XXXV Pediatric Work Physiology Conference
Moving Today for a Healthier Tomorrow
About the conference
The origins of the European Group of Pediatric Work Physiology (PWP) lie in a café in Berlin where, in 1967, a group of eight scientists met over a few litres of German beer to discuss children and exercise. These pioneers decided to organise a small conference dedicated to pediatric work physiology in Dortmund, in 1968.
From these humble beginnings, PWP conferences have developed into internationally recognised meetings of scientific excellence, with each conference attracting delegates from about 30 countries and featuring 120–130 oral and poster presentations.
PWP is not a society — it is sustained by the principles of friendship and fellowship and devoted to the promotion of scientific excellence in the study of exercising healthy, trained, and sick children.
The 2027 edition — the 35th in the series — is hosted by the Municipality of Lagoa in the heart of the Algarve, chaired by Manuel J. Coelho e Silva (University of Coimbra) and Luís P. Ribeiro (University of Algarve).
PWP Board
The PWP Board consists of the Chairs of all previous PWP conferences and meets at each conference to decide chairs and venues for the next two meetings.
Past conferences
From a small symposium in Dortmund to an internationally recognised conference attracting delegates from 30+ countries.
| # | Year | Venue | Chair(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | 1968 | Dortmund, Germany | J. Rutenfranz |
| II | 1969 | Liblice, Czechoslovakia | V.S. Seliger |
| III | 1970 | Stockholm, Sweden | C. Thoren |
| IV | 1972 | Netanya, Israel | O. Bar-Or |
| V | 1973 | De Haan, Belgium | M. Hebbelinck |
| VI | 1974 | Sec, Czechoslovakia | M. Macek |
| VII | 1975 | Trois Rivières, Canada | R.J. Shephard |
| VIII | 1976 | Bisham Abbey, England | C.T.M. Davies |
| IX | 1978 | Marstrand, Sweden | B.O. Eriksson |
| X | 1981 | Joutsa, Finland | J. Ilmarinen |
| XI | 1983 | Papendal, Netherlands | R.A. Binkhorst / H.C.G. Kemper / W.H.M. Saris |
| XII | 1985 | Hardenhausen, Germany | J. Rutenfranz |
| XIII | 1987 | Hurdal, Norway | S. Oseid |
| XIV | 1989 | Leuven, Belgium | G. Beunen |
| XV | 1989 | Seregelyes, Hungary | R. Frenkl |
| XVI | 1991 | St Sauves, France | J. Coudert / E. Van Praagh |
| XVII | 1993 | Hamilton, Canada * | O. Bar-Or / C.M.J. Blimkie |
| XVIII | 1995 | Odense, Denmark | K. Froberg |
| XIX | 1997 | Moretonhampstead, England | N. Armstrong |
| XX | 1999 | Rome, Italy | A. Calzolari |
| XXI | 2001 | Corsendonk, Belgium | D. Matthys |
| XXII | 2003 | Porto, Portugal | J. Maia |
| XXIII | 2005 | Gwatt, Switzerland | S. Kriemler / N. Farpour Lambert |
| XXIV | 2007 | Tallinn, Estonia | T. Jürimäe / J. Jürimäe |
| XXV | 2009 | Le Touquet, France | G. Baquet / S. Berthoin |
| XXVI | 2010 | Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada * | B. Timmons |
| XXVII | 2011 | Mawgan Porth, England | C.A. Williams |
| XXVIII | 2013 | Curia (Anadia), Portugal | M. Coelho e Silva |
| XXIX | 2015 | Utrecht, Netherlands | T. Takken / M. van Brussel |
| XXX | 2017 | Thessaloniki, Greece | C. Kotzamanidis / A. Eliakim / D. Nemet |
| XXXI | 2019 | Umeå, Sweden | C. Malm |
| XXXII | 2021 | Virtual Meeting ** | M. McNarry / K. Mackintosh |
| XXXIII | 2023 | Swansea, Wales | M. McNarry / K. Mackintosh |
| XXXIV | 2025 | Perunka (Jyväskylä), Finland | E. Haapala |
| XXXV | 2027 | Lagoa (Algarve), Portugal | L. Ribeiro / M.J. Coelho e Silva |
* Joint meetings of PWP and NASPEM ** Virtual meeting due to COVID-19 pandemic
Named lectures
At each PWP Conference, eminent scientists are invited to present lectures named after individuals who have made an outstanding and lasting contribution to pediatric exercise science.
