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You’ll find here the posts by the students of the inaugural offering of Extreme Physiology, NEPA Edition, offered during the Summer of 2016. (The course will be reintroduced in Fall 2018 as BIOL 184 – Explore NEPA.) These posts document the students’ experiences during the course. They also summarize some of the academic content the students were presented with – or presented themselves – during the course.
Day 7 – Rickett’s Glen State Park Hike
Today we hiked at Rickett’s Glen State Park. Accompanying us on the hike were PA Dept of Conservation and Natural Resources Regional Advisor Christine Dettore and Eastern Regional Manager Lorne Possinger.
This park is known for its beautiful waterfalls and its long and difficult Falls Trail. 
There are also many other amenities at the park such as recreational boating, picnic areas, campsites, and in the winter the park allows climbers to try their hand at ice climbing on ...
Day 6 – Blakely to Forest City – Bike Ride #2
Today was the first full-day bike ride. We met at Blakely Park and biked on the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail to Jermyn.
It is a nicely paved trail that is primarily wooded and shaded and it offers nice views of the calmly flowing river. Thanks to trail signage in Jermyn, we learned that Jermyn was founded in 1874 and is known as “The Birthplace of First Aid in America” because the city offered the nation’s first class on first aid to coal miners.
Day 5 – Lackawanna State Park Hike
The class started off the day with lectures by Dr. Sweeney and Professor Fay. Dr. Sweeney’s lecture was about oxygen consumption and how oxygen is distributed throughout the body and to muscles during exercise. Professor Fay’s lecture was on nutrition and how different nutrients are used by the body, such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals.
After the lectures, the class drove to Lackawanna State Park for a hike with Dr. Vince Marshall, a Biology department ecologist. As soon as they got out of the car, it started pouring, so they had to go to Plan ...
Impressions – Week 1
• Going into this course I knew it would be a challenge. I’m not in great shape and science was never my strong subject. I wanted both of those aspects to change. I knew it wouldn’t take overnight but this looked like a good way to start. I really appreciate seeing all of places I could go to walk, bike or hike. I really look forward to kayaking. As challenging as some of these activities are, I wouldn’t want anything to change. It has to be a challenge for it to work. I can’t stop recommending this ...
Day 4 – LHVA Scranton Trail – Bike ride #1
Today began with morning lectures by Michael Landram, Asst. Professor of Exercise Science, who described Principles of Exercise Training, and by Dani Arigo, Asst. Professor of Psychology, who described the Psychology of Exercise.
After a quick lunch, we met Owen Worozbyt, Trail and Environmental Projects Manager, at the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail office on Railroad Ave and he led us on a bike ride on the Central New Jersey Railroad portion of the trail, stopping at a few points of interest.
Between Elm ...
Day 3 – Bear Creek Preserve Hike
Today, the class took a trip south to visit and hike portions of the vast 3,412 acre Bear Creek Preserve, just off Route 115. We were guided by Joe Vinton, the preserve manager, and his intrepid dog Riley.
The preserve is privately owned by the Natural Lands Trust. This organization receives its funding from private donors and grants, and directs money toward projects centered on the restoration and preservation of forest lands. The preserve is considered a successional forest, meaning that the canopy has been removed in some segments, allowing lower vegetation to flourish and eventually supplant the ...
Human Performance Testing – Day 2
Today the class started out by performing the Wingate test, the purpose of which is to show peak anaerobic power. It is performed using a cycle ergometer, which is essentially a stationary bike with a feature to add weights (based on the person’s weight) to apply resistance to the main wheel. The students had to keep up as much speed as possible after the resistance was applied for 30 seconds. The number of revolutions was recorded every 5 seconds.
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Today the EP NEPA crew got the first glimpse of what they really signed up for.
To start the day, the class met at Dr. Sweeney’s office and after some brief introductions, proceeded down to the new Leahy Hall to conduct the first bout of fitness tests. Assistant Professor Michael Landram introduced the group to the Bruce protocol treadmill stress test and the various diagnostic tools that would measure heart rate, oxygen consumption (VO2), blood lactate levels, arterial oxygen saturation and perceived exertion during the exam.
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