Mr Christian Vassallo

Lecturer in Sports and Exercise Sciences

Sport and Exercise Sciences

christian.vassallo@swansea.ac.uk

Available For Postgraduate Supervision

Research Links

About

Christian Vassallo is a lecturer in Sport and Exercise Sciences and currently serves as programme director for the MSc Advanced Sport Performance Science. His research interests lie within over-ground running energetics, with specific application of the two-parameter critical power concept to intermittent team sport athletes. This has implications for athlete profiling, monitoring and training interventions. Christian has held accredited status with the UK Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) since 2013, accumulating extensive industry experience as an applied practitioner within international cricket, Premier League football and elite motorsport.

Areas Of Expertise

Performance Science
Strength and Conditioning
Training interventions
Over-ground running energetics
Team sport athlete testing and monitoring

Career Highlights

Award Highlights

UK Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA) Emerging Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year (2017)

European College of Sport Science (ECSS) Young Investigators Award (YIA) (Equal 5th, 2024)

Collaborations

Publications

Research Highlights

Vassallo, C., Kilduff, L., Cummins, C., Murphy, A., Gray, A., & Waldron, M. (2022). A new energetics model for the assessment of the power-duration relationship during over-ground running. European Journal of Sport Science, 22(8), 1211-1221.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2021.1931463, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56757
Vassallo, C., Vassallo, C., Gray, A., Cummins, C., Murphy, A., & Waldron, M. (2020). Exercise tolerance during flat over-ground intermittent running: modelling the expenditure and reconstitution kinetics of work done above critical power. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 120(1), 219-230.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-019-04266-8, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52701
Buchheit, M., Vassallo, C., & Waldron, M. (2021). One box-to-box does not fit all - Insights from running energetics
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61229
https://sportperfsci.com/one-box-to-box-does-not-fit-all-insights-from-running-energetics/

All Research

Journal Articles

Vassallo, C., Kilduff, L., Cummins, C., Murphy, A., Gray, A., & Waldron, M. (2022). A new energetics model for the assessment of the power-duration relationship during over-ground running. European Journal of Sport Science, 22(8), 1211-1221.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2021.1931463, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa56757
Vassallo, C., Vassallo, C., Gray, A., Cummins, C., Murphy, A., & Waldron, M. (2020). Exercise tolerance during flat over-ground intermittent running: modelling the expenditure and reconstitution kinetics of work done above critical power. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 120(1), 219-230.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-019-04266-8, SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa52701

Other Research Outputs

Buchheit, M., Vassallo, C., & Waldron, M. (2021). One box-to-box does not fit all - Insights from running energetics
SU Repository: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61229
https://sportperfsci.com/one-box-to-box-does-not-fit-all-insights-from-running-energetics/

Supervision

The Application of Field-Based Power-Duration Profiling to Elite Female International Hockey Players«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /» (current)

MSc

Other supervisor: Dr Mark Waldron
A coordination approach to understanding longitudinal changes in initial acceleration performance and technique in elite and sub elite sprinters (current)

MSc

Other supervisor: Prof Neil Bezodis

Taught Modules

SR-D00 SPEX M Level Dissertation

Study for the dissertation, which may comprise systematic evaluation of literature, the conduct of research, evaluation of professional practice, or any combination of these through discussion with their project supervisor. Although preparatory work on the dissertation may take place during TB1 and 2 of the programme, the research project will be primarily carried out over TB3 with the dissertation being submitted at the end of September. In this module the student will be exposed to all aspects of modern information retrieval processes, the organisation and resourcing of research, advanced time management, and the organising and presentation of data. The student must make inferences on conclusions, based on the evidence generated and supported by the empirical evidence. Furthermore, they must assess the significance of this work in relation to the field and make suggestions about how further work could improve or clarify the research problem. The results of the project will be disseminated in a dissertation report/thesis demonstrating the student's ability to research a subject, in-depth, as well as via an infographic demonstrating the ability to disseminate to a variety of audiences and stakeholders. The student will meet regularly with their supervisor(s) to ensure that the project is well developed, organised, and executed. Progress will be monitored formally through a project proposal presentation.
SR-M14 Advanced performance testing, measurement and reporting

This module provides students with the knowledge and skills to reliably conduct, interpret and communicate the results of performance tests in real-world sport science settings. Focus is placed on developing the necessary skills required to accurately disseminate results to a range of audiences within a high-performance environment (e.g., athletes, coaches, managers, performance directors). It challenges students to critically appraise the underpinning theories of current laboratory and field-based methods used to evaluate sports performance and provides contemporary practitioner insights regarding their application with athletes. Through this module, students will draw upon advanced performance science concepts to develop in-depth theoretical knowledge of testing and data interpretation and understand the ways to apply this across a range of athletes.
SR-M15 Placement

This module will contribute to the student's preparation for a career related to the subject discipline by giving appropriate experience in a working environment. The placement experience will encompass as broad a range of activities as possible with the student gradually taking increasing responsibility for their own work as the placement matures. The placement host organisation will appoint a supervisor, who will be responsible for implementing the training programme agreed with the Department. The Department will appoint a link tutor for each student who will monitor progress and liaise with the nominated supervisor at placement host organisations.
SR-M16 Current Concepts in Advanced Sport Performance Science

The aim of this module is to provide students with the knowledge, understanding and skills to plan and implement a performance solution driven programme within high performance settings. Through this module, students will be taught how to use key, current research and critical skills to develop performance solutions to a holistic range of performance issues encountered within elite and professional sport settings. In addition, students will draw upon advanced performance science concepts to develop in-depth theoretical and practical knowledge of advanced training modalities, competition demands, competition day strategies and recovery methods. In addition, a multidisciplinary approach to embedding these solutions into applied practice will be taught. The contents of this module will be centred around key performance issues currently faced by practitioners and athletes across a range of performance science disciplines and will also deal with performance challenges faced by practitioners when preparing athletes for major international tournaments.

Mr Christian Vassallo

Email address

Twitter Account

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Research Links

About

Areas Of Expertise

Career Highlights

Publications

Research Highlights

All Research

Journal Articles

Other Research Outputs

Supervision

The Application of Field-Based Power-Duration Profiling to Elite Female International Hockey Players«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /»«br /» (current)

A coordination approach to understanding longitudinal changes in initial acceleration performance and technique in elite and sub elite sprinters (current)

Taught Modules

SR-D00 SPEX M Level Dissertation

SR-M14 Advanced performance testing, measurement and reporting

SR-M15 Placement

SR-M16 Current Concepts in Advanced Sport Performance Science