Four Chinese sports officials
lectured on the importance of sports medicine in China at
the Holmes Convocation Center last Thursday.
The officials hope to collaborate knowledge about sports
medicine and immune response with Appalachian State University
and other colleges in the United States.
Dr. Muqing Yi, associate professor at the Sports Nutrition
Center and the National Research Institute of Sports Medicine
in China guided the lecture.
Yi said research at Appalachian was imperative to helping
their athletes recover from over exertion, which could result
in greater immune risks. He said the research done here had
compelled him and the other sports medicine delegates from
China to incorporate these discoveries into their own research
and methods.
“Neglect of hydration and mineral supplements during
exercise is another problem along with the insufficient calcium
and carbohydrate intake,” Yi said.
David Nieman, a professor and director of the Human Performance
Lab at Appalachian State, hosted the officials.
Nieman said the research done at Appalachian State deals
with the effects of nutrition and immune response to exercise.
He said this prompted these sports officials to seek out
and collaborate with Appalachian.
Nieman studies what athletes can do to reduce the risk of
infection and negative immune response after repeated cycles
of heavy exertion like those of Olympic athletes.
A reduced stress response on the immune system results with
the proper intake of carbohydrates like those in sports drinks,
Nieman said.
Nieman said the University of Florida is doing research on
oxidative stress, and the University of Texas is working
on carbohydrate and performance.
The delegates from China seek this information to better
prepare them for the 2008 Olympic games at Beijing.
“China wants to be as ready as they possibly can be,
scientifically and athletically, prior to the Olympics,”
Nieman said.
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