Dr Alan Barker

I joined Sport and Health Sciences in 2004 to undertake my PhD in Paediatric Exercise Physiology under the supervision of Professor Neil Armstrong and Dr Joanne Welsman.

In 2007 I was appointed as an Associate Research Fellow to continue my research into the muscle metabolic responses of children and adolescents during exercise. This line of work involved using non-invasive techniques such as 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy, pulmonary gas exchange kinetics, near infrared spectroscopy and impedance cardiography. Research output is published in internationally recognised journals such as Journal of Applied Physiology, European Journal of Applied Physiology, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Respiratory Physiology and Neurobiology and NMR in Biomedicine.

In 2010 I was appointed as a Lecturer in Paediatric Exercise and Health, where I am focusing my research interest on pediatric exercise medicine, and the effect of exercise on cardio-metabolic health outcomes in youth.

Broad research specialisms include:

• Limiting factors of oxidative metabolism (e.g. oxygen uptake kinetics, maximal oxygen uptake);
• Cardiopulmonary exercise testing and exercise training in paediatric patients;
• The effect of exercise intensity on cardio-metabolic risk factors in children and adolescents;
• The benefits and risks of exercise training in children and adolescents;
• Exercise, nutrition and bone health in children and adolescents.

Contact Details

Email: a.r.barker@exeter.ac.uk