Skip to main content
Southampton Solent University logo
Southampton Solent University logo

Sports scienceSolent's sports science facilities are available to the public for hire. Find out how we can help you.

Welcome

Are you an athlete looking to build a training plan? Or are you recovering from a sports-related injury? Solent's sports science laboratory can provide you with the equipment, support and advice to build effective training or injury rehabilitation programmes.

The laboratory has been used by professional sports teams, such as Southampton FC, Swindon Town FC, and Hampshire Cricket. High-level endurance athletes, such as elite runners, cyclists and triathletes have also made use of our facilities, which are also available to the public for hire.

Contact us
A client having their VO2 max assessed in Solent's sport science lab

Welcome

Are you an athlete looking to build a training plan? Or are you recovering from a sports-related injury? Solent's sports science laboratory can provide you with the equipment, support and advice to build effective training or injury rehabilitation programmes.

The laboratory has been used by professional sports teams, such as Southampton FC, Swindon Town FC, and Hampshire Cricket. High-level endurance athletes, such as elite runners, cyclists and triathletes have also made use of our facilities, which are also available to the public for hire.

Contact us
A client having their VO2 max assessed in Solent's sport science lab

About the laboratory

Solent's sports science laboratory provides industry-standard equipment and expert advice for athletes of all abilities and levels - whether you're starting out and want to assess your athletic abilities, you're returning to training after a break, or you want to improve your performance. Using the equipment in the lab, our team of experts will help you get the most out of your time by giving you a full assessment.

The anti-gravity treadmill is designed to help with sports injuries. It uses air pressure to reduce body weight to aid rehabilitation by reducing the impact on joins and muscles.

The lactate threshold test sets suitable training zones based on lactate inflection points. The VO2max test calculates your maximum aerobic capacity and can also set training zones based on heart rate, velocity and workload. There is also an option to combine the lactate threshold and the VO2max tests. Any of these tests will contribute to maximising your athletic performance.

Metabolic efficiency testing is designed to give the athlete two key values:

  • Resting metabolic rate - the number of calories burned at rest
  • Metabolic efficiency - a workload where the crossover point between fat and carbohydrate occurs

The body composition BOD POD provides accurate measurements including body fat percentage and resting metabolic rate, giving you the right information to inform your diet and training programme.