FRS 002DD — Sec. 001 — (2 units) — CRN 55897 — W 3:10-5:00pm— 171 Schalm
Maximum Performance in Human and Animal Athletes: When Does Drug Use Become Abuse

Instructor: James Jones, Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine

Description: We will discuss the physiological basis of exercise performance and ways in which drugs can enhance performance, as well as enable athletes (legally) to overcome injury, pain, accelerate healing, etc. We will then discuss the ethical implications of legal vs. illegal drug use in athletes, particularly considering the difference in voluntary (human) vs. involuntary (racehorse) administration of drugs to athletes that may affect their overall health, longevity, etc.

Format: The course will begin with several presentations (with background reading) by instructor on physiology of exercise, determinants of athletic performance, mechanisms by which drugs affect performance, repair of injuries, response to pain, etc. Each presentation will be accompanied by group discussion of the topic and the background reading. Each student will choose (by week 3) a topic, e.g., a type of athletic competition or else a category of drugs, for which they will explore the types of legitimate and illegitimate drug use associated with it. Students will write a paper on that topic, and will present their papers to the class (10 min. oral, 5 min. discussion/questions) during the final two sessions. The first five meetings will be background reading, presentation and discussions. Sixth meeting will be field trip to the equine treadmill at the Vet Med Teaching Hospital to see a horse run, visit the Equine Analytical Chemistry Lab where drug testing for the state in conducted, and possibly visit the Human Performance lab in Hickey Gym. Grading: Students will be graded on participation in class discussions, including preparedness from background reading (1/3), their oral presentation to the class (1/3), and their term paper (1/3).

About the Instructor: My teaching at UCD has been a variety of courses dealing with cardiovascular, respiratory, exercise, environmental and comparative physiology in the veterinary and medical schools, as well as graduate courses in the same topics, mammalogy to undergraduate (in the old Zoology Dept.), and I participate in a number of undergraduate physiology courses. My research focuses primarily in physiological factors that limit and enable maximal performance in animals, especially race horses. I will be the research director of the new Equine Athletic Performance laboratory that is being built near the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital.