Dr Lee Taylor

Lee completed his undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Science at Nottingham Trent University (1^st Class honours; 2006). His PhD investigated the interaction of environment (e.g. heat, hypoxia, cold and hyperbaria), Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs), redox balance and exercise, at Hull University (2010). Lee conducted a short post-doc with the Ministry of Defence (UK) and Nottingham Trent University exploring non-freezing cold-injury within army recruits and personnel, before taking a Faculty position at the University of Bedfordshire in the same year (2010). At the University of Bedfordshire, Lee progressed from Lecturer, via Senior Lecturer to become a Principal Lecturer in Exercise Physiology (2010 to 2015). During his tenure at the University of Bedfordshire, Lee led post-graduate research within the Institute of Sport and Physical Activity Research (ISPAR) and was the Course Leader for the BSc (H) Sport and Exercise Science. In 2015 Lee moved to Doha Qatar, and eventually became the Head of Research Operations within the Athlete Health and Performance Centre, located within the world-renowned Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital (IOC and FIFA accredited research centre of excellence). During his tenure at Aspetar Lee was a Visiting Research Fellow in Exercise and Environmental Physiology in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough University. Lee became a Reader in Exercise and Environmental Physiology within the same school in August 2019.

Lee's research and practitioner roles focus upon preparing elite athletes, whether that be individuals or teams, for training and competition in the heat, alongside further understanding the therapeutic potential of environmental exposures (e.g. heat and/or hypoxia) within athlete rehabilitation scenarios and clinical populations. Further research and applied practice has optimised athlete travel, sleep, and illness prevention, particularly for elite clubs and nations who have arduous travel demands to fulfil training and competition commitments.

Lee has published over 80 peer-reviewed publications and supervised many PhD students, the majority related to Environmental Exercise Physiology (particularly athletic performance in hot and/or humid environments) alongside the award of ~£655,000 in external/internal research funding. He is one of only a handful of researchers that has received external research funding from both UEFA and FIFA.

Lee's research and practitioner roles focus upon preparing elite athletes, whether that be individuals or teams, for training and competition in the heat, alongside further understanding the therapeutic potential of environmental exposures (e.g. heat and/or hypoxia) within athlete rehabilitation scenarios and clinical populations. Further research and applied practice has optimised athlete travel, sleep, and illness prevention, particularly for elite clubs and nations who have arduous travel demands, in order to fulfil training and competition commitments. Lee applies his knowledge to evidence-inform athletic preparation and performance across numerous elite high-performance teams (e.g. soccer, Rugby 7s and 15s, AFL, ultra-endurance events, track and field, etc.) within which Lee and his extended research groups are embedded.

• Accredited by the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES), and Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA), as a Sport and Exercise Scientist/Physiologist.
• Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (FACSM), European College of Sport Science (FECSS) and Higher Education Academy (FHEA).
• Chartered Scientist with the Science Council UK. 
• Chair of the BASES Awards Committee.
• Lee has a truly global research and practice network, spread across four continents, including the Human Performance Research Centre, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Sydney, Australia; and Aspetar, Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Athlete Health and Performance Research Centre, Doha, Qatar.
• Lee's research, practice, and research group are embedded within numerous elite high-performance teams across the globe. Current endevaours include preparing teams and athletes for the forthcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics alongside other world-championship type events, across numerous sporting disciplines (e.g. soccer, Rugby 7s and 15s, AFL, ultra-endurance events, track and field, etc.).

• Taylor, L., Stevens, C., Thornton, H., Poulos, N., Chrismas, B (2019) Limiting the Rise in Core Temperature During a Rugby Sevens Warm-up With an Ice Vest. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2018-0821 - http://tinyurl.com/y67tu89o
• Taylor, L., Thornton, H., Lumley, N., Stevens, C (2018) Alterations in core temperature during World Rugby Sevens Series tournaments in temperate and warm environments. European Journal of Sport Science. DOI:10.1080/17461391.2018.1527949 - https://tinyurl.com/y7z8dhws
• Taylor, L., Chrismas, C., Dascombe, B., Chamari, K., Fowler, P (2016) The Importance Of Monitoring Sleep Within Adolescent Athletes: Athletic, Academic And Health Considerations. Frontiers in Physiology. 7, 101 - http://tinyurl.com/hrws7bj
• Taylor, L., Chrismas, C., Dascombe, B., Chamari, K., Fowler, P (2016) Sleep Medication And Athletic Performance - The Evidence For Practitioners And Future Research Directions. Frontiers in Physiology. 7, 83 - http://tinyurl.com/jx6jleu
• Aldous, J., Chrismas, C., Akubat, I., Abt, G., Stringer, C., Taylor, L (2018) Mixed-Methods Pre-Match Cooling Improves Simulated Soccer Performance in The Heat. European Journal of Sports Science. DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2018.1498542 - https://tinyurl.com/ydbc8kp2
• Aldous, J., Chrismas, C., Akubat, I., Dascombe, B., Abt, G., Taylor, L (2016) Hot And Hypoxic Environments Inhibit Simulated Soccer Performance And Exacerbate These Decrements When Combined. Frontiers in Physiology. 6, 421 - http://tinyurl.com/j4m8lqy
• Chrismas, B., Taylor, L., Thornton, H., Murray, A., Stark, G (2019) External training loads and smartphone-derived heart rate variability indicate readiness to train in elite soccer. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/24748668.2019.1578097 - https://tinyurl.com/y5ph7lj3
• Gibson, O., Tuttle, J., Watt, P., Maxwell, N., Taylor, L (2016) Hsp72, And Hsp90α mRNA Transcription Is Characterised By Large, Sustained Changes In Core Temperature During Heat Acclimation. Cell Stress and Chaperone. 21, 6, 1021-1035 http://tinyurl.com/hb8lvt6
• Gibson, O., Taylor, L., Watt, P., Maxwell, N (2017) Cross Adaptation – Heat And Cold Adaptation To Improve Physiological And Cellular Responses To Hypoxia. Sports Medicine. DOI: 10.1007/s40279-017-0717-z - https://tinyurl.com/ycn9y4dh
• Khalladi, K., Farooq, A., Souissi, S., Herrera, C., Chamari, K., Taylor, L.,* Massioui, F* (2019) Interrelationship Between Sleep Quality, Insomnia And Sleep Disorders In Professional Soccer Players. BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine. In press. * Joint Senior Authors
• Stevens, C., Mauger, A., Hassmen, P., Taylor, L (2018) Endurance Performance is Influenced by Perceptions of Pain and Temperature: Theory, Applications and Safety Considerations. Sports Medicine. 48, 3, 525-537 - https://tinyurl.com/y7uzcm3b
• Thornton, H., Miller, J., Taylor, L., Sargent, C., Lastella, M., Fowler, P (2018) Impact of short- compared to long-haul international travel on the sleep and wellbeing of national wheelchair basketball athletes. Journal of Sport Sciences. 36, 13, 1476-1484 - https://tinyurl.com/y9bhcvsr