About
Research
Email: james.fleming@stmarys.ac.uk
Biography
Dr James Fleming is an experienced academic and practitioner in sport and exercise nutrition. He began teaching in 2008 after graduating in Sport Science from the University of Southampton and has since developed a career driven by a passion for sports performance and nutrition. After completing an MSc in Applied Sports Nutrition at St Mary’s University, James progressed into lecturing on Nutrition and Health and Exercise Science programmes. His doctoral research investigated fuelling the adolescent athlete, which remains his primary research focus.
Currently serving as Associate Head of School (Nutrition) and formerly Course Lead for the MSc Applied Sports Nutrition programme, James teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, shaping curriculum and supervising MSc and PhD research. He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), a registered Performance Nutritionist with the SENR, and a Level 3 ISAK Anthropometrist, regularly delivering body composition courses.
James has a growing research profile supported by a body of published works (see below), presenting at major international conferences. He leads initiatives such as the Adolescent Athlete Research Community (AARC) and hosts the Fuelling Conversations Podcast, bridging research and applied practice. Alongside his academic role, James works as a consultant Performance Nutritionist, supporting elite athletes across a range of sports.
Research
Research profile
Publications
- Lawson, K., & Fleming, J. (2025). Time to ‘Power-Up’ Esports Performance Nutrition: A Systematic Scoping Review. International Journal of Esports, 1(1).
- Fleming, J. A., Corr, L. D., Earle, J., Naughton, R. J., & Harper, L. D. (2022). Significant energy deficit and suboptimal sleep during a junior academy tennis training camp. Pediatric Exercise Science, 1–6.
- Fleming, J. A., Naughton, R. J., & Harper, L. D. (2022). Nutrition and the elite and highly trained junior and young adult tennis player: A scoping review. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 1–12.
- Fleming, J. A., Field, A., Lui, S., Naughton, R. J., & Harper, L. D. (2022).
The demands of training and match play on elite and highly trained junior tennis players: A systematic review. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 1–12.
- Truax, S., Fleming, J. A., Cross, B. L., & Grosicki, G. J. (2022). Nutritional habits of adolescent tennis players pre-, during, and post-match play. Minerva Pediatrics. Contribution: Second author (concept, design, data interpretation, manuscript drafting 50%).
- Fleming, J., Ó Catháin, C., Harper, L., & Naughton, R. (2021). Dietary intake and daily distribution of carbohydrate, protein and fat in youth tennis players over a 7-day training and competition period. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 20, 413–420.
- Ó Catháin, C., Fleming, J., Renard, M., & Kelly, D. (2020). Dietary intake of Gaelic football players during game preparation and recovery. Sports, 8(5), 62. Contribution: Second author (data analysis, results interpretation ~30%).
- Cullen, S., Fleming, J., Logue, D., O’Connor, J., Connor, B., Cleary, J., Watson, J., & Madigan, S. (2020). Anthropometric profiles of elite athletes. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise. Contribution: Co-author (concept/design, data interpretation, manuscript drafting ~30%).
- Fleming, J. A., Naughton, R. J., & Harper, L. D. (2018). Investigating the nutritional and recovery habits of tennis players. Nutrients, 10(4), 443.