GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The director of Gatorade Sports Science Institute will present a lecture, “Science of Sports Drinks,” Thursday, May 12, 2005, at Noon in room 100C of the Florida Gym. The seminar, sponsored by the Center for Exercise Science in the College of Health and Human Performance, is free and open to the public.
Dr. Robert Murray’s lecture will focus on the effects of electrolyte and water loss through sweat, and the upset of the body’s chemical balance during exercise. Further, he will discuss how Gatorade puts these essential nutrients back into the body and strategies that are used to develop these sports drinks.
Murray is an exercise physiologist, who specializes in sports nutrition, with an emphasis on the physiological and performance effects of fluid and carbohydrate intake during exercise. As director of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Murray oversees scientific research in a variety of areas in exercise science and sports nutrition, as well as educational programs and activities.
Among the scientists on the Gatorade Sports Science Institute’s board of external advisers is UF exercise physiology professor Dr. Scott Powers, director of the Center for Exercise Science.
Powers said the research conducted at the Gatorade Sports Science Institute is becoming increasingly important for all athletes.
“Each year athletes die due to heat or fluid imbalance during exercise,” Powers said. “Improved hydration is an important factor to deter these consequences.”
Gatorade research originated at the University of Florida in 1965 sparked by a question from then-assistant football coach, Dwayne Douglas about athlete’s significant weight loss and lack of urination. UF kidney disease specialist, Dr. Robert Cade concluded that essential nutrients were being lost through sweat and went to work to devise a way to put those nutrients back in to the athletes. His solution was tested on UF football players and striking improvements were seen resulting in a come from behind win over LSU in 102 degree heat. That year, the UF football team went on to an 8-2 record and were deemed a second half team.
Since then, royalties from Gatorade have provided UF with more than $80 million supporting many other research investments.
In addition to the “Science of Sports Drinks” seminar, Dr. Eva Chin, senior researcher at Pfizer pharmaceutical company also will hold a lecture entitled “Role of calcium and Ca2+: Signaling pathways in skeletal muscle plasticity.” Her research regarding the role of calcium in muscle degeneration may have application in numerous muscular diseases and injuries.
Chin’s seminar will begin at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 12, 2005 in room 215 of the Florida Gym.
Please contact Kim Hatch at (352) 392-9575 ext. 1355 for more information.