The facility will be used to analyse the effects of shift-working and sleep deprivation on general performance.

LJMU vice-chancellor, Professor Michael Brown, said the £25m building was part of its desire to create “fit for purpose students” with relevant skills for employment through “fit for purpose buildings.”

He said: “The laboratories and advanced facilities in this new building will enable us to take our natural sciences, psychology and sport and exercise sciences research in new and exciting directions.”

Steven Gerrard, made an honorary fellow by the university last year, has been chosen to unveil the building due to his globally-renowned sporting prowess.

Other features of the building include “psycho-physiological labs” which can measure pain and pain management and monitor change in emotion such as when playing aggressive computer games.

It also houses a scanner for measuring body fat, muscles and bone density, neuroscience labs to analyse the changing states of the brain and a 70m indoor running track.

The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise confirmed LJMU as among the best in the world for sports science and Prof Brown added: “LJMU has a globally unique approach to higher education and our talented academics and researchers need facilities that will enable them to continue delivering outstanding research results.”