Improvements in energy metabolism, muscular strength and endurance capacity have a basis in biochemical and molecular adaptations within the human body. The primary function of the exercise biochemistry laboratory staff is to increase our understanding of how cellular adaptations influence whole body function and performance so as to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of physical activity. The laboratory contains the necessary equipment to analyze metabolic and protein characteristics in human tissue. Additionally molecular biology techniques are employed to examine the response of specific genes following acute and chronic changes in physical activity. The goal is to increase our understanding of the specific responses that occur within the human body.
The laboratory houses a spectrophotometer, fluorometer, vertical slab gel electrophoresis equipment, agarose gel systems and UV illuminator, thermal cycler for analysis of real time polymerase chain reactions, heating blocks, a cryostat microtome for tissue histochemical analyses, dissecting microscopes and a video microscopy system for single muscle fiber analyses, tissue freeze dryer, as well as standard centrifuges, refrigeration/freezing capabilities, and other supporting equipment.