Sam Chalmers

Research Interests

Environmental & Occupational Health Exercise Physiology Sports science and exercise

Dr Sam Chalmers

Senior Lecturer, Human Movement

School of Allied Health and Human Performance

College of Health

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Available For Media Comment.

I have a keen and active interest in exercise physiology, particularly relating to how humans interact with the environment. I have a research and industry focus in the development of extreme heat policies in sport and exercise. This covers both youth and adult involvement, and community through to elite competitions. I have engaged in extreme heat policy work that has past or current funding with the NHMRC, and industry partnerships with Swimming Australia, Rowing NSW, FIFA, AFL, and Tennis Australia.
Secondly, I research injury prevention in youth sports, ranging from injury surveillance projects through to testing the efficacy of injury screening tools. I am engaged in a long-standing partnership with the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).
I am an accredited Applied Sport Scientist (Level 1) and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and have roles with:
Associate Editor: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport (JSAMS)
Academic Integrity Officer: Allied Health and Human Performance (UniSA)
Research Ethics Advisor: Allied Health and Human Performance (UniSA)

Date Institution name Country Title
2019 - 2019 University of Sydney Australia Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies
2012 University of South Australia Australia PhD

Date Title Institution name Country
2020 Fellow of Advance Higher Education Advance Higher Education Australia