The Josef Rutenfranz Lecture
Since 1991
Stuart Biddle
Physical activity, climate change and mental health in youth
Adam Baxter-Jones
Physical activity, bone, and cardiovascular health in emerging adulthood
Sébastien Ratel
Metabolic and fatigue profiles: prepubertal children vs endurance athletes
Ulf Ekelund
Don't sit – get up and go
Christos Kotzamanidis
Muscular activation and children's fatigability
The Oded Bar-Or Lecture
Since 2010
Tim Takken
What's new under the sun?
Lauren Sherar
Turn on, tune in or drop out: Promoting children's physical activity
Lisa Barnett
Fundamental motor skills and health factors
Jo Welsman
Children's fitness and health: an epic scandal of poor methodology
Dan Nemet
Exercise and childhood obesity — 15 years of clinical experience
The Per-Olof Åstrand Lecture
Since 2019
Tina Ilkäheimo
Physical activity in extreme weather conditions in children
Susi Kriemler
Physical activity promotion in children — a lost game in modern society
Daniel Green
Exercise in the prevention of atherosclerosis
Örjan Ekblom
Pediatric work physiology in studies of healthy brain function
The Han Kemper Lecture
Since 2021
Arjo Sääkslahti
Young children's outdoor playing and perceived motor competence
Willem van Mechelen
The prevention of sports injuries in youth
Catherine Pesce
Beyond dichotomy: Parallel and joint effects of physical activities on motor and cognitive development
The Neil Armstrong Lecture
Since 2023
Joe Eisenmann
Optimizing long-term athletic development
Gareth Stratton
Scaling the contribution of one man… from small steps to a giant leap forward
PWP 2027 Lectures
Lagoa, Algarve
Craig Williams
Opening Lecture — 6 October 2027
Adam Baxter-Jones
7 October 2027
José Maia
8 October 2027
Neil Armstrong
9 October 2027
João Valente-dos-Santos
9 October 2027
Invited speakers
Seven world-leading scientists will present at the XXXV Pediatric Work Physiology Conference, including the five named PWP Lectures.
Professor of Paediatric Physiology and Health
University of Exeter Medical School · Director, CHERC
Internationally recognised leader in paediatric exercise physiology, with more than 400 peer-reviewed publications and an h-index exceeding 60. Editor-in-Chief of Pediatric Exercise Science and Fellow of ACSM, BASES, and ECSS. Current Chair of the PWP Board.
Professor, College of Kinesiology
University of Saskatchewan · Canada
Director of two landmark longitudinal studies — the Saskatchewan Growth and Development Study (1964–2011) and the Pediatric Bone Mineral Accrual Study (1991–2018). Over 500 publications and more than CAD$12 million in research funding.
Emeritus Professor of Pediatric Physiology
University of Exeter · Founding Director, CHERC
Author or editor of 20 books and over 700 research publications. Led the IOC guidelines for training elite youth athletes. Presented keynotes in 48 countries. Recipient of the Queen's Anniversary Prize, personally presented by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Professor Emeritus
Faculty of Sport, University of Porto
Nearly four decades at FADE-UP, with research spanning physical growth, biological maturation, motor development, and youth sport. More than 400 scientific articles. Recipient of the Portuguese Olympic Committee's Scientific Research Award (2023) and Professor Emeritus title (2024).
Full Professor of Exercise and Health
Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Porto
Dean of the Faculty of Sport Sciences at the University of Porto. Former Director of CIAFEL (2004–2025). Ranked among the top 2% most-cited researchers in the field. Led the Portuguese contribution to the International Physical Activity Card.
Associate Professor
Lusófona University, Lisbon · CIDEFES / CIFI2D
First Head of the High Performance Unit at Sporting Clube de Portugal. Research focuses on growth, biological maturation, body composition, and long-term athlete development. Over 100 publications indexed in Web of Science, H-index 21.
Sports Scientist & Coach
Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) · FPF Academy
Sports Scientist within the FPF Health and Performance Department, currently serving the Portuguese Men's U-18 National Team. Part of the staff that won the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 and the UEFA European Under-17 Championship Albania 2025.
Scientific programme
Four days of science, with no parallel sessions — ensuring every participant can attend every presentation. Check-in from 15:00 on 6 October; check-out by 12:00 on 9 October.
