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Human Performance Lab helps cadets improve strength, durability

The lab’s services range from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, or DEXA, testing that assesses body composition to various aerobic and anaerobic fitness tests. The lab can measure a cadet’s VO2 maximum, the maximum amount of oxygen the cadet can use during intense exercise. Another feature is an altitude control chamber that simulates oxygen-rich, or sea-level, and […]

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Human Performance Lab helps cadets improve strength, durability

The lab’s services range from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, or DEXA, testing that assesses body composition to various aerobic and anaerobic fitness tests. The lab can measure a cadet’s VO2 maximum, the maximum amount of oxygen the cadet can use during intense exercise. Another feature is an altitude control chamber that simulates oxygen-rich, or sea-level, and oxygen-depleted environments up to 18,000 feet.
Staff at the lab integrate the nutrition, physiology and psychology performance principles to create comprehensive individualized plans. These plans optimize cadets’ physical capability, mental hardiness and nutritional strategies to meet the unique demands of military operations and athletic excellence.
“We facilitate the development of future warfighters through the science and practice of high-performance approaches for building strength, durability and adaptability for mission dominance,” said Human Performance Lab Assistant Director Dr. Nicholas Dinan.
By Randy Roughton
U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications

In recent years, the lab has expanded to include high-performance nutrition and psychology services.

Preparing cadet-athletes for high-altitude challenges

The Human Performance Lab plays a role in developing cadets as future warfighters in three performance areas. Those areas are the holistic optimization of performance, sustainable peak performance and data-driven insights for success.
“The staff provided me with the analysis of my DEXA scan results which has definitely helped me,” said Lu. “In a sport such as boxing, where you’re cutting weight, there’s a right and a wrong way to do it. Since gaining more information and education, I can now cut weight, maximize my energy level and perform well in the ring.”
The lab staff combines physiological conditioning, tailored nutrition protocols and psychological hardiness training to achieve sustainable peak performance. This combination enhances recovery, reduces injury risk and raises readiness for sustained high-performance outputs.
“Consistent with best practice in performance domains, we take some of the available equipment out of the lab and meet individuals where they are training and competing,” Dinan said. “This could include heart rate monitoring for conditioning sessions to determine nutritional fueling and hydration recommendations or using GPS information with teams to determine training intensity and evaluate how each athlete responds to that stimulus. This will allow us to further understand the stress demands on cadets and determine proper modifications to enhance readiness and facilitate recovery.”
“By simulating sea-level conditions or hyperoxic training, we can increase workout intensity during interval and maximal effort training,” Dinan said. “This type of training challenges heart and lung function to provide a more intense and productive workout. Conversely, hypoxic training reduces the oxygen content and helps our athletes acclimate to high-altitude conditions, like those experienced at the summit of Mount Denali in Alaska.”

The lab’s positive impact on cadet athletes

The HPL also offers a vision performance lab that focuses on intercollegiate athletes’ hand-eye speed and coordination, depth perception and other areas relating to memory, focus and concentration.
The lab staff leverages transdisciplinary data from performance testing, dietary analysis and psychological assessments for data-driven success insights. The data informs training regimens that prepare athletes to excel under dynamic and high-pressure scenarios across cadets’ Academy and military careers.
“Advancements within the Athletic Department have championed a new vision for the Human Performance Lab by investing in human capital and physical resources to grow performance training,” Dinan said.

Holistic optimization of performance

The U.S. Air Force Academy Women’s Soccer Team poses for a photo.
The U.S. Air Force Academy Women’s Soccer Team poses for a photo after completing training with Dr. Dillon Small, Human Performance Lab director of performance psychology, on performance culture in Polaris Hall Sept. 3, 2024. (Courtesy photo provided by Lt. Col. Marci Walton)
See more photos of the Human Performance Lab.
Cadet 1st Class Andrew Lu performs VO2 max training in the Human Performance Lab.
Cadet 1st Class Andrew Lu performs VO2 max training in the Human Performance Lab Jan. 3, 2025. The U.S. Air Force Academy boxer has incorporated data from the testing into his training. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley)

Sustainable peak performance

Lu notes the importance of dropping weight in an intentional manner with professional guidance.
One cadet athlete who has seen results from his work in the lab is Academy boxer Cadet 1st Class Andrew Lu, a Legal Studies major. He has noticed performance improvement from his V02 max testing.
The lab is in the Cadet Fitness Center near the water polo pool. Its hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Data-driven insights for success

