CRAIG BRIDGE

Craig Bridge is a Senior Lecturer in Sport & Exercise Physiology at Edge Hill University. He joined the department in 2003 after earning a BSc (Hons) in Sports Science and later completed his PhD in 2012 on 'The Physiological Demands of Competitive Taekwondo'. His roles have included lecturer and physiologist for the Great Britain Taekwondo team during the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics. He leads undergraduate modules in applied sports science and exercise physiology. Craig is on the editorial board of the Journal of Combat Sports and Martial Arts since 2011.

Research focuses on combat sports physiology, nutritional performance aids, and endurance pacing strategies. His work links to UN SDG 4 (Quality Education) through sports science education and SDG 3 (Good Health) via athlete safety studies. Notable contributions include systematic reviews on boxing physiology and caffeine effects on performance. He has supervised 3 doctoral students and collaborates internationally on combat sports research.

Recent work explores music and caffeine's synergistic effects on taekwondo performance, interlimb asymmetry in athletes, and punch force optimization in boxing. His 2025 study on anaerobic testing protocols highlights innovative methods for combat sport evaluation. Craig also contributes to safety guidelines for exercise testing, emphasizing risk stratification in sports settings.