Welcome to UCD Institute for Sport and Health (ISH)
ISH was set up in 2006 under the founder director, Prof. Colin Boreham, with the specific aim of “optimising sporting performance and health for UCD and its wider community through the generation, application and sharing of scientific knowledge.” ISH has its academic home in the university’s School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, and has close links with the highly successful Sport and Performance undergraduate courses run by the school. It also works closely with UCD Sport to promote sport and health among students and staff, as well as the wider community through its research and wellness initiatives.
The activities of ISH fall into three broad categories:
- Research. ISH supports and promotes research related to sport, exercise and nutrition for performance and health within UCD. It does this by supporting staff and students in their research, providing research infrastructure in the Human Performance and Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism Laboratories. Our members publish their results in world-class journals and have earned a reputation as the foremost research centre for the sports sciences in Ireland. Our research was ranked in the World’s top 50 institutions by QS in 2019.
- Sports Science Services.ISH provides a portfolio of world-class sports science services designed to support performers of all abilities, from the Olympic athlete to the enthusiastic novice. These services include fitness monitoring and advice in our Human Performance Laboratory, sports nutrition and strength and conditioning from our High Performance Gym.
- High Performance Athlete Support. ISH is host to the acclaimed UCD Ad Astra Elite Athlete programme, which supports 60 high-level student athletes from a range of sports while they complete their degrees at the university. The programme provides an environment for sporting success by integrating sports science, psychology, nutrition, sports medicine and strength and conditioning along with academic mentoring and financial support.