Lancaster University has launched new enhanced sports facilitiesfeaturing cutting-edge technology used by today’s elite athletes.

The new facilities at Sport Lancaster send out a clear message about the University’s commitment to sport – following the launch of its new Sports and Exercise Science degree this year.

The 400m2 extension includes a Strength & Conditioning Room and Human Performance Laboratory and has created space for high-performance training as well as a facility to serve the University’s first academic sports course.

Human Performance is a core topic of the Sports and Exercise Science degree and the new laboratory provides an opportunity for students on the programme to develop the necessary practical skills.

Dr Bob Lauder, Director of Sports Science at Lancaster Medical School in the Faculty of Health and Medicine, said: “We are delighted with this amazing space, which rightly places Lancaster University as a top institution for teaching and research in sports and exercise science.

“When we launched the new Sports and Exercise Science degree, it was strategically positioned in Lancaster Medical School; one of only a small number of similar degrees in the UK to be delivered from a school of medicine. This ensures an academically rigorous degree with a focus on health and wellbeing, as well as on elite sporting performance.

“However, we also wanted to ensure students had the best facilities to develop practical skills using state-of-the-art research equipment. Competencies in this area are highly prized by employers.

“These new facilities ensure we have got the balance right – providing an outstanding space for high-quality research around health and elite sports performance while also offering sport and exercise science support to both elite and recreational athletes across the region.”

In addition to teaching, the Human Performance Laboratory will also serve as a research space for projects around elite sports performance. University sports teams, and local professional teams, will benefit from Sports Science support, with the opportunity to perform fitness assessments within the facility.

The new facilities feature strong, inspiring imagery along the walls with state-of-the-art equipment including:

• GHD bench
• Ski ergs
• Watt bikes
• Assault bikes
• Technogym skillmills, skillruns, skillbikes and skillrows

The equipment will support Lancaster University’s current sports teams, and help attract up-and-coming talent to the University.

Kim Montgomery, Head of Sport at Lancaster University, said: “We are always looking to improve our teams standing in BUCS (British University and College Sport) but previously have not really had the resource to support an improvement in strength and conditioning. Now we very much have a facility of regional significance.”

The training facility will also serve the wider University and local community, adding more capacity to the existing Sports Centre and positively increasing the sports facilities already available on campus. With the new £41m Health Innovation Campus currently being developed alongside Sport Lancaster, the facilities will ensure the University can offer outstanding research facilities on the benefits of physical activity in population health.