Year Citation
2025 Brown, H. A., Chalmers, S., Topham, T. H., Clark, B., Meyer, T., Jowett, A., . . . Périard, J. D. (2025). Efficacy of the FIFA cooling break heat policy during an intermittent treadmill football simulation in hot conditions in trained females. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 28(6), 491-497.
DOI Scopus2 WoS1
2025 Freeston, J., Hardy, S. G. J., Ho, E., Sinclair, P., Chalmers, S., Hollings, M., & Andersen, J. T. (2025). Accuracy of a bat-mounted sensor for the measurement of bat speed among elite female cricket players. Sports Biomechanics, online, 1-12.
DOI
2025 Chalmers, S., Siegler, J., & Periard, J. (2025). Sport and exercise in the heat: Guidelines, performance, and acclimation. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, online.
DOI
2025 Cove, B., Chalmers, S., Nelson, M. J., Anderson, M., & Bennett, H. (2025). The effect of training distribution, duration, and volume on VO<sub>2max</sub> and performance in trained cyclists: A systematic review, multilevel meta-analysis, and multivariate meta-regression.. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 28(5), 423-434.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2025 Cove, B., Bennett, H., Nelson, M. J., & Chalmers, S. (2025). Differences in Polarization Index of Elite and Subelite Adult Cyclists During a 12-Month Training Cycle. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 20(12), 1665-1672.
DOI
2025 James, C., Muniz Pardos, B., Ihsan, M., Lo, K. K., Lam, W. K., Iglesias, D. P., . . . Pitsiladis, Y. (2025). Thermal and biomechanical responses of amateur, elite and world cup athletes during a world cup sprint triathlon in the heat. Sports Medicine, 55(6), 1515-1526.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2025 Smallcombe, J. W., Topham, T. H., Brown, H. A., Tiong, M., Clark, B., Broderick, C., . . . Jay, O. (2025). Thermoregulation and dehydration in children and youth exercising in extreme heat compared with adults. British Journal Of Sports Medicine, 59(16), 1151-1159.
DOI Scopus4 WoS3 Europe PMC2
2024 Bennett, H., Fuller, J., Debenedictis, T., & Chalmers, S. (2024). Ankle sprain, concussion, and anterior cruciate ligament injuries are common and burdensome in sub-elite female Australian football players. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 27(8), 539-544.
DOI Scopus5 WoS3 Europe PMC2
2024 Anderson, M., Bellenger, C., Chaseling, G. K., & Chalmers, S. (2024). Effect of water dousing on heat strain and performance during endurance running in the heat. International Journal Of Sports Physiology And Performance, 19(11), 1291-1298.
DOI Scopus1 WoS2
2024 Gantzer, C., Huff, D., Butterick, B., Chalmers, S., Marshall, P., Lovell, R., & Siegler, J. C. (2024). Performing lower-limb strength exercises before or after training does not influence fatigue indices in competitive youth soccer players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 38(10), 1760-1767.
DOI
2024 McDonald, J., Bennett, H., Fuller, J., Jones, S., Debenedictis, T., & Chalmers, S. (2024). Changes in injury and illness incidence and burden in elite junior male Australian footballers over a 6-year period. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 27(11), 779-785.
DOI Scopus1
2024 Brown, H. A., Chalmers, S., Topham, T. H., Clark, B., Jowett, A., Meyer, T., . . . Periard, J. D. (2024). Efficacy of the FIFA cooling break heat policy during an intermittent treadmill football simulation in hot conditions in trained males. British Journal Of Sports Medicine, 58(18), 1044-1051.
DOI Scopus10 WoS8 Europe PMC8
2023 Moore, E., Fuller, J. T., Milanese, S., Jones, S. C., Townsley, A., Lynagh, M., & Chalmers, S. (2023). Does changing the Functional Movement Screen composite score threshold influence injury risk estimation in junior Australian football players?. Journal of Sports Sciences, 41(1), 20-26.
DOI Scopus5 WoS3 Europe PMC2
2023 Darch, L., Chalmers, S., Causby, R., & Arnold, J. (2023). Effect of running-induced fatigue on tibial acceleration and the role of lower limb muscle strength, power, and endurance. Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise, 55(3), 581-589.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC2
2023 Bennett, H., Chalmers, S., & Fuller, J. (2023). The impact of concussion on subsequent injury risk in elite junior Australian football athletes. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 26(4/5), 247-252.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC3
2022 Bennett, H., Chalmers, S., Arnold, J., Milanese, S., Blackett, C., Niculescu, A., & Fuller, J. (2022). The relationship between performance and injury in junior Australian football athletes. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 17(5), 761-767.
DOI Scopus4 WoS3 Europe PMC2
2022 Darch, L., Chalmers, S., Wiltshire, J., Causby, R., & Arnold, J. (2022). Running-induced fatigue and impact loading in runners: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 40(13), 1512-1531.
DOI Scopus14 WoS12 Europe PMC10
2022 Bennett, H., Chalmers, S., Milanese, S., & Fuller, J. (2022). The association between Y-balance test scores, injury, and physical performance in elite adolescent Australian footballers. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 25(4), 306-311.
DOI Scopus14 WoS13 Europe PMC8
2021 Bennett, H., Fuller, J., Milanese, S., Jones, S., Moore, E., & Chalmers, S. (2021). Relationship between movement quality and physical performance in elite adolescent Australian football players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 36(10), 2824-2829.
DOI Scopus8 WoS9 Europe PMC8
2021 Vargas, N., Chalmers, S., & Jay, O. (2021). A special issue on heat, health, and performance in Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 24(8), 715-717.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC2
2021 Chalmers, S., Shaw, G., Mujika, I., & Jay, O. (2021). Thermal strain during open-water swimming competition in warm water environments. Frontiers in Physiology, 12(785399), 1-6.
DOI Scopus9 WoS5
2020 Fuller, J. T., Lynagh, M., Tarca, B., Zacharia, A., Townsley, A., Gleeson, C., . . . Chalmers, S. (2020). Functional movement screen pain location and impact on scoring have limited value for injury risk estimation in junior Australian football players. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, 50(2), 75-82.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC2
2020 Chalmers, S., Anderson, G., & Jay, O. (2020). Considerations for the development of extreme heat policies in sport and exercise. BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, 6(1), 3 pages.
DOI Scopus11 WoS10
2020 Jones, S. C., Fuller, J. T., Chalmers, S., Debenedictis, T. A., Zacharia, A., Tarca, B., . . . Milanese, S. (2020). Combining physical performance and Functional Movement Screen testing to identify elite junior Australian football athletes at risk of injury. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 30(8), 1449-1456.
DOI Scopus5 WoS5 Europe PMC4
2019 Chalmers, S., Siegler, J., Lovel, R., Lynch, G., Gregson, W., Marshall, P., & Jay, O. (2019). Brief in-play cooling breaks reduce thermal strain during football in hot conditions. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 22(8), 912-917.
DOI Scopus26 WoS25 Europe PMC23
2019 Chalmers, S., Harwood, A., Morris, N. B., & Jay, O. (2019). Do tattoos impair sweating?. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 22(11), 1173-1174.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC2
2019 Chalmers, S., Siegler, J., Lovell, R., Lynch, G., Gregson, W., Marshall, P., & Jay, O. (2019). Corrigendum to “Brief in-play cooling breaks reduce thermal strain during football in hot conditions” [J. Sci. Med. Sport 22 (2019) 912–917](S1440244018312726)(10.1016/j.jsams.2019.04.009). Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 22(10), 1073.
DOI
2019 Moore, E., Chalmers, S., Milanese, S., & Fuller, J. (2019). Factors influencing the relationship between the Functional Movement Screen and injury risk in sporting populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports medicine, 49(9), 1449-1463.
DOI Scopus44 WoS36 Europe PMC30
2018 Chalmers, S., & Jay, O. (2018). Australian community sport extreme heat policies: Limitations and opportunities for improvement. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 21(6), 544-548.
DOI Scopus25 WoS23 Europe PMC14
2018 Chalmers, S., Debenedictis, T. A., Zacharia, A., Townsley, S., Gleeson, C., Lynagh, M., . . . Fuller, J. T. (2018). Asymmetry during Functional Movement Screening and injury risk in junior football players: a replication study. Scandinavian journal of medicine and science in sports, 28(3), 1281-1287.
DOI Scopus31 WoS30 Europe PMC18
2018 Mejuto, G., Chalmers, S., Gilbert, S., & Bentley, D. (2018). The effect of ice slurry ingestion on body temperature and cycling performance in competitive athletes. Journal of thermal biology, 72, 143-147.
DOI Scopus9 WoS7 Europe PMC5
2017 Chalmers, S., Fuller, J. T., Debenedictis, T. A., Townsley, S., Lynagh, M., Gleeson, C., . . . Magarey, M. (2017). Asymmetry during preseason Functional Movement Screen testing is associated with injury during a junior Australian football season. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 20(7), 653-657.
DOI Scopus68 WoS64 Europe PMC51
2017 Fuller, J. T., Chalmers, S., Debenedictis, T. A., Townsley, S., Lynagh, M., Gleeson, C., . . . Magarey, M. (2017). High prevalence of dysfunctional, asymmetrical, and painful movement in elite junior Australian Football players assessed using the Functional Movement Screen. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 20(2), 134-138.
DOI Scopus23 WoS22 Europe PMC17
2017 Gollan, S., Chalmers, S., Alderton, S., & Norton, K. I. (2017). Supplemental intermittent-day heat training and the lactate threshold. Journal of thermal biology, 65, 16-20.
DOI Scopus4 WoS5 Europe PMC2
2017 Chalmers, S. (2017). In-play cooling strategies for sport in hot and humid conditions. Temperature, 4(4), 353-355.
DOI Scopus6
2016 Chalmers, S., & Magarey, M. (2016). Annual improvement in fitness test performance for elite junior Australian football cohorts. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 19(10), 843-847.
DOI Scopus5 WoS5 Europe PMC4
2016 Chalmers, S., Esterman, A., Eston, R., & Norton, K. (2016). Brief heat training: no improvement of the lactate threshold in mild conditions. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 11(8), 1029-1037.
DOI Scopus8 WoS6 Europe PMC5
2015 Chalmers, S., Esterman, A., Eston, R., & Norton, K. (2015). Standardization of the Dmax method for calculating the second lactate threshold. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 10(7), 921-926.
DOI Scopus24 WoS23 Europe PMC14
2014 Chalmers, S., Esterman, A., Eston, R., Bowering, K. J., & Norton, K. (2014). Short-term heat acclimation training improves physical performance: a systematic review, and exploration of physiological adaptations and application for team sport. Sports medicine, 44(7), 971-988.
DOI Scopus103 WoS94 Europe PMC77
2013 Chalmers, S., Magarey, M. E., & Scase, E. (2013). Junior Australian football injury research : are we moving forward?. Physical therapy in sport, 14(3), 175-182.
DOI Scopus9 WoS8 Europe PMC7
2012 Chalmers, S., Magarey, M. E., Esterman, A., Speechley, M., Scase, E., & Heynen, M. (2012). The relationship between pre-season fitness testing and injury in elite junior Australian football players. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 16(4), 307-311.
DOI Scopus38 WoS37 Europe PMC24
2012 Scase, E., Magarey, M. E., Chalmers, S., Heynen, M., Petkov, J., & Bailey, S. (2012). The epidemiology of injury for an elite junior Australian Football cohort. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 15(3), 207-212.
DOI Scopus30 WoS24 Europe PMC20

