Stephen McQuilliam
Sport and Exercise Sciences

Faculty: Faculty of Science
School: Sport and Exercise Sciences
Email address: S.J.McQuilliam@ljmu.ac.uk
Stephen completed his undergraduate degree in Sport and Exercise Science before completing a masters degree in Sport & Exercise Physiology at LJMU. A passion for the complex ways the human body adapts to resistance training in addition to his experience in long-term athlete development and performance has led Stephen to undertake a PhD project at LJMU. Alongside his PhD studies, Stephen is an accredited strength & conditioning coach. Providing support for the LJMU strength & conditioning department as well as teams and athletes within other organisations.
PhD project Title: The role of strength training in professional academy soccer, the translation of research to practice.
Supervisors: Dr Thomas Brownlee, Dr Dave Clark & Dr Robert Erskine
PhD Overview: Stephen is aiming to compare what would be deemed "best practice" from the scientific literature to the applied environment. Additionally, evaluating the position of strength training within soccer and views on current practice. Through this programme of work, Stephen hopes to explore the methods implemented by academy strength & conditioning coaches, what factors influence strength training and what would be deemed scientific "best practice" based on the research literature.
Degrees
Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, MSc, Sport & Exercise Physiology
Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom, BSc (Hons), Sport and Exercise Science
Journal article
Langan-Evans C, Hearris MA, McQuilliam S, Burke LM, Stellingwerff T, Elliott-Sale KJ, Morton JP. 2023. Hormonal contraceptive use, menstrual cycle characteristics and training/nutrition related profiles of elite, sub-elite and amateur athletes and exercisers: One size is unlikely to fit all International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
McQuilliam S, Clark DR, Erskine R, Brownlee T. 2023. Physical testing and strength and conditioning practices differ between coaches working in academy and first team soccer International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
McQuilliam S, Clark D, Erskine R, Brownlee T. 2023. Effect of High-Intensity vs. Moderate-Intensity Resistance Training on Strength, Power, and Muscle Soreness in Male Academy Soccer Players Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
McQuilliam S, Clark D, Erskine R, Brownlee T. 2022. Global Differences in Current Strength and Conditioning Practice within Soccer International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
McQuilliam STEPHENJ, Clark DAVIDR, Erskine ROBERTM, Brownlee THOMASE. 2022. Mind the gap! A survey comparing current strength training methods used in men’s versus women’s first team and academy soccer Science and Medicine in Football, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Robinson N, McQuilliam S, Donovan TF, Langan-Evans C, Whitehead AE. 2021. The Current Landscape of Youth Multi-Sport Training; Athlete and Parent Insight Data. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
McQuilliam S, Clark DR, Erskine RM, Brownlee T. 2020. Free-weight Resistance Training in Youth Athletes: A Narrative Review Sports Medicine, 50 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Thesis/Dissertation
McQuilliam S. 2022. Global Insights into the Role of Strength Training in Soccer, with Particular Reference to Academy Players Brownlee T, Clark D, Erskine R. Public Url
Conference publication
McQuilliam S, Clark D, Erskine R, Brownlee T. 2022. Effect of Six Weeks’ In-season High vs. Moderate-Intensity Resistance Training on Strength, Power and Muscle Soreness in Male Academy Soccer Players European College of Sport Sciences
Conference presentation:
The effect of training objectives on the game format and physical demands in small-sided games, World Congress on Science and Football, Groningen, the Netherlands, Oral presentation. 2023
Industrial connections:
Liverpool Women's Football Club, Lead Academy Physical Performance Coach. 2020