Jenni Douglas

Dr Jenni Douglas is a Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology at Hartpury University, with an interdisciplinary academic profile spanning sport science, equine science, and health. She completed her PhD in Applied Exercise Physiology in 2017, examining the physiological demands of eventing and performance-related fitness in female equestrian athletes. Jenni has worked as a researcher, applied practitioner, and academic for over 15 years, with a sustained focus on applied exercise physiology in sporting contexts.

Jenni contributes extensively to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and supervision across exercise physiology, applied sport science, and research methods. She currently acts as Programme Leader for the MSc Strength and Conditioning programme and supervises undergraduate, postgraduate taught, MRes, and doctoral research projects aligned to her research expertise.

Her research programme is centred on applied exercise physiology, with particular emphasis on equestrian sport, female athlete health, and physical activity across the lifespan. This includes research examining physiological demands, training practices, fatigue, recovery, and health-related outcomes in applied sporting populations. A growing strand of her work focuses on female-specific considerations in sport and exercise, including menstrual cycle and menopause-related factors influencing performance, wellbeing, and engagement with physical activity.

Alongside her research activity, Jenni is actively engaged in applied knowledge exchange with practitioners, coaches, and governing bodies, translating research findings into education, practice, and athlete support. Her work integrates research, teaching, and applied practice with a view to enhancing performance, health, and wellbeing in sport and equestrian contexts.

Current Doctoral Research Supervision:

• Eva Styles, Hartpury University
  The application of notational analysis in show jumping: development and validation of a novel coding window for performance.
• Tracey Smale, Hartpury University
  Exploring the effect of education and physical activity interventions on menopause knowledge, symptomology, and lived experiences in equestrian athletes.

Current and Developing Research Areas

• Applied exercise physiology in equestrian sport
• Physiological demands and performance in equestrian athletes
• Female athlete health, including menstrual cycle and menopause
• Fatigue, recovery, and training responses in applied sport contexts
• Physical activity, health, and wellbeing across the lifespan
• Translation of exercise physiology research into coaching and practice