Exercise Science Laboratories
Our Exercise Science and Physiology Labs cater to different functions such as biochemistry, biomechanics, motor control, exercise physiology, strength and conditioning and skill acquisition.
They are used to study and understand how the human body responds and adapts to sport and exercise, and are equipped with cutting-edge diagnostic equipment to provide high quality teaching and research environments.
Strength and Conditioning Lab
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Strength and Conditioning Lab is predominately utilised by students across all exercise based programs. Exercise and sport sciences students work with healthy populations and athletes in progressive resistance exercise that is highly specific to their goals. Clinical exercise physiology students work with clinical clients including low back pain and cancer survivors to gain valuable experience in modifying exercise and prescribing safe and effective programs. All students gain comprehensive, hands-on instruction in resistance training and testing techniques.
This lab is designed to create the best environment for training and testing, while providing the best equipment available to further advance students capabilities.
Key equipment includes brand new Technogym equipment, power lifting platforms, pilates reformer, specialised pneumatic air resistance machines for rehabilitation and state of the art pin weighted and cable machines.
Exercise Physiology Labs
Our Exercise Physiology Labs utilise the latest technologies to teach applied aspects of clinical exercise physiology, sport physiology, human performance, and fitness field testing. These labs feature state-of-the-art equipment to enable individuals to run a variety of tests including sprint testing, agility testing, gait timing, vertical jump testing, anaerobic power and muscle strength. They also include a variety of equipment that would be commonly used in a clinical/corporate wellness settings including:
- Marquette ECG Exercise Stress Test System
- GE Case ECG Cardiac Exercise Stress systems
- PARVO Medics cardiopulmonary Exercise and metabolic systems
- Vacumed Cardiopulmonary system
- Cholestek Lipid analyser
- Accuchek Lactate Analyser
- Metamax cardiopulmonary exercise testing system
- COSMED Cardiopulmonary exercise testing and Indirect calorimetry systems
- LODE - Excalibur cycle and LODE Corival Recumbent ergometers
Biomechanics and Neuromechanics Lab
Our Biomechanics and Neuromechanics Research Laboratories are dedicated to the investigation of the neural control of human movement. Studies in the laboratory utilise a combination of state-of-the-art neurophysiological and mechanical techniques involving electromyography, motion analysis, dynamometry and electrical and magnetic stimulation of muscle and nervous tissue.
Motor Control Lab
Our Motor Control Research Laboratory is equipped for leading edge research into the way our movements are controlled, and into many aspects of sensory perception. State-of-the-art experimental devices are available to measure nervous system function and body mechanics through electromyography, motion analysis, programmable robotic devices, virtual reality systems, and electrical and magnetic stimulation of muscle and nervous tissue.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Labs
Our Biochemistry Research Laboratory is used to analyse the metabolic, inflammatory and hormonal constituents present in biological tissues, including whole blood, serum (or plasma) and skeletal muscle. The lab contains a variety of specialist equipment including a Varian GC/MS mass spectrometer for compound identification, a Luminex analyser for multiplex analysis, and Cobas Mira spectrophotometer and Shimadzu HPLC system for analytical biochemistry studies.
Biodex Isokinetic Dynamometry Labs
The Biodex Isokenetic Dynamometry lab houses a Biodex Isokinetic Dynamometer which is a multi-joint isokinetic machine used to measure muscle extension and flexion strengths of any body limb, such as the knee, elbow, ankle, shoulders, wrists, neck and wrists. The Biodex Isokinetic Dynamometer measures precise values of force produced and rate of force production, and is widely used musculoskeletal biomechanics and physiology.
Body Composition and Bone Densitometry Lab
The Body Composition and Bone Densitometry Lab is used for sophisticated determinations of body composition (lean and fat mass), bone mineral content and density of the whole body and various body regions to diagnose obesity, osteoporosis and osteopenia.
The Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a state-of the art piece of equipment which is a computed tomography (CT) scanner that uses very little radiation to provide a great deal of information.
The DXA is now extensively used in research and also offers invaluable insights to both health practitioners and sports scientists to understand and monitor changes in body composition and bone parameters in relation to clinical and intervention conditions.
BodPod
The BOD POD Gold Standard Body Composition Tracking System is an air displacement plethysmograph which uses whole-body densitometry to determine body composition (fat and fat-free mass) in adults and children, and can accommodate a wide range of populations.
Because the BOD POD® is highly accurate, it can detect even small changes in body fat and lean body mass (i.e., muscle, bones and organs). Body composition is one of the best indicators of overall health. The feedback you receive from your BOD POD®test can be used to measure the success of your nutrition and/or exercise program, monitor for obesity, a risk factor for major diseases, like stroke and diabetes, help you lose or gain body fat safely, fine tune your athletic performance and more.
Cardiovascular Physiology Research Lab
The Cardiovascular Physiology Research Lab aims to understand the regulation of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular control across the lifespan and in those with chronic disease. It features state-of-the-art ultrasound equipment to enable the assessment of vascular function and structure, and the measurement of blood flow during exercise at the brain, heart, large and small arteries.