Senior Lecturer in Sports Therapy
I returned to the UK from Canada in 1998 where I did my undergraduate training and worked as a high-performance coach in cross-country skiing.
Since returning to the UK I have completed my MSc in Sport and Exercise Science and a Post Graduate Certificate in Research and Evaluation.
Outside of work hours I enjoy trail running, IronMan distance triathlon, photography, and gardening.
Teaching Role
When supervising Level 3 Project students I assist in areas of aquatic sports, endurance/extreme environment activities, and rehabilitation science.
I am a co-ordinator lecturer in:
- Level 2 Planning and Conducting Research
- Level 3 Applied Physiology and Biomechanics
- Level 3 Final Year Project
and give lectures in the following subjects:
- Level 1 Introduction to Physiology and Biomechanics
- Level 1 Reading and Interpreting Research
At the post-graduate level, I previously supervised four MSc by Research to completion.
Research Interests
Current research interests are divided between studies into the reduction of physiologic damage in ultra-endurance activity, quantification of effects of manual therapy protocols on varsity athletes and, physiological reactions in breath-hold divers.
Recent Research Projects
- Effects of four variations of neuromuscular technique (NMT) on latent myofascial trigger points in healthy athletes.
- Contralateral effects of unilateral exercise on external rotation contraction initiation force and strength.
- Range of motion changes in the contralateral limb with unilateral proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation.
- Changes in range of motion following two different contraction onset strategies in proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation.
- Limited evidence for manual therapies' effect on skeletal muscle architecture.
Recent Publications
- Sheard PW, Paine TJ. (2010) Optimal contraction intensity for maximized range of motion following proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 24(2):416-421.
- Sheard PW, Smith PM, Paine TJ. (2009) Athlete compliance to therapist requested contraction intensity during proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching. Manual Therapy 14(5):539-543.
- Sheard PW, Doherty M. (2008) Prevalence and severity of external auditory exostoses in breath-hold divers. Journal of Laryngology & Otology 122(11):1162-1167.
- Sheard PW. (2008) Ocular tear film bubble formation after breath-hold diving. Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine 35(2):79-82.
- Sheard PW, Haughey H. (2007) Effects of sodium bicarbonate on voluntary face immersion breath-hold times. Undersea & Hyperbaric Medicine 34(2):91-97.
Recent Conference Presentations
- Hartfree C, Sheard PW. Reliability of a novel position for the use of ultrasound for in vivo measurement of human muscle fibre pennation angle. The 14th European College of Sport Science Congress. Oslo, Norway, June 24-27, 2009.
- Sheard PW, Pierozynski LC, Paine TP. Contralateral effects of unilateral proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching. The 14th European College of Sport Science Congress. Oslo, Norway, June 24-27, 2009.
- Paine TJ, Sheard PW. Differing effects of two variations of neuromuscular techniques (NMT) on muscle tension in healthy athletes. British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences Annual Conference. Brunel University, London, UK, September 4-6, 2008
- Sheard PW, McPherson L, Needham L. Stride kinematics and running economy during graded exercise. XVII Annual Meeting: European Society for Movement Analysis in Adults and Children. Antalya, Turkey, September 11-13, 2008.
- Sheard PW. Ocular tear film bubble formation after breath-hold diving. The 12th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science. Jyväskylä, Finland, July 11-14, 2007: 652-653.
Recent Funding Awards
- Country Walking Magazine – £11,525 – Exercise of the Month series; February to December 2009.
- Sheard PW, Paine T, Cousins M. (2008) Quantifying changes in skeletal muscle architecture following therapeutic interventions: a novel application of real-time ultrasonography. University of Bedfordshire Research Informed Teaching Grant. £9,300 awarded.
- Force Science Research – invited speaker Neurological, physiological and biomechanical constraints in lethal force encounters. Force Science Training Seminar, London, March 17 to 22, 2008. $700 USD awarded.
- Country Walking Magazine – £6,285 – Peak Fitness series; November 2007 to April 2008.
- Faculty of Creative Arts Technologies and Sciences PhD Studentship (2006-2009) (3 x £10,000 p.a. + fee waiver). Acute and chronic effects of temporal distribution of the contraction mode during resistance training on glucose control and insulin sensitivity in Type 2 and non-diabetic subjects.
Professional Memberships
Current Memberships
- Alpine Club of Canada (ACC)
- British Mountaineering Council (BMC)
- Higher Education Academy (HEA)
Service to the academic/professional community
With the Metropolitan Police Service (London) and Force Science (USA) I act as a consultant for research into the impacts of external stressors on the physiological function of serving firearms officers and pursuit drivers.
I also serve as a reviewer for the The Journal of Sports Sciences and The Journal of Sport and Physical Therapy.
In 2001 I spent 6 months coaching with the World Class Development Program for the British Triathlon Association.
At Diabetes UK, I sat on the Sports Experts Panel 2002-2003 as Sports Injuries Consultant for two years.
While acting for the Technical Sub-committee for the Sports Massage Association (UK) I helped develop the ‘National Curriculum’ and ‘Scope of Practice’ in 2003.
Contact Details
E: peter.sheard@beds.ac.uk
T: +44 (0)1234 400 400 ext 2488
