Below is a message from Dr. Stella Volpe – Club member, Master Rower with the W1 and all around great person.

Hello my Rowing Friends!

As many of you might know, my graduate students and I at Drexel University, Department of Nutrition Sciences, are conducting a study on Masters athletes (we define as 25 years of age and older).  Individuals do not have to be on a team or competitive, but they must exercise regularly (at least four days per week).  So, please feel free to forward this to friends/family members who are master’s athletes.  We are assessing master’s athletes of all sports!

This study will allow us to provide more information on the fitness levels and body composition of master’s athletes.  There are little data on this group.  Though we cannot pay you, you will get information that will be of great benefit for you.  The measurements we will take will be as follows:

• Resting metabolic rate (the Calories you need at rest; this will require an overnight fast, but you get to lie on a reclining chair for 30 minutes!)  (you will have a “bubble” over your head so we can collect the oxygen your consume and carbon dioxide you expire)
• Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) – this will take about 10 minutes, and you get to lie down, too!  This measures your bone density and your percent body fat (one of the most accurate measures of percent body fat)
• Dietary intake (we will evaluate your dietary intake)
• You will wear a “watch” for one week (Actical accelerometer), so we can evaluate the energy you expend each day in a week (you can shower with it, swim with it).
• Then, you will come back and we will measure your maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), which is a measure of your aerobic fitness.  This will require you to run on a treadmill and wear a face mask, so we can collect all the oxygen you consume during exercise.

If you are interested, please send an email to my graduate students at: [email protected].  If you do sign up for the study, please let them know you are one of my rowing friends!

They will schedule your appointments.  Weekends will be fine, since I know that most of you work full-time.

If you have question about the study, please do not hesitate to contact me at my email below.

We hope to see at the lab!

Best, Stella