UNC Greensboro|Directory|Joel Martin

Joel Martin

Dr. Joel Martin, Associate Professor of Kinesiology at UNC Greensboro

Associate Professor

Kinesiology

Email Address: jrmartin3@uncg.edu

Bio and Education

Joel Martin, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Kinesiology whose research focuses on improving the health, safety, and performance of firefighters, law enforcement officers, military personnel, and other physically demanding populations. His work integrates applied biomechanics and physiology with wearable technology, remote monitoring, biomarkers, and data science to better understand occupational performance, fatigue, recovery, and musculoskeletal injury risk. He has extensive experience conducting community-engaged and interdisciplinary research with tactical organizations and mentoring students across undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs. Dr. Martin is also committed to translating research into practical strategies that can improve health and readiness in real-world settings.

Classes Taught

  • KIN 737 Applied Data Analysis in Kinesiology
  • KIN 753 Professional Dissertation Seminar

Selected Publications

  • Martin, J., Connor, M., Brown, L., Chizewski, A., & Lindsey, B. (2026). Leading from the front: Leadership fitness is associated with fire station crew fitness. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Accepted, in press.
  • Martin, J., Abel, M., Fyock-Martin, M., Newman, K., & Clark, N. (2026). Muscle and anaerobic performance relationships with firefighter occupational tasks: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Online ahead of print.
  • Martin, J., McCummings, N., Shaul, Y., Fyock-Martin, M., & McConnell, J. (2026). Injuries in the fire service: An updated review and strategies for practitioners. Strength & Conditioning Journal. https://doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000919
  • Martin, J., Miller, A., Lockie, R., & Caswell, S. (2026). An examination of racial and ethnic disparities in health-related physical fitness profiles of professional firefighters. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Online ahead of print.
  • Martin, J., Avramovic, S., Feigel, E., & Caswell, S. (2026). Longitudinal assessment of morning hemodynamics, hydration, and perceived stress in fire academy trainees. Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, 11(3), e000366.
  • Lindsey, B., Shaul, Y., & Martin, J. (2025). Salivary biomarkers of tactical athlete readiness: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 20(4), e0321223.
  • Martin, J., Sax van der Weyden, M., Newman, K., Fridman, L., Barringer, N., Fyock-Martin, M., & Caswell, S. (2025). Examining gait adaptations in loaded foot marches using instrumented insoles. Military Medicine, 190(Supplement 2), 125–133.
  • Martin, J., Clark, N. C., Newman, K., Fyock-Martin, M., & Abel, M. G. (2025). The relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and firefighter occupational performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis examining absolute versus relative 𝑉̇O₂max. Ergonomics, 1–18.
  • Martin, J., Lockie, R., Fyock-Martin, M., & Clark, N. (2024). Physical fitness profile of a large urban fire department: Exploring age and rank dynamics. WORK, 79(4), 2059–2073.
  • Martin, J., Toczko, M., Sax van der Weyden, M., & Lockie, R. (2024). Effects of implementing a mandatory annual fitness assessment in a large fire department. WORK, 79(1), 155–165.

Book Chapter

  • Martin, J., & Miller, T. (2027). Bioenergetics and overtraining and recovery. In B. A. Alvar, K. Sell, & J. J. Dawes (Eds.), NSCA’s essentials of tactical strength and conditioning (2nd ed.). Human Kinetics.