Nutrition Advisor

Professor Graeme L. Close

ASCC, PhD, rSEN, fBASES, fECSS

Professor graeme l. Close

A former professional Rugby League player, Graeme is now a Professor of Human Physiology at Liverpool John Moores University.

His research is focused on basic and applied sport nutrition where he has published ~175 papers and review articles. Graeme’s current research areas are the effects of Vitamin D and cannabidiol (CBD) on skeletal muscle function, the effects of weight-making on health and performance, and the metabolic and nutritional demands of elite rugby.

Graeme is accredited with BASES and SENr and is a fellow of both BASES and ECSS.

Graeme is currently the High Performance consultant to England Rugby and the Head of Performance Nutrition for The DP World Tour Golf. He has previously held roles with England Rugby, Pakistan Cricket, Everton, Aston Villa, West Bromwich Albion and Nottingham Forest football clubs, The Lawn Tennis Association, British Ski and Snowboard, Heavyweight boxing and many other elite sports people and organizations.

Graeme regularly appears on television (BBC Trust Me I’m a Dr, ITV Truth about food) and radio (BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio Merseyside) discussing nutrition for health and sports performance.

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Publications & Research

  • Parker, L. J. F., K. J. Elliott-Sale, M. Hannon, J. P. Morton and G. L. Close (2022). “Where do you go when your periods go?: A case-study examining secondary amenorrhea in a professional internationally-capped female soccer player through the lens of the sport nutritionist.” Sci Med Footb 6(5): 643-649.
  • Close, G. L., A. M. Kasper, N. P. Walsh and R. J. Maughan (2022). “”Food First but Not Always Food Only”: Recommendations for Using Dietary Supplements in Sport.” Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab: 1-16.
  • Ellis, D. G., J. P. Morton, G. L. Close and T. F. Donovan (2024). “Energy Expenditure of Elite Male and Female Professional Tennis Players During Habitual Training.” Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab: 1-7.
  • Morton, J. P., Z. Iqbal, B. Drust, D. Burgess, G. L. Close and P. D. Brukner (2012). “Seasonal variation in vitamin D status in professional soccer players of the English Premier League.” Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 37(4): 798-802.
  • Owens, D. J., R. Allison and G. L. Close (2018). “Vitamin D and the Athlete: Current Perspectives and New Challenges.” Sports Med 48(Suppl 1): 3-16.
  • Earl, K. E., G. K. Sakellariou, M. Sinclair, M. Fenech, F. Croden, D. J. Owens, J. Tang, A. Miller, C. Lawton, L. Dye, G. L. Close, W. D. Fraser, A. McArdle and M. B. J. Beadsworth (2017). “Vitamin D status in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a cohort study from the North-West of England.” BMJ Open 7(11): e015296.
  • Cobley, J. N., H. McHardy, J. P. Morton, M. G. Nikolaidis and G. L. Close (2015). “Influence of vitamin C and vitamin E on redox signaling: Implications for exercise adaptations.” Free Radic Biol Med 84: 65-76.
  • Owens, D. J., C. Twist, J. N. Cobley, G. Howatson and G. L. Close (2019). “Exercise-induced muscle damage: What is it, what causes it and what are the nutritional solutions?” Eur J Sport Sci 19(1): 71-85.
  • Pugh, J. N., M. M. Phelan, E. Caamano-Gutierrez, S. A. Sparks, J. P. Morton, G. L. Close and D. J. Owens (2021). “Four Weeks of Probiotic Supplementation Alters the Metabolic Perturbations Induced by Marathon Running: Insight from Metabolomics.” Metabolites 11(8).
  • Wilson, G., C. Langan-Evans, D. Martin, A. M. Kasper, J. P. Morton and G. L. Close (2023). “Longitudinal Changes in Body Composition and Resting Metabolic Rate in Male Professional Flat Jockeys: Preliminary Outcomes and Implications for Future Research Directions.” Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab: 1-8.