Harjot
Alumnus
- Subject area
- Exercise and Health Sciences
- Subject area
- Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences
Having completed an MSc in Physiology and Nutrition of Sport and Exercise I now work at Loughborough University as a Postgraduate Teaching Assistant in Physiology and Nutrition, in a teaching capacity on the undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
I directly use my knowledge and expertise gained from the Masters’ degree every day, allowing me to pass it on to new students, and hopefully sharing my passion through laboratory teaching and student mentoring opportunities.
Throughout the course, I was able to learn how to use new equipment that I had never had access to before, including cardiorespiratory, body composition and physical health testing. These are now techniques I am familiar with and can teach others how to use.
I was also able to observe the research laboratories, which really inspired me in my own pursuit to complete a PhD. I’m now using those research labs myself!
It really helped with my personal and professional development. I am a more confident person, able to network with others, and now aim to pursue a career as a lecturer after my PhD.
Loughborough University has an amazing reputation for sports science related courses, with connections and links to sports organisations across the country. I believe Loughborough lives up to this reputation, and there’s a wealth of knowledge and expertise around the Physiology and Nutrition of Sport and Exercise MSc and University.
The transfer from a postgraduate degree to doctoral research at Loughborough University was easy, as I knew the standards and expectations here, and I now get to work with staff members who previously taught me.
My teaching position also allows me to complete a part time PhD. I am researching cardiovascular health in relation to menstrual cycle health and energy deficiency within exercising females.
I aim to investigate the direct and indirect roles of oestrogen and energy deficiency on cardiovascular markers, to hopefully contribute to changes in healthcare advice to female athletes.
Research in sports science and female health is an emerging topic, and with the support of my supervisors who are world leading experts, I can pursue research in a topic I am really passionate about.
During my studies, I was able to gain experience at GameChanger Performance, teaching A-Level and GCSE students sports science. This helped me solidify my knowledge, as well as gain essential teaching experience.
I was able to improve on my soft skills, such as time management and effective communication, and network with those who had worked within applied sports science.
The staff on the degree are friendly and very helpful. The initial few lectures were great opportunities to catch up with the basic knowledge needed for the course, and if I had further questions, I was able to contact a member of staff for support.
There is a lot of contact time, both as lectures and as practical lab sessions, and so I was able to get to know who was teaching me across the year.
The staff who taught me on my Masters’ all had their areas of expertise in different areas of sport and exercise Physiology and Nutrition.
This allowed me to learn about different topics and emerging research being conducted at the University. We were able to hear from external speakers, who were incredibly insightful, and so I completed the course much more aware of current knowledge within sports science.
My advice to those thinking of studying this degree, is to enjoy every second of it, the year really does fly by!
It is a great chance to spend a year learning from knowledgeable experts who are happy to help, and there are multiple opportunities to try new things.
I would definitely advise gaining extra-curricular experience, whether that be a placement, shadowing sports science practitioners, or taking part in research being conducted at the University. There is lots of support available in how to find these opportunities.