The Exercise Physiology Laboratory (EPL) on the SDSU campus had a very busy, and productive year. Michael J. Buono, Ph.D., director of the lab and Co-Scientific Director of the Rees-Stealy Research Foundation, had three lead author articles published. The most prominent appeared in the prestigious European Journal of Physiology (July 2000), and examined the role of dehydration on the control of body temperature and cardiovascular function. The EPL also received NSF funding to increase inquiry-based learning in the undergraduate Exercise Physiology Lab course.

Dr. Buono and the EPL are also proud to be involved with Dr. Paul Paolini and Rees-Stealy on the recently submitted NIH-SEPA grant. Hopefully, both teachers and students involved with the SEPA program will benefit learning Human Physiology at the EPL. It is anticipated that they will be able to experience hands-on data collection involving muscle recruitment via electromyograms, cardiovascular function during exercise, and body composition analysis.

The results of the Journal of Physiology article showed that dehydration increased core body temperature significantly more during exercise in a hot environment (0.16 degree celsius per 1% of dehydration) than in a temperate climate (0.08 degree celsius per 1% of dehydration). Furthermore, compared to normal hydration, dehydration decreased skin blood flow and sweat rate more during exercise in the heat. The reductions in skin blood flow and sweat rate appear to have decreased heat loss, thus accounting for the increase in core temperature during exercise in the heat while dehydrated. This study illustrates that the physiological consequences of dehydration during exercise are exacerbated in the heat, and have important clinical manifestations, particularly in athletes.