1000 reasons to love AUT Millennium
How does an athlete’s body respond to exercise in 40-degree heat? What can 3D motion analysis reveal about running technique that the human eye might miss?
These are some of the questions explored at AUT Millennium, where the Sports Performance Research Institute NZ (SPRINZ) laboratories form part of a much wider sport, research and training environment.
Researchers use motion analysis, muscle activity measurement, force plates and physiological testing to understand movement, strength, endurance and the body’s response to different conditions.
Alongside the laboratories are two Olympic-sized pools, an athletics stadium, an indoor sports hall, a gym and specialist clinics used across athlete preparation, teaching, research and community health.
Bringing these facilities together means the work does not end with data collection.
Research can inform how athletes train and prepare, practitioners and industry partners can collaborate with AUT experts, and students can see how evidence is interpreted and applied across real sport, exercise and health settings.
Katie Bruffy, Head of School – Sport, Exercise & Health, says AUT sports students graduate with real experience, skills and connections.
“AUT Millennium provides a unique sporting ecosystem where education, research, high-performance sport and community genuinely intersect.”
“It is a place where world-class performance meets learning, research meets practice, young people discover possibility, and the community connects with opportunities that improve lives.
“Our ambition is not simply to support sport as it is. We are here to help shape what sport becomes.”
Professor Patria Hume says she feels privileged to have been involved from the early days of AUT Millennium, and to have helped establish SPRINZ as a groundbreaking research institute.
“What began as an ambitious vision has grown into an internationally recognised centre for sport, health, and performance research.
“Over the years, AUT Millennium has contributed to sporting success, impactful research, student development, and stronger connections between science and practice.
“Its legacy is not just in the facilities or achievements, but in the thousands of people whose lives and careers have been positively influenced through the work undertaken here.”
Take a look inside AUT Millennium
Useful links
- Read more about the story of AUT Millennium
- Find out more about studying sport and recreation at AUT.
- Hear why Auckland FC Captain Hiroki Sakai is studying at AUT.