Tuesday 26 February 2013

Research

Undergraduate students undetaking incremental VO2 max tests
using the Metamax 3X System  from Cortex Medical

Testing Times





So with 1 month to go, the sea level testing is due to start. Ambitiously we are trying to fit in five reasonably large research projects over the Peru project to gain as much from the opportunity as possible. Suddenly the  realisation of what we are undertaking and how much that involves when considering a sample size of 29 becomes apparent on making all the sign up sheets for all the testing slots. However, most seem to be up for the challenge and realise the learning opportunity that it obviously brings.




The Hypoxic Chamber (Altitude Centre, London)

To give you an idea of numbers, simply before we go to Peru we need to complete:

- 24 Incremental VO2max Tests 
- 10 Lipid Challenge Tests
- 10 Basal Metabolic Rate Tests
- 58 Tests of Hydration
- 58 Hypoxic Walking Tests
- 72 Heat Tolerance Tests
- 87 Normoxic Walking Tests
- 261 Venous Blood Samples 
- 80 90min Heat Training Sessions
- 80 90min Normothermic Training Sessions 
= ~540 hours of testing.

To make sure all participants are booked in and appropriately prepared for testing we have created eight separate booking sheets to sign up for testing online. While all students have chosen one of the four physiological research studies to be experimenters for during sea level testing and while in Peru.

Our Gantt chart overview of testing blocks

Dr Alan Richardson and Dr Peter Watt analysing some blood samples

This amount of testing will obviously be a challenge and something I for one am looking forward to. We should be able to answer some really interesting questions, while offering our undergraduate and post- graduate students the opportunity to undertake some excellent projects and get even greater experience of laboratory techniques. 


Over the next few weeks we will be showing you the testing we are undertaking prior to leaving for Peru. We will be taking photos and making films.

Testing starts on Monday!





1 comment:

  1. Havent a clue what all those tests mean but the logistics look daunting. Getting everyone to do everything must be daunting,. Good luck!

    Flin

    ReplyDelete