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That cup of coffee
in the morning does more than wake you up. It can also help
you feel less pain during your morning workout. That's what
researchers at UGA found in a recent study exploring why muscles
hurt during exercise. The research group previously learned
that aspirin, though commonly used to treat muscle pain, did
not reduce all muscle pain produced by vigorous exercise.
“Muscle contractions produce a host of biochemicals
that can stimulate pain. Aspirin blocks only one of those
chemicals,” said Patrick O'Connor, professor of exercise
science in UGA's College of Education and co-author of the
study. “Apparently the biochemical blocked by aspirin
has little role in exercise-induced muscle pain.”
The researchers' latest study, published in the August issue
of the Journal of Pain, found that caffeine reduced
thigh muscle pain during cycling exercise. Participants in
the study, 16 nonsmoking young adult men cycled for 30 minutes
on two separate days. The exercise intensity was the same
on both days and purposefully set to make the riders’
thigh muscles hurt. Participants in the study took either
a caffeine pill or a placebo pill one hour before the exercise.
The riders reported feeling substantially less pain in their
thigh muscles after taking caffeine compared to after taking
the placebo. This observation suggests that prior reports
showing that caffeine improves endurance exercise performance
might be explained partially by caffeine's pain-killing properties,
according to O'Connor.
Maximizing Research Opportunities
Achieving the top ranks of American research universities,
so critical to the future economic development of Georgia
and to the education of its students, will require an unprecedented
level of commitment from the University and the state of Georgia.
In order to reach that level, UGA will need to focus its current
and new resources on areas of (1) greatest strength; (2) greatest
external funding opportunity; and (3) greatest opportunity
for national distinction. These areas of strength with great
external funding opportunity are
• environmental sciences
• biosciences generally and genomics in particular
• the biomedical area
• technologically aided agricultural research and service
programs, such as digital imaging and diagnostics.
Those with greatest opportunity for additional national recognition
include history, public and international affairs, areas of
English such as humanities computing; art; and music, including
the digital music program.
Critical to the success of the research program at UGA is
the construction of badly needed research facilities in these
areas of institutional strength. The Center for Applied Genetic
Technologies, which includes transgenic research facilities
for cattle, poultry, swine, fish and most major crop plants,
is now fully operational. A new facility for the Complex Carbohydrate
Research Center is on schedule to open by the end of 2003.
Additionally, facilities such as a major hospital for Veterinary
Medicine; an addition to the College of Pharmacy, including
space to support biomedical initiatives in cooperation with
the Medical College of Georgia; and substantial new facilities
to support the life sciences, including the College of Environment
and Design, the Institute for Integrated Genomics and the
Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, will expand
UGA’s role in these crucial areas.
The research under way at the University of Georgia, across
a wide array of disciplines, enhances lives, spurs economic
development and advances knowledge.
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UGA
exercise science professor Patrick O'Connor and his research team
have found that caffeine can help lessen muscle pain during exercise.
