Contact: Bruce Becker, College of Education, beckerb@wsu.edu
National Aquatics & Sports Medicine Institute Guides Water Activity for Basketball Team, Asthma Patients
PULLMAN, Wash.-Washington State University professors Bruce
Becker and Kasee Hildenbrand have established the nation's first
institute for aquatics and sports medicine at the WSU Pullman
campus.
Temporarily located in Bohler Gym, the National Aquatics &
Sports Medicine Institute hopes to blaze a trail in aquatic
activity research and its effects on health maintenance and
recovery. It also will provide research opportunities for both
graduate and undergraduate students as well as support for athletes
and students in general.
As a physician and research professor in the College of Education,
Becker has devoted his career to the study of rehabilitation
medicine - focusing on the mechanics of recovery and healing. He
was first impressed with the power of water therapy in the early
1980s while working with an exercise physiologist in Spokane.
Becker was astonished to see how quickly athletes recovered when
exercising in a pool and the level of activity they could endure
without injury.
It wasn't long before Becker began using water to rehabilitate his
own patients - though little had been published in the field since
the 40s. By 2004, he launched his own research proposal to the
National Swimming Pool Foundation (NSPF), which funded an initial
project comparing the benefits of aquatic aerobics versus
land-based aerobics.
The study took place at WSU Pullman, where Becker teamed up with
Hildenbrand, assistant professor in the College of Education.
Between 2005 and 2007, the project surveyed 100 students -
comparing aerobic capacity, body fat, respiratory and
cardiovascular function.
Pilot data from the study was compelling - allowing Becker to
facilitate a meeting between the college and NSPF officials in fall
2007. A relationship was established, with NSPF agreeing to fund
the program at $1 million allocated over five years. The result was
the founding of the institute.
Becker said they are hoping to confirm permanent housing for the
institute sometime this fall.
"The space being looked at will require extensive remodeling and
new equipment," he said. "It will have office space, hot tubs,
physical monitoring equipment and a pool with current and a
treadmill."
In the meantime, he and Hildenbrand are investigating the
physiological effects of hot tubs.
"We are trying to study the autonomic nervous system - the
'motherboard' of the body," Becker said. "We use biomonitoring
equipment to look at respiratory and cardiovascular systems,
digestion, mental relaxation, focus, memory, etc." He said
physiological changes associated with aquatic activity may have
major positive impacts on health conditions such as diabetes,
arthritis and obesity.
The aquatic exercise program already has won over the men's
basketball team. David Lang, director of strength conditioning in
the athletics department, said he tried it last fall as a form of
non-impact anaerobic conditioning for the team.
"The guys wore flotation belts and were submerged up to their necks
in Smith Gym pool doing intense sprint workouts. The water
increases pressure on the thorax and raises the heart rate more
than normal - leading to a greater training effect with less
exercise," he said.
By strengthening the respiratory muscles, Becker said, you can
enhance the performance of the extremities. When the respiratory
muscles start to fatigue, the body switches to taking oxygen from
the leg muscles - causing a sudden drop in energy and ability, he
said.
"It really did help," said Lang. "It's a great way to do an
anaerobic workout without pounding on their ankles, knees and
hips." He plans to continue the program with this year's basketball
team. The department also will use an underwater treadmill for
post-injury and post-surgical cases.
The institute, teaming up with WSU Health and Wellness Services, will also conduct a study to see how exercise affects asthma. According to Hildenbrand, they are recruiting 170 individuals between the ages of 18 and 40 who have been medically diagnosed with asthma to take part in a 12-week aquatic and land-based exercise program. Upon completion of the study, participants are eligible to receive up to $300.
"Research shows that exercise can be beneficial for people with asthma; however, it can also stimulate an asthmatic episode. The research from this study will show us which types of exercises are most beneficial for people with asthma," said Bruce Wright, medical director for Health and Wellness Services.
"We always knew swimming was good for asthmatics - it helps increase respiratory function," said Hildenbrand. She said they will also be looking at cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic syndrome risk factors since many asthmatics tend to be more sedentary due to difficulty exercising. "We are hoping to see overall improvements in health," she said.
Those interested in participating in the study can sign up for a screening appointment on the Health and Wellness Services website by Nov. 21 at www.hws.wsu.edu.