There are three kinesiology laboratories at UAB. The Human Performance Laboratory, the Resistance Exercise Physiology (REP) Laboratory, and the Exercise and Nutritional Physiology Laboratory are used for classroom demonstrations, data collection, training, and scientific inquiry.
Students using the labs for research are typically kinesiology graduate students and undergraduate honors students. Students use the laboratories for their theses, honors projects, internships, and field experiences.
Exercise and Nutritional Physiology Laboratory
Director: Gordon Fisher, PhD
This 900-square-foot facility, located in the Education and Engineering Complex, is equipped to study metabolic and cardiovascular regulation in blood, skeletal muscle, adipose, and liver tissue. Dr. Fisher's research focuses on the role of reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial dysfunction, and markers of inflammation in the pathogenesis of chronic metabolic diseases associated with obesity.
Our students have access to Oroboros Oxygraph-2k with DatLab software, a FluoroMate FS-2 Fluorescence Spectrometer, a BioRad Chemidoc XP digital imaging system, a SpectraMax M3 Microplate reader, a Corning Digital Microplate Shaker, a dissecting microscope (Stemi 2000), a Nanodrop Lite Spectrophotometer, a thermocycler (BioRad I-cycler), a 96-well quantitative real-time PRC unit (BioRad), BioRad power supplies, BioRad wet transfer cells, BioRad gel boxes, two PowerGen tissue homogenizers, cell and tissue culture, digital darkroom imaging, analytical balance scale, shakers/rotators, a minus 80°C and a minus 20°C freezer, two 4°C refrigerators, a Variable Flow Peristaltic Pump, and all other equipment necessary for immunoblotting and mRNA expression studies.
Human Performance Laboratory
Director: Gordon Fisher, PhD
The new 1,100-square-foot lab features more than 800 pounds of free weights and high-tech equipment including arm crank and cycle ergometers, computerized treadmills, skinfold calipers, and bioelectrical impedance scales for measuring body composition.
The lab also has a metabolic cart to measure energy expenditure during rest and exercise, portable handheld spirometry for pulmonary assessments, electrocardiography to analyze heart rhythms, pulse wave analysis for measures of vascular health, 24-hr ambulatory blood pressure monitoring systems, and an electromyography system and force platform for assessing motor unit activation during muscle contraction.
Resistance Exercise Physiology Laboratory
Director: Christopher Ballmann, PhD
This state-of-the-art research lab is equipped with custom power racks, calibrated competition plates, a lifting platform, and multi-use training equipment. The lab is roughly 750 square feet. It is designed to accommodate everything from athletes completing Olympic power lifts to training clinical populations with exercise intolerance.
From a performance perspective, the primary metrics that we monitor are movement velocity, muscle force production, isometric strength, dynamic muscular strength/endurance, explosive ability, vertical jump, power development, plyometric performance, and reaction time. From the clinical side, we assess functional movement ability, limb strength asymmetry, balance, and exercise tolerance. We collect blood and urine for hormone and protein analysis following resistance exercise and training.
The lab also serves as a classroom to support hands-on experience with resistance exercise and strength assessment for students in the kinesiology program. The lab emphasizes the inclusion of underrepresented populations in resistance exercise research including females and athletes with disabilities.