University of Chichester

Dr Mark Willems

stylecurve

Back to Sport and Exercise Physiology staff

 

 

 

 

Reader in Sport and Exercise Physiology

Contact Details

Office: N323

Telephone: +44 (0) 1243 816468

Fax: +44 (0) 1243 816080

Email: m.willems@chi.ac.uk

Introduction

Mark started to work at the University of Chichester in 2003. Mark was a member of the National Dutch Youth Handball Team and the National Dutch Military Team and won National Championships with handball at the junior and senior level in the Netherlands. Mark enjoys running and completed his 5th marathon finish in 2007.

Education

1990 - MSc in Exercise Physiology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

1990 - MSc in Functional Anatomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

1994 - PhD in Human Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

 

Teaching

Mark is responsible for the following modules

  • Bioenergetics and the Exercising Human (SPL132),
  • Biochemistry of Sport and Exercise (SPL303),
  • Independent Projects (SPL301),
  • Skeletal Muscle: Structure, Function and Plasticity (MSCPH02),
Administration

Mark is a member of the following committees

  • University Research Committee
  • University Research Degrees Group
  • Department Management Team
  • Laboratory Management Team
  • Postgraduate Research Coordinator for Sport Science and Physical Education
  • International Exchange Coordinator.

Research

Marks has research interests in the following areas:

  • Muscle Physiology, Training, Muscle Fatigue, Muscle Injury,
  • Ageing and Exercise
  • Eccentric Exercise,
  • Occupational Physiology,
  • Supplementation and Exercise

Director of Studies:

PhD: Sam Blacker - Physiological Effects of Prolonged Load Carriage by Backpack.

PhD: Mandy Gault - Effects of Regular Downhill Walking on Cardiovascular Health and Physical Performance in Older People.

(MPhil/PhD): James Gavin - Gender Differences in Response to Eccentric Exercise.

Membership

British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (Professional)

European College of Sport Science (Fellow)

Publications

Gault ML, Clements RE, Willems MET. Muscle damage from downhill treadmill walking does not change walking economy in healthy older adults. Journal of Human Kinetics 27, 55-65, 2011. DOI: 10.2478/v10078-011-0005-1.

Blacker SD, Williams NC, Fallowfield JL, Willems MET. The effect of a carbohydrate beverage on the physiological responses during prolonged load carriage. European Journal of Applied Physiology. In press (DOI 10.1007/s00421-010-1822-y).

Webb EC, Willems MET. Effects of wearing graduated compression garment during eccentric exercise. Medicina Sportiva 14 (4): 193-198, 2010. DOI: 10.2478/v10036-010-0031-4.

Blacker SD , Fallowfield JL, Bilzon JLJ, Willems MET. Neuromuscular function following prolonged load carriage on level and downhill gradients. Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine 81, 745-754, 2010. DOI 10.3357/ASEM.2659.2010.

Blacker SD, Fallowfield JL, Bilzon JLJ, & Willems MET. Within-day and between-days reproducibility of isokinetic parameters of knee, trunk and shoulder movements. Isokinetics and Exercise Science 18(1), 45-55, 2010. DOI: 10.3233/IES-2010-0367.

Vatansever-Ozen S, Tiryaki- Sonmez G, Yuktasir B, Yalcin HB, Bugdayci G & Willems M. Effects of exercise on leptin and acylated ghrelin hormones in trained males. Journal of Exercise Physiologyonline 13(2), 20-30, 2010.

Willems, MET, Miller GR, Stauber FD, Stauber WT.. Effects of repeated lengthening contractions on skeletal muscle adaptations in female rats. Journal of Physiological Sciences 60, 143-150, 2010.

Blacker SD , Williams NC, Fallowfield JL, Bilzon JLJ, Willems MET. Carbohydrate and whey protein supplements improve recovery of neuromuscular function following prolonged load carriage. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2010, 7:2. doi:10.1186/1550-2783-7-2.

Willems MET, Bond TS. Metabolic equivalent of brisk walking and playing new generation active computer games in young-adults. Medicina Sportiva 13(2): 95-98, 2009.

Willems MET, Bond TS. Physiological and metabolic responses to playing Nintendo Wii Sports and brisk treadmill walking. Journal of Human Kinetics 22, 43-49, 2009.

Gault ML, Clements RE, Willems MET. Effect of wearing the Cosmed K4b2 metabolic system on 1 mile walking performance in older adults. Journal of Human Kinetics 21, 41-48, 2009.

Blacker SD, Fallowfield JL, Bilzon JLJ, Willems MET. Physiological responses to load carriage during level and downhill treadmill walking. Medicina Sportiva 13 (2): 116-124, 2009.

Willems MET, T. Hale, C.S. Wilkinson. Effect of massage on delayed onset muscle soreness and performance following downhill walking. Medicina Sportiva 13(2), 61-66, 2009.

