MINDFUL MUSCLES COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE FOR EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS

A few words about Project Mindful Muscles

Project Mindful Muscles is funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ Sport Programme 2020-2022, and aims to develop a range of psychological support and psycho-educational resources based on Mindfulness, Acceptance/Commitment Therapy, and Self-Compassion to the use of image and performance enhancement drugs (IPED), such as anabolic steroids, among exercisers and amateur athletes. The project will also develop a practitioner’s manual to be used by educators, counsellors, healthcare professionals, and relevant stakeholders working in anti-doping and clean sport education, with an emphasis on both prevention of IPED use and harm reduction.

The consortium of Project Mindful Muscles consists of an interdisciplinary group of expert academics, practitioners, and sport organisations from 6 European countries:

  • Dr Lambros Lazuras, Sheffield Hallam University, United Kingdom
  • Dr Vassilis Barkoukis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
  • Dr Ana Tavares, Polytechnic Institute of Lisbon, Portugal
  • Mr Jukka Koskelo, Dopinglinkki/A-Clinic Foundation, Finland
  • Ms Ingrid Bakker, MAINLINE Foundation, The Netherlands
  • Dr Nenad Dikic, Serbian Sport Medicine Association, Serbia
  • Mr Ashley Metcalfe, British Weightlifting, United Kingdom

What is the Community of Practice for Early Career Researchers?

A Community of Practice (or CoP) is generally defined as a group of people who come together because they share a common passion or interest. The practices they use to acquire, exchange, and utilise knowledge over a particular topic, represent the main aspect of communities of practice (Blackman, 2018; Wenger, 2000).

In project Mindful Muscles, we aim to develop an online Community of Practice for Early Career Researchers from social, behavioural, and/or biomedical sciences with research interests related to:

  • Psychological and social factors related to IPEDs use in exercise and amateur sport.
  • Use and misuse of nutritional supplements and IPEDs in exercise and amateur sport.
  • Behavioural choices (IPEDs use) with public health implications (short term gains traded off for potential health consequences later in life) in exercise/sport context.
  • Impact of Mindfulness strategies onneurobiological mechanisms as a deterrent to IPEDs use in exercise and amateur sport.
  • Muscle dysmorphia, body dysmorphic disorder, body image concerns and associated behaviours (e.g., maladaptive dieting, exercising, and drug use).
  • Dieting practices and body image concerns among exercisers and/or amateur athletes.
  • Self-compassion, mindfulness, or acceptance/commitment applications in body image disturbances and/or substance misuse.

Early career researchers are defined as all researchers currently studying for a Doctoral Programme in their area of study (e.g., PhD, EdD, DHealth) or having acquired their Doctoral degree within the last 5 years.

What are the goals of the online Community of Practice?

The Mindful Muscles Community of Practice aims to

  • Connect early career researchers with fellow academics and researchers working in related areas or subjects.
  • Promote knowledge exchange and transfer about novel research ideas, methodologies, and data analytic procedures.
  • Advance scientific research in relation to IPED use, body image, and relevant psychological and educational interventions.
  • Improve the skills and competencies of early career researchers interested in publishing their work and pursuing research grants.

What are the benefits of joining the Community of Practice?

By joining the Mindful Muscles Community of Practice you will

  • Be connected to the interdisciplinary and international consortium of project Mindful Muscles.
  • Network with other fellow early career researchers and senior academics working in related topics and subject areas across Europe, and beyond.
  • Participate in open-access and free online training workshops and/or webinars delivered by expert academics on how to get your research published, how to pursue research grants, and other important topics.

Who owns the Community of Practice?

The Community of Practice is developed within the context of Project Mindful Muscles, but it is completely owned by its members!

Although expert academics working in Mindful Muscles will be able to provide support where needed, the meetings, agenda, and discussion topics of the Community will be coordinated by the community’s members.

 Would you like to join the Mindful Muscles Community of Practice?

If you would like to join the Mindful Muscles Community of Practice or to learn more about it, please contact the following people: