Michelle Zitta '05
Age-related changes in running economy
Mixing one of her passions in life with her research, Michelle Zitta completed a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) project last year by looking at age-related changes in running economy, i.e., “how much oxygen a person uses while running at a certain pace, and how efficiently they use that oxygen,” says Michelle.
“I had runners from ages 19 to 83 running on a treadmill in the exercise science lab in the UNH Field House, while measuring their breathing, heart rate, muscle endurance, flexibility, and other factors. My fellowship was a great way to get to know faculty in the exercise science department and do something really fun and interesting,” says Zitta, who majored in kinesiology and runs track and cross-country at UNH.
“I met runners from all over New England and gained valuable experience and knowledge about the research process, which put me a little bit ahead of the game in grad school. In the future, when I start to work on my thesis, I’ll have a better time frame of how the research is actually going to proceed, and the importance of using the right statistics.
“After I graduate I plan to work in cardiology, either in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation or clinical stress testing, and eventually I’d like to go back to school to get my doctorate.”
Watch Video (requires Windows Media Player)