Rate My Professor Nathan Smith

Dr. Nathan Smith is a Lecturer in Exercise and Sport Science within the School of Health Sciences at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle campus. He commenced his academic career at the university as a sessional lecturer in Exercise and Sport Science during semester two of 2022, transitioning to a full-time lecturer position in January 2023. Smith earned his PhD in Exercise Science from Murdoch University in 2023, under the supervision of Professors Jeremiah Peiffer and Olivier Girard, and Associate Professor Brendan Scott. His doctoral research focused on incorporating blood flow restriction (BFR) cycling into endurance cyclists' training programs to enhance performance, encompassing studies on intensity prescription, pacing effects, cardiovascular and neuromuscular responses, and training load impacts. Specializing in exercise physiology, his research interests include improving human performance and health via exercise prescription, the application of BFR during aerobic exercise, and applied exercise science dedicated to translating findings into practical applications. He teaches undergraduate courses such as Exercise Physiology, Nutrition, and Data Analysis & Experimental Design, and has contributed to developing the Diploma of Exercise and Sport Science program (units including HLTH1012 to HLTH2022).

In 2024, Smith received the Vice-Chancellor's PELT Award for Teaching Excellence in the Early Career category for his constructivist 'show, don’t tell' approach to fostering critical thinking among Health Science students, aligning with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 7 and Notre Dame’s Learning & Teaching strategy. He also holds Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy through Advance HE. His peer-reviewed publications feature key works on BFR, including 'A comparison of physiological and perceptual responses to fixed-power and perceptually-regulated cycling with and without blood flow restriction in trained cyclists' (European Journal of Sport Science, 2024), 'Blood flow restriction is associated with more even pacing during high-intensity cycling' (International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 2023), 'Blood flow restriction reduces self-paced aerobic interval mechanical and cardiovascular demands without modifying neuromuscular fatigue characteristics' (European Journal of Sport Science, 2023), and the review 'Aerobic Training with Blood Flow Restriction for Endurance Athletes: Potential Benefits and Considerations of Implementation' (Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2022). Smith has presented orally and via posters at conferences such as Exercise and Sports Science Australia – Research to Practice (2021–2024) and featured on podcasts including The Blood Flow Restriction Podcast (2023). He is affiliated with Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA).