ASU recruiting runners for study at Research Campus

KANNAPOLIS — The Appalachian State University Human Performance Lab at the N.C. Research Campus is recruiting 18- to 55-year-old males and females for a running study that will start later this month.

The study will test the effectiveness of a 17-day course of Nutrasorb, a supplement developed in part by Dr. Mary Ann Lila, director of the N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute also on the Research Campus.

Nutrasorb is a soy protein powder enriched with polyphenols to counter inflammation, oxidative stress and negative immune changes caused by three days of running for two-and-a-half hours per day in a laboratory setting.

Researchers need 38 runners. Participants will earn $400.

The first week of testing is Feb. 27 through March 2. During this week, participants will be scheduled for a body composition assessment in a Bod Pod and a treadmill VO2 max test, which measures maximum oxygen uptake.

The assessment will take up to 90 minutes.

Two weeks before the first day of running, blood will be drawn and participants will receive a supply of the Nutrasorb supplement.

The next three visits will be scheduled on consecutive days so that participants can complete a two-and-a-half hour run each day. The first two hours and 15 minutes of the run will be at a constant 75 percent of VO2 max.

The last 15 minutes of each run will be a time trial with controlled speed with the goal to cover as much distance as possible. On the three running days, participants will be in the lab by 2 p.m. and will be finished by 6 p.m.

Blood will be drawn before running on the first day and on the third day. The morning after the final run, participants will need to come to the lab between 6:30 and 8 a.m. for a single blood draw, which will take no longer than 10 minutes.

For more information on the running study, e-mail asu-ncrc@appstate.edu.

The ASU Human Performance Lab investigates the influence of unique plant molecules on age-related loss of muscle mass, muscle mitochondrial biogenesis and exercise-induced changes in immune function, oxidative stress and inflammation.

Dr. David Neiman, director, has received more than $5 million in research grants and is a pioneer in the research of exercise immunology.

The N.C. Research Campus is a hub for research advancing human health, nutrition and agriculture with the goal of preventing, treating and curing disease. Campus partners include eight universities and corporate, government and non-profit partners.

The N.C. State University Plants for Human Health Institute is researching fruits and vegetables to enhance the health-protective value of food crops and to increase the economic impact of North Carolina’s agricultural sector.