Samantha graduated from Loughborough University with a First Class Honours degree in Sport and Exercise Science in 2016. She was awarded two prizes in recognition of her academic achievements on the undergraduate programme. Samantha then continued her studies at Loughborough, with the support of the Santander Postgraduate UK/EU scholarship and in 2017, graduated with a Distinction from the MSc in Exercise Physiology programme. Samantha then remained at the university and undertook a five-year position as a Postgraduate University Teacher in Physiology within SSEHS. During this time, Samantha became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Alongside her role as a PGUT, Samantha studied part-time for a PhD in the area of dietary nitrate supplementation, cardiovascular health, and exercise performance.
In October 2022, Sam was appointed to the position of Research Associate within Dr Liam Heaney’s research group. Her project assesses the impact of an orally ingested multi-strain probiotic product on the gut microbiome and physical and biochemical measurements of exercise performance and recovery.
Samantha has a wide range of research interests including the following broad areas:
- Dietary nitrate supplementation, cardiovascular health and exercise performance in different populations
- Female physiology, nutritional interventions, cardiovascular health and exercise performance
- Probiotic supplementation, the gut microbiome, exercise performance and recovery.
Member of The Physiological Society
Featured publications
- Rowland SN, Da Boit M, Tan R, Robinson GP, O'Donnell E, James LJ, Bailey SJ. (2022). Dietary nitrate supplementation enhances performance and speeds muscle deoxyhaemoglobin kinetics during an end-sprint after prolonged moderate-intensity exercise. Antioxidants. DOI: 10.3390/antiox12010025
- Jones L, Bailey SJ, Rowland SN, Alsharif N, Shannon OM, Clifford T. (2021). The Effect of Nitrate-Rich Beetroot Juice on Markers of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Intervention Trials. J. Diet. Suppl. DOI:10.1080/19390211.2021.1939472
- Rowland SN, Chessor R, French G, Robinson GP, O'Donnell E, James LJ, Bailey SJ. (2020). Oral nitrate reduction is not impaired after training in chlorinated swimming pool water in elite swimmers. Appl. Physiol. Nutr. Metab. DOI:10.1139/apnm-2020-0357