National Sport and Human Performance Conference 2023

NSHPC 2023: Inaugural SHPRC Conference

The inaugural National Sport and Human Performance Conference (NSHPC), held on September 29th, 2023, was hosted by the Sport and Human Performance Research Centre (SHPRC) at the University of Limerick. Organised by Dr. Mark Lyons, and supported by the SHPRC Conference Organising Committee, the conference brought together 141 participants, including postgraduate research students from Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across Ireland, coaches, applied scientists, practitioners, national governing bodies (NGBs), and academics.

The event provided a platform for advancing multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research in sport and human performance. Its objectives were to:

• Advance knowledge and inform professional best practice in sport and human performance.
• Support early career researchers and practitioners engaged in sport and human performance research.
• Encourage collaboration and knowledge exchange across researchers, NGBs, and applied scientists, clustering expertise around key research disciplines or themes.
• Develop national and international networks and strategic partnerships related to sport and human performance.

The conference featured 17 oral presentations and 33 poster presentations, covering a diverse range of topics such as coaching science, endurance sport science, measurement and assessment, esports science, weight category sport science, athletic science and rugby science. Keynote addresses by Prof. Rod McLoughlin (IRFU) and Prof. Sharon Madigan (IIS) provided valuable insights into sports medicine and performance, enhancing the event's impact.

Feedback highlighted the conference's strengths, including its relaxed atmosphere, single-strand format, and the availability of an electronic book of abstracts, which remains accessible for reference (see below). This successful one-day event has set a strong foundation for future gatherings, with the next NSHPC already planned for 2026.