Pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has opened the GSK Human Performance Lab - a science facility that will look to "deepen the understanding of human performance".

GSK will work in partnership with elite individuals and organisations - professional athletes and teams as well as sports national governing bodies - to better understand how the body and brain function.

Confirmed partners that will work with GSK at the centre include Olympic gold and bronze medalists Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, British Triathlon, F1 racing franchise McLaren and boxer Amir Khan.

Facilities at the centre, located at GSK's global HQ in Brentford, include a swim flume, a 4G artificial turf area and running track for speed and agility testing.

There is also an environmental chamber capable of producing conditions ranging from -20C to +50C degrees; humidity levels of between 10 and 90 per cent and oxygen levels equal to those at 5,500m altitude.

It is hoped that research carried out at the centre will help scientists

develop improved training, recovery, nutrition and competition programmes for its partners.

Once research has been carried out, GSK also aims to apply the innovative science to improve the wellbeing of the general population by informing the development of new products. The initial studies at the centre will focus on cognition and bone health.

Emma Walmsley, president of GSK consumer healthcare, said: "The potential of the GSK Human Performance Lab is exciting.

"Our elite partners will benefit from understanding what drives and improves their own performance, and the science behind their success will help us develop products that better meet the healthcare needs of all our consumers."

Supporting the research agenda will be a panel of external advisors representing leaders from across the field of sports performance.

In their role, they will provide insight, guidance and relevant direction to ensure the research conducted by the facility is at the forefront of human performance and disseminating the findings back to the elite population.

The panel inludes Dame Kelly Holmes; Dr. Scott Drawer, head of research & development at English Institute of Sport; James Collins, head nutritionist at Arsenal Football Club; and Professor Vincent Walsh, University College of London, Human Brain Research.