Protecting the Athletes Heart
Research from the Cardiovascular Health Sciences Research Group has played a leading role in advancing the understanding and clinical assessment of the athlete’s heart. Our work underpinned internationally recognised REF impact case studies in 2014 and 2021 entitled “Protecting the Athlete’s Heart – From Research to Secondary Care”, demonstrating how research conducted at Liverpool John Moores University has directly influenced clinical practice and athlete healthcare.
Original research from the group has informed national and international cardiovascular guidelines, including those of the British Society of Echocardiography, the European Society of Cardiology, and other international consensus statements. Members of the group have authored key guideline documents highlighting the role of echocardiography in the assessment of the athlete’s heart, translating research discoveries from LJMU into evidence-based recommendations used by clinicians worldwide.
Our impact extends beyond guideline development into real-world athlete care. The group works closely with elite sporting organisations, including the Football Association, Rugby Football League, GB Taekwondo, British Cycling, England Netball, and British Sailing, to deliver large-scale pre-participation cardiovascular screening programmes and develop evidence-informed cardiac screening policies. Athletes identified through these programmes receive specialist follow-up care through our close collaboration with the Sports Cardiology Service at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital.
The international reach of our work continues to grow through collaborations supporting athlete cardiac screening services globally, including partnerships with Wadi-El-Neel Hospital (Egypt), MP Shah Hospital (Kenya), the Inspire Institute of Sport (India), and Alsalam Hospital (Kuwait). Through these activities, our research contributes to improving athlete cardiovascular care and promoting safer participation in sport worldwide.
Establishment and recognition of Clinical Exercise Physiologists as a registered health professional in the UK
Building on extensive research demonstrating the importance of exercise in the management of long-term health conditions, researchers at LJMU secured funding from the Research England International Investment Initiative to establish the i-CARDIO programme with international partners in Australia. The programme aimed to explore the potential for Clinical Exercise Physiologists (CEPs) to become a recognised healthcare profession in the UK, similar to Accredited Exercise Physiologists in Australia.
The work progressed beyond its original aim and contributed to the formal establishment of CEPs as a recognised healthcare science profession in the UK in 2021. As part of this, the team created Clinical Exercise Physiology UK (CEP-UK), the national professional leadership body, which works closely with the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS) to support professional standards, education and registration.
This work has enabled the development of AHCS-accredited MSc programmes, a national curriculum framework (8 accrediated programmes as of March 2026), and equivalence routes for experienced practitioners, helping build a sustainable workforce pipeline. As of March 2026 203 registered CEPs on AHCS register (link to AHCS website).
With funding from NHS, CASES, Southampton BRC, NHS and private healthcare workforce development has occured, including job descriptions and service models for cardiac rehabilitation, cancer care and clinical exercise services (link to website).
These developments have contributed to the growing employment and recognition of CEPs across the UK, alongside new pilot services in primary and secondary care and ongoing national advocacy, professional development and stakeholder engagement led through CEP-UK.
LJMU Clinical Exercise Physiology
The LJMU Clinical Exercise Physiology Clinic was established in response to the growing burden of long-term and complex health conditions, which account for a large proportion of healthcare use in the UK. Around 26 million people in the UK live with a long-term condition, contributing to half of GP consultations and 70% of all healthcare spend. Despite strong evidence that targeted exercise interventions can prevent and manage many chronic conditions, access to structured, specialist exercise services remains inconsistent and fragmented across the UK healthcare system.
The LJMU CEP clinic provides a community-based clinical exercise service designed to support people living with long-term conditions through individualised, evidence-based exercise programmes delivered by Clinical Exercise Physiologists (CEPs). By embedding this service within the university environment, the clinic helps bridge the gap between community health, rehabilitation services and preventative care, while providing additional specialist support to the NHS.
Importantly, the clinic is also an education and training platform for students studying Clinical Exercise Physiology at LJMU. Supervised by registered CEPs, students gain hands-on experience working with real patients in a safe, structured clinical environment. This model enhances clinical training, supports workforce development, and provides meaningful health and wellbeing benefits to the local university community.
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