The excitement of sports events is in full swing, with the Paris Olympics still fresh in our minds and the 15th National Games just around the corner. Athletes are sweating it out on the field, igniting passion across the city. Behind the scenes of these competitions lies another, lesser-known contest – the science of nurturing top seeds. Macao Polytechnic University is one of the key players in this endeavour. As a pioneer in sports education and research in Macao, MPU is dedicated to utilising scientific research to train elite athletes, promote public health, and innovate sports management. Whether it’s creating gold medallists, encouraging community sports, or contributing to international events, MPU is at the forefront of sports science and practice.

 

Paving the Way to Championship

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Chinese diver Wu Minxia clinched a gold medal at the age of 31. Her exceptional skills made her the first Chinese female athlete to win five Olympic golds. Behind her success were relentless practice and overcoming numerous injuries, all requiring scientific training and comprehensive support. Professor Gao Binghong from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sports was part of the frontline team supporting athletes at that time.

Professor Gao is a leading figure in sports science in China, having participated in the preparation for six Olympic Games and National Games. He developed the “6+2” Training Quality Monitoring System, which provides scientific support for elite athletes preparing for major competitions. This system, successfully applied to athlete performance monitoring, analysis and assessment in various international events, includes six core modules: physical condition, training load, athletic performance, training methods, psychological state, and technical skills, supported by recovery and nutrition, injury prevention, and physical training.

By tracking athletes’ physiological indicators in real-time, the system ensures training intensity matches their physical state, preventing overtraining or undertraining. It also diagnoses technical and physical weaknesses, creating personalised training plans to optimise performance through data analysis. The psychological state module helps athletes manage stress, the recovery and nutrition module offering scientific recovery plans and nutritional advice for long-term health.

Professor Gao’s research not only advances sports science in theory, but also provides solid scientific support for national competitive sports. Over the years, he has supported the national teams winning medals in diving, rowing, sailing, cycling, and skeleton racing. He shared how the system aided Wu Minxia’s preparation for the 2016 Olympics, mentioning a critical moment a month before the games when she suffered a severe leg injury. The team combined injury treatment and functional monitoring to ensure quick recovery and psychological adjustment, ultimately helping her win the Olympic gold.

 

 

Wu Minxia’s story is just one of many. Athletes often face the risk of overtraining during long-term training. What constitutes appropriate training varies for each individual. Associate Professor Shi Qingde from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sports has developed physiological and biochemical monitoring techniques for athletes, creating a multidimensional evaluation system based on heart rate variability, blood and urine biochemical indicators, and psychological assessments. This system, applied to Macao’s elite athletes, significantly enhances the training, allowing timely adjustments to reduce overtraining and injuries, enabling their peak condition for major competitions.

MPU’s research team in sports science has been dedicated to studying athletes’ nutrition, physical and mental health. Recently, they have focused on the relationship between sports psychology and athlete performance, seeking ways to continuously optimise performance. Their research reveals the dual aspects of perfectionism, where the positive side promotes mental wellbeing and performance optimisation, while the negative side can lead to anxiety and stress. They also evaluate how mindfulness training in different cultural contexts enhances athletes’ psychological flexibility and focus, informing scientific strategies for athletes’ psychological training.

In the competitive world of sports, the research team shares another key factor: precise protein intake strategies. Studies show that while plant proteins aid muscle repair, animal proteins have a significant advantage in boosting explosive power and immediate performance. For endurance sports, combining carbohydrates with proteins accelerates muscle glycogen replenishment, significantly shortening recovery periods. These findings contribute to informing customised nutrition plans for athletes, helping them maintain peak performance during consecutive events.

 

Making Exercise an Essential Part of Everyday Life

Just as athletes strive for victory on the field, everyone works hard in their chosen paths. Having a healthy body is the foundation for achieving anything, and exercise is the key to maintaining health. According to a 2024 study by the World Health Organisation, nearly one-third of adults worldwide do not meet the recommended exercise standards, showing a trend of insufficient physical activity. This lack of exercise increases the risk of chronic diseases. However, modern life is busy, and finding time to exercise can be challenging.

In recent years, Associate Professors Shi Qingde and Nie Jinlei, along with their research team, have explored the use of fragmented time for short, efficient exercises during breaks, such as climbing stairs at the office. These “exercise snacks” can increase intermittent high-intensity activity, helping more people easily develop exercise habits and improve sedentary lifestyles, benefiting both physical and mental health.

