Martin Barwood is a Professor of Applied Environmental Physiology with over 20 years of experience in the field. His research focusses on the psychological and physiological aspects of human health and performance in extreme environments (e.g., cold water and air, heat, high altitude, high pressure). His primary research area focusses on human responses to cold water immersion and drowning prevention advice. His work has recently enabled the formation of a new iteration of the UK drowning database and facilitated the UK’s adherence to the World Health Organisation’s drowning prevention implementation guide. He also has expertise in enhancing sports performance in hot conditions such as those experienced at the recent Tokyo Olympic games. His primary role at LTU is to lead through his research and he is happy to take on PhD and Masters research candidates.  

Professor Barwood has published over 200 journal articles, abstracts and industry reports. His work appears in the leading journals in the field. His work has partly informed the Royal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) “Respect the Water” campaign in collaboration with Professor Mike Tipton of Portsmouth University. This evidence base (i.e., to “Float First”) now informs the UK National Water Safety Campaign. The primary aim of the campaign is to provide safety advice to survive accidental immersion into cold water and avoid death by drowning.

His wider work in relation to performance enhancement in the heat, particularly for elite sportspersons, has led to the formation of authoritative consensus guidelines advising athletes, coaches and practitioners on how to safely utilise menthol as a cooling intervention to enhance performance. Professor Barwood has research experience in examining ergogenic and ergonomic aids to enhance sports and occupational performance, the health consequence of over-exposure to extreme environments and how humans adapt to chronic exposure. Professor Barwood’s work is particularly pertinent considering the increasing likelihood of the exposure to extreme environments due to climate change. He presents regularly at National and International conferences and makes frequent research contributions to the fields of Health and Sports Performance. 

Professor Barwood has also secured significant research income from grants, charities and from industry and has worked on recent funded projects from the European Regional Development Fund, the European Hydration Institute, Professional Game Match Officials LtD, the Scottish Sea Farms and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation; the latter for international collaboration with Hokkaido University in Japan. 

Professor Barwood’s personal interests include endurance training, running, cycling and kayaking. With his professional knowledge and expertise he has helped athletes prepare for the Olympic games, Marathon des Sables, rowing the Atlantic, the North Pole Marathon and most recently the 2018 Colorado Trail Mountain bike race. He is happy to consult and support athletes in the pursuit of their goals.

Professor Barwood is an affiliate member of the Physiological Society and a full member of the International Drowning Researchers’ Alliance (IDRA). He is also chair of the executive committee of the International Conference on Environmental Ergonomics.