Research

Glimpse: UM's Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism

The most common cause of death in high school athletes is heat-related, and heat injuries adversely impact our soldiers in training and operational missions. Brent Ruby and his colleagues at UM's Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism (WPEM) are studying heat-related injuries in the Marine Corps through a project funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research.

Existing procedures for monitoring heat stress rely on core body (rectal) temperature, a difficult measure in the field and impractical for training. The WPEM team is working to develop an advanced predictive model to estimate the accumulation of heat stress in real time. Because it won't rely on core temperature, it is anticipated that results will be more reliable and result in significant cost savings, as well as offer a potentially lifesaving metric. Learn more about the Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism.