Presque Isle, ME—The University of Maine at Presque Isle just completed the first round of elite Nordic athlete testing in cooperation with the Maine Winter Sports Center. The university has invested more than $5 million in its physical education, exercise physiology and health facilities during the past year. A significant portion of those funds were dedicated to establishing a world class exercise physiology testing lab. Now, the lab has been put to the test—or more accurately, put MWSC’s athletes to the test.
Professor Suzanne Beaudet used her sabbatical to brush up on athlete testing protocols at the famous Vuokatti Sport Institute in Vuokatti, Finland. With the completion of Gentile Hall, the new health and wellness facility at UMPI, Beaudet has a brand new home for her expertise.
“We’re so excited to have the ability to offer this kind of service to high caliber athletes,†said Dr. Beaudet. “This is a dream that has been many years in the making. It’s fantastic for us, especially for the students coming through our programs in physical education, athletic training and exercise physiology.â€
Athletes testing at UMPI can choose to be tested using sport specific protocols for running, Nordic skiing, and cycling. Beaudet and her team offer blood lactate testing, max VO2 testing and upper body specific max VO2 testing for Nordic athletes. MWSC’s Cross-Country Team used the UMPI facility last week to determine base-line values for early-summer training. The U.S. Biathlon Development Team is slated to test at UMPI over the course of the next few weeks.
