University of Valencia logo Logo Scientific Technological Offer Logo del portal

Prevention and Health in Exercise and Sport Research Group - PHES

The present research group is a group that was created after having been collaborating previously, in some cases, for more than a decade. In general, this has already resulted in the production of several doctoral, master's and degree theses, as well as many other scientific papers presented at international congresses. It is worth mentioning that its members are currently jointly undertaking research projects obtained from public calls for research proposals. It also should be noted that, as a result of the hard work of its researchers, hundreds of articles have been published and indexed in the Journal Citation Reports.

The research activity of this group focuses on the analysis and development of conditioning and physical exercise protocols and activities that can have positive effects on health, and its preservation, in different groups, i.e., from athletes to sedentary people.

The concept of health analysed in this group is one that integrates the holistic conception of the human being, i.e. it contemplates the physical, psychological and social dimensions, addressing how physical exercise can prevent illness and promote health in such different social segments and in all types of populations, such as population with special needs (physically, mentally and sensorially disabled, people with metabolic, pulmonary, osteomuscular, psychological dysfuncctions, etc.), as well as human beings in their different evolutionary stages, such as childhood, adolescence, adulthood (special processes such as pregnancy, pre- and post- menopause) and old age.

Important milestones to be evaluated, which are already being studied, are the influence of physical exercise and sport, as well as their absence, on oxidative stress, the immune system, the lipid profile, the perception of well-being, cognitive, social and personality deterioration, acute and chronic pain, body composition (fat, muscle mass and bone mass), and motor and functional performance. In addition to these milestones, the research action also aims to evaluate what kind of programmes, materials and aspects of dietary supplementation could be more effective and safe to improve overall health and motor performance. 

In addition to all these milestones, and as mentioned above, the research group already has extensive scientific experience. As a result, numerous scientific and informative papers have been published, as well as active participation in committees, conferences and seminar of international relevance. In fact, several social media outlets have highlighted our findings and several private companies are collaborating in several ways to support our research work.

Research Group on Sport Biomechanics and Physical Activity - GIBD

GIBD (Sports Biomechanics Research Group) is conceptualised as a research team within the Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences (Universitat de València), whose core work is developed in the field of biomechanics applied to physical activity and sport. Its research activity can be seen through different contributions in scientific publications (JCR), communications and papers at conferences of national and international relevance, as well as contributions to book chapters and even the group’s own manuals on applied sports biomechanics.

The main lines of research, materialised through contracts and projects in public calls and/or research contracts, are developed in three main areas:

  1. Sports material and equipment: plantar supports, compressive fabrics, and other textile clothing materials. 
  2. Biomechanical analysis, especially in running, walking and cycling.
  3. Assessment and application of sport biomechanics and evaluation of physiological variables.

The research activity developed is possible thanks to the knowledge and application of specific instrumentation in the area of sports biomechanics, with GIBD being at the forefront and expert in the application of accelerometry, thermography, dynamometry, presurometry techniques, as well as the evaluation and analysis of the perception of comfort and fatigue during physical/sports activity. In particular, a large part of this research is based on the analysis and evaluation of products related to physical activity and sport (material and equipment).

Since 2012 GIBD is located in the biomechanics laboratory of the Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences (Blasco Ibáñez Campus, Valencia), and since 2018 we also develop our research in the Biomechanics Laboratory of the Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences (Ontinyent Campus - Universitat de València).