Academic staff and students from our Sport and Exercise Science programme have recently carried out the first of a series of stringent tests as part of an exciting new partnership between the University and Cambridge United to assess player fitness and inform the teams training regime as they look to push for promotion back to the football league this season.

The club, currently flying high in the Blue Square Premier, initially approached Sport and Exercise Sciences, Programme Leader and life-long United fan Roy Luckhurst looking for a scientific assessment of their squads current fitness levels and data that would allow them to tailor individual training programmes to ensure players are fitter, stronger and better as the season gets into full swing.

Roy and his team implemented a battery of tests to measure players' body fat, aerobic capacity, lactate thresholds and maximum heart rate. Tests that include hydrostatic weighing to measure body fat levels, a process that involves exhaling for 10 seconds whilst being fully submerged in water. VO2 max tests have also been carried out, which involve recording players' heart rates to maximum whilst they run on a treadmill with an ever-increasing gradient.

The resulting data will be used to help set optimum training intensities for each of the Cambridge players, which can then be monitored in real time whilst the players train using wireless heart rate monitors. Speaking of the Partnership, United Manager Jez George commented "We would like to thank ARU for providing us with their facilities and expertise. We see this as a long-term arrangement as we continually look for ways to make the players the best they can be. The application of Sports science is one way in which we can improve the players individually and therefore in the long term improve the team. This is another step towards creating the right culture and an environment that will help us to be successful in the future."

Roy added "We are very proud to have forged this working relationship with our local club, Cambridge United. Both institutions have a long history in Cambridge and are integral to the success of the City. It is an exciting prospect to be working in partnership with such a far-sighted manager as Jez George. As soon as we realised how keen Jez was to incorporate professional sports science support into his training regime, we were sold on the idea.

Bryn Percival, a second year Sports Science student, has already been appointed as sprint coach at Cambridge United and several of our students will soon be starting their internships at the club. We are very pleased with the opportunities this partnership is providing for our students and in return it is good that Cambridge United are benefiting from our knowledge and expertise. After all, in the highly competitive world of professional football, every 1% improvement counts. If Cambridge United now have a successful season, we will be very proud to have in some way contributed to their success."