Purpose/Aim: Determine the effect of caffeine consumption on lung function during and following running exercise in athletes with asthma.

Basic Protocol: Volunteers attend four visits. The first visit involves demographics, lung function, a fitness and health questionnaire, and a running maximal exercise test (VO2max). The following three visits involve lung function measurements at rest, during moderate running exercise, and during recovery from exercise after one of three treatments: 1) 200 mg caffeine consumption, 2) inhaler, or 3) neither.

Primary Measures: Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), peak expiratory flow (PEF), forced vital capacity (FVC), heart rate (HR).

Timeline: Data collection Summer 2024-Fall 2024.

Students Involved: Ayla Murphy

Research Presented: Summer Quest (Fall 2024).

Purpose/Aim: Improve upon the previous study by 1) using lactate threshold as a measure of fitness and 2) decreasing the severity of the heat.

Basic Protocol: Volunteers attend three visits. The first involves demographics, lung function, a fitness questionnaire, and a lactate threshold exercise test. The second and third visit involve stages of rest and increasing exercise intensity on an upright stationary bike in a hot (~35 deg C) or thermoneutral (~20 deg C) environmental chamber while various measurements, including DLCO, are collected.

Primary Measures: Lung diffusing capacity (DLCO), blood lactate, hemoglobin, gas exchange (VO2), heart rate, skin temperature, core temperature.

Timeline: Data collection Summer 2023-Spring 2024. Data analysis Summer 2024.

Students Involved: Bennett Allen, Else Mayo, Chris Nicol, Kyra Lee, Jeremiah Miller.

Research Presented: Northwest ACSM 2024 (Moscow, ID).

Purpose/Aim: Determine how hot vs. thermoneutral conditions impact lung diffusing capacity during rest and exercise of various intensities.

Basic Protocol: Volunteers attend three visits. The first involves demographics, lung function, and a maximal exercise test. The second and third visit involve stages of rest and exercise (20, 40, and 60% of max) on an upright stationary bike in a hot (~40 deg C) or thermoneutral (~20 deg C) environmental chamber while various measurements, including DLCO, are collected.

Primary Measures: Lung diffusing capacity (DLCO), gas exchange (VO2), heart rate, skin temperature, core temperature, hemoglobin, hematocrit.

Timeline: Data collection Fall 2021-Spring 2022. Data analysis Summer-Fall 2022. Manuscript preparation Fall 2022-Spring 2023. Manuscript accepted Summer 2023: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37548661/.

Students Involved: Mira Schoeberlein, Catherine Frisiras, Chris Nicol, Jasmine Chapman.

Research Presented: Northwest ACSM 2022 (Portland, OR), Northwest ACSM 2023 (Portland, OR), National ACSM 2023 (Denver, CO).

Purpose/Aim: Determine how cold vs. thermoneutral water immersion up to the shoulders impacts the magnitude of the mammalian dive reflex.

Basic Protocol: Volunteers attend three visits. The first visit involves demographics, lung function, and maximal breath hold testing. The second and third visit involve performing 40-s apneas (breath holds) in air as well as immersed up to the shoulders in either cold (~19 deg C) or thermoneutral (~37 deg C) water.

Primary Measures: Heart rate, gas exchange (VO2), exhaled oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.

Timeline: Summer Research 2022.

Students Involved: Chris Nicol.

Research Presented: Summer Quest (Fall 2022).

See the article in The Hatchet here: https://www.pugetsound.edu/stories/university-puget-sound-students-take-plunge-science 

Purpose/Aim: Determine whether acetazolamide and erythropoietin combined can improve exercise performance and related measures at high altitude.

Basic Protocol: Volunteers perform baseline measures at sea level and then reside at Pike's Peak (14,000 ft) in Colorado Springs, CO for 14 days. While at altitude, volunteers undergo numerous measurements and exercise testing. This is an extensive study and our lab will be analyzing a small portion of the data on acute and chronic measures of lung diffusing capacity (DLCO) at rest and during exercise.

Primary Measures: Lung diffusing capacity (DLCO).

Timeline: Summer 2022, Summer 2023.