Brian Dawson

Emeritus Professor

  • The University of Western Australia (M309), 35 Stirling Highway,

    6009 Perth

    Australia

Calculated based on number of publications stored in Pure and citations from Scopus

Personal profile

Biography

I grew up as a sports mad kid who played as many games as possible, but principally Australian Rules football and cricket.It was a natural progression to then study physical education at UWA as my first degree, and I then had the good sense to realise that University offered a wider range of possibilities for a career than teaching in high schools, so I stayed on and did Masters and Ph.D studies, again at UWA, and have stayed put! Australian football has remained a passion and I have been fortunate to be able to combine my University work with coaching roles within the game. I was the Fitness Coach for the West Coast Eagles(AFL) from 1988 to 2000, and remain with them as a sports science and research consultant. I have also coached Swan Districts (WAFL) in Reserves (Premiers in 2006) and Senior (Premiers in 2010) grades and in 2013-15 was the Senior Coach for East Perth. In 2016 I served as their Director of Coaching, and in 2018 have been involved as a coach advisor with the WAFC and the Colts and under 16's competitions. Along this journey, researching the physiological demands on elite level athletes and finding ways to enhance their performance through training and supplements has been of keen interest to me as a sports physiologist.

Roles and responsibilities


Professor in Sport and Exercise Physiology, School of Human Sciences (Exercise and Sports Science), UWA
Chair of the Steering Committee for Science and Football, under the auspices of the World Commission of Sports Sciences 2009-on.
Sports Science and Research Consultant, West Coast Eagles F.C.

Future research

Performance demands and performance analysis of team sports.
Post-exercise recovery procedures for athletes.
Nutrition and ergogenic aids for exercise performance
Sand running versus grass running: pro's and con's.
Environmental (heat and altitude) influences on performance.

Funding overview

$19,459 Australian Institute of Sport High Performance Sport Research Fund, 2015, with Dr. G Cox , Dr. P Peeling , Ms G Kent , Prof. P Eastwood , and Prof. L. Burke. (Effect of nitrate-rich beetroot juice supplementation on thermoregulation and exercise performance in the heat).

$11,830 Australian Institute of Sport High Performance Sport Research Fund, 2015, with Dr. M Binnie , Dr. P Peeling , and Dr. M Sim. (Influence of ischemic preconditioning on repeated 1000 m kayak efforts in a simulated competition format).

$9,354 Australian Institute of Sport High Performance Sport Research Fund, 2015, with Dr. M Sim , Dr. P Peeling , and Dr. M Binnie. (Effect of supplementary tart cherry juice on sleep quality, recovery and next day performance in elite waterpolo players).

$19,789 Australian Institute of Sport High Performance Sport Research, 2012, with Dr. P.Peeling, Prof. C. Gore, Dr.. G. Cox and Dr. C. Goodman (Influence of pre-exercise
muscle glycogen status on post-exercise iron regulatory hormone activity in
endurance athletes).

$16,983 Australian Institute of Sport High Performance Sport Research, 2011 with Dr. P. Peeling, Prof. C. Gore, Dr. G. Cox and Dr. C. Goodman. (Influence of post-exercise hypoxic exposure on subsequent iron metabolism in athletes).

$30,000 Australian Football League Players Association 2010, with Assoc. Prof. M. Rosenberg, Dr. R. Braham and Mrs K. Smith (Survey of health and well being of retired AFL players).

$14,990 Fremantle Hospital Medical Research Foundation 2008, with Dr. D. Trinder and Mr. P. Peeling (Carbohydrate levels and hepcidin production in athletes).

$10,001 UWA research grants scheme 2007, with Dr. G. Landers and Mr. P. Peeling (Cumulative effects of multiple training sessions on red blood cell destruction and hepcidin production in athletes).

$14,500 Fremantle Hospital Medical Research Foundation 2007, with Dr. D. Trinder and Mr. P. Peeling (The role of hepcidin in exercise induced iron deficiency in athletes).

$16,000 The Australian Football League Research and Development Board 2006, with Dr. J. Berry (Use of Video Based Protocols for Testing and Training of Decision Making Ability in Umpires)

$13,636 Department of Sport and Recreation (W.A. Government) 2005, with Assoc. Prof. T. Ackland, Prof. J.R. Grove, Dr R. Braham and Ms V. Bussau (Workplace health and physical activity program review).

$18,285 Healthways Starter Research Grant 2005, with Dr R. Braham, Dr H. Pinnington and Dr J. Alderson (Effect of regular sand walking on health and risk factors for falling in older people).

$5,350 Polar Oy Research and Development Grant 2005, with Mr S Hill-Haas (The physiological strain of
small sided training games in soccer).

$16,995 The Australian Football League Research and Development Board 2004, with Assoc. Prof. P. Eastwood (Sleep quality before home and away games in the AFL)

$13,285 The Australian Football League Research and Development Board 2003, with Dr D. Bishop, Dr C. Goodman and Mr G. Stewart (Effectiveness of Post-Game Recovery strategies commonly used by AFL clubs)

$50,000 Healthways Research Grant 2003 with Dr M. Rosenburg (Preventing child obesity: reducing sedentary leisure time activities)
$18,000 Robe River mining 2001 with Mr N. Randall and Associate Professor R. Eklund (Dehydration, heat strain and fatigue in mine workers)
$7,000 The Australian Football League Research and Development Board 2001, with Mr G. Stewart (Immediate post-game recovery: Is it worth the trouble?)
$31,000 Telfer Gold Mine/Newcrest Mining 2000, with Mr N. Randall and Associate Professor R. Eklund (Heat strain, fatigue and dehydration in underground miners)
$13,000 The Australian Football League Research and Development Board 2000, with Mr G. Stewart and Mr C. Roberts (You play as you train? Do training activities match game demands?)
$10,000 W.A. Government, Fire and Emergency Services Authority 1998, with Mr N. Randall (The Development of a Physical Performance Test Battery for New Recruits).

Previous positions

None!

Current projects

GPS tracking of players in team sports.
Injury risk factors in team sports
Performance analysis of team sports.
Hypoxic training and team sport performance
Exercise training and hepcidin responses
Cooling methods pre and post exercise
Beta alanine and sodium phosphate loading and exercise performance
Weight training and RPE responses
Sleep in athletes

Industrial relevance

Mining companies and professional sporting teams

Teaching overview

Undergraduate and post graduate sport and exercise physiology

Research

Physiological demands of team sports, especially the football codes.
Performance analysis in team sports.
Environmental physiological demands(heat/humidity, plus altitude).
Nutrition and supplements and exercise performance.
Sand training versus firmer surfaces

Languages

English only (sadly)

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being

Research expertise keywords

  • Sports performance analysis
  • Sports physiology
  • Team sports
  • Sports training and recovery programs
  • Heat and altitude

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