With less than a month to go until this year's Boat Race, the Oxford crew are doing all they can to ensure they are in top condition to defend their title.

And to help them, they have been working with Oxford osteopath and sports medicine expert John Gibbons.

Gibbons, whose clinic is based at Oxford University's Iffley Road sports complex, has been treating and training the 20-strong Dark Blues squad.

Among those he is trying to ensure are in tip-top condition is Robin Esmond-Frey, the boat club president and only member of last year's winning crew to be in the 2007 boat.

Last year, Oxford sealed victory - their fourth in five years - by five lengths to narrow Cambridge's series lead down to 78-73. This year's race takes place on Saturday, April 7.

The crews are set to be announced on Monday.

Gibbons said: "It has been great working with the rowers. There's a lot of expect- ation on them this year, so they've been training especially hard.

"I've been treating them as required, seeing them as and when they need treatment, and have also been involved in training them.

"I've been giving them a lot of rowing-specific exercises which help prevent injury and will hopefully help them to victory this year."

But it is not just elite athletes whom Gibbons focuses his attention on. At his clinic, Peak Sporting Performance, he treats people who take part in a wide range of sports as well as members of the public suffering with ailments such as neck and back pain.

Services on offer include osteopathy, sports massage and therapy, fitness testing and training, podiatry and prescription orthotics, sports psychology and nutrition.

He also lectures in sports medicine at Oxford University, runs courses on sports injuries and has published research on the diagnosis of pain.