Dr Dan van den Hoek joined the university in 2023 after five years as lecturer in clinical exercise physiology at the Australian Catholic University in Brisbane. Dan has worked as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist since 2013 with his practice focusing on the prevention, treatment, and management of metabolic and mental health conditions. More recently, Dan’s work has grown to include health management for ex-service men and women from the Australian Defence Force. In particular, he has an interest in how exercise can assist in the transition from military service to civilian life.
As an educator, Dan has taught at undergraduate and postgraduate levels at Deakin and Australian Catholic Universities. His teaching has been centred in clinical education/work-integrated learning, human anatomy, musculoskeletal rehabilitation, and occupational health and safety.
Dan’s research interests are varied. His work in sports science focuses on sports performance analysis and athlete preparation. In particular, Dan has developed a track record for performance analysis and strength adaptation in powerlifting. These investigations provide insight into how competition day factors can be modified to increase the odds of competitive success (winning). His clinical research focuses on the use of exercise to manage psychosocial health and improving health-related quality of life.
Dan has applied his knowledge as an exercise scientist in numerous roles with sports and organisations including Cricket Victoria, Red Bull Ampol Racing Team (V8 Supercars), baseball, and triathlon.
Dan is a member of Exercise and Sports Science Australia and is an Accredited Exercise Physiologist (AEP) and Exercise Scientist (AES).
Professional memberships
- Exercise and Sports Science Australia
Awards and fellowships
- Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), 2021
- Australian Catholic University, Vice-Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award for Community Engagement (2019)
- Australian Catholic University, Faculty of Health, Staff Values Award (Individual) (2019)
- Australian Catholic University, Faculty of Health, Staff Values Award (Team) (2021)
- Deakin University, Award for Outstanding Sessional Teaching in the Master of Clinical Exercise Physiology (2017)
Potential research projects for HDR and Honours students
- What it takes to win: Investigating factors associated with success in strength sports
- Thank you for your service: improving the health and wellbeing of Australian Defence Force personnel through exercise
- The drive to thrive: participation and success for motorsports athletes
Research areas
- sports science
- clinical exercise physiology
- sports performance
- mental health
Teaching areas
- SPX101 Introduction to Sport and Exercise Science
- Work integrated learning
- Human anatomy
Program coordinator
Recent publications
- Barnett, A., van den Hoek, D., Barnett, D., & Cerin, E. (2016). Measuring moderate-intensity walking in older adults using the ActiGraph accelerometer. BMC geriatrics, 16, 1-9.
- Latella, C., Teo, W. P., Spathis, J., & van den Hoek, D. (2020). Long-term strength adaptation: A 15-year analysis of powerlifting athletes. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 34(9), 2412.
- Latella, C., Van den Hoek, D., & Teo, W. P. (2018). Factors affecting powerlifting performance: An analysis of age-and weight-based determinants of relative strength. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 18(4), 532-544.
- Pearson, J., Spathis, J. G., van den Hoek, D. J., Owen, P. J., Weakley, J., & Latella, C. (2020). Effect of competition frequency on strength performance of powerlifting athletes. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 34(5), 1213-1219.
- Clemente, F. M., Soylu, Y., Arslan, E., Kilit, B., Garrett, J., van den Hoek, D., ... & Silva, A. F. (2022). Can high-intensity interval training and small-sided games be effective for improving physical fitness after detraining? A parallel study design in youth male soccer players. PeerJ, 10, e13514.
- Miller, C. T., Fraser, S. F., Selig, S. E., Rice, T., Grima, M., van den Hoek, D. J., ... & Dixon, J. B. (2020). Fitness, strength and body composition during weight loss in women with clinically severe obesity: a randomised clinical trial. Obesity facts, 13(4), 307-321.
- Garrett, J., Akyildiz, Z., Leduc, C., van den Hoek, D., Manuel Clemente, F., & Ardigò, L. P. (2021). Peak running speed can be used to monitor neuromuscular fatigue from a standardized running test in team sport athletes. Research in Sports Medicine, 1-12.
- Brini, S., Boullosa, D., Calleja-González, J., Van den Hoek, D. J., Nobari, H., & Clemente, F. M. (2022). Impact of combined versus single-mode training programs based on drop jump and specific multidirectional repeated sprint on bio-motor ability adaptations: a parallel study design in professional basketball players. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 14(1), 1-15.
- van den Hoek, D., Garrett, J., Howells, R., & Latella, C. (2022). Paralympians Are Stronger Than You Know: A Comparison of Para and Nondisabled Powerlifting Bench Press World Records. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 10-1519.
- Silva, A. F., Oliveira, R., Raya-González, J., van den Hoek, D., Akyildiz, Z., Yıldız, M., ... & Clemente, F. M. (2022). Difference between preferred and non-preferred leg in peak speed, acceleration, and deceleration variables and their relationships with the change-of-direction deficit. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 21440.
- van den Hoek, D. J., Miller, C. T., Fraser, S. F., Selig, S. E., & Dixon, J. B. (2017). Does exercise training augment improvements in quality of life induced by energy restriction for obese populations? A systematic review. Quality of Life Research, 26, 2593-2605.
- Latella, C., Van Den Hoek, D., & Teo, W. P. (2019). Differences in strength performance between novice and elite athletes: Evidence from powerlifters. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 33, S103-S112.
- van den Hoek, D. J., Miller, C. T., Fraser, S. F., Selig, S. E., Rice, T., Grima, M., ... & Dixon, J. B. (2022). Mental health and quality of life during weight loss in females with clinically severe obesity: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 1-12.
- Miller, C. T., Fraser, S. F., Selig, S. E., Rice, T., Grima, M., Straznicky, N. E., ... & Dixon, J. B. (2016). The functional and clinical outcomes of exercise training following a very low energy diet for severely obese women: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Trials, 17, 1-12.
- Latella, C., Owen, P. J., Davies, T., Spathis, J., Mallard, A., & Van den Hoek, D. (2022). Long-Term Adaptations in the Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift: Assessing Strength Gain in Powerlifting Athletes. Medicine and science in sports and exercise.
- Howells, R. J., Spathis, J. G., Pearson, J., Latella, C., Garrett, J. M., Owen, P. J., & Van Den Hoek, D. J. (2022). Impacts of squat attempt weight selection and success on powerlifting performance. J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 62(4), 476-84.
- Manuel Clemente, F., Soylu, Y., Arslan, E., Kilit, B., Garrett, J., van den Hoek, D., ... & Silva, A. F. (2022). Can high-intensity interval training and small-sided games be effective for improving physical fitness after detraining? A parallel study design in youth male soccer players. PeerJ, 10, 1-21.
- McIver, S., & Van Den Hoek, D. (2018). One false move: a singular account of multiple outcomes arising from drink‐driving. Health promotion journal of Australia, 29(2), 133-139.
- Louis, J., Bennett, S., Owens, D. J., Tiollier, E., Brocherie, F., Carneiro, M. A., ... & Narang, B. J. (1985). Commentaries on Viewpoint: Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst: can we perform remote data collection in sport sciences?. J Appl Physiol.
Dan van den Hoek's specialist areas of knowledge include strength adaptation, powerlifting, paralympic powerlifting, obesity, quality of life.