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  2. February 13, 2018 - Sports Medicine Research Institute with Dr. Scott Black & Nicholas Heebner

February 13, 2018 - Sports Medicine Research Institute with Dr. Scott Black & Nicholas Heebner

Feb 13, 2018

LEXINGTON, Ky. (February 13, 2018) – The Olympics celebrates all things sport, and medalists are widely considered to be "ultimate athletes."  But the special operations forces of the U.S. military experience similar physical and mental challenges, often with much more on the line.

The University of Kentucky's Sports Medicine Research Institute (SMRI) works with athletes of all skill levels and the tactical athletes of the U.S. military to improve performance and reduce injury. 

Consider the physical demands on an Olympic biathlete, an event that combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It's difficult to aim with a steady hand if your heart is pounding from a vigorous cardiovascular workout. 

The superior biathlete is usually the one with the best "CV recovery"– that is, the amount of time it takes to slow the heart rate down after physical exertion.  According to Nicholas Heebner, Associate Director for Research at the UK SMRI, the same is true of military athletes.

"These two disciplines use the same science" to maximize performance, Heebner said, and the work of the SMRI, which encompasses sophisticated analysis of biomechanical motion, anaerobic power, metabolic capacity and more, can help Special Ops forces, Olympic athletes and "weekend warriors" perform better and with fewer injuries.

In this episode of the Behind the Blue, we chat with Heebner and the SMRI's Medical Director Dr. Scott Black about the similarities between Olympic athletes and the tactical athletes of the U.S. military and how the SMRI is doing research that benefits both.

Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of "Behind the Blue" each week. UK's latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

For questions or comments about this or any other episode of "Behind the Blue," email BehindTheBlue@uky.edu or tweet your question with #BehindTheBlue.

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