Dr Kieran Marston

PhD AEP
Lecturer in Clinical Exercise Physiology

Email: kieran.marston@nd.edu.au

  • Biography

    Dr Marston is an accredited exercise physiologist and researcher with expertise in healthy ageing. In his ten years of experience as a researcher, he has coordinated and administered several clinical exercise trials exploring the benefits of aerobic- or resistance-based training on the prevention of cognitive decline, management of type-2 diabetes and the reduction of cardiovascular disease risk. One such clinical trial implemented blood flow restriction (i.e., a novel exercise technique involved inflatable cuffs on the exercising limb [BFR]) with resistance training over several months to examine its benefits to physical function, strength and hypertrophy in older adults with a high risk of future falls. Dr Marston’s research into the use of high-intensity resistance exercise as preventative medicine has provided support for the mechanistic (e.g., through neurotrophic blood markers) link between physical activity and age-related cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s Disease.

  • Teaching Areas

    • HLTH3023 Cardiorespiratory Exercise Rehabilitation
    • HLTH4022 Neuromuscular & Metabolic Exercise Rehabilitation
    • HLTH4023 Clinical Exercise Physiology in Cancer & Mental Health

  • Research Expertise and Supervision

    Healthy ageing, resistance training, exercise with blood flow restriction

  • Journal Articles and Proceedings

    • Marston KJ, de Frutos-Lucas J, Porter T, Milicic L, Vacher M, Sewell KR, Peiffer JJ, Laws SM, Brown BM. Exploration of Alzheimer's disease-related gene expression following high-intensity and moderate-intensity exercise interventions. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2024.
    • Scott BR, Marston KJ, Owens J, Rolnick N, Patterson SD. Current implementation and barriers to using blood flow restriction training: Insights from a survey of allied health practitioners. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. 2023.
    • Scott BR, Marston KJ, Teo SYM, Forrest MRL, Jonson A, Walden TP, Galna B, Peiffer JJ. The intensity of a resistance exercise session can be quantified by the work rate of exercise. PLoS One. 2023.
    • Jonson AM, Girard O, Walden TP, Marston KJ, Scott BR. Hypoxia does not impair resistance exercise performance or amplify post-exercise fatigue. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 2023.
    • Marston KJ, Forrest MRL, Teo SYM, Mansfield SK, Peiffer JJ, Scott BR. Load-velocity relationships and predicted maximal strength: A systematic review of the validity and reliability of current methods. PLoS One. 2022.
    • Walden T, Girard O, Dempsey A, Jonson A, Marston KJ and Scott BR. Sessional work-rate does not affect the magnitude to which simulated hypoxia can augment acute physiological responses during resistance exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2020.
    • Marston KJ, Brown BM, Rainey-Smith SR, Bird S, Wijaya LK, Teo SYM, Martins RN, and Peiffer JJ. An intense, but ecologically valid, resistance exercise session does not alter growth factors associated with cognitive health. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity. 2020.
    • Marston KJ, Brown BM, Rainey-Smith SR, Bird S, Wijaya L, Teo SYM, Laws SM, Martins RN and Peiffer JJ. Twelve weeks of resistance training does not influence peripheral levels of neurotrophic growth factors or homocysteine in healthy adults: A randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 2019.
    • Teo SYM, Kanaley JA, Guelfi KJ, Marston KJ, Fairchild TJ. The effect of exercise timing on glycaemic control: A randomised controlled trial. Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise. 2019.
    • Marston KJ, Peiffer JJ, Rainey-Smith SR, Gordon N, Teo SYM, Laws SM, Sohrabi HR, Martins RN, Brown BM. Resistance training enhances delayed memory in healthy adults: A randomised controlled trial. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2019.
    • Gordon N, Abbiss CR, Maiorana AJ, James AP, Clark K, Marston KJ, Peiffer JJ. High-intensity single-leg cycling improves cardiovascular disease risk factor profile. Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise. 2019.
    • Marston KJ, Brown BM, Rainey-Smith SR and Peiffer JJ. Resistance exercise-induced responses in physiological factors linked with cognitive health. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. 2019.
    • Scott BR, Peiffer JJ, Thomas HJ, Marston KJ, Hill KD. Hemodynamic responses to low-load blood flow restriction and unrestricted high-load resistance exercise in older women. Frontiers in Physiology. 2018.
    • Gordon N, Abbiss CR, Maiorana AJ, Marston KJ, and Peiffer JJ. Intrarater reliability and agreement of the Physioflow bioimpedance cardiography device during rest, moderate and high-intensity exercise. Kinesiology Supplement. 2018.
    • Marston KJ, Peiffer JJ, Newton MJ, Scott BR. A comparison of traditional and novel metrics to quantify resistance training. Scientific Reports. 2017.
    • Marston KJ, Newton MJ, Brown BM, Rainey-Smith SR, Bird S, Martins RN and Peiffer JJ. Intense resistance exercise increases peripheral brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2017.

  • Conference Papers

      • 2024 - Australasian Neuroscience Society Conference: ‘Resistance training and cognition in adults with and without cognitive decline: an umbrella review’ (Poster presentation)
      • 2020 - Exercise and Sports Science Australia Research to Practice: ‘Low-volume blood flow restriction training improves functional mobility and maximal strength in older adults’ (Oral presentation [accepted])
      • 2020 - Australian Strength and Conditioning Association Annual Conference: ‘Acute muscle oxygenation and activation responses to resistance exercise in hypoxia’ (Poster presentation)
      • 2019 - Murdoch University Annual Research Symposium: ‘Preventing cognitive decline through resistance training’ (Oral presentation)
      • 2018 - European College of Sport Science Annual Congress: ‘12 weeks of intensive resistance training may improve cognitive performance in older adults’ (Oral presentation)
      • 2018 - International Conference of Strength Training: ‘Resistance exercise to failure or not in hypoxia and normoxia: acute changes in weightlifting velocity’ (Poster presentation)
      • 2018 - International Conference of Strength Training: ‘Hypoxic resistance exercise: how does training to failure or not influence acute physiological responses?’ (Poster presentation)
      • 2017 - Australian Strength and Conditioning Association Southeast Asia Conference: ‘Work rate during resistance exercise is related to measures of internal intensity’ (Poster presentation)
      • 2017 - Australian Strength and Conditioning Association Southeast Asia Conference: ‘Is bar velocity sensitive to changes in recovery duration in upper and lower body resistance exercise?’ (Poster presentation)
      • 2016 - 3rd Annual Western Australian Sport & Exercise Physiology Research Symposium: ‘A comparison of traditional and novel metrics to quantify resistance training’ (Poster presentation)
      • 2015 - Sports Medicine Australia state conference: ‘The role of resistance exercise in peripheral BDNF regulation’ (Oral presentation)

  • Other

      • Marston KJ & Brown BM. Cognition, Sport and Ageing. Feature article in Sport Health: Masters Athletes. Vol 37 (3), 2020.