Dr Lygeri Dimitriou

Lygeri’s specific research revolves around three areas of sport and exercise physiology that have important implications for athletic performance and recovery, military dropout rates and medical discharge, fatigue, immunodepression, upper respiratory illness, pulmonary inflammation and injury.

The first deals with the acute and chronic effects of physical training/activity and/or competition on immune function and status, muscle damage, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, cortisol levels, measured in blood and/or saliva, and the mood state of competitive athletes, marathoners, military recruits, and Everest climbers.

The second deals with the investigation of the effects of  cryotherapy and  antioxidant supplements  on muscle adaptation,  markers of muscle and metabolic damage, immunity, pulmonary inflammation, respiratory symptoms and recovery following  prolonged exhaustive exercise and resistance training .

The third deals with the female athlete triad and some of its features such as osteoporosis, low bone mineral density and stress fractures, low energy availability, underweight, intentional weight loss, eating disorders, menstrual dysfunction, late menarche, in a wide range of competitive athletes and professional dancers.

Peer Reviewed Publications

• Dimitriou L, Lockey J, Castell LM.(2016). Is baseline aerobic fitness associated with illness and attrition rate in military training? Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps. doi:10.1136/jramc-2015-000608 http://jramc.bmj.com/content/early/2016/02/28/jramc-2015-000608.abstract
• Turner, A., Chavda, S., Edwards, M., Brazier, J., Bishop, C., Dimitriou, L., et al. (In press). Physical Characteristics Underpinning Lunging and Change of Direction Speed in Fencing. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research .
• Dimitriou L, Hill J, Jehnali A, Dunbar J, Brouner  J, McHugh M. P, Howatson G. (2015). Influence of a montmorency cherry juice blend on indices of exercise-induced stress and upper respiratory tract symptoms following marathon running-a pilot investigation. Journal of the international society of sports nutrition DOI 10.1186/s12970-015-0085-8.
• Turner A, James N, Dimitriou L, Greenhalgh, A, Moody J, Fulcher D, Mias E, and Kilduff L (2014). Determinants of Olympic Fencing Performance and Implications for Strength and Conditioning Training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 28(10):3001-11.doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000000478.
• Dimitriou L, Weiler R,  Lloyd-Smith R, Turner A, Heath L, James N, Reid A. (2014).  Bone mineral density, rib pain and other features of the female athlete triad in elite lightweight rowers. British Medical Journal http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004369
• Jerneja P, James N, Dimitriou L, Perš P,  Vuckovic G (2013). A time-motion analysis of turns performed by highly ranked Viennese waltz dancers Journal of Human Kinetics.
• Turner A, Kilduff L, James N, Jeremy M, Dimitriou L, Ingram R, Miller, S (2013). Strength and conditioning for fencing. Strength and Conditioning Journal 35 (1), 1-9.
• Pollock N, Grogan C, Perry M, Pedlar C, Cooke K, Morrissey D, Dimitriou L. (2010). Bone Mineral Density and other Features of the Female Athlete Triad in Elite Endurance Runners. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 20, 418-426.
• Sharp NC, Dimitriou L, and Doherty M. (2003). Applying elite research to the general population. British Journal of Sports Medicine 37: 372.
• Dimitriou L, Sharp NC, & Doherty M. (2002). Circadian effects on the acute responses of salivary cortisol and IgA in well trained swimmers, British Journal of Sports Medicine 36, 260-264. Doi: 10.1136/bjsm.36.4.260
• Doherty M, & Dimitriou L. (1997). A Comparison of Lung Volumes in Greek Swimmers, Land-Based Athletes and Sedentary Controls using Allometric Scaling. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 31, 337-341. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.31.4.337

Conference Presentations:

