Sam is a Lecturer in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition at 麻豆視頻_麻豆直播_麻豆传媒官网, specialising in women’s health and performance. She is particularly interested in under-researched challenges faced by women in sport, including gastrointestinal discomfort, menstrual cycle-related symptoms, and the impact of hormonal contraceptives.

Sam’s current research projects include the assessment of female-specific responses to exercise in the heat. Females face unique thermoregulatory challenges, including differences in core temperature regulation, hydration, and sweating capacity, which can increase susceptibility to heat illness and related complications. This project aims to quantify the effects of exercising in hot and humid conditions and evalsuate strategies to reduce thermal and cardiovascular strain in recreationally active and trained females. In addition, she is investigating the prevalsence of iron deficiency in high-performing athletes and evalsuating the effectiveness of a novel oral iron supplement on improving iron status while minimising gastrointestinal side effects.

At Loughborough, Sam is co-lead for the Health Lab within the Women in Sport Research and Innovation Hub, a University initiative uniting academics, industry, governing bodies, and elite athletes to advance women’s health and sport. She also contributes to the Sports for Climate Action and Nature network, an internal network exploring the intersections of sport, health, and sustainability.

With over eight years leading large-scale human trials, Sam’s research ranges from nutritional interventions, such as beetroot juice and probiotics, to studies on thermoregulation and gastrointestinal health in females. She holds a PhD in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition and uses gold-standard methods, including sex steroid hormone analysis, biomarker-driven ovulation testing, and menstrual cycle tracking, to design studies tailored to female participants.

Sam is a member of The Physiological Society, regularly peer-reviews for leading journals, and co-leads a special collection for Performance Nutrition (BMC, Springer Nature) on The Role and Impact of Nutrition on the Gastrointestinal System and Human Performance.

Explore Sam Rowland's latest research publications

If you would like to get in touch with Sam Rowland about collaborations, you can email her at [email protected].