Feature


of a human, from the average grown as much as she would have
Joe to the Olympic athlete. One liked over the last three years.
of the tests measures VO
2
max, “There are a number of reasons
which is maximal aerobic capacity for this,” Klabacha said, “but I
and is important for endurance think the primary one is that we
athletes. Lactate threshold tests are still trying to educate local
the ability to tolerate lactic acid athletes to its benefit, as we recently
in, and remove lactic acid from, reviewed our pricing structure,
the bloodstream and muscle and were able to cut the prices of
tissue. One can even get a Resting our test services drastically, and
Metabolic Rate test that can offer more services. Our prices are
reveal the percentage of calories very reasonable now for testing
necessary for a nice stagnant and training programs. So I'm
day in bed. This test can help to hopeful that more people will take
understand a person’s metabolism advantage of what we have to
and illustrate how many calories offer.”
are actually necessary with and One athlete that has taken
without exercise. advantage of the Human Lab is
Most importantly, the tests tell local elite runner, and Olympian,
Klabacha where the individual Deena Kastor. She gets VO
2
max
is to begin with, and then she tested once every year and has since
can figure out where he/she can 1996. “The information has been
go from there to prevent injury, valuable in planning training so
training in vain, or even Hypoxia I’m constantly improving,” Kastor
(not enough oxygen, which says in an e-mail. “The knowledge
can lead to altitude sickness). I’ve received has let me know my
Knowing what a person’s body strengths and weaknesses as an
can tolerate, his or her restraints endurance athlete and has been a
identified and tested, he/she
PHOTO© SUE MORNING
Peter Mehrhof runs the last leg at the high-altitude, 7,621 feet,
key to my consistent progress in the
can flourish with the right type of triathlon in June Lake, 2008. sport of long distance running.”
program. Two other tests have proved
Klabacha said she chose this particular place and path because invaluable to Kastor – bloodwork and DexaScans, which help
it is her passion. “I have personally experienced a period in my her to know what she needs nutritionally for “optimal health.”
life where I realized exercise makes all the difference in how I felt The DexaScan also showed that her bone density was low, crucial
physically as well as emotionally. At the same time, I had close information for an athlete. “I would normally jump to the conclusion
friends and co-workers who were experiencing major physical that I needed to increase my calcium uptake. The blood test,
disease and trauma (double mastectomies, and guillain-barre however, showed that I had plenty of calcium, yet dangerously low
syndrome) and I truly came to appreciate the power of exercise.” levels of Vitamin D, essential for absorbing calcium. This was very
Part of that power is knowing your own body, and that is why powerful information in optimizing my health not only as an athlete
she said it makes sense to monitor and test oneself for maximum but as a maturing female.”
health benefits. ”My plan was to provide a bridge for people between As for the equipment, Kastor used the underwater treadmill at
physician-mandated exercise and patient independence. For example, SPORT to maintain her fitness while she was healing from an injury
a physician may see a patient who is obese, sedentary, hypertensive, in 2005. She says, “I came out of the water and started running
and smokes. That physician may say something like, ‘You need to on land again only to win my first ever marathon at the Bank of
start taking care of yourself. Start exercising regularly, lose weight, America Chicago Marathon.”
stop smoking, and eat better. Your long-term health depends on it.’ “The staff is so knowledgeable there and I am very fortunate to
Perhaps then the patient leaves their doctor's office and has no idea consider them all part of what makes me successful,” she concludes.
how to get started, what to do. In other words the motivation is Whether an elite athlete or an exercise newbie, anyone can
entirely incumbent on the patient.” benefit from learning more about how to train and supply nutrition to
Klabacha explained that while the physical/occupational therapy the body, and a place to do that is at SPORT. u
department continues to stay very busy, the Human Lab has not
34 July | August 2009 Mammoth Sierra Magazine
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