Shona L. Halson

Shona L. Halson is a Professor at the School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, focusing on Exercise Physiology, Sleep and Performance, and Sports Recovery. Her research spans topics like time-restricted eating, mental fatigue in athletes, and compression garments for recovery.

• 2025: Published on alcohol’s effects on sleep
• 2024: Studied theacrine’s cognitive impacts and water immersion for inflammation

Her work often involves collaborations with institutions like Academic Press and Routledge, contributing to books such as Sleep and Sport (2024). She explores how movement behaviors and nutrition affect health across the lifespan.

Key themes in her research include:

• Sleep Monitoring (2019-2024)
• Recovery Modalities (cold-water immersion, compression garments)
• Mental Fatigue in elite athletes and coaches
• Travel and Jet Lag in sports performance

Halson’s publications analyze gait characteristics, inertial measurement units, and athlete self-report measures, with recurring co-authors like John Hawley and Louise Burke.

Her work emphasizes the integration of sleep hygiene, nutritional strategies, and technology (e.g., WHOOP devices) to enhance athlete recovery and performance, addressing challenges in team sport and individual sports during global events like the Olympic Games and ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.