Rónán Doherty

🚨 Final month to apply! 🚨 We’re recruiting for a ✨ fully funded ✨ PhD that will co-create an AI-driven health system to support movement and wellbeing across preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum. 👉 Find out more and apply here: lnkd.in/ef4rh-ZX @UlsterSchSport

📝 Miguel is a Performance Coach with @CPFC U21 and the Swedish U19 teams. In this blog he discusses the challenges of working with players in a national team setting where time is limited. 🔗 isesa.ie/resource-libra…

Nutrition strategies to promote sleep in elite athletes 😴 This new review summarised evidence from 12 studies on elite athletes to establish potential strategies to support sleep 📚 Here are the key strategies ⬇️ KIWIFRUIT 🥝 2 kiwifruit (~1 h pre-bed) improved: ⏰ Sleep duration 💤 Sleep efficiency 😴 Fewer awakenings 🌙 Reduced WASO ⚡️ Better morning energy 🟢 High potential efficacy TART CHERRY JUICE 🍒 30 mL × 5 servings over 48 h (morning + evening): 🛏️ Improved time in bed 🌜 Reduced WASO and movement during sleep 🟢 High potential efficacy MILK & DAIRY 🥛 5 - 7 days per week milk intake linked to: 💃 Better sleep quality in female athletes 🧘‍♀️ Lower risk of poor sleep 🟢 High potential efficacy PROTEIN & TRYPTOPHAN 🍗 Higher evening protein (~1 h pre-sleep) associated with: ⏳ Shorter sleep onset latency 🥚 Better sleep for ~1.6 g/kg protein & ~1350 mg tryptophan 🍽️ Little benefit when protein > 2.5 g/kg 🟠 Moderate potential efficacy α-LACTALBUMIN 🧬 Tryptophan-rich milk protein (~2 h pre-bed) may improve: 💤 Sleep onset latency ⏰ No significant effects on duration 🟠 Moderate potential efficacy PROBIOTICS 🦠 17-week daily multispecies blend associated with: 🦵 Reduced muscle soreness & leg heaviness 🩸 Lower CRP → better sleep quality 🟠 Moderate potential efficacy ZINC, IRON & B12 💊 Adequate intakes linked to: 😴 Improved sleep quality 🏃‍♀️ Particularly beneficial for female athletes 🟠 Moderate potential efficacy MEAL TIMING ⏰ Each extra hour between dinner and bedtime may cause: 🕒 Reduced total sleep time 🌙 Lower sleep efficiency 🟠 Moderate potential efficacy TOTAL CALORIE INTAKE 🔥 Insufficient energy intake is associated with: 💤 Poorer sleep quality ⚡️ Meeting energy needs supports TST 🟠 Moderate potential efficacy PRE-BED CARBOHYDRATE 🍞 High carbohydrate or sugar meals before bed may: ⚠️ Increase WASO and reduce sleep efficiency 🤔 Effects inconsistent across studies 🔴 Uncertain potential (conflicting evidence) Reference: mdpi.com/2075-4663/13/1… Subscribe to Performance Nutrition Digest FREE to receive your daily study breakdown, straight to your inbox or via the Substack app 📥 performancenutritiondigest.com Performance Nutrition Digest is powered by Healthspan Elite⚡️ healthspanelite.co.uk

Delighted that the 1st paper from my PhD has been published in @MDPIOpenAccess. Entitled “Nutrition Strategies to Promote Sleep in Elite Athletes: A Scoping Review”, the link (doi.org/10.3390/sports…) and images are attached. @theronandoherty #Sleep #Nutrition #EliteAthletes

ISESA is happy to share the following news: The HPX Performance Nutrition Conference will take place on 9th October, 9am-4pm Event details and ticketing - eventbrite.ie/e/hpx-nutritio… @sportireland & @NDC_ie

📝 New Blog Post: @Fionnoshea outlines the challenge of preparing dual GAA players who play both football and hurling. Read it here: isesa.ie/resource-libra…

🎧 ISESA Podcast: In this episode we bring you with us to the Inaugural Women in Sport and Exercise Science Conference that was held in Glasson Lakehouse in Athlone at the end of January 2025. Tune in to find out more: podfollow.com/isesa-podcast/…

