Dr Matthew Pain

Dr Pain’s research is developing a greater understanding of maximal volitional human performance – the peak levels of physical and mental output a person can achieve - during dynamic actions in sport and exercise.  He studies the biomechanical and neuromuscular factors that underpin such performance in dynamic activities and how these dynamic activities are controlled. 

These areas are all fundamental performance and injury mechanisms in combat, contact, and power-based sports, as well as being important components of dynamic actions such as jumping, sprinting and weightlifting.  A main aspect of this research is how the body responds to impact and how neuromuscular factors can alter impact forces and energy dissipation.

Matt’s expertise has led to him working with over a dozen sports as a consultant and his work has involved him with dozens of television and radio programmes, including the Royal Institute Christmas Lectures, National Geographic, and BBC's Horizon.