BUILDING BETTER HUMANS.
At the crossroads of sport, health and wellbeing.
The benefits of sports are obvious; pushing human minds and bodies to the limit, challenging us to constantly improve, adapt and endure. Built on the foundation of Loughborough University’s sporting heritage, our research explores how sport impacts human health and wellbeing, advances sport technologies, and underpins a range of policies that safeguard everyone participating in a sport.
As the SPORTS UNIVERSITY OF THE YEAR*, we are tackling a variety of challenges – helping to guide the future of sports and leading research that is building better humans.
* Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025; Daily Mail University Guide 2025.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFEGUARDING YOUNG PEOPLE.
From 17-year-old midfielder Lamine Yamal’s extraordinary performance in the FIFA European Championship to 11-year-old Zheng Haohao’s skateboarding debut in Paris, the visibility of young athletes sharpened the focus on the related risks to their physical and mental health in sport.
Our researchers are exploring a range of safeguarding issues to ensure that, whether in the Premier League or a local sports team, young people are empowered to achieve their sporting potential while being protected from exploitation.
Professor Daniel Rhind’s research informs The International Safeguards for Children in Sport, implemented by a range of organisations including the FIFA, Manchester United, Paralympics Australia and the International Netball Federation, ensuring that young people can safely enjoy the social benefits of physical activity and exercise.
‘Safeguarding is a journey rather than a destination and we still have a long way to go to create safer sport for all children around the world. Nonetheless, progress has been made and our research continues to have global impact.’
Professor Daniel Rhind
Professor of Sport Psychology, Loughborough University
INCLUSIVE SPORT AND DESIGNING FOR DISABILITY
The University's decades-long partnership with adidas draws on our expertise in engineering, aerodynamics, ergonomics and sports science to improve athlete safety and performance.
Together, we are enhancing the value of sports while encouraging diversity in sport. Access to our world-class researchers and advanced laboratories has allowed adidas make innovative enhancements to many core products.
For example, collaborative research into surface texture and aerodynamics has led to Loughborough University-developed technology being built into every FIFA World Cup football to hit the pitch in the past 20 years. Our research collaboration with adidas won the 2023 Royal Academy of Engineering Bhattacharyya Award, recognising our outstanding collaborative track record and exceptional industry–academia partnership.
Meanwhile, our expert researchers with Professor George Havenith as the project leader, have developed the first-ever sweat body maps which show that our age, gender and general health all influence how our bodies respond to activity and the environment we’re in. These maps inform adidas’ sector-leading ClimacoolTM product range, allowing designers to optimise the clothing for performance, heat loss and comfort.
‘Our partnership with Loughborough has enabled us to make world-leading advances in our cutting-edge development processes – leading to major impact across footwear, apparel, accessories and gear.’
Dr Tim Lucas
VP Engineering and Technology – adidas
With adidas’ apparel team, we are also building up invaluable data about how bodies move, and what the implications might be for support garments – including sports bras. This data underpins the development of support garments that work for a wide range of women – empowering them with the right kit to get active.
The breadth and depth of expertise around inclusion and Parasports at the University is perhaps best typified by the expertise in the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport (PHC). However, researchers across campus make significant contributions within this field.
Working with Boccia England, Special Olympics Lincolnshire and Lesters Packaging, Dr George Torrens has created affordable products that make sport more inclusive, including a portable basketball frame.
Our partnerships underpin the development of equipment and kit that empowers – putting health and wellbeing at the heart of a better future for humanity.
IMPROVEMENTS TO CRICKET SAFETY STANDARDS.
In our pursuit of better health and safety in sport, we are advancing cricket safety standards.
Our research into cricket safety standards has been critical in changing the International Cricket Council’s policies and regulations that have been implemented across 104 territories, improving the health and safety of cricketers.
Helmets certified to standards based on our research have eliminated serious and life-threatening facial injuries.
‘Since the introduction of the new standard, we have not had a single career-threatening facial injury with someone wearing the new helmets.
The sea change has been fantastic, and we continue to work with Loughborough in order to minimise injury.’
Professor Nick Peirce
Chief Medical Officer, England and Wales Cricket Board
Funded by the ICC with support from England and Wales Cricket Board, Cricket Australia and the British Standards Institution, experts in our Sports Technology Institute developed a standard test which was approved for inclusion in BS7928, a specification for cricket head protection revised only for the second time to include test methods developed by our researchers.
This research has also influenced other sports governing bodies – including the International Hockey Federation and The Football Association, leading to investment in new research-based approaches that address health and safety concerns within their sports.
Our pursuit for better inclusivity and health and safety in sport has resulted in our world-leading research fueling advancements in dozens of fields, from psychology and engineering to design and the arts.
Our research is having a real-world impact – but we are not done.
We continue our work to create stronger, healthier, happier humans and more inclusive sporting communities where everyone can reap the benefits of exercise and physical activity.
BECAUSE THE WORLD CAN'T WAIT.
NEITHER SHOULD YOU.
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