Dr Benjamin Kirk

Lecturer - Health Sciences
PhD, MSc, Bsc (Hons), BSc

Email: benjamin.kirk@nd.edu.au

  • Biography

    Dr Benjamin Kirk is a Lecturer in Exercise and Sport Science at the University of Notre Dame Australia (Sydney). His research focuses on neuromechanical responses to resistance training and the application of exercise as a targeted, adaptable tool to optimise physical function, health, and performance across diverse populations. Drawing on expertise in biomechanics and exercise physiology, his work aims to refine how exercise is prescribed by identifying the mechanisms driving adaptation and translating these into practical, evidence-based strategies for populations with varied physical capacity and lifestyle constraints.


    His doctoral research at Edith Cowan University, conducted in partnership with the Defence Science and Technology Group, demonstrated that five minutes of daily eccentric exercise can produce meaningful improvements in fitness, mental well-being, and long-term exercise adherence. Prior to joining Notre Dame, he held a postdoctoral fellowship at Macquarie University leading defence-funded human performance research and developing practical upper-body strength diagnostics using portable force plate technology.


    Dr Kirk is an Accredited Exercise Scientist with Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) and welcomes enquiries from prospective research collaborators and postgraduate students.

  • Teaching areas

    • Exercise physiology
    • Strength and conditioning
    • Physical activity and health
    • Exercise, health and disease

  • Research expertise and supervision

    • Neuromechanical responses to resistance training
    • Exercise prescription and adaptation mechanisms
    • Exercise behaviour change and long-term adherence
    • Occupational and tactical human performance (military, first responders)

  • Journal articles and proceedings

    • Kirk, B.J.C., Mavropalias, G., Blazevich, A.J., Cochrane Wilkie, J.L., Molan, A., & Nosaka, K. (in press). Reduced physical activity during submarine deployment: health and performance consequences and feasible countermeasures — a narrative review. Journal of Occupational Health.
    • Kirk, B.J.C., Wills, J.A., Glen, B., & Doyle, T.L.A. (in press). Isometric floor press: a valid, reliable, and practical field-based assessment of upper-body strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
    • Kirk, B.J.C., Mavropalias, G., Cochrane Wilkie, J.L., Blazevich, A.J., Molan, A. Nosaka, K. (2025). Effects of an 8-week minimal-dose home-based eccentric exercise program on physical health and exercise adherence. European Journal of Applied Physiology.
    • Kirk, B.J.C., Mavropalias, G., Cochrane Wilkie, J.L., Blazevich, A.J., Molan, A. Nosaka, K. (2025). Physical activity and exercise patterns of submariners in land and sea environments. Military Medicine, usaf415.
    • Kirk, B.J.C., Mavropalias, G., Cochrane Wilkie, J.L., Blazevich, A.J., Molan, A. Nosaka, K. (2025). Effects of a daily, home-based, 5-minute eccentric exercise program on physical fitness, body composition, and health in sedentary individuals. European Journal of Applied Physiology.
    • Nuzzo, J., Pinto, M., Kirk, B.J.C., & Nosaka, K. (2024). Minimal dose strategies for weekly resistance exercise in the general population: an overview of concepts and results. Sports Medicine, 54(5), 1139-1162.
    • Kirk, B.J.C., Trajano, G.S., Pulverenti, T.S., Rowe, G., & Blazevich, A.J. (2019). Neuromuscular factors contributing to reductions in muscle force after repeated, high-intensity muscular efforts. Frontiers in Physiology, 10, 783.
    • Mesquita, R.N., Taylor, J.L., Kirk, B.J.C., & Blazevich, A.J. (2021). Involuntary sustained firing of plantar flexor motor neurones: effect of electrical stimulation parameters during tendon vibration. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 121(3), 881-891.
    • Pulverenti, T.S., Trajano, G.S., Kirk, B.J.C., Bochkezanian, V., & Blazevich, A.J. (2021). Plantar flexor muscle stretching depresses the soleus late response but not tendon tap reflexes. European Journal of Neuroscience, 53(9), 3185-3198.
    • Pulverenti, T.S., Trajano, G.S., Walsh, A., Kirk, B.J.C., & Blazevich, A.J. (2020). Lack of cortical or Ia-afferent spinal pathway involvement in muscle force loss after passive static stretching. Journal of Neurophysiology, 123(5), 1896-1906.
    • Pulverenti, T.S., Trajano, G.S., Kirk, B.J.C., & Blazevich, A.J. (2019). The loss of muscle force production after muscle stretching is not accompanied by altered corticospinal excitability. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 119(10), 2287-2299.

  • Conference papers

    • Kirk, B.J.C., Mavropalias, G., Cochrane Wilkie, J.L., Blazevich, A.J., Nosaka, K. (2025). A 5-minute     daily home-based eccentric exercise program improves physical health and promotes long-term exercise behaviour. Journal of Clinical Exercise Physiology, 15(Suppl), p. 112. ESSA Activate 2026 Conference, Adelaide, Australia.
    • Kirk, B.J.C., Wills, J.A., Glen, B., Doyle, T.L.A. (2025). Advancing upper-body strength testing: validity and reliability of two isometric field protocols. Performance and Expertise Research Centre Conference, Macquarie University, Nov 11, Sydney, Australia
    • Kirk, B.J.C., Mavropalias, G., Cochrane Wilkie, J.L., Blazevich, A.J., Nosaka, K. (2025). Effects of a daily, home-based, 5-min eccentric exercise program on physical fitness and health in sedentary individuals. EnCouRage Research Symposium, Macquarie University, Sep 24, Sydney, Australia
    • Glen, B., Wills, J., Wiggins, M., Edmonds, R., Kirk, B.J.C., Doyle, T.L.A. (2024). Physical fatigue diminishes performance in simulated firefighting tasks. Performance and Expertise Research Centre Conference, Nov 12, Sydney, Australia.
    • Kirk, B.J.C., Mavropalias, G., Cochrane Wilkie, J.L., Blazevich, A.J., Nosaka, K. Effects of daily 5-minute eccentric-biased exercises on physical fitness, body composition, critical health markers and well-being in sedentary individuals. Research to Practice, May 2-4, 2024, Sydney, Australia
    • Kirk, B. J.C., Mavropalias, G., Cochrane Wilkie, J.L., Blazevich, A.J., Nosaka, K. (2023). Implementation of routine eccentric exercises to maintain health and fitness, improve vigilance and attention, and optimise decision making in the underwater vessel.          Research Network for Undersea Decision Superiority 2023 Update Symposium, April 17, Perth, Australia.
    • Kirk, B.J.C., Blazevich, A.J., Pulverenti, T.S., Rowe, G., & Trajano, G.S. (2017). Neural mechanisms that regulate repeated, high-intensity muscular performance – new insights into fatigue? Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 20, S42-S43.
    • Pulverenti, T.S., Trajano, G.S., Kirk, B.J.C., & Blazevich, A.J. (2017). Changes in corticospinal excitability do not contribute to stretch-induced force loss. The Society for the Neural Control of Movement 2017 Meeting, May 2-5, Dublin, Ireland.
    • Mesquita, R. N., Kirk, B. J.C., Taylor, J.L., & Blazevich, A.J. (2019). 24th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science, Prague, Czech.

  • In the media

    • Research on minimal-dose eccentric exercise has received international coverage including The Times (UK), New York Post, ScienceAlert, and Medical Xpress, with an estimated audience reach of 1.18 billion and earned media value of USD $10.9 million.

  • Professional affiliations

    • Accredited Exercise Scientist (AES) — Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA), ID: 49289