Lorcán Mason: Learning from the Experienced: Reflections on the 2025 ISESA Conference and My Research Journey.
As a third-year PhD student based at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) Donegal, my academic journey is centred on understanding how sleep, recovery and nutrition characteristics impact athletes. My research aims to characterise the sleep, nutrition knowledge and recovery practices of athletes and explore the effectiveness of education on these measures, areas that are increasingly recognised as fundamental to long-term athletic development.
Attending the inaugural Irish Sport and Exercise Sciences Association (ISESA) Conference, hosted at the South East Technological University (SETU) Waterford, was not only an academic milestone but a valuable opportunity to share my research findings to a diverse, multidisciplinary and experienced community.
The Inaugural ISESA Conference: A Hub for Sport Science Innovation
The ISESA Conference marked a pivotal moment for sport and exercise science in Ireland. As the association’s first national event, it brought together postgraduate students, academics, practitioners, and industry leaders with a shared goal: to advance knowledge and practice across all areas of sport science.
Under the theme, “The Past, Present and Future of Sport and Exercise Sciences Research and Applied Practice in Ireland,” the conference paid tribute to those who paved the way for those new to the field while also championing innovation and translation of knowledge into applied settings. From Dr Diane Cooper’s keynote on the role of exercise science in community health to Dr John Kiely’s reflections on the evolving nature of modern sport science, the conference encouraged deep conversation and transdisciplinary collaboration.
Presenting My Research: Confronting the Imposter
I was fortunate to present findings from two of my current research projects, each shedding light on different aspects of sleep, recovery and nutrition characteristics in athletes.
Study 1: The Sleep, Recovery, and Nutrition Characteristics of Elite Adolescent Athletes
This cross-sectional study aimed to assess (i) the quantity, quality, and timing of sleep; (ii) general and sport-specific nutrition knowledge; (iii) recovery-stress balance; and (iv) the relationships between these domains in elite adolescent athletes.
A total of 51 athletes (15.67 ± 1.61 years) completed a battery of validated tools, including:
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) – assessing sleep quality and disturbances,
Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) – identifying sleep difficulties unique to athletic populations,
Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) – measuring daytime sleepiness,
Abridged Nutrition for Sport Knowledge Questionnaire (A-NSKQ) – evaluating nutrition knowledge,
Recovery Stress Questionnaire for Athletes (RESTQ-Sport) – measuring stress and recovery balance,
Consensus Sleep Diary-Core (CSD-C) – recording bedtime, wake time, and night awakenings.
Results demonstrated no statistically significant correlations between nutrition knowledge (A-NSKQ scores), sleep quality (PSQI scores), or recovery-stress balance. However, moderate correlations were observed between sleep quality (PSQI global scores) and recovery-stress outcomes (RESTQ scales). Similarly, small but significant associations were found between ASSQ sleep difficulty classifications and recovery scores.
Overall, participants reported moderate levels of stress - general (1.50 ± 0.86) and sport-specific (1.57 ± 0.85) - and high levels of perceived recovery for both general (3.92 ± 0.74) and sport-specific (3.72 ± 0.96). However, nutrition knowledge was consistently low, with athletes scoring below 50% in all knowledge domains.
These findings suggest that, despite demanding schedules, adolescent athletes often lack the foundational knowledge and habits needed to support effective recovery. They highlight the need for accessible, context-specific education interventions to improve these outcomes.
Reference: Mason, L., Connolly, J., Devenney, L.E., Lacey, K., O’Donovan, J., Faulkner, M., and Doherty, R. (2025) ‘The Sleep, Recovery, and Nutrition Characteristics of Elite Adolescent Athletes’, Sports, 13(2), 50, available: https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13020050.
Study 2: Investigation of the Effectiveness of a Single Group-based Education Session on Sleep Measures, Nutrition Knowledge and Recovery Practices in Athletes.
