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Exercise Physiology Lab
Teaching in the Exercise Physiology Lab
The Exercise Physiology Laboratory at Johnson State College provides a place for undergraduate students to gain hands-on training with the skills and techniques required for careers in the health sciences. For example, students learn how to administer exercise tests on the treadmill, bicycle ergometer, and stair climber. Students learn how to assess and interpret exercise blood pressure, heart rate, electrocardiograms (EKG/ECG), metabolic rate, kcaloric expenditure, breathing rate, blood lactic acid, and many other exercise measurements. These skills and techniques are important for a variety of professional positions, such as cardiopulmonary rehabilitation specialists, clinical exercise physiologists, personal trainers, applied exercise physiologists, and many others.
Research in the Exercise Physiology Lab
The laboratory is also the site for important research being conducted by Assistant Professor of Health Sciences, Dr. Hans Haverkamp, and undergraduate students. Undergraduate students play an important role in the research taking place in the Exercise Physiology Lab. Each summer and during the academic year, several students work in the lab as research assistants. Students are involved in all aspects of the research process and are crucial for the research being completed in the lab. Moreover, students attend scientific conferences and prepare and present their research findings at these conferences. Dr. Haverkamp's research focuses on understanding respiratory system function during whole-body exercise in healthy humans and in those with asthma. Currently, there are two research projects taking place in the lab:
Investigating the effects of exercise breathing depth and rate on the lung function responses during exercise in asthmatic adults. In these studies, subjects are instrumented for the assessment of a variety of measurements of ventilation and the mechanics of breathing during several exercise trials. This ongoing research project is funded by a grant from the Vermont Genetics Network and has resulted in several presentations at the regional and national levels. The ultimate goal of these studies is to determine the mechanisms for the bronchodilation and subsequent bronchoconstriction during exercise in asthmatic adults.
Investigating the effects of respiratory muscle endurance training on exercise capacity and breathing during exercise in healthy adults. In these studies, subjects complete a two-week training protocol to improve the strength and endurance of the respiratory muscles. Following the training, the effects of the improved respiratory muscle function on exercise ventilation and capacity is determined. These studies will provide information on the role of the respiratory system in limiting exercise performance and may lead to new knowledge on how training the respiratory muscles might contribute to improved exercise performance.
Large Exercise Equipment
- Treadmill
- Velotron magnetically-braked cycle ergometer
- Monark cycle ergometers
Equipment for Teaching and Research
- Parvo-medics metabolic cart
- AEI technologies oxygen and carbon dioxide analyzers
- Hans-Rudolph pneumotachographs
- Vacuumed pressure transducers
- MedGraphics computerized pulmonary function system
- Computerized electrocardiography system with laptop computer
- Water-sealed Collins spirometer
- Parkinson Cowan flowmeter
- Portable blood lactate analyzer
- Blood glucose analyzer
- Manual blood pressure cuffs and sphygmomanometers
- Polar heart rate monitors
- Pulse oximeter
- Blood hematocrit
- Tympanic temperature gauges
- Douglas bags, tubing, connectors, mouthpieces, and a large variety and assortment of other supplies
- Four laptop computers
- Three desktop computers
- Three printers
Upcoming Research Presentations
Conference: American College of Sports Medicine Northeast Region Fall Meeting, November 8, 2012, Providence, RI.
Presentation title: Effects of tidal volume on bronchial tone during variable intensity exercise in asthmatic adults.
Presenter: Andrew Klansky, undergraduate student in biology, pre-medicine concentration.
Conference: American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, June, 2013, Indianapolis, IN.
Presentation title: Lung mechanical effects on airway function during and after exercise in asthmatic adults.
Presenter: Hans Haverkamp
Undergraduate students involved in project: Andrew Klansky, Susan Nader, Dustin Berry, Jeni Demar, Adriane-Morrison Taylor.
Recent Research Presentations
Conference: Vermont Genetics Network Annual Meeting, August, 2012, Burlington, VT
Presentation title: Effects of altered pre-exercise airway caliber on airway function during exercise in asthmatic adults
Presenters: Undergraduate students Andrew Klansky, Adriane-Morrison Taylor, Jeni Demar.
Conference: American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, May 31- June 4, 2011.
Session Title: Symposium: “New insights into airway function during and after exercise in the asthmatic athlete”
Presentation Title: Airway function during exercise in that asthmatic athlete.
Conference: American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, May 31- June 4, 2011.
Poster presentation: Acute, inflammatory-based airflow limitation does not affect pulmonary responses to exercise in asthmatic subjects.
Representative Publications
H.C. Haverkamp, J.A. Dempsey, J.D. Miller, L.M. Romer, A.T. Lovering, and M.W. Eldridge. Repeat Exercise Normalizes the Gas Exchange Impairment Induced by a Previous Exercise Bout in Asthmatics. J. Appl. Physiol. 99:1843-1852, 2005.
H.C. Haverkamp, J.A. Dempsey, J.D. Miller, L.M. Romer, D.F. Pegelow, J.R. Rodman, and M.W. Eldridge. Gas Exchange During Exercise in Habitually Active Asthmatic Subjects. J. Appl. Physiol. 99:1938-1950, 2005.
H.C. Haverkamp, J.A. Dempsey, D.F. Pegelow, J.D. Miller, L.M. Romer, M. Santana, and M.E. Eldridge. Treatment of Airway Inflammation Improves Pulmonary Gas Exchange and Performance During Exercise in Habitually Active Asthmatic Subjects. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 120(1):39-47, 2007.
A.T. Lovering, L.M. Romer, H.C. Haverkamp, D.F. Pegelow, J. Hokanson, and M.W. Eldridge. Intrapulmonary shunting and pulmonary gas exchange in healthy humans during normoxic and hypoxic exercise. J. Appl. Physiol. 104(5):1418-1425, 2008.
E.P. Riesenfeld, L.M. Rinaldi, M.A. Sullivan, J.A. Thompson-Figueroa, H.C. Haverkamp, J.M. Skelly, J.H.T. Bates, and C.G. Irvin. Inhaled Salmeterol and/or Fluticasone Alters Structure/Function in a Murine Model of Allergic Airways Disease. Respiratory Res. 11:22, 2010.
H.C. Haverkamp, J.D. Miller, L.M. Romer, M.W. Eldridge, and J.A. Dempsey, Physiological Responses to Exercise. In: The Physiologic Basis of Respiratory Disease. Eds. Q. Hamid, J. Shannon, & J. Martin. Hamilton, BC Decker Inc. Publisher, 2005, Chapter 45, pp. 525-540.
A.T. Lovering, H.C. Haverkamp, & M.W. Eldridge. Responses and Limitations of the Respiratory System to Exercise. In: Clinics in Chest Medicine: The Lung in Extreme Environments. Eds. R.B. Schoene & S. Ruossos. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders Co, 2005, volume 26, pp. 439-457.
H.C. Haverkamp. Pulmonary Limitations to Exercise Performance. In: Encyclopedia of Exercise Medicine in Health and Disease. Eds. F.C. Mooren & F. Skinner. Berlin, Heidleberg, New York, Springer Publications. ISBN 978-3-540-36065-0.
H.C. Haverkamp. Pulmonary System: Chronic Responses to Training. In: Encyclopedia of Exercise Medicine in Health and Disease. Eds. F.C. Mooren & F. Skinner. Berlin, Heidleberg, New York, Springer Publications. ISBN 978-3-540-36065-0.
