Our facilities and equipment
George Building
This is the main home of Sports Science at Bangor and houses academic and PhD researcher offices and research facilities. Undergraduate students come to the George building for classes and to meet with supervisors, and they will undertake project work either here, or in one of the other research areas across the site. Within the George building:
Two physiology laboratories are equipped with treadmills and cycle ergometers, metabolic carts, biochemistry, and ultrasound facilities to assess physiological responses to exercise. One laboratory contains a thermal environmental chamber where resting and exercising physiological responses can be assessed under simulated hot and cold environments. Temperature can be varied from -20 oC to 40oC. The other laboratory contains a hypoxia environmental chamber that simulates altitude. Inspired oxygen can be manipulated from 21% oxygen (0 m/sea level) to 7% oxygen (~8,000 m). There are also two portable units with a tent system to allow 'at home' altitude training, sleeping and acclimatisation.
The George building also houses a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanner to provide measurements of body composition, a water immersion laboratory, a Psychology testing lab for computer-based testing of psychological processes, and a social psychology and live-in laboratory.
Physical Activity for Health and Wellbeing Centre (Canolfan PAWB Centre)
PAWB houses a large, state-of-the-art physiology teaching lab (costing in excess of £1 million) designed to allow students to effectively develop their practical skills, and two exercise
physiology testing and rehabilitation research laboratories. These are equipped with cycle ergometers, rowing machines, treadmills, and free weights so that physiological, biochemical, and psychological responses to exercise can be assessed including aerobic fitness and anaerobic capacity, and strength. These laboratories also contain equipment to assess blood pressure, energy expenditure, and body composition.
Padarn Research Laboratories
Padarn houses a Biochemistry laboratory and equipment to analyse various biological samples including tissue, blood, saliva, and urine. There are also psychomotor experimental rooms and a 3D motion analysis laboratory, equipped with a 12 Camera Vicon 3D motion analysis system for analysis of whole body movement, and an active marker system to allow for the videoing and analysis of smaller, part body movements. There are also mobile eye-trackers to measure eye movements during sport and exercise participation and occlusion goggles to directly manipulate field of vision in real time during human movement.
The cardiovascular research laboratory is equipped with an ultrasound machine and 12-lead electrocardiogram systems for measuring activity in the blood vessels and heart. Padarn also houses the psychophysiology laboratory with biofeedback hardware and software used for research exploring potential benefits of biofeedback training (e.g., learning to control brainwaves, muscle tension, heart rate) for movement rehabilitation and sport performance.
Treborth
Located on the outskirts of Bangor, Treborth has outdoor facilities, including an athletics track.