In the fall of 2022, myself and 26 inquisitive athletes began a scientific investigation aimed at finding the best winter training plan to prepare for the upcoming 2023 track season. 

We started with a baseline testing session. In the West Texas A&M Human Performance Lab we measured:

• Height
• Weight
• Leg length
• Body composition: What percent of the body is fat, muscle, or other tissues
• Power
• Balance
• Strength
• VO2Max: The maximal volume of oxygen that can be delivered to and used by muscles in a given time

Next, we assigned the athletes to one of three groups:
1. Weight training group
2. Running group
3. Rest group
The athletes used their winter off-season to train or rest according to the group they were in. Testing happened again at the beginning and end of track season. We collected copious amounts of data!

This data will continue to be analyzed, studied, and written about for several years. I’m so appreciative of the participants and their parents. Research is so important to growing and developing our sport.

Recently, I participated in another student’s project where my quadricep muscle was typed by tensiomyography – the newest muscle typing method that does not require muscle biopsy. Only five of these “tens” units are available in the country and WT is the first and only university to own one thus far. The rest are owned by pro football teams and the department of defense.

Research is a ton of fun, but you don’t have to have a lab to do research. The best athletes are a study of one. You should always be assessing your body responses to nutrition, work, and rest, developing hypotheses, and testing them to find out what works best for you.
-Do I run better off of chicken and rice or skittles for lunch?
-Do I throw better after a 12-hour LOR movie marathon or a full night’s rest?
-What’s the difference between doing 400m repeats when it’s 40 degrees versus 90 degrees?
-How much energy do I have after 40 days of fasting from ultra-processed foods? Or added sugars?
Your imagination is basically the only limit to what you can discover.

Good news for parents: Learning to be your own researcher can help you ask the right questions and head off problems before they happen to maintain high energy levels and good functional mobility to do everything you want to do in life. Paying attention to your own body is the first step.

If you were a research participant who wants to see your data, if you want to be a part of the next research study, if you have a cool research idea, or if you want to chat more about research or anything else on your mind, contact me!

~Coach Melissa