Nattai Borges

Dr Nattai Borges is a Conjoint Senior Lecturer at the University of Newcastle's School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy within the College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing. With a background as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist since 2010 and extensive experience as a strength and conditioning coach, Dr Borges bridges theoretical exercise physiology with practical sports science applications. His research focuses on ageing athletes, fatigue mechanisms, and performance optimization across multiple sports including cycling, basketball, cricket, and rugby.

Fluent in Portuguese with working knowledge of Spanish, Dr Borges holds a PhD from Central Queensland University and a Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Sydney. His educational background supports his interdisciplinary approach to exercise science, combining clinical rehabilitation experience with athletic performance enhancement.

Dr Borges' research examines how ageing affects athletic performance through comparative studies of masters and younger athletes, isolating true ageing effects from reduced physical activity levels. He investigates sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss), particularly in power-based type-2 muscle fibers, and advocates for resistance training combined with proper nutrition to maintain muscle mass and quality of life in older adults. His work spans mechanistic 'bench science' to translational research with direct applications for athletes and clinical populations.

His publication record shows increasing focus on team sports performance analysis in recent years, with notable collaborations examining football (soccer) tactics, rugby league intensities, and cricket bowling demands. A significant trend is his growing integration of exercise science with medical research, particularly exploring exercise applications for cancer patients and rehabilitation settings.

• 2016 Young Investigator Award from the European College of Sports Science for research on age effects on pulmonary and muscular oxygenation following high-intensity training

Dr Borges has secured over $1.86 million in research funding across 8 projects, including the $1.47 million Ramsay Hospital study on clinical decision-making tools for knee replacement rehabilitation and the $250,000 EngAGE project for community wellbeing. He has supervised 8 research students to completion across PhD and Honours levels, with current projects spanning injury prevention in professional football, cerebral-vascular health, and low back pain assessment. Actively engaged with Central Coast sporting communities, Dr Borges applies his research directly through local team collaborations and continues to play football with Avoca FC.