“When I was initially introduced to V02 testing and learning about training and different heart zones, I wanted to see areas where I could improve,” Lu said. “Taking this test showed me the actual data on how my body works. From there, I was able to adjust how I practiced and trained. I learned from the data the areas where I’m strong and where I could improve that I wouldn’t have known otherwise.”
U.S. Air Force Academy cadet athletes train in the Human Performance Lab’s altitude control chamber.
U.S. Air Force Academy cadet athletes train in the Human Performance Lab’s altitude control chamber Jan. 3, 2025. The chamber simulates oxygen-rich, or sea-level, and oxygen-depleted environments up to 18,000 feet. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley)

Supporting increasing performance for all cadets

To achieve the expansion, the lab hired additional staff. The expansion involved hiring specialists in five primary areas of expertise: performance psychology, performance nutrition, performance diet, performance science and performance optometry. The lab’s specialists work closely with Academy athletic teams through consultations with individual cadet athletes, team-based training sessions and wearable technology and data analytics.
“Ultimately, the insights gained from these evidence-based approaches will be used to create adaptive frameworks for the ever-evolving military demands,” Dinan said. “This will foster innovation and flexibility in both training and application. By empowering cadets with actionable insights, we will assist them in reaching their peak capability, mission success and career longevity.”

Expansion of available services and additional staff

Human Performance Lab Director Dr. Matthew Hawkey applies Cadet 1st Class Andrew Lu’s mask before his VO2 max training.
Human Performance Lab Director Dr. Matthew Hawkey applies Cadet 1st Class Andrew Lu’s mask before his VO2 max training Jan. 3, 2025. The U.S. Air Force Academy boxer has experienced performance improvement from the testing that measures cardiovascular endurance. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor Cokley)
“We want to take our applied research approach, collect data from athletes and translate findings across the cadet wing. We can help improve various areas, such as sleep quality or maintaining peak physical and cognitive performance. This is essential for mission success,” Dinan said.
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. – The staff at the Human Performance Lab facilitate the physiological development and performance of U.S. Air Force Academy cadets.
The lab’s services are available to non-intercollegiate athletes since all cadets participate in the Academy’s athletic program. They are required to take physical education courses, pass physical fitness tests and compete in intercollegiate and intramural competitive sports. While the lab’s priority is intercollegiate athletes, the staff applies their knowledge, skill and ability to support the optimization of performance throughout the Cadet Wing.
“We currently use a performance and analytic platform that serves as an information broker that turns raw data into an integrative model of information,” Dinan said. “Essentially, each professional lane inputs relevant information about individual athletes that can then be interpreted by the appropriate staff member to enhance medical outcomes and improve training or game performances.”

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Every venue for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics

The 2028 Games will be the largest in modern Olympic history. L.A. will host the Paralympics for the first time. The proper stage for the more than 15,000 athletes competing in 2028 requires more than just Hollywood’s most iconic landmarks. From the Pacific Ocean to the San Gabriel Mountains to the great plains in Oklahoma, […]

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The 2028 Games will be the largest in modern Olympic history. L.A. will host the Paralympics for the first time. The proper stage for the more than 15,000 athletes competing in 2028 requires more than just Hollywood’s most iconic landmarks.

From the Pacific Ocean to the San Gabriel Mountains to the great plains in Oklahoma, the L.A. Olympics will use more than 30 venues to host 36 sports and 52 disciplines in the largest Games program in modern Olympic history. While the Olympic footprint sprawls across multiple states, the Paralympics will take place in a compact 35-mile radius encompassing L.A., Carson, Long Beach and Arcadia.

Olympic venues for mountain biking, race walking and soccer preliminaries have yet to be announced, along with sites for para weightlifting, para cycling road and the course and finish line of the para marathon. Soccer group-stage games will be played in stadiums across the country before the tournament returns to the Rose Bowl for the medal games.

As the final plan takes shape, here’s a look at where the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in 2028.



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Men’s Team Conclude In NORCECA Group Stage

Bermuda’s men’s beach volleyball team of Kyle Hamilton and Connor Somerville concluded their group stage play at the fourth stage of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, falling to the host nation’s team. In their final Pool C match, Hamilton and Somerville were defeated 2-0 by Mexico’s Ines Antonio Vargas Lares and Carlos Andres Ayala Herrera. […]

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Bermuda’s men’s beach volleyball team of Kyle Hamilton and Connor Somerville concluded their group stage play at the fourth stage of the NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, falling to the host nation’s team.

In their final Pool C match, Hamilton and Somerville were defeated 2-0 by Mexico’s Ines Antonio Vargas Lares and Carlos Andres Ayala Herrera.

