Research during the Nijmegen Four Days Marches

Researchers from the Integrative Physiology group performed several studies at this mass-participation walking event. We explored whether suppletion with whey or insect proteins could attenuate exercise-induced skeletal muscle damage in a randomized clinical trial. Furthermore, we evaluated the validity of a novel algorithm to estimate core temperature using heart rate recordings. Other studies explored the potential mechanisms of cancer treatment related fatigue and how exercise could attenuate these deleterious side effects, as well as an online survey on heat mitigation measures that individuals apply to themselves or their home environment during a heatwave.

Beyond the scientific efforts, there was also a lot of media attention for our work. Maria Hopman was invited at Op1 and Renze  talkshows to explain about the health risks of a heatwave and how this impacts participants of the Nijmegen Marches. Thijs Eijsvogels explained at Nieuwsuur and RTL Nieuws about which countermeasures should be taken to deal with long-term heat exposure. Coen Bongers was interviewed by Nu.nl and several newspapers about thermoregulation during exercise in the heat. Yannick de Korte told NOS Radio 1 News about the value of algorithms that can be used to estimate heat stress and core temperature during exercise, and how this could contribute to prevent heat-related illnesses in the future.