Dr Mitch Smith
Lecturer
School of Environmental and Life Sciences
Career Summary
Biography
Mitchell completed his doctoral studies through the University of Technology Sydney (Doctor of Philosophy) and Ghent University, Belgium (Doctor of Health Sciences). He has over five years experience teaching across multiple disciplines within exercise and sports science, primarily focusing on motor control and skill acquisition. Mitchell's research is also multidisciplinary, incorporating elements of exercise physiology, motor control, skill acquisition, psychophysiology, and applied sports science. His primary area of research investigates the impact of mental fatigue on team sport performance. In 2016, Mitchell was awarded the prestigious “Excellence in Applied Football Research” award presented by ASPETAR at the European Congress of Sports Science for this research.
Collaborations
Mitchell collaborates on research with colleagues from: University of Technology Sydney - James Cook University - Ghent University, Belgium - University of Kent, UK - University of Lancashire, UK - Saarland University, Germany - University of Rome, Italy - University of Portland, USA - University of Cape Town, South Africa - University of Groningen, The Netherlands - Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil - Federal University of Pará, Brazil - Federal University of Maranhão, Brazil.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Technology Sydney
- Bachelor of Human Movement Science (Honours), University of Technology Sydney
Keywords
- Attention
- Cognitive Fatigue
- Decision-making
- Mental Fatigue
- Psychophysiology
- Team Sport
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 110603 | Motor Control | 30 |
| 110699 | Human Movement and Sports Science not elsewhere classified | 40 |
| 110602 | Exercise Physiology | 30 |
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
| Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|
| Lecturer | University of Newcastle School of Environmental and Life Sciences Australia |
Teaching appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 1/03/2010 - 31/12/2015 | Casual Academic | University of Technology Sydney School of Leisure, Sport and Tourism Australia |
Awards
Research Award
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2016 |
Aspetar Excellence in Football Resarch Award European College of Sports Science |
Invitations
Speaker
| Year | Title / Rationale |
|---|---|
| 2017 |
Mental Fatigue and Football This symposium on science and health in football brings together six international experts in football science to present on'hot topics' that are relevant to both research and practice. |
| 2014 |
Mental Fatigue and Football Performance - University of Kent Invited lecture for postgraduate exercise and sports science students at the University of Kent. |
| 2014 |
Mental Fatigue and Physical Performance - Ghent University Invited lecture for Ghent University Sport and Exercise Science Masters program. |
Manuscript Reviews
| Year | Title | Publication Type | Publisher | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Journal - Journal of Sports Sciences | Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal (HERDC) | | |
| 2017 | Journal - Science and Medicine in Football | Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal (HERDC) | | |
| 2016 | Journal - International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance | Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal (HERDC) | | |
| 2016 | Journal - Frontiers: Exercise Physiology | Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal (HERDC) | | |
| 2016 | Journal - Perceptual and Motor Skills | Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal (HERDC) | |
Teaching
| Code | Course | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXSS2060 |
Motor Control Faculty of Science and Information Technology, University of Newcastle Motor control encompasses an area of study that explains how we coordinate and control voluntary movement. This course explores the underlying neurophysiology of motor control and the concepts and processes that underpin controlled movement. Students gain a greater understanding of the structure of the nervous system and how it affects motor control following the completion of this course. In addition, students gain a better understanding of how motor performance can be measured and of the associated theories and concepts that underpin the control of voluntary movement such as attention, memory and sensory information. |
Course Coordinator | 1/02/2016 - 31/12/2017 |
| EXSS3070 |
Motor Learning and Skill Acquisition Faculty of Science and Information Technology, University of Newcastle Motor learning and skill acquisition encompass an area of study that explains how we acquire new movement skills. This course explores the processes of neuromotor control, skill acquisition and skill retention. Students are taught how to assess motor skill proficiency and design training programs that optimise the quality and speed of skill acquisition. Particular emphasis is placed on motor learning and skill development, such that students will understand the processes behind skill acquisition that are relevant to the role of the exercise and sports scientist. |
Course Coordinator | 1/02/2016 - 31/12/2017 |
| EXSS3040 |
Professional Placement in Exercise and Sports Science Faculty of Science and Information Technology, University of Newcastle This course allows students to integrate real world skills and experience with theoretical concepts and knowledge obtained during their degree program. Students will be offered the opportunity to undertake work-integrated learning. The course involves 100 hours of work experience with a professionals in different sectors of the exercise and sports science industry. |
Course Coordinator | 1/02/2016 - 31/12/2017 |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Journal article (8 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 |
Penna EM, Filho E, Wanner SP, Campos BT, Quinan GR, Mendes TT, et al., 'Mental Fatigue Impairs Physical Performance in Young Swimmers.', Pediatr Exerc Sci, 30 208-215 (2018)
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| 2018 |
Smith MR, Thompson C, Marcora SM, Skorski S, Meyer T, Coutts AJ, 'Mental Fatigue and Soccer: Current Knowledge and Future Directions', Sports Medicine, 1-8 (2018) © 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature Fatigue is a complex state with multiple physiological and psychological origins. However, fatigue in soccer h... [more] © 2018 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature Fatigue is a complex state with multiple physiological and psychological origins. However, fatigue in soccer has traditionally been investigated from a physiological perspective, with little emphasis on the cognitive demands of competition. These cognitive demands may induce mental fatigue, which could contribute to the fatigue-related performance decrements observed during and after soccer matches. Recent research investigating the relationship between mental fatigue and soccer-specific performance supports this suggestion. This leading article provides an overview of the research in this emerging field, outlining the impact of mental fatigue on soccer-specific physical, technical, decision-making, and tactical performances. The second half of this review provides directions for future research in response to the limitations of the existing research. Emphasis is placed on translating the current body of knowledge into practical applications and developing a greater understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the negative impact of mental fatigue on soccer performance. A conceptual model is presented to help direct this future research.