The research team has long studied the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on improving athletic performance and health. They found that HIIT is more effective than traditional moderate-intensity continuous exercise for improving fitness, reducing visceral fat in overweight individuals, and improving metabolic stability and autonomic nervous function. This mode of exercise is short and efficient, making it ideal for busy modern lifestyles.

 

Exercise benefits not only the body but also the brain and mind. Associate Professor Wang Yingying, who focuses on exercise cognition and brain plasticity, has found that exercise can significantly enhance cognitive functions such as memory and concentration. Professor Wang’s research shows that open-skill sports like table tennis, which involve free limb movement, can improve cognitive abilities and benefit the brain’s motor perception and language comprehension systems. For those who often forget things or struggle with studying, developing an exercise habit might help.

Professor Wang leads a key research project by the Chinese Ministry of Education, creating a mental health assessment system for primary, secondary, and university students. The goal is to detect students’ sources of stress and improve their mental wellbeing through exercise games. Common stressors for students include exam anxiety, family conflicts, and peer relationships. Understanding stress levels allows for “exercise prescriptions”, such as 30 minutes of skipping or jogging daily, significantly reducing psychological risks. This study helps students balance academic and mental health, improving overall wellbeing.

The benefits of exercise are countless, and engaging promotional methods can boost motivation. The Student Affairs Office at MPU hosts an annual Campus Sports Month to cultivate healthy exercise habits among students. The event invites professional coaches to provide guidance, offering diverse sports experiences to enhance students’ interest in exercise and promote physical and mental health development.

 

Public Fitness Monitoring for a Healthy City

In addition to fostering individual exercise habits, it is crucial to understand public health data on a larger scale. The Faculty of Health Sciences and Sports has co-organised the Macao Citizen Physical Fitness Monitoring and Assessment Programme with the Macao SAR Government Sports Bureau five times. This event, held every five years, collects physical fitness data from Macao residents to understand changes over time, providing policy references for sports, education, health, and social work, thereby promoting health initiatives and fostering a healthier, more vibrant community.

Associate Professors Shi Qingde and Nie Jinlei’s research team is deeply engaged in the 2025 programme, from executing measurements to ensuring quality control, contributing to public healthcare with their expertise. They meticulously design test items for different age groups to provide practical health guidance. For example, scoliosis screening is added to the children’s group to promote correct posture and appropriate exercise. For the elderly group, indicators for sarcopenia, such as calf circumference and six-metre walking speed, are included to assess muscle mass and function, preventing disability due to muscle loss.

MPU's efforts in public health reflect its people-oriented educational philosophy and social responsibility. The University strives to translating research into real-life practice, integrating sports science into the community as a vital part of citizens’ healthy lives.

Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture O Lam (centre), MPU Rector Professor Im Sio Kei (first from left),
and officiating guests preside over the launching ceremony of the “Macao Citizen Physical Fitness Monitoring and Assessment Programme”

 

Cultivating Interdisciplinary Professionals in Sports Industries

This year, the 15th National Games will be held in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, bringing top national athletes to Macao. This national event provides a stage for sports competition and an excellent opportunity to showcase Macao’s sports management capabilities.

MPU has always been a cradle for sports talent in Macao, not only training elite athletes, sports educators and researchers but also producing numerous sports management professionals. Covering key disciplines such as sports management, sports marketing, and event organisation and implementation, its degree programmes cultivate sports interdisciplinary talents with international perspectives and professional skills, providing solid support for successful event hosting.

From academic development to sports management, MPU is endeavoured to promote the development of the sports industries. As one of the major participants in sports development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the University actively collaborates with world-leading universities to create better conditions for the sports industries.

A shining example to this global outlook is MPU’s partnership with Shanghai University of Sport, collaboratively launching a PhD in Physical Education and Sports Science and an MSc in Sports Technology and Innovation. These programmes blend theory and practice, developing professionals who can excel on the global stage. Through ongoing collaborations with top universities worldwide, the theoretical and practical standards of sports science continue to rise, empowering individuals to discover their vitality and embrace personalised exercising. MPU continues to contribute to the development of Macao as a hub for sports education and events as well as community health, driving the global development of the sports industries.