• Amorim T, Dimitriou L, Metsios G, Wyon M, Alan N, Flouris A, Maia J, Machado J, Franklim M, Adubeiro N, Nogueira L, Matthews K, Koutedakis Y. (2015).  "Prevalence of low bone mineral density, osteopenia, osteoporosis and its associated risks factors in female ballet dancers." Abstract: The American Society for Bone and Mineral Research Annual Meeting, 9-12/10/2015, Seattle, USA, S187.
• Dimitriou L, Hill, J, Jehnali A, Dunbar J, Brouner, J, Howatson G. (2013). Influence of tart cherry juice on indices of mucosal immunity, salivary cortisol, inflammation and upper respiratory tract symptoms following marathon running. (At the 18th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science)
• Naalchigar C, Dimitriou L, McCormack M, Pelly J, Wyon. (2012). Bone mineral density in male professional ballet dancers. At the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS).
• Naalchigar C, Dimitriou L, McCormack M, Pelly J, Wyon. (2011). Body composition and injuries in professional ballet dancers from a theatre-based company and an international touring company. At the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS).
• Naalchigar C, Dimitriou L, McCormack M, Wyon M. (2010). Body composition and injuries in professional ballet dancers.  At the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS).
• Pollock N, Grogan C, Perry M, Pedlar C, Cooke K, Morrissey D, Dimitriou L. (2010). Bone Mineral Density and other Features of the Female Athlete Triad in Elite Endurance Runners. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 42, 5: Supplement: S224.
• Dimitriou L, Chong C, Dhunnokchand R, Ranney J, Jehanli A, Speedy T, and Ranney M. (2009). Team Everest: The Immune Response to High Altitude. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 41, 5: Supplement: S268.http://www.acsm.org/about-acsm/media-room/acsm-in-the-news/2011/08/01/medical-students-climb-everest-to-study-immunity
• Reid A, Lloyd-Smith R, and Dimitriou L. (2008). Menstrual Irregularity, Bone Mineral Density and Rib Injuries in Current and Retired Female Lightweight Rowers. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 40, 5: Supplement: S312.
• Dimitriou, L. Immune changes under stress. (2008)At the Team Everest Conference of High Altitude and Extreme Physiology at the Royal Society of Medicine, London, UK, 2008. (Keynote Speech).
• Dimitriou L, Sharp NC, Whyte G, and Castell LM. (2007). Are Fitness Levels a Crucial Factor in Military Training? Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 39, 5: Supplement: S202.
• Cooke K, Dimitriou L, and McCormack M. (2007). Low Radial BMD is Associated with Reduced Femoral Cross Sectional Area in Female Ballet Dancers. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 37, 5: Supplement: S64.
• Dunman, N. Pedlar, C. Van Someren, K. Dimitriou, L. Cooke, K. (2007). Lower Limb tissue mass and physiological determination of endurance running performance. Journal of Sports Sciences 25 (3).
• Dimitriou, L. The Immune Response to Physical & Psychological Stress (2006). In the High Performance Seminar, UK Sport, UK. . (Keynote Speech).
• Cooke K, Dimitriou L, N. Smith N, and McCormack M. (2005). Bone mineral density and body composition in female professional ballet dancers. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 37: Supplement: S89.
• Dimitriou L, Sharp NC, Whyte G, and Castell LM. (2005). Plasma glutamine cytokines and antioxidant capacity before and after the London Marathon. At the 10th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science. p. 87.
• Cooke, K., L. Dimitriou, N. Smith, S. Lee, and C. Pedlar. (2005). Regional body composition & muscular strength in female endurance athletes with low and normal radius bone mineral density: preliminary findings. At the 10th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science. p. 392.
• Cooke, K., M. McCormack, L. Dimitriou, and N. Smith, and M. McCormack. (2005). Body composition and adipose tissue distribution in female professional ballet dancers with low and normal bone mineral density. At the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (IADMS).
• Dimitriou L and Castell LM. (2004). Possible immunodepression in military personnel undertaking training over twelve weeks. At the 9th Annual Congress of the European College of Sports Science, p. 94.
• Dimitriou L, Jaques R, Maw G, Whyte G, and Castell LM. (2003). A Longitudinal study on some potential markers of the incidence of illness and immunodepression in triathletes. At the 6^th Symposium of the International Society of Exercise and Immunology.
• Karageorghis CI, Dimitriou L, & Terry, PC. (1999). Effects of Circadian rhythms on mood among athletes. Journal of Sports Sciences, 17, 56-57.

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