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| 2016 |
Smith MR, Fransen J, Deprez D, Lenoir M, Coutts AJ, 'Impact of mental fatigue on speed and accuracy components of soccer-specific skills', Science and Medicine in Football, 1 48-52 (2016)
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| Show 5 more journal articles | ||||||||
Conference (5 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Smith MR, Merlini M, Marcora SM, Deprez D, Lenoir M, Coutts AJ, 'Mental fatigue impairs soccer-specific skill performance', Malmo, Sweden (2015) | ||||
| 2015 |
Chai R, Smith MR, Nguyen TN, Ling SH, Coutts AJ, Nguyen HT, 'Comparing Features Extractors in EEG-based Cognitive Fatigue Detection of Demanding Computer Tasks', Milan, Italy (2015)
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| 2014 |
Smith MR, Fransen J, Coutts AJ, 'The effects of three cognitively demanding tasks on psychological and performance indicators of cognitive fatigue', Amsterdam, The Netherlands (2014)
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| Show 2 more conferences | |||||
Grants and Funding
Summary
| Number of grants | 6 |
|---|---|
| Total funding | $135,697 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20171 grants / $2,000
Impact of mental and physical fatigue on basketball-specific performance$2,000
Funding body: Faculty of Science and Information Technology,The University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Faculty of Science and Information Technology,The University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Scheme | PVC Conference Assistance Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2017 |
| Funding Finish | 2017 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20161 grants / $25,000
Mental Fatigue in Football - Influencing Factors and Interventions$25,000
Funding body: German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
| Funding body | German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Prof. Aaron Coutts, Dr. Mitchell Smith, Dr. Job Fransen, Prof. Tim Meyer, Dr. Sabrina Skorski |
| Scheme | Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2016 |
| Funding Finish | 2017 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | International - Competitive |
| Category | 3IFA |
| UON | N |
20151 grants / $3,000
Mental fatigue impairs soccer specific skill performance$3,000
Funding body: University of Technology Sydney
| Funding body | University of Technology Sydney |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Research Student Development Award |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2015 |
| Funding Finish | 2015 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20141 grants / $9,000
Mental fatigue and soccer performance$9,000
Funding body: Ghent University
| Funding body | Ghent University |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Special Research Funding for Joint Ph.D. |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2014 |
| Funding Finish | 2014 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20122 grants / $96,697
Mental fatigue and soccer performance$86,697
Funding body: Australian Postgraduate Award
| Funding body | Australian Postgraduate Award |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Australian Postgraduate Award |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2012 |
| Funding Finish | 2015 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Aust Competitive - Commonwealth |
| Category | 1CS |
| UON | N |
Mental fatigue and soccer performance$10,000
Funding body: University of Technology Sydney
| Funding body | University of Technology Sydney |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Gordon Young Memorial Scholarship |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2012 |
| Funding Finish | 2012 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Current Supervision
| Commenced | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Honours | Talent identification and development of female youth soccer players | Sport & Rec Not Elswr Classifi, The University of Newcastle | Principal Supervisor |
| 2017 | Honours | Decision-making in youth Australian Football athletes | Sport & Rec Not Elswr Classifi, University of Technology Sydney | Co-Supervisor |
Research Projects
Mental fatigue in football - influencing factors and interventions 2016 - 2019
We have recently established that mental fatigue can influence intermittent exercise performance, isolated football-specific skill performance and decision-making in laboratory environments using mental fatiguing protocols that are not reflective of the normal competition setting (i.e. Stroop tasks). To translate this research to the field, additional work is required to assess if the levels of mental fatigue encountered by players during football-specific tasks influence football-specific performance in a more ecological setting. To achieve this, we will make use of a unique Footbonaut facility (Dortmund, Germany) which allows control of cognitive load and assessment of decision-making and skilled performance in a football-specific context. The first aim of this project is to develop a football-specific protocol for inducing mental fatigue in soccer players using the Footbonaut. Secondly, we will determine if the mental fatigue induced via the specific Footbonaut task provides similar levels of mental fatigue during competitive football matches by assessing cognitive fatigue during match play. Finally, we will investigate the effects of a Footbonaut task on football-specific physical, decision-making and technical performance.
The effect of physical fatigue and mental fatigue on technical proficiency during the tackle in Rugby Union 2017
Impact of mental fatigue on physical performance of handball players 2017
Impact of mental fatigue on swimming performance 2017
Implicit precueing affects motor behaviour 2017 - 2020
Validity and reliability of a novel test of basketball skill 2015 - 2017
Mental fatigue and team sport performance 2011 - 2019
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Research Collaborations
The map is a representation of a researchers co-authorship with collaborators across the globe. The map displays the number of publications against a country, where there is at least one co-author based in that country. Data is sourced from the University of Newcastle research publication management system (NURO) and may not fully represent the authors complete body of work.
| Country | Count of Publications | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2 | |
| Brazil | 1 | |
| Germany | 1 | |
| United Kingdom | 1 | |
| United States | 1 |
