Dr Barry Drust PhD

Dr Barry Drust

School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences
Director of Graduate School of Sport & Professional Practice
Industrial Professorial Fellow
Business Engagement Champion

Barry is an applied exercise physiologist with a particular interest in intermittent exercise and the sport of football.  He is recognized internationally for his research in the area of football performance and player preparation and his applied experience working within the sport. He is also the programme leader for the Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Science at the University.

Qualifications

BSc (Hons) Sport Science

PhD Exercise Physiology

Teaching

Barry’s major contribution to teaching at the university is on the Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Science

Other activities

I am currently a member of The Physiological Society and a Fellow of The British Association of Sport and Exercise Scientists. I am member of the editorial board of the Journal of Science and Medicine in Football and regularly review for a number of journals related to exercise physiology and performance sport (e.g. Journal of Sport Science, International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, European Journal of Applied Physiology). In addition to my academic roles are my professional relationships with both football organisations and staff within elite football clubs and associations nationally and internationally. These roles are based around the provision of expert advice on sport science support strategies, the development of internal research and development programmes and staff support and mentoring.

Publications

Recent publications

Book

Williams, AM, Ford, PR & Drust, B (eds) 2023, Science and Soccer: Developing Elite Performers. 4 edn, Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003148418

Article

Robshaw, DC, Murtagh, CF, Drust, B & Erskine, RM 2025, 'Gastrocnemius medialis tendon properties do not differ between male academy soccer players and control participants but are related to jump performance', European Journal of Applied Physiology, vol. 125, no. 9, pp. 2597-2609. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-025-05763-9

Ley, CD, Martinez Valdes, E, Murtagh, CF, Power, J, Nobes, L & Drust, B 2025, 'MyotonPRO Is Not Comparable to Shear Wave Elastography in the Measurement of Rectus Femoris Muscle Stiffness due to Interference of Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue', Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, vol. 35, no. 8, e70095. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.70095

Ley, CD, Martinez Valdes, E, Murtagh, CF, Power, J & Drust, B 2025, 'Shear wave elastography provides reliable assessments of stiffness in the skin, fascia, and both superficial and deep muscle tissues', Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, vol. 84, 103050. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2025.103050

McGregor, R, Anderson, L, Weston, M, Brownlee, T & Drust, B 2024, 'Intensity gradients: a novel method for interpreting external loads in football', International journal of sports physiology and performance. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2023-0435

González-García, J, Giráldez-Costas, V, Ramirez-Campillo, R, Drust, B & Romero-Moraleda, B 2023, 'Assessment of Peak Physical Demands in Elite Women Soccer Players: Can Contextual Variables Play a Role?', Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, vol. 94, no. 2, pp. 435-443. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2021.2004297

Unnithan, VB, Drust, B, Brow, C, Bakhshi, A, Mason, L & Weston, M 2023, 'Influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on changes in aerobic fitness and injury incidence in elite male soccer players', Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, vol. 63, no. 1, pp. 155-161. https://doi.org/10.23736/S0022-4707.22.13929-0

Ruf, L, Altmann, S, Härtel, S, Skorski, S, Drust, B & Meyer, T 2023, 'Psychophysiological Responses to a Preseason Training Camp in High-Level Youth Soccer Players', International journal of sports physiology and performance, vol. 18, no. 1, pp. 18-26. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2022-0179

Flannigan, C, Robinson, M, Rodriguez-Sanchez, N, Drust, B, McGregor, R & Galloway, S 2023, 'Skinfold thickness in elite male professional football players: changes across 3 seasons including a COVID-19 lockdown period', Science and Medicine in Football, pp. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1080/24733938.2023.2248062

Murtagh, CF, Hall, ECR, Brownlee, TE, Drust, B, Williams, AG & Erskine, RM 2023, 'The genetic association with athlete status, physical performance and injury risk in soccer', International Journal of Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2103-0165

Chapter (peer-reviewed)

Cronin, K, Drust, B, Garner, P & Soundy, A 2025, Para-athlete preparation camps. in G Bennett & E Goodall (eds), The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Disability. The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Disability, Palgrave Macmillan.

Chapter

Anderson, L & Drust, B 2023, Aerobic and anaerobic training. in AM Williams, P Ford & B Drust (eds), Science and Soccer: Developing Elite Performers. 4 edn, Taylor and Francis, pp. 34-51. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003148418-4

Anderson, L & Drust, B 2023, Metabolic Conditioning for Multidirectional Speed. in P Jones & T Dos’Santos (eds), Multidirectional Speed in Sport: Research to Application. 1st edn, Routledge, pp. 250-265. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003267881-14

Drust, B & Bowen, L 2023, Monitoring training. in AM Williams, P Ford & B Drust (eds), Science and Soccer: Developing Elite Performers. 4 edn, Taylor and Francis, pp. 292-308. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003148418-22

Murtagh, C, Rydings, D & Drust, B 2023, Resistance training. in Science and Soccer: Developing Elite Performers. 4 edn, Taylor and Francis, pp. 15-33. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003148418-3

View all publications in research portal