Undergraduate and graduate students, along with some of the top exercise physiologists in western Canada, are at the University of Lethbridge this week for the 6th Annual Exercise Physiologists of Western Canada (EPOWC) conference.
Delving into issues such as the prevention of osteoporosis and optimizing physical capacity in obese adults, the conference is a student-focused event that invites undergraduate and graduate students from universities in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to present their research work in a supportive and constructive environment. It also serves to expose students to the work of leading researchers in exercise physiology and allows opportunities for networking and the development of collaborative relationships.
The two-day event begins Thursday, Aug. 9 with a pair of talks that are open to the general public and feature two of the top exercise physiologists in western Canada.
Dr. Phil Chilibeck of the University of Saskatchewan presents Exercise and Nutritional Strategies for Prevention of Osteoporosis at 4 p.m. in Markin Hall (M1040). His talk will focus on the best exercises to build bone during growth and throughout the lifespan, based on biomechanical, physiological and clinical evidence. The talk will also cover the best types of exercises for building bone, preventing falls and preventing fracture in people who already have osteoporosis.
Dr. Danielle Bouchard of the University of Manitoba follows with a presentation titled Increasing Physical Capacity in Obese Older adults: Is Weight Loss the Solution? The talk begins at 5 p.m. in M1040.
The second day of the conference, Friday, Aug. 10, features the University of Lethbridge's Dr. Tom Hazell as he discusses Time Effective Training: How Far Can Short Bouts of Intense Exercise Go in Improving Fitness? His talk, at 2:30 p.m. in M1040, will focus on the acute and chronic effects of sprint-interval training on metabolism and body composition.
Also featured is Dr. Michael Koehle of the University of British Columbia, who will present High Altitude Research from the Field to the Laboratory at 9 a.m. on Friday morning.
The keynote presentations are sponsored by Alberta Innovates Health Solutions.
For a full look at the EPOWC conference, access the website at http://www.uleth.ca/artsci/kinesiology/exercise-physiologists-western-canada
