Sept. 24--KANNAPOLIS, N.C. -- Research studies conducted at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis can help improve the overall health of the public in many different ways.
Dr. David C. Nieman, the director of the Human Performance Lab at the research campus and a professor at Appalachian State University, is using his research to find a safe and effective way to reduce inflammation in the body.
Nieman believes the use of nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs, other than aspirin, such as ibuprofen hurts the body.
Nieman's experience comes not just as a doctor, but also a long-distance runner. He has participated in 58 marathons over the years, and strongly believes this to be true, especially in athletes.
"We have shown that it actually causes bacteria to leave the colon and enter the blood stream, and that causes systemic inflammation and kidney dysfunction," Nieman said. "Ibuprofen and heavy exercise do not mix."
He began studies earlier this month on the effects of Chia seeds -- known to be high in antioxidants, rich in minerals, high in fiber and contain generous amounts of omega 3 fatty acids -- on overweight, post-menopausal women. These women tend to suffer some inflammation.
The Chia seed has been used as a vital form of sustenance in Central and South American cultures for thousands of years.
In the beginning of October, he will bring perform the same study to cyclists. That particular study is still looking for 14 participants who will ingest 25 grams of the Chia seeds a day for 30 days. A two-hour cycling test session is conducted at the beginning of the trial and at the end, and a full gambit of fitness testing will take place. Half the group will be given the Chia seeds the other half a placebo supplement. All participants are paid a $300 fee.
Currently research is being conducted on runners with a different kind of supplement than the Chia seeds. This supplement is a combination of green tea extract, fish oil and quercetin.
Quercetin is a plant-derived flavanoid, and can be found in the skin of apples, berries and many fruits and vegetables.
Each runner is given four of the square dice-sized supplement mixtures before a two hour training run. Urine and blood is also taken. The runner is then hooked up to head gear that is designed to measure the VO2max, which is the maximum capacity of an individual's body to transport and use oxygen during incremental exercise.
A Lode cycle ergometer monitors the oxygen consumed in your body, and measures the amount of oxygen used during the specific exercise period. That information tells the athlete his or her fitness level.
For the first hour and 45 minutes, athletes run at 70 percent of their capacity, and for the last 15 minutes they are free to run at an intense speed.
Immediately after they finish, another series of tests, including urine and blood, will help the researchers discover if the supplement safely helps the athlete with inflammation within the body.
Delaine Fowler, 31, is a tri-athlete and distance runner, and is currently training for an Ironman.
An Ironman is a combination 2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bike and a marathon in one event.
"I was interested in getting my VO2 max done," Fowler said. "It will let me know where I am in my training."
She doesn't use a lot of anti-inflammatory's, but is interested in what different supplements and drugs do for the body.
Maria Thomson, 36, has been running in half marathons and full marathons for two years. She has completed three of each.
"I broke my hip in my early 20s, and it was one of those things where the doctor was like, 'you just won't be able to run any marathons again.'"
That statement bothered Thomson so much she began to train for her first half marathon.
After talking to a doctor and doing research on the best way to train and use supplements for her fitness, she decided on a regime of vitamins and protein shakes to help fight injury and pain.
In the notes given to her on the very first half-marathon she attempted, it said not to use any ibupropen before the race because it could harm the kidneys.
So, it's always been a combination of acetamenopin, stretching and protein shakes, and that seems to help with any inflammation or pain she experiences.
"I've take a vitamin C and a vitamin D and fish oil. I drink a lot of green tea anyway. But is this something I need to do before I run," Thomson said. "That's what I want to find out. Will this help?"
Nieman and his researchers in Kannapolis are hoping to get the results and answer those questions in early winter.
"We will be able to better determine if there is an ant-inflammatory effect in these studies," Nieman said. "So what we really are doing is taking this Chia seed research to an all new level that's never been done before. This study will determine once and for all if the omega 3 fat in the Chia seed has benefits for obese people and athletes."
To participate in the cycling study involving Chia Seeds please contact Dr. Nieman at
ASU-NCRC@appstate.edu. They study begins on October 4.
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