Year Citation
2024 Brown, H. A., Chalmers, S., Clark, B., Meyer, T., Jowett, A., Jay, O., & Periard, J. D. (2024). Impact Of The FIFA Cooling Break Heat Policy During Simulated Match-play In The Heat. In MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS & EXERCISE Vol. 56 (pp. 20-21). MA, Boston: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS.

  • Research Services for Rowing NSW, Rowing New South Wales, 10/06/2021 - 31/12/2028

  • MTA: Concussion in Women's Australian Rules Football, Unknown, 08/09/2025 - 09/09/2028

  • The effect of environment upon thermoregulatory strain during open-water swimming in warm and hot conditions., Swimming Australia Ltd, 27/10/2020 - 31/03/2025

  • Informing extreme heat policy development in long distance running (C Blackman), Sports Medicine Australia, 01/11/2023 - 31/10/2024

  • Defence Hot Climate Preparation, Cwth Dept of Defence, 09/05/2022 - 12/12/2022

Courses I teach

  • HLTH 2006 Exercise Physiology 1 (2025)
  • HLTH 3018 Applied Exercise Physiology (2025)
  • HLTH 2006 Exercise Physiology 1 (2024)
  • HLTH 3018 Applied Exercise Physiology (2024)

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2025 Principal Supervisor - - Master Full Time Mr James Way
2025 Principal Supervisor - - Master Full Time Miss Mikayla Jade Vidmar
2024 Co-Supervisor - - Master Full Time Miss Keely Jayde Cannizzaro
2024 Co-Supervisor - - Master Full Time Mr Arron James Nitschke
2024 Principal Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Jack Luders

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