Dr Sean Hudson

Teaching

I teach biomechanics-related modules for the BSc Sport and Exercise Science and BSc Sport and Exercise Therapy degree programmes. I also supervise several PhD students.

I am passionate about embedding vocational relevance and application into biomechanics teaching to show the impact that biomechanics can have in sports and society.

I have a Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE) from Leeds Trinity University, and I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

Research

My research interests span the fields of occupational and clinical biomechanics. My PhD research focused on the biomechanics and energetics of walking while carrying external load in different positions on the body. I have continued research in the area, with publications exploring load-carrying devices in law enforcement, in collaboration with Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire Police.

Recently, my research focus has moved towards clinical biomechanics, using my expertise in loaded human movement to investigate walking patterns in individuals with obesity. I am currently working on a collaborative project with bariatric surgeons from the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust to explore the use of gait retraining and orthotics to reduce joint loading and pain in individuals with obesity.

I am also currently involved in projects exploring the effects of visual impairment, terrain, and ageing on stability and fall risk during walking activities.

Publications and conferences

Journal articles (peer-reviewed)

• Hudson S, Fish M, Blackburn J, Ousey K (2025). “We just make do”: The use, comfort and functionality of personal protective equipment in the UK mounted police. Ergonomics, 1-12.
• Hudson S, Ridland L, Blackburn J, Monchuk L, Ousey K (2024). The comfort and functional performance of law enforcement personal protective equipment: A systematic scoping review. Ergonomics, 67 (10), 1317-1337.
• Hudson S, Barwood M, Low C, Wills J, Fish M (2024). A systematic review of the physiological and biomechanical differences between males and females in response to load carriage during walking activities. Applied Ergonomics, 114, 104123.
• Hudson S, Haines M, Fish M, Harper L (2023). Monitoring training and match-play demands in Rugby League: The practices and perceptions of practitioners. Science and Medicine in Football, 8(4), 293-300.
• Noblett H, Hudson S, Killey J, Fish M (2023). The physical and physiological match-play demands of national level male field hockey. Journal of Sports Sciences and Medicine, 22(2), 273-280.
• Field A, Page R, Corr L, Naughton R, Haines M, Harper L, Hudson S (2022). Lower-Limb Muscle Excitation, Peak Torque, and External Load Responses to a 120-Minute Treadmill-Based Soccer-Specific Simulation. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 1-11.
• Hudson S, Low C, Cooke C, Vanwanseele B, Lloyd R (2021). The energetic, kinematic and kinetic responses to load carried on the back, on the head and in a doublepack. Ergonomics, 64 (9), 1191-1204.
• Hudson S, Cooke C, Davies S, West S, Gamieldien R, Low C, Lloyd R (2020). Inter-individual variability in load carriage economy and comparisons between different load conditions. Applied ergonomics, 82. 102968.
• Hudson S, Cooke C, Davies S, West S, Gamieldien R, Low C, Lloyd R (2018). A comparison of economy and sagittal plane trunk movements among back-, back/front- and head-loading. Ergonomics, 61(9), 1216-1222.
• Hudson S, Cooke C, Lloyd R (2017). The reliability of the Extra Load Index as a measure of relative load carriage economy. Ergonomics, 60 (9), 1240-1249.
• Ruddock A, Thompson S, Hudson S, James C, Gibson O, Mee J (2016). Combined active and passive heat exposure induced heat acclimation in a soccer referee before 2014 FIFA World Cup. SpringerPlus, 5(1), 617.
• Sale C, Saunders B, Hudson S, Sunderland C, Wise J, Harris R (2011). Effect of β-Alanine supplementation with and without sodium bicarbonate on high intensity cycling capacity. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 42(5), 108-115.

Book chapters

• Ranchordas M, Hudson S, Thompson S (2017). Nutrition for Extreme Sports. In Extreme Sports Medicine, pp. 15-28. Springer International Publishing.

Conference papers and abstracts (peer-reviewed)

• Hudson, S., Low, C., Cooke, C., Vanwanseele, B., & Lloyd, R (2020). The Effect of Step Width Control on Load Carriage Economy. ISBS Proceedings Archive, 38(1), 612.
• Hudson S, Cooke C, Davies S, West S, Gamieldien R, Low C, Lloyd R (2017). Is relative economy explained by sagittal plane trunk movements in back, back/front and head loading? Oral Presentation. BASES Conference 2017, Journal of Sports Sciences, 35:sup1, pp.108,
• Hudson S, Cooke C, Lloyd R (2017). The reliability of the Extra Load Index as a measure of relative load carriage economy. Oral Presentation. 21^st annual congress of the European College of Sport and Exercise Science.

Professional activities

I have reviewed grant applications for the National Science Foundation (NSF). I also review manuscripts for several academic journals, including Ergonomics, the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, Applied Sciences, the American Journal of Human Biology, and the Journal of Sports Sciences.

I have presented my work at national and international conferences, including the British Association of Sport and Exercise Science (BASES), the European College of Sports Science (ECSS), and the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports (ISBS). I have also been invited to present at the Kirklees Health & Care Partnership and the Calderdale and Huddersfield Regional Bariatric Conference.