| Time | Tue 6 Oct | Wed 7 Oct | Thu 8 Oct | Fri 9 Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08:00 | — | Han Kemper Lecture — Adam Baxter-Jones | Oded Bar-Or Lecture — José Maia | — |
| 09:00 | — | Oral Symposium #01 | Oral Symposium #07 | Per-Olof Åstrand Lecture — Neil Armstrong |
| 10:00 | — | Coffee-Break & Posters (10) | Coffee-Break & Posters (10) | Neil Armstrong Lecture — João Valente-dos-Santos |
| 11:00 | Bus 1 from Faro Airport | Oral Symposium #02 | Oral Symposium #08 | Posters (30) |
| 12:00 | — | Oral Symposium #03 | Oral Symposium #09 | Invited Lecture — Júlio Costa |
| 13:00 | — | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch |
| 14:00 | Bus 2 from Faro Airport | — | — | — |
| 15:00 | Check-in | Oral Symposium #04 | Oral Symposium #10 | Bus 1 & 2 to Faro Airport |
| 16:00 | — | Oral Symposium #05 | Oral Symposium #11 | — |
| 17:00 | — | Coffee-Break & Posters (10) | Coffee-Break & Posters (10) | — |
| 18:00 | Josef Rutenfranz Lecture — Craig Williams | Oral Symposium #06 | Oral Symposium #12 | — |
| 19:00 | — | Invited Lecture — Jorge Mota | — | — |
| 20:30 | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | — |
Scientific committee
The scientific committee is responsible for the academic content and the peer review of submitted abstracts.
Craig Williams
University of Exeter, CHERC · United Kingdom
Manuel J. Coelho e Silva
University of Coimbra · Portugal
Luís P. Ribeiro
University of Algarve · Portugal
Gustavo Silva
University of Maia · Portugal
Jaak Jürimäe
University of Tartu · Estonia
Neil Armstrong
University of Exeter, CHERC · United Kingdom
Adam Baxter-Jones
University of Saskatchewan · Canada
Jorge Mota
Faculty of Sport, University of Porto · Portugal
José Maia
Faculty of Sport, University of Porto · Portugal
João Valente dos Santos
Lusófona University · Portugal
Júlio Costa
Portuguese Football Federation · Portugal
Sean P. Cumming
University of Bath · United Kingdom
Lauren B. Sherar
Loughborough University · United Kingdom
Marije Elferink-Gemser
University of Groningen · Netherlands
Koen Lemmink
University of Groningen · Netherlands
Matthieu Lenoir
Ghent University · Belgium
Kareen Pfeiffer
Michigan State University · USA
Joey Eisenmann
Michigan State University · USA
Bareket Falk
Brock University · Canada
Sarah Moore
Dalhousie University · Canada
Rômulo Fernandes
São Paulo State University · Brazil
Ricardo Agostinete
São Paulo State University · Brazil
Anelise Gaya
Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul · Brazil
Enio Ronque
State University of Londrina · Brazil
Edilson S. Cyrino
State University of Londrina · Brazil
Juliano Fernandes
Federal University of Santa Catarina · Brazil
Andreia Pelegrini
Santa Catarina State University · Brazil
Venue & accommodation
Set among olive groves minutes from the Atlantic, the hotel is a fully self-contained conference venue — all sessions, meals, and accommodation in one place.
Awards
Three categories celebrate the best scientific contributions at the XXXV Pediatric Work Physiology Conference.
Award I
Certificates awarded to the top three oral presentations, as ranked by the scientific committee during the conference.
Top 3 · CertificateAward II
Certificates awarded to the top three poster presentations, selected during the dedicated sessions open to all participants.
Top 3 · CertificateAward III
The most distinguished recognition at the PWP Conference — awarded for outstanding lifetime contribution to pediatric exercise science.
Special distinctionGet in touch
Use subject line "Name Participant" for general enquiries, or "First_Last Name" for abstract submissions (first author only).
General enquiries
PWP2027.info@gmail.com
Questions, information, notifications
Abstract submission
PWP2027.submission@gmail.com
First authors only · Subject: First_Last name
Website
PWP2027.com · PWP2027.org
Both domains active
Social programme
Discover Lagoa & the Algarve
October in Lagoa — end of the summer season, golden light, no crowds. A perfect setting for good science, good wine, and good company.
Natural wonder
Algar de Benagil
One of the world's most spectacular sea caves — a cathedral of golden limestone with a natural skylight opening onto a hidden beach. Accessible only by kayak or boat.
Iconic beach
Praia da Marinha
Consistently ranked one of Europe's most beautiful beaches. Crystal-clear waters, dramatic rock arches, golden cliffs.
Wine culture
Lagoa wineries
Quinta dos Vales, Morgado do Quintao, Quinta dos Capinhas — award-winning estates for tasting and vineyard tours.
Historic village
Carvoeiro & Ferragudo
Whitewashed fishing villages, cobbled streets, fresh seafood, and clifftop views — quintessential Algarve.
Coastal trail
Seven Hanging Valleys
5.7 km along dramatic limestone cliffs. Hidden beaches, sea caves, and Atlantic panoramas — one of Portugal's finest coastal walks.
Culture & gastronomy
Lagoa historic centre
18th-century Convento de Sao Jose, Porches ceramics, and cataplana seafood stew — hosted by the Municipality of Lagoa.