Professor Jose Gonzalez-Alonso
Professor - Exercise and Cardiovascular Physiology

Summary

José González-Alonso is a professor of exercise and cardiovascular physiology in the Division of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences, Department of Life Sciences. José joined Brunel University London in 2006 and since then has served as director of the Centre for Sports Medicine and Human Performance (2006-2013) and director of the Centre for Human Performance, Exercise and Rehabilitation (2015-2021). Prior to Brunel, he worked for 6 years as a senior researcher at The Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre, Rigshospitalet, a centre of excellence in integrative human physiology led by the late Professor Bengt Saltin, and for 5½ years as a post-doctoral fellow at the then Department of Human Physiology, August Krogh Institute, now Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He completed his MA and PhD in Exercise Physiology at the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, University of Texas at Austin, USA, under the supervision of Professor Edward F. Coyle, and his undergraduate studies (Licenciado) in Physical Education at the ‘Instituto Nacional de Educación Física de Cataluña,’ University of Barcelona, Spain. 

He has authored or co-authored more than 100 original research articles, reviews and perspectives (PubMed; Google Scholar total citations > 16,300 with a Hirsch h-index of 65) and given more than 60 invited presentations at international scientific conferences and meetings including some keynote lectures. His main area of expertise is integrative physiology with particular emphasis on human cardiovascular control and skeletal muscle blood flow regulation during exercise and environmental stress. His research has implications for human performance and health and treatment of some circulatory disorders and/or rehabilitation. 

José is currently a member of the European College of Sport Science  (ECSS) Scientific Board, after serving in the Scientific Committee for 4 years. He is also a member of the Editorial Board of the European Journal of Applied Physiology (Advisory Editor). He has served as a member of the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) sub-panel 26 Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism and a member of the Editorial Boards of The Journal of Physiology (2010-2013) and Frontiers in Physiology - Exercise Physiology Section (2016- 2018). José is also a member of the Physiological Society (Physoc), the American Physiological Society (APS) and the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) and a Fellow of the European College of Sport Science. 

Articles of general interest

Targeting red cell-derived adenosine triphosphate signalling to improve aged muscle circulation. Journal of Physiology 600, 3215-3216, 2022. 

Physiological function during exercise and environmental stress in humans: An integrative view of body systems and homeostasis. Cells 11, 383, 2022.

New ideas about hydration and its impact on the athlete’s brain, heart and muscles. Sports Sci Exch 29 (196): 1-7, 2019.

The brain has a remarkable ability to cope with dehydration during exercise. The Conversation. 31 July 2014.

Understanding the vascular and cardiac interactions during endurance exercise 

Ultrasound recordings of peripheral blood flow (brachial and common carotid artery blood flow) and cardiac function (4 chamber view) at rest and during prolonged exercise in endurance-trained athletes. The images were obtained by Dr Kazuhito Watanabe during his post-doctoral training at the Centre for Human Performance, Exercise and Rehabilitation between 2016-2018. To find detailed information about this study see: Watanabe K, Stöhr EJ, Akiyama K, Watanabe S, González-Alonso J (2020). Dehydration reduces stroke volume and cardiac output during exercise because of impaired cardiac filling and venous return, not left ventricular function. Physiological Reports 8(11):e14433.

Link to video with ultrasound images  https://youtu.be/jQNO5fVonsk

Recent interview with Emeritus Professor Glenn McConnell, Victoria University, Australia, for Inside Exercise on the topic of 'Exercise in the Heat, Dehydration, Fluid Ingestion and Circulation'.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0wlFp5nisiNXKMwsF0Snbl?si=dh-GkL5KTFKsjerueC97ig&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A3pSYnNSXDkNLH8rImzotgP

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/inside-exercise/id1631457776

YouTube: https://t.co/jsyTZdoao

Recent interview with Professor Lars Nybo from the University of Copenhagen for his NYBO&NEXS journal club. The conversation focused a paper which has received >1500 citations. González-Alonso et al. Influence of body temperature on the development of fatigue during prolonged exercise in the heat. J Appl Physiol 86(3): 1032-1039,1999

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7FXbT79UaM

Tweeter - X: https://twitter.com/NYBO_NEXS_KU_DK