After the testing a seminar was given to all the athletes by Dr. Pitsiladis and translated by Zeru Bekele, Lecturer, Addis Ababa University Department of Physical Education. The seminar covered the background, purpose, methods, results, and conclusions of the research study.
Roberto also provides m assage services to RAB's international-level athletes, during their racing trips.
Research and Teaching at Running Across Borders
There are two main reasons why it is in the interest of Running Across Borders to support academic research and teaching related to East African running:
1) Economic Opportunity: Our mission is exapnding economic opportunities through running, so any additions to humanity's knowledge that are facilitated by running are something that we endeavor to promote, as there is often economic demand for such knowledge. Research on East African running has the potential to create running-related jobs, in positions such as laboratory technicians, scholars, and teachers.
2) Unique academic possibilities: By producing the best long-distance running performances attained by the human race, the East Africans offer the world a provacitive phenomenon from the standpoint of academic investigation. Many questions about genetics, physiology, and sport sociology can be best investigated through the study of athletes who are not just elite but legendary. Thus, humanitiy's quest for knowledge is enhanced by studies involving the East African runners.
Research and Teaching
RAB Research and Teaching Projects
Performance Testing
In August 2008, 8 RAB athletes participated in a scientific study regarding maximal and sub-maximal oxygen
uptake testing, which is an advanced diagnostic scientific resource used to inform coaches and athletes. The study was enhanced as a result of their participation as subjects, and the athletes' training was enhanced by the performance feedback given by the data. The work was conducted by the International Center for East African
Running Science, directed at the time by Dr. Yannis Pitsiladis.
September 2009: Clinic by Roberto Fitness
Roberto Ciurleo was Massuer for the Olympic Team of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Beijing Olympics 2008 and masseur at the World and European Championships for the National Italian Ultramarathon Team. He practices full-time sports massage therapy in London.
On 21-26 September 2009, Roberto taught a one-week course on sports massage from the RAB Training. The objective of the course was to enhance the sports massage knowledge and skill of all participants. It was directed at Ethiopian medical professionals, but also Ethiopian athletes. RAB worked with the best-known sports doctors and physical education professors in Ethiopia to organize participation in the event.
See this link for an overview of Roberto's experiences at the camp and the course he taught.
Just like training facilities, shoes, clothing, and coaching, sports massage represents an important aspect of a developed infrastructure around long-distance running. Also, like all of these other elements, it enhances not only the performance of the nation's leading athletes but also the economic opportunities related to long-distance running, in the form of careers as practitioners and teachers.
Zeru Bekele's 8:00 am Exercise Phsyiology Course gathers to watch RAB sub-elite athlete
Bereket Alem Kidanu suit up with equipment for an oxygen uptake test
Bereket performs the test on the
Addis Ababa University Track,
paced by Glasgow University
Ph.D. student Lukas Beis
ICEARS former Director Dr. Yannis Pitsiladis delivers a seminar on the centre's summer work to all the involved athletes, at the Ararat Hotel in Addis Ababa
EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES TO EAST AFRICAN YOUTH THROUGH RUNNING
Running Across Borders
