The College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) presented a talk by an influential University of South Australia researcher, Professor Jon Buckley, highlighting the use of heart rate kinetics for monitoring exercise performance in athletes. 

Professor Buckley, Dean of Programs (Human Performance) at the University of South Australia’s Allied Health and Human Performance Academic Unit, led a study with the aim of developing an objective method for assessing fatigue and recovery in athletes during changes in training load. Noting that recovery from athletic training and performance competition is complex and involves numerous factors, the findings could inform a precision approach to training adjustments to optimize performance and reduce the risk of overtraining and injury. 

Dr. Hend Mansoor, Assistant Professor at CHLS, commented: “We are delighted to give our students and faculty the opportunity to engage with the widely respected expertise of Professor Buckley and to foster such research connections. We gained a better understanding of his study, and its potential to make a real impact on exercise performance. His talk aligned with the focus of our exercise science program at CHLS, which is directed at developing knowledge on the relationships between physical activity and fitness, towards preventative healthcare.” 

Heart rate kinetics are faster in well-trained athletes at exercise onset, indicating their sensitivity to training status. Professor Buckley discussed how a maximal heart rate increase (rHRI) at the start of light exercise can help in tracking improvements in exercise performance as athletes recover and also in evaluating this heart rate increase (rHRI) in multiple sports and for male and female athletes. The talk concluded with a wider discussion with attendees from the international scientific community, CHLS faculty, and graduate students of the Master of Science in Exercise Science, a joint program between CHLS and the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina. 

Students interested in enrolling in one of the master’s or PhD academic programs at CHLS, should visit admissions.hbku.edu.qa.