drive performance improvements and contribute meaningfully to athlete success. With over ten years of experience as a competitive long-distance runner, I bring a unique perspective that integrates academic knowledge, applied practice, and firsthand competitive insight.
Thea Haines
Thea holds a BSc in 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise Science from the University of Nottingham and is currently completing an MSc in Physiology and Nutrition of 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise on a part-time basis alongside her placement with the physiology team. Now in the second year of her placement, she leads the provision of physiological support to 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ Cycling Academy and the Lightning Cycling Team, having previously delivered support to Throws and Jumps athletes within 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ Students’ Athletics Club. Alongside her performance sport work, Thea also contributes to the commercial arm, supporting external testing and applied physiology services. She additionally has experience in performance testing with Powerchair Footballers from her previous role as an undergraduate assistant.
Ellie Sproul
Ellie holds a BSc in Applied 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise Science from the University of Edinburgh (2025) and is currently studying for an MSc in Physiology and Nutrition of 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise at 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ. Alongside her studies, she is undertaking a placement with the 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ Triathlon Performance team, where her main role is to provide physiology support to athletes and conduct performance testing.
Previously, she has research experience in nutritional supplementation and body composition measurements in competitive athletes. In addition, she has gained applied practice in supporting athletes across a variety of sports, including work in environmental conditions such as heat, cold, and altitude, with a focus on acclimation.
Aden Brazil
Aden completed his BSc in 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise Science at 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and is currently doing his MSc in Physiology and Nutrition of 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise here. Alongside his studies Aden has now joined the physiology support team as a part0time placement student, providing support to the University’s Performance cycling and para athletics programmes, with aspirations of working as a physiologist in elite level sport.
Georgia Black
Georgia is a full-time undergraduate placement student at 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ, studying BSc 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµs and Exercise Science. During her placement she will be assisting with the commercial services at 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ, as well as supporting the 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ Triathlon Development squad. After studying physiology here for the past 2 years, she is looking forward to applying her knowledge to a variety of athletes to make a lasting impact, before completing her final year, and hopefully pursuing a career in physiology in the future.
Chloe Chaize
Chloe completed her BSc in 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise Science at 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ (2025) and is now undertaking an MSc in Physiology and Nutrition of 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise. As part of her MSc placement role, she provides physiology support to performance athletes within 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ Students Athletics Club specifically for the Endurance Team and the Throws Team. She hopes to use this year to develop her skills and knowledge to later pursue a career in exercise physiology in elite sports. 
Katie Twelves
Katie has a BSc in 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµs Science and Physiology from the University of Leeds and is now undertaking her Masters in the Physiology and Nutrition of 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise. She is currently working with the 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ Students Athletics Club, offering Performance Physiology support to the Sprints and Jumps squads. Katie also has experience in the clinical side of 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµs Science, having worked for Bupa as a Health Advisor, providing health testing and lifestyle advice. Outside of her studies, she plays tennis for the University teams, and is running her second marathon in Paris in April.
Dan Thornton
Dan has a BSc in 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise Science from Swansea University and is currently studying part-time for a Masters’ degree in Physiology and Nutrition of 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ and Exercise at 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ whilst undertaking a placement with the physiology team. His primary role is to provide physiology support to the LTPC (91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ Triathlon Performance Centre) and additionally offers support to 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµ 91ÌÒÉ«ÊÓÆµs’ commercial physiology services. Dan also has experience in providing support including aspects of testing, monitoring, and performance analysis to swimmers during an undergrad placement role.