Leading exercise physiologist joins Academy

Exercise physiologist Paul Laursen has joined the NZ Academy of Sport North Island (NZASNI) bringing a wealth of high performance experience.

As NZASNI Chief Executive Pete Pfitzinger explains "it is a real coup to get Paul Laursen across the ditch to work with us. Paul has been instrumental in some key projects with the Australian Institute of Sport and we are delighted to have him join our team."

Canadian born Laursen has arrived in New Zealand from Australia where he was Associate Professor at Edith Cowan University. He has a PhD from the University of Queensland.

Laursen's research has focused on furthering understanding in fatigue, heart rate variability and recovery, high intensity training and its optimisation, thermoregulation, hydration as well as muscle damage and recovery kinetics.

Laursen has extensive experience in providing applied sport science services to national sporting organisationss. At NZASNI he will work with triathletes and kayakers and support physiology programme development for other endurance sports.

Laursen is also a keen athlete himself, being a competitive triathlete and cyclist, and a 12 time Ironman Triathlon finisher.