Exercise Biology
The Research Unit for Exercise Biology is specialised in studies of exercise and training interventions. Our research focuses on physiological, health- or performance-related outcomes, and our three overall research themes are:
- Acute and chronic physiological and biomechanical adaptations to physical training and nutritional interventions
- Effects of training on health and functioning in selected patient groups and at risk populations
- Training, nutrition and performance enhancement in athletes.
We conduct clinical studies in patients and applied studies in healthy volunteers, including athletes. Furthermore, we carry out basic research within the fields of muscle physiology and biomechanics using both human and animal models. This basic research provides a strong foundation for the applied and clinical studies as well as it ensures a high quality in measurements of training effects and enables studies of a mechanic nature of the adaption of exercise.
The research unit is also responsible for teaching at both bachelor and master level programmes in Sports Science.
Methods
The Research Unit has well-equipped laboratories for physiological and biomechanical research. We have advanced strength training facilities and a cardiorespiratory laboratory to complete supervised and controlled exercise training.
The facilities include equipment for movement analysis and functional muscle strength measurements, such as high-speed video recorders, power platforms and an isokinetic dynamometer, as well as metabolic tests of, for example, oxygen uptake and lactate measurement. Moreover, the research unit has laboratory functions for molecular biology and biochemistry measurements to examine muscle function and muscle metabolism at cell level.
