Career Profile

PhD in Sport Sciences from the University of Coimbra, with postdoctoral training in Health Sciences, specializing in the interplay of biological growth/maturation, body composition, cardiac morphology, and functional performance in youth athletes. Currently Associate Professor at Lusófona University’s Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, integrated researcher at CIDEFES and CIFI2D (FCDEF-UP), and Coordinator of the Center of Sports Optimization at Sporting Clube de Portugal, overseeing scientific and operational responsibilities in elite training contexts.

My trajectory integrates longitudinal research on youth athletes with practical applications in soccer, roller hockey, and volleyball, employing allometric models, multilevel analysis, and objective monitoring of internal/external training loads. Scientific output exceeds 100 indexed publications, book chapters, and systematic reviews, emphasizing developmental modeling of functional capacities, sports echocardiography, skeletal maturation, and neuromuscular fatigue monitoring in team sports.

Concurrently, I lead FCT-funded projects (as PI and supervisor), academic programs, and coach education, bridging scientific evidence with high-performance practice in clubs and federations.

Contributions to science and society

Primary contributions center on modeling growth, maturation, and functional development in youth athletes via longitudinal studies integrating anthropometrics, body composition, bone mineral density, echocardiographic parameters, and aerobic/anaerobic performance indicators. Doctoral and postdoctoral work developed static/ontogenetic allometric and multilevel models to delineate left ventricular mass, peak aerobic power, and sport-specific capacities as functions of chronological age, skeletal age, body size, and objectively measured physical activity. These advances clarify maturation’s influence on performance and cardiac adaptation, enabling individualized data interpretation in clinical/training settings.

Further contributions validate biological maturation and body composition assessments, comparing radiological protocols (Greulich-Pyle, Tanner-Whitehouse, FELS) with somatic indicators and anthropometric models for segmental volume/fat mass estimation. Studies in youth soccer and other sports elucidate methodological agreements/limitations, informing age verification, talent identification, and developmental monitoring protocols.

In training/performance contexts, research elucidates training load-fatigue-performance relationships in volleyball and roller hockey, merging subjective (RPE, wellness questionnaires) with objective metrics (wearables, field tests). Coordinated systematic/scoping reviews synthesize evidence on external load metrics, injury prevention, reactive strength index, and wearable technology, proposing operational frameworks for multidisciplinary integration.

Finally, applied knowledge links physical activity, dietary habits, body composition, and bone health in youth athletes/non-athletes, highlighting exercise’s protective role across mechanical loading types over the lifecycle.