Prof Paul Comfort
School of Health & Society
Allerton Building
Frederick Road
Salford
Greater Manchester
M6 6PU
Current positions
Professor of Strength & Conditioning
Biography
Dr Paul Comfort is a Professor of Strength and Conditioning at the University of Salford. He is also an adjunct professor at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia. Paul has applied experience across a range of sports and consults with numerous professional and semi-professional sports teams.
Professor Comfort is a founder member and accredited member with the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association. His is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach in which he has recertified with Distinction (CSCS*D). Paul also served on the Board of Directors for the NSCA from July 2020- July 2023.
Professor Comfort is a senior associate editor for the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, an associate editor for the European Journal of Sport Science, the Strength and Conditioning Journal and Sports Biomechanics. He has co-authored >150 peer reviewed journal articles along with numerous book chapters and is co-editor of the textbooks, ‘Advanced Strength and Conditioning: an evidence-based approach’, ‘Performance Assessment for strength and Conditioning’ and 'Laboratory Manual for Strength and Conditioning.'
Areas of Research
Paul's research interests include all areas of Strength and Conditioning. More specifically he is interested in exercise programming to enhance muscle mass and force production to enhance function (e.g., sports performance, occupation specific function, activities of daily living). To support intervention studies Paul has also extensively researched the assessment of force production characteristics during isometric and dynamic tasks, to ensure appropriate test standardization to enhance reliability and reduce measurement error.
Areas of Supervision
Resistance Training to Enhance Muscle Function; Strength and Conditioning; Weightlifting for Sports Performance; Assessment of Force Production Characteristics
Injury Prevention and Performance Measurement
Strength and Conditioning
Research Project
Qualifications
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PhD via Published Works
2014 - 2015 -
Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice
2001 - 2002 -
MSc Exercise and Nutrition Science
2000 - 2003 -
Sport & Exercise Science
1996 - 1999
Publications
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National Strength and Conditioning Association Position Statement on Weightlifting for Sports Performance
Comfort, P., Haff, G. G., Suchomel, T. J., Soriano, M. A., Pierce, K. C., Hornsby, W. G., …Stone, M. H. (in press). National Strength and Conditioning Association Position Statement on Weightlifting for Sports Performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 37(6), 1163-1190. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000004476
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Biomechanical Effects of a 6-Week Change-of-Direction Technique Modification Intervention on Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk
Dos'Santos, T., Thomas, C., Comfort, P., & Jones, P. A. (2021). Biomechanical Effects of a 6-Week Change-of-Direction Technique Modification Intervention on Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 35(8), 2133-2144. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000004075
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The effect of exercise compliance on risk reduction for hamstring strain injury : a systematic review and meta-analyses
Ripley, N., Cuthbert, M., Ross, S., Comfort, P., & McMahon, J. (2021). The effect of exercise compliance on risk reduction for hamstring strain injury : a systematic review and meta-analyses. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(21), e11260. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111260
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Training with weightlifting derivatives : the effects of force and velocity overload stimuli
Suchomel, T., McKeever, S., & Comfort, P. (2020). Training with weightlifting derivatives : the effects of force and velocity overload stimuli. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 34(7), 1808-1818. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003639
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Effects of spaceflight on musculoskeletal health : a systematic review and meta-analysis, considerations for interplanetary travel
Comfort, P., McMahon, J., Jones, P., Cuthbert, M., Kendall, K., Lake, J., & Haff, G. (2021). Effects of spaceflight on musculoskeletal health : a systematic review and meta-analysis, considerations for interplanetary travel. Sports Medicine, 51(10), 2097-2114. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01496-9