Willems, M.E.T., Northcott, S.R. Gender differences for voluntary isometric contractions of knee extensor muscles after downhill running using surface EMG. Medicina Sportiva 13(1): 35-42, 2009.

Willems MET, Stauber WT. The effect of number of lengthening contractions on rat isometric force production at different frequencies of nerve stimulation. Acta Physiologica 196(3): 351-356, 2009.

Willems MET, Stauber WT. Streptomycin and EDTA decrease the number of desmin-negative fibers following stretch injury. Muscle & Nerve 32, 310-315, 2005.

Willems MET, Stauber WT. Attenuation of stretch-induced histopathologic changes of skeletal muscles by quinacrine. Muscle & Nerve 27, 65-71, 2003.

Stauber WT, Willems MET. Prevention of histopathologic changes from 30 repeated stretches of active rat skeletal muscles by long inter-stretch rest times. European Journal of Applied Physiology 88, 94-99, 2002.

Willems MET, Stauber WT. Fatigue and recovery at long and short muscle lengths after eccentric training. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 34, 1738-1743, 2002.

Willems MET, Stauber WT. Effect of contraction history on torque deficits by stretches of active rat skeletal muscle. Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology 27, 323-335, 2002.

Willems MET, Stauber WT. Force deficits by stretches of activated muscles with constant or increasing velocity. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 34, 667-672, 2002.

Willems MET, Miller GR, Stauber WT. Force deficits after stretches of activated rat muscle-tendon complex with reduced collagen cross-links. European Journal of Applied Physiology 85, 405-411, 2001.

Willems MET, Stauber WT. Force deficits after repeated stretches of activated skeletal muscles in female and male rats. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 172, 63-67, 2001.

Willems MET, Stauber WT. Force during stretches of rat skeletal muscles after hypertonia at short and long lengths. Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry 108, 391-397, 2000.

Willems MET, Stauber WT. Changes in force by repeated stretches of skeletal muscle in young and old female Sprague Dawley rats. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research 12, 478-481, 2000.

Willems MET, Stauber WT. Effect of resistance training on muscle fatigue and recovery in intact rats. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 32, 1887-1893, 2000.

Willems MET, Stauber WT. Performance of plantar flexor muscles with eccentric and isometric contractions in intact rats. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 32, 1293-1299, 2000.

Willems MET, Stauber WT. Force output during and following active stretches of rat plantar flexor muscles: effect of velocity of ankle rotation. Journal of Biomechanics 33, 1035-1038, 2000.

Willems MET, Huijing PA, Fridén J. Swelling of sarcoplasmic reticulum after isometric contractions in rat semimembranosus lateralis muscle. Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 165, 347-356, 1999.

Willems MET, Stauber WT. Isometric and concentric performance of electrically stimulated ankle plantar flexor muscles in intact rat. Experimental Physiology 84, 379-384, 1999.

Willems MET, Purslow PP. Mechanical and structural characteristics of single muscle fibres and fibre groups from raw and cooked pork longissimus muscle. Meat Science 46, 285-301, 1997.

Willems MET, Purslow PP. Effect of postrigor sarcomere length on mechanical and structural characteristics of raw and heat-denaturated single porcine muscle fibres. Journal of Texture Studies 27, 217-233, 1996.

Willems MET, Huijing PA. Hip joint position and architecture of rat semimembranosus muscle: implications for length force characteristics. Acta Anatomica 152, 56-65, 1995.

Willems MET, Huijing PA. Heterogeneity of mean sarcomere length in different fibres: effects on length range of active force production in rat muscle. European Journal of Applied Physiology 68, 489-496, 1994.

Willems MET, Huijing PA. Mechanical and geometrical properties of the rat semimembranosus lateralis muscle during isometric contractions. Journal of Biomechanics 27, 1109-1118, 1994.

Willems MET, Huijing PA. Effect of growth on architecture of rat semimembranosus lateralis muscle. The Anatomical Record 233, 25-31, 1992.

Willems MET, Brozinick Jr JT, Torgan CE, Cortez MY, Ivy JL. Muscle glucose uptake of obese Zucker rats trained at two different intensities. Journal of Applied Physiology 70, 36-42, 1991.

Torgan CE, Brozinick Jr JT, Willems MET, Ivy JL. Substrate utilization during acute exercise in obese Zucker rats. Journal of Applied Physiology 69, 1987-1991, 1990.

Journal Reviewer for:
  • Journal of Sport Sciences
  • European Journal of Sport Science
  • Amino acids
  • European Journal of Applied Physiology
  • International SportMed Journal
  • Medicina Sportiva
Journal Scientific Board:

2007-present   Medicina Sportiva

Journal advisory editorial board:

2009-present   European Journal of Applied Physiology