This study aimed to examine whether a single educational session could produce measurable improvements in the sleep, nutrition knowledge and recovery practices of athletes. Ten elite-level university athletes participated in a two-phased monitoring period, with one phase before and one phase after the education session. Objective sleep data were gathered using actigraphy, and the same validated questionnaires as above were used pre- and post-intervention. The education session consisted of a 45-minute presentation, followed by 20 minutes of open Q&A. Topics covered: sleep hygiene, recovery principles, nutrition fundamentals, and the relationship between these domains and performance.
Key findings:
Time in Bed (TIB) increased from 463.80 ± 78.89 minutes (~7.7 hours) to 558.71 ± 54.19 minutes (~9.3 hours) (p = 0.005, d = 1.17).
Total Sleep Time (TST) increased from 364.68 ± 58.81 minutes (~6.1 hours) to 417.98 ± 44.56 minutes (~7 hours) (p = 0.044, d = 0.74).
General stress decreased significantly (1.70 ± 0.57 to 1.39 ± 0.48, p = 0.023, d = 0.86).
Emotional stress and burnout/exhaustion also decreased significantly (p = 0.037, d = 0.77 and p = 0.045, d = 0.74, respectively).
General nutrition knowledge improved from 6.3 ± 1.25 to 8.0 ± 1.41 out of 11 (p < 0.001, d = 1.79).
Total nutrition score improved from 18.40 ± 3.03 to 22.40 ± 5.10 out of 35 (p = 0.015, d = 0.95).
Sport-specific nutrition knowledge improved (12.10 ± 2.38 to 14.40 ± 4.01 out of 24), nearing statistical significance (p = 0.059, d = 0.68).
This study demonstrates that even a short, 45-minute educational session can meaningfully improve sleep duration, reduce stress, and significantly enhance athletes’ nutrition knowledge. Furthermore, while it may take time for sleep habits to meaningfully improve, the acute benefits to stress levels and nutrition knowledge make this a worthwhile approach for helping your athletes perform and recover better.
Learning from Experience: ISESA’s Broader Impact
Beyond the research, ISESA Conference 2025 was a lesson in the value of knowledge sharing and networking. Keynote speeches and symposia reiterated the need to bridge the gap between research and practice - not just in elite sport, but within institutes, local communities and clubs. The final day’s panel discussion highlighted a recurring theme from my own findings: context is everything. Telling athletes to “sleep more” or “hydrate” is insufficient without tailoring those messages to their individual needs and environments. Personalisation, accessibility, and consistent support must become standard regardless of the level of athlete.
Where To From Here? Practical Applications and Future Work
My key takeaway from both the conference and my own research is this: education is powerful, but it must be contextual, practical, and accessible.
Here are a few thoughtful conclusions emerging from my learnings:
Prioritise Sleep: Improvements in sleep quality often produce positive knock-on effects across stress and recovery management. Teaching athletes good sleep hygiene should be a foundational step.
Measure What Matters: Self-reported data is useful, but combining it with objective wearable technology can improve accuracy and engagement.
Make Education Accessible: Short, targeted sessions grounded by athletes’ preferences have potential for high impact - especially when delivered by credible, relatable practitioners.
Scale Through Frameworks: Future work will expand this educational approach across teams and sports, developing a practical toolkit for coaches and support staff.
Final Reflections
The ISESA Conference 2025 offered more than just a platform for sharing findings - it provided space for inspiration, connection, and validation. It reminded me that sport science is not only about data collection and load management; it's about empowering athletes with the knowledge to care for themselves beyond the sporting environment. Presenting my work in this setting (despite feeling like an imposter) was a privilege. I left the conference not only more confident in my research abilities but also in awe of the calibre of work being done by fellow postgraduates and professionals across the country.
About the author:
Lorcán Mason is a 3rd year PhD student based in ATU Donegal. Lorcán is investigating the Sleep, Recovery, and Nutrition Characteristics of Athletes.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lorcán-mason
Bluesky: @lorcanmason.bsky.social
Website: https://lorcanmason.substack.com/
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4643-9974