Research and teaching can now be pushed to new heights at the University of Chichester but stay firmly at ground level thanks to an important equipment upgrade.
Sports scientists can now use their environmental chamber at the University to measure the effects of altitude whilst carrying out physical activity, providing vital data for athletes and high altitude mountain climbers about how their bodies will cope in such conditions. The upgraded chamber works by reducing the amount of oxygen in the air.
The first people to use the upgraded chamber were a group of medical professionals from Southampton Hospital’s Neonatal Unit who are in training for a charity challenge to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in October. The team of doctors, nurses, health care assistants and friends of the unit are aiming to raise £70,000 to provide extra facilities for the babies and their parents.
To prepare them for the challenge ahead, they undertook simple exercises such as walking and cycling to understand the effect of altitude on their bodies and learnt more about how to take care of themselves during the challenge.
Alyson O’Donnell, Consultant Neonatologist and team leader, said: “We would like to say a big thank you for the University for allowing us to use the new chamber; it was a brilliant experience and will hopefully make a real difference to helping us all reach the summit of Kilimanjaro.”
Dr Steve Myers, lecturer in exercise physiology at the University of Chichester, said: “We were delighted to be able to support the staff from Southampton Hospital by giving them an experience of what high altitude feels like before going off to tackle the real thing next month.
“In the past, we have been able to recreate extreme temperature conditions in the chamber for research purposes, ranging from minus 20 to 50 degrees Celsius. With the upgrade to the chamber, we can now simulate altitudes up to 25,000 feet, meaning we are able to reproduce the environmental conditions found just about anywhere in the world, right here in Chichester.”
Dr Myers said that British sailors and boxers training for the Olympics have previously visited the University to use the chamber as part of their preparations for major competitions, but with the added bonus of being able to offer altitude simulation, it opens up other possibilities.
“As well as athletes preparing for competitions in higher altitudes or to enhance sea-level performance, the facility will be helpful for mountain climbers preparing for trips similar to that being undertaken by the staff from Southampton Hospital. We are also able to carry out vital safety research and training, such as preparing pilots on how to react in the event of cabin pressure failure while at altitude,” said Dr Myers.
“Our students at the University will also get great benefits from this upgrade. Our sport and exercise sciences and adventure education students will have access to it, meaning we can give a practical demonstration of what we teach in the classroom, rather than them just reading about it in the textbooks.”
To find out more about the Southampton Hospital fundraising challenge, visit www.justgiving.com/pahneonatalchallenge
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