The Mexican duo secured the victory in 31 minutes with set scores of 21-5, 21-10.

Somerville & Hamilton 2025 NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour 4th Stage Bermuda July 2025

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Team USA wears silver | News, Sports, Jobs

OSIJEK, Croatia — Former Crestview High School All-Ohioan and University of Pittsburgh freshman Abbey Emch got a medal in her first international volleyball competition. Emch is one of 12 players on the United States Girls U19 National Team that earned the silver medal at the 2025 Girls U19 World Championship after falling in the final […]

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OSIJEK, Croatia — Former Crestview High School All-Ohioan and University of Pittsburgh freshman Abbey Emch got a medal in her first international volleyball competition.

Emch is one of 12 players on the United States Girls U19 National Team that earned the silver medal at the 2025 Girls U19 World Championship after falling in the final to Bulgaria, 3-1 (21-25, 25-16, 25-17, 29-27) on Sunday.

The U.S. has medaled in the last four World Championships for the age group. The 2023 World Championship, where the team won gold, was the first one contested as a U19 championship. Previously, FIVB held Worlds as a U18 event, and the U.S. won bronze in 2021 and gold in 2019.

The match was close statistically as the U.S. finished with a one-point advantage in kills (46-45) and blocks (11-10), while Bulgaria served eight aces compared to five for the U.S. The key statistic was Bulgaria committing 14 fewer errors (37-23).

It is the first time in Bulgaria won a World Championship title in women’s volleyball at any age category and the first women’s team to become world champion across all team sports in Bulgaria.

The U.S. finished with a 6-3 record in the tournament, two of the losses to Bulgaria.

Outside hitter Suli Davis led the U.S. in points (17), kills (13), aces (3), digs (16) and successful receptions (4). Libero Lily Hayes finished with 14 digs.

Outside Cari Spears totaled 12 points on 10 kills and two blocks, while middle blocker Jordan Taylor shared match-high honors with four blocks to go with seven kills for 11 points.

Six-foot-three middle blocker Abbey Emch made some big plays in big moments to finish with four points on three kills and a block

The U.S. led the entire first set, jumping out to a 6-1 lead. A Davis kill extended the lead to six, 10-4. Spears and Davis provided back-to-back kills to make it 14-7 and force Bulgaria to use its final timeout. Bulgaria used a late 7-2 run to cut the margin to three points, 23-20, but kills by Anderson and Davis sealed the opening set.

Davis led all players in the with six points on four kills, a block and an ace. Taylor scored five points on three kills and two blocks. The U.S. doubled Bulgaria’s kill total in the set, 14-7.

Bulgaria scored seven consecutive points to break a 7-7 tie and take early control of the second set. The U.S. got no closer than five points. Davis and Spears each scored three points on kills.

Bulgaria never trailed in the third set, using a 5-0 run to take a 7-2 lead. After the U.S. closed the gap to four points, 13-9, Bulgaria scored the next seven points. Davis scored three points.

The U.S. fell behind 7-4 in the fourth set before using a 5-2 run to even the score at nine apiece on Kelly Kinney kill off hands. A Davis ace and a Taylor block gave the U.S. a three-point lead 13-10 but Bulgaria went on a 10-1 run. The U.S. responded with its own 10-3 run to earn set point on a block by Taylor.

Each team had two set points before Bulgaria converted on its third set point with a block to capture the gold medal.

In Sunday’s third-place match, Poland swept Turkey 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-20) for the bronze medal. There were 24 teams in the tournament.

In a semifinal Saturday, U.S. defeated Poland 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-19).

Outside hitter Suli Davis led the U.S. with 18 points on 13 kills, three blocks and two aces. Opposite Henley Anderson had six kills, three blocks and two aces for 11 points, and middle blocker Jordan Taylor had seven kills and one block for eight points.

Gabrielle Nichols and Cari Spears also scored eight points, with Nichols collecting four kills, three blocks and an ace, and Spears notching six kills, one block and an ace. Devyn Wiest had one ace.



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Romania rout South Africa 24-5 in men’s water polo at World Aquatics Championships in Singapore

Romania rout South Africa 24-5 in men’s water polo at World Aquatics Championships in Singapore Romania on Monday routed South Africa 24-5 (8-0, 3-1, 7-3, 6-1) in a Group A match of the men’s water polo tournament at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. The best scorers of team Romania were Francesco Iudean, Vlad Georgescu […]

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Romania rout South Africa 24-5 in men’s water polo at World Aquatics Championships in Singapore

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Romania on Monday routed South Africa 24-5 (8-0