Laura Forrest

My area of expertise lies within the field of exercise physiology.  In particular, my research interests are within the area of applied exercise physiology with the aim of improving and understanding sports performance, along with advancing health using high intensity exercise.  

I have extensive experience conducting exercise tests (specific to various sports), training studies, and measuring physiological outcomes in a wide-range of different populations including sedentary "at-risk" adults, trained, elite and world-class athletes.  With a background of working at the sportscotland Institute of Sport as an Exercise Physiologist and using evidenced-based approach in order to try and enhance elite performance, in conjunction with seeing first-hand the unique physiological demands of the female athlete, my interest in the area of the female athlete began.

From a high intensity exercise perspective, my research interests lie within trying to translate the lab-based high-intensity exercise regimes in to modes which are practically feasible in the real-world environment.  

My current areas of research lie within the areas below:

Understanding the female athlete and elucidating the relationship between health, menstrual cycle and performance.

Translating high-intensity exercise from the laboratory into the 'real-world' environement.

My areas of desired research include:

Develop a more refined understanding of the role and impact menstrual cycle function/dysfunction has on female athlete performance (and health). 

Developing ‘real-world’ effectiveness studies in translating high intensity exercise in a laboratory setting to the community with a multi-disciplinary approach.

1. Scottish Rugby Union 

2. University of Glasgow

3. sportscotland Institute of Sport

1. SPARC (Sport, Performance and Rehabilitation Centre) at UWS - with the aim of facilitating a business plan to develop a spin-out company. 

2. Scottish Rugby Union 

3. sportscotland Institute of Sport

Physiological and fitness testing and analysis

Body composition

Sport science support to well-trained-elite athletes

Exercise nutrition

My areas of desired research include:

Uunderstanding the female athlete and determing the effect female specific physiological functioning has on sporting performance