Dr Craig McNulty
Faculty of Health,
School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences
Biography
Craig McNulty completed a PhD investigating oxygen uptake kinetics in athlete and non-athlete populations. Craig is a Senior Lecturer (Research & Teaching) within the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences. Craig's research topics include: esports exercise physiology and energy expenditure, and esports athlete health. He supervises a number of post-graduate research students across topics of women's health, sleep, and performance physiology in esports. Craig's research in the field of esports is internationally recognised, includes multi-disciplinary publications, and several books and book chapters. Craig coordinates two units (Foundational Practice in Exercise Science, and Clinical Skills in Exercise Physiology), and teaches in to several others (including Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health).Personal details
Positions
- Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Health,
School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences
Keywords
Esports, Energy expenditure, Oxygen uptake, Metabolism, Heart rate variability, Video games, Electrocardiography
Research field
Sports science and exercise
Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2020
Qualifications
- PhD (Queensland University of Technology)
- Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice (Queensland University of Technology)
Professional memberships and associations
Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports - Associate Editor & Review Board
International Journal of Esports - Review Board
Esports Research Network
Higher Education Academy (Fellow)
Teaching
XNB173 - Foundation Practice in Exercise Science (Unit Coordinator)
XNH366 - Clinical Skills in Exercise Physiology (Unit Coordinator)
XNB360 - Cardiorespiratory and Metabolic Disorders
Publications
- McNulty, C., Polman, R., Watson, M. & Bubna, K. (2024). The Science of Esports. Routledge. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/244243
- McNulty, C., (2025). Energy Balance, Weight, and Behaviour Change in Esports. In S. Arslan (Ed.), Esports Nutrition: Enhancing Cognitive and Physical Performance in Competitive Gaming (pp. 151–169). Springer. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/259787
- Sharpe, B., Nicholson, M., Leis, O., Poulus, D., Birch, P. & McNulty, C. (2026). Indexing league of legends performance: A systematic review and focus group study. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 21(1), 625–637. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/260527
- McNulty, C., Jenny, S., Leis, O., Poulus, D., Sondergeld, P. & Nicholson, M. (2023). Physical Exercise and Performance in Esports Players: An Initial Systematic Review. Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports, 1(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/239729
- Di Nicola, S., Delaney McNulty, C., Marchesi, A., Buoite Stella, A. & McNulty, C. (2026). Esports Preparticipation Screening Tool: An Investigation of the Health of Esports Players. Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports, 4(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/263575
- Nicholson, M., Poulus, D., Robergs, R., Kelly, V. & McNulty, C. (2024). How Much Energy Do E'Athletes Use during Gameplay? Quantifying Energy Expenditure and Heart Rate Variability Within E'Athletes. Sports Medicine - Open, 10(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/248141
- Nicholson, M., Poulus, D., Johnston, D., Robergs, R., Kelly, V. & McNulty, C. (2024). Role of a 10-Week Exercise Intervention on Cerebral Hemoglobin Saturation, Cognitive Function, and Heart Rate Variability Within Elite Esports Players: A Pilot Study. Journal of Electronic Gaming and Esports, 2(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/251763
- McNulty, C., Holland, J., McDonald, C. & McGee, M. (2024). The Impact of an AI-Driven Personal Health Platform on Cardiovascular Disease Risk. Smart Health, 33. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/248880
- Nicholson, M., Thompson, C., Poulus, D., Pavey, T., Robergs, R., Kelly, V. & McNulty, C. (2024). Physical Activity and Self-Determination towards Exercise among Esports Athletes. Sports Medicine - Open, 10(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/248134
- Kidcaff, A., Coulter, T., McNulty, C. & Polman, R. (2025). Exploring sleep behaviour in esports and factors associated with sleep quality. Advanced Exercise and Health Science, 2(2), 121–128. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/256918
QUT ePrints
For more publications by Craig, explore their research in QUT ePrints (our digital repository).
Filter publications:
A complete list of publications is available at: https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/c.mcnulty
Supervision
Looking for a postgraduate research supervisor?
I am currently accepting research students for Honours, Masters and PhD study.
You can browse existing student topics offered by QUT or propose your own topic.
Current supervisions
- Skill Acquisition and Effective Coaching Practice in Esports
PhD, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Associate Professor Adam Gorman - The Female Esports Athlete - Impact of the Menstrual Cycle on Esports Health and Performance
PhD, Principal Supervisor
Other supervisors: Professor Daniel Johnson, Associate Professor Geoffrey Minett, Associate Professor Selen Turkay - Stress and Cognition in Esports: A Multi-Method Study of Neural and Behavioral Responses
PhD, Principal Supervisor
Other supervisors: Associate Professor Adam Gorman - Sleep behaviour and daytime functioning in esports
PhD, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Dr Tristan Coulter, Dr Christopher Watling, Adjunct Professor Remco Polman - Methodological and Physiological Effects on VO2 Kinetics During Ramp Incremental Exercise
PhD, Principal Supervisor
Other supervisors: Associate Professor Vince Kelly - Novel methods for determining the energy cost of rapid change in direction during human running
PhD, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Professor Glen Lichtwark, Professor Nick Brown
Completed supervisions (Doctorate)
Completed supervisions (Masters by Research)
The supervisions listed above are only a selection.