Hans Degens

Professor Hans Degens is a faculty member in the Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences at Manchester Metropolitan University, specializing in Muscle Physiology. His research focuses on age-related changes in skeletal muscle morphology and function, particularly under conditions of hypoxia, exercise, and space-related microgravity. He holds honorary positions as Visiting Professor at the Lithuanian Sport University and the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Targu Mures, Romania, and was awarded Doctor Honoris Causa by the Lithuanian Sport University in 2017.

His work investigates mechanisms underlying muscle adaptation to resistance training, endurance training, and environmental stressors like smoking and hypoxia. Notably, he has pioneered studies on the impact of smoking cessation on muscle function and the effects of space travel on neuromuscular systems using bed rest models. Key contributions include demonstrating impaired hypertrophy in aging muscles and elucidating the role of oxidative stress in muscle fatigue.

Professor Degens has received the Award for Outstanding Achievements in Oxygen Transport to Tissue (1992) and has authored over 150 peer-reviewed articles. His research integrates experimental methodologies such as single skinned muscle fiber analysis and rodent models to explore muscle function at the cellular and systemic levels.