📝 ISESA Blog: Neil Irwin is the performance nutritionist with Dublin Senior Men’s Football and a second-year PhD candidate at TUS. In this blog, he discusses his research on nutrition knowledge and dietary intake in youth GAA athletes. Read it here: isesa.ie/blogs/neil-irw…

ISESA has officially launched its new Accredited Sport and Exercise Scientist pathway, providing a nationally recognized benchmark for excellence across all disciplines in sport and exercise sciences. Watch the webinar on how to apply here: youtube.com/watch?v=jByxtu…

Snippets of Cricket Sports Medicine now available at Google Books #v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr…

link.springer.com/book/10.1007/9… Our new book just out

A 2023 open-label, single-arm study (PMID: 37242157) found that consuming 2 green kiwifruits 1 hour before bed for 4 weeks significantly improved sleep quality in elite athletes (15 runners and sailors; male and female; mean age: 26 years). 💤Findings: Using the validated sleep tracking measurements, participants experienced: - 47% reduction in time awake after sleep onset - 27% fewer nighttime awakenings - ~60-minute increase in total sleep duration - Sleep efficiency improved from 86% to 93% - Reported improvements in fatigue, alertness, and sleep satisfaction 🧬 Replicated evidence from additional trials: These findings align with three other clinical studies: - PMID: 21669584 — A 4-week study in adults with self-reported sleep issues showed a 35.4% drop in sleep latency, 28.9% less wake time, and 13.4% more total sleep - PMID: 36998905 — A crossover trial found increased urinary 5-HIAA and improved morning alertness, especially in poor sleepers - DOI: 10.1186/s41110-024-00297-0 — A 6-week RCT in Saudi women reported an inverse correlation between kiwi intake and sleep quality index score, indicating improved sleep quality 📚 Mechanistic insight: Kiwifruit may improve sleep via multiple bioactive compounds: - Serotonin precursors (↑ 5-HIAA, the serotonin metabolite) - Melatonin (and ↑ melatonin metabolites) - Vitamin C and B vitamins, often deficient in poor sleepers - Antioxidants supporting circadian function and neural recovery ⚠️ Limitations: - Small sample sizes across studies - Some trials used open-label or non-controlled designs - Predominantly subjective sleep assessments With replicated (on some level) results, biologically plausible mechanisms, and low risk, kiwi might show some promise as a functional dietary intervention for sleep improvement (and late night snacking).

This guy right here…… 3️⃣ publications pre thesis submission - phenomenal work ethic @CoachRyanKeatin 👏👏 With 45% of the participants having competed in @Paris2024 @Olympics this paper screams quality, including superb benchmark data & findings. Full steam ahead Ryan 🚂 🏁

📝 Luke Canavan Dignam is a PhD student at Atlantic Technological University Galway. In his blog he discusses the potential use of AI in sports injury surveillance. 🔗 Read it on our website: isesa.ie/blogs/luke-can… , and share your thoughts 💬

Congratulations @conorwhelan10 on the publication of this important research on the #stresses #strains of #dualcareer #athletes in #University settings. Full article here doi.org/10.1080/135733…

A blog from our very own Dr. Meabh Corr for the @IrishSESA

Great blog by @meabhcorr1 about her decision to complete the MSc. in Sports Performance Practice at Atlantic Technological University. The course is fully online. 😮 Alumni can get a 20% discount!!! Course information: lnkd.in/eNrAm_QX

#jobfairy We're advertising for a one year maternity leave cover for an AL in #Nutrition to join our Department of Sport, Exercise and Nutrition on our Galway City campus. Deadline July 11th. atu.ie/connect/jobs/a…

💻 See you at lunchtime tomorrow! We’re delighted to welcome everyone who’s registered for our webinar with Prof Kate Pumpa at 12 PM. 💭 Still thinking about joining? It’s not too late, register here: isesa.ie/webinars

📝 New Blog: Lorcán Mason is a 3rd year Ph.D. student at ATU Donegal who attended the ISESA conference and presented two of his Ph.D studies. In this blog, he shares his reflections and lessons learned from the conference. Read it here: isesa.ie/blogs