Alumnus Involved in Exercise Research - Reggie Edgerton
This article describes V. Reggie Edgerton. This and other articles may be found in the University Archives.
Citation for this article is: "Alumnus Involved in Exercise Research," ECU Report, Volume 14, No. 1, January 1982.
"everyone is interested in exercise and should have the proper information about exercise.Unfortunately, right now there is no good place for people to get the information," said Dr. V. Reggie Edgerton, an ECU alumnus who has been involved with exercise physiology since graduation in 1962.
According to Edgerton, the United States has lagged behind hte developed world in the science of exercise and we can learn a great deal from studies done elsewhere, particularly in Scandanavian countries.
The time for people to get the proper information about exercise and how the body functions is while they are in school, preferably junior and senior high schools, Edgerton said. "Even though this information would come to people when they are generally most active -- although probably not active enough -- they would have an understanding of what they should be doing at age 40 for the good of their body."
Edgerton, who was on campus for Homecoming weekend to receive an Outstanding Alumni Award, lectured to classes during his visit. He is a professor at the University of California Los Angeles and a member of the Brain Research Institute there.He has been engaged in sub-cellular exercise physiology with an emphasis in neurology and also has done research in iron deficiency anemia for the past 10 years.
He has mixed feelings about the increasing popularity of health facilities in this country.On the one hand it is an asset to have facilities for the adult population to pursue an exercise program, but without qualified people to instruct in these facilities, people who know the physiology of training, Edgerton believes there will be misuse and possibly harmful results. "It is not enough to know how the equipment works," he said, "one must know how the body works."
Frequently people staffing health clubs are self-trained and not always knowledgeable about the do's and don'ts, he remarked. Edgerton gets some requests from people interested in developing a career in sports medicine to come to the lab at UCLA to get more information about the physiology of exercise.He pointed out that sports medicine as aspecialty is relatively new and at this time the American College of Sports Medicine includes physiologists, biochemists, physicians, and trainers.It is this speciality which can provide a framework of measureable statistics for people studying the physiology of exercise.
Edgerton grew up in the farming community of Mesic, North Carolina and followed the example of his brothers in coming to ECU.While majoring in physical education and biology, his interest in the biological effects of exercise on one's body grew.During his last two years on campus, he organized a swim team for Rose High School and served as its coachHe credits two of his instructors, Dr. Ray Martinez and Bob Halbrick, as having a profound effect on encouraging him to pursue future goals which hav led to his career in research.
Many people who have been inactive in their younger years now realize the benefits of being active.WIth specificity they an become active and realize many benefits, he said and emphasized that an exercise program must be maintained and evaluated frequently as one grows older.Studies indicate that if a person has been active and cuts off all activity, the effects are lost rapidly, usually in a matter of weeks.
Although one would assume the family physician could direct an appropriate exercise program, this is not an accurate assumption, said Dr. Edgerton. "There is such an abundance of information in the medical school curriculum and usually exercise physiology is covered in a few days. "He mentioned that more and more doctors are incorporating an exercise facility in their offices for rehabilitation with cardiovascular problems, but this is not widespread.
One popular misconception about exercise is that exercise will cause the muscles to enlarge.This type of thinking frequently keeps women away from an exercise program, he said."In a normal person, only very special types of exercise like weight lifting can increase the size of fiber, however, an exercise like long-distance running will not cause hypertrophy of the muscle."
Another misconception is held by people who feel their line of work provides them with the necessary exercise for fitness. Edgerton said if someone walks a great deal in his work, it is possible he is not achieving optimal exercise because the upper body is being neglected or perhaps his pace does not strengthn the cardiovascular system.
"My philosophy is to participate in something I enjoy. I find swimming and scuba diving and racquetball most enjoyable," said Edgerton.He conceded that even with his close association with the benefits of exercise, he frequently finds other commitments interfere with his plan for exercise.
