Lance in the lab| Lance Armstrong's Physiological Maturation published in Journal of Applied Physiology Dr. Coyle reports that Lance Armstrong, now a 6-time winner of the Tour de France, improved his cycling efficiency by a phenomenal 8% as he matured from age 21-28 y. This probably was due to changes in his muscle protein biochemistry with training. The scientific literature is devoid of studies that follow athletes over years of training and maturation and thus this publication presents new and important findings. It is additionally noteworthy because these improvements were displayed over the period when Lance developed and was treated for cancer. Click here for reports by media. Sample video from KEYE-TV Austin. |
International Olympic Committee: |
| Sodium Losses in Sweat During the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon During the World Triathlon Championships (i.e.; Hawaii IRONMAN), Matt Pahnke, M.A., (Ph.D. candidate) of UT studied athletes for the duration of the 9-16 hour race. The 71 subjects displayed large individual differences, with some athletes loosing several times more sodium than normal in sweat. In men, the decline in serum sodium during the race was partially related to the rate of sodium loss. Although women lost as much sodium as did the men, they better matched sodium ingestion to loss during the race. In women, the decline in serum sodium during the race was related to fluid intake. Click here to read abstract. |
Time Course of Power Improvement as Collegiate Swimmers Taper their Training for Peak Competition UT is a 'power-house' in world-class swimming and their coaches are especially expert in designing the critical 'taper' program for peak competition promote increases in 'neuromuscular-power' and speed. Joel Trinity, M.A. (Ph.D.candidate) from UT measured arm power throughout the season and prior to the Big 12 conference and NCAA meets on team members, using a special power ergometer developed at UT. During the tapers, swimming speed increased 5% while maximal power increased 10-12%. Maximal power displayed a biphasic increase with approximately 50%, 10%, and 40% of the total increase occurring during the first, second, and third weeks of the taper, respectively. Click here to read abstract. |
| Elite Power Athletes: Laboratory Measures of PerformanceThe production of brief bursts of maximal power is one of the most important physiological components in human exercise and can be a critical factor in performance for many sports. Various laboratory methods and devices have been used to attempt to quantify maximum power, yet most are inadequate. We developed and have used a special power ergometer over the past decade to measure maximal brief power in more than forty world-class (Olympic and World-Championship) sprinters, jumpers and throwers. The characteristics of these champions, including anthropometry and performance is reported. Click here to read abstract. |
Can the Ultimate World Record for One Mile be 3:20? At the 50th Anniversary of Sir Roger Bannister's breaking of the 4:00 minute mile barrier (held in the US at the National ACSM meeting of 2004), Dr. Coyle was asked to predict the 'ultimate-limit' to how fast man-kind is capable of running one-mile. Remember, that in 1954 this limit was believed to be 4:00 and that the current world record is now 17 s faster at 3:43.1 (Hicham El Guerrouj; Morocco-1999). Dr. Coyle predicts that man-kind is capable of running 23 sec faster than the current world record. That corresponds to an 'unthinkable' time of 3 min 19s for one-mile. How many years before that happens is a question of probability. See projections. |
 |
Professional Interests Dr. Coyle investigates the physiological factors that limit human exercise performance. Furthermore, he teaches scientists, professional athletic trainers and industry how to best apply this knowledge to benefit sport and health. Optimal human performance requires that the systems of the body work synergistically. Thus, Dr. Coyle's research is complex and involves substrate metabolism, cardiovascular function, thermoregulation and neuromuscular power. His discoveries have helped define the emerging discipline of 'Sports Nutrition' and his model for predicting endurance performance is widely recognized. He has recently harnessed computer based technology to continue work he began 25 years ago aimed at accurately measuring maximal 'neuromuscular' power in athletes with the goal of determining if their training programs are progressing optimally for peak performance. |