Bowerman Sports Science Center

What makes you efficient uphill? 🏔️

New research in the Journal of Applied Biomechanics shows that ankle plantar flexor work is the key biomechanical predictor of better running economy on steep (10%) uphill grades.

✅ Not the hips
✅ Not the knees
➡️ The ankles do the work when the grade gets steep

Trail runners in the study also showed:

• Better uphill economy
• Greater ankle contribution

📌 Coaching takeaway: If you want to improve uphill performance, train the calves.

Check out Rachel Robinson's recent publication here: https://lnkd.in/g88siBmu

Congratulations Sydney Weddle, undergraduate research assistant in the Halliwill-Minson Lab, for coming in third place at the Clark Honors College Three Minute Thesis Competition! She presented data from her thesis on beta-adrenergic receptors and skin blood flow responses in women with and without polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). She is passionate about this work and is looking forward to defending her honors thesis next week!

Congrats to all the students who participated in this competition sharing all their hard work and impressive knowledge!

🔥 Train in the heat. Race with resilience.

Just 3 weeks of “hot running” helped athletes better tolerate heat—suggesting a new way to stay strong when conditions (or late‑race fatigue) get tough.

⏱️ Heat training may protect your pace.

Runners exposed to heat showed signs of improved “durability”—the ability to hold race pace even after fatigue sets in. That’s a big deal when seconds matter.

🏃‍♀️ Practical, athlete‑friendly, and real‑world.

This wasn’t extreme training—short, controlled heat sessions layered onto normal workouts. A protocol designed to work with training, not disrupt it.

Check out Katie Lucernoni's research here: https://www.physiology.org/detail/news/2026/04/24/hot-running--helps-athletes-tolerate-heat-and-may-translate-into-pace-gains?SSO=Y

LeBron uses everything from ice baths to compression tech—but here’s the twist:

You don’t need NBA resources to recover like a pro.

The article explains which recovery strategies are backed by science—and which simple ones anyone can start today.

👉 If you want to stay active longer (without burning out), this is worth your read.

https://time.com/article/2026/04/20/lebron-james-longevity-workout-recovery-strategies/

🎉 Huge congratulations to Dr. Emma Reed! 🎉
Her hard work, curiosity, and scientific grit have officially paid off.

Dr. Reed’s dissertation breaks new ground in human physiology, exploring how 10 weeks of far‑infrared sauna bathing can influence cardiometabolic outcomes in adults with elevated BMI. She didn’t stop there — she also dug into the skeletal muscle temperature responses during a sauna session, adding a fresh layer of insight to how our bodies adapt to heat-based interventions.

If you’re into health science, performance, or just love seeing innovative research push the field forward, you’ll want to check out her latest publication:
🔗 https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00067.2025

Here’s to Dr. Reed — advancing science one heated session at a time 🔥👏

What happens inside your body after exercise can change how we train, treat allergies, and manage blood pressure.

🎉 UO’s John Halliwill has been named an AAAS Fellow for groundbreaking research in human physiology—one of science’s highest honors.

🔗 Dive into the story: https://research.uoregon.edu/news/uo-human-physiology-researcher-named-aaas-fellow

👩‍🚀 From microgravity to molecular changes: UO researcher, John Halliwill, talks about spaceflight physiology.

Read it here: https://naturalsciences.uoregon.edu/news/studying-effects-space-flight-human-physiology

🔥 Ever wondered why everyone is suddenly obsessed with saunas?
Turns out it’s more than a wellness trend — it’s real science.

Dr. Chris Minson dives into how heat exposure affects the body, why it may support heart health, recovery, mood, and longevity, and what the latest studies are actually saying.

➡️ Listen here: https://www.npr.org/2026/03/11/nx-s1-5719269/saunas-health-benefits-draw-enthusiasts-and-researchers

🔥 Give it a play — your future self might thank you.

Have research, insight or innovation to share with the global sport community?

The GSUN Summit is where academic expertise meets industry leadership.

Each year the summit connects researchers in sport science, engineering, technology, business, humanities and law with leaders from sport federations, leagues and organisations around the world.

GSUN ’26 will take place at German Sport University Cologne in October 2026.

Call for panel and workshop proposals closes 30 March.

Submit your idea and help shape the future of sport.

Learn more: https://gsun.org/summit

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUqkPGGiUAI/?igsh=MXgwcTEwbGh1Y2o2eQ==

What happens when you blend cycling with ice skating? We tested it. And yes—it’s as cool as it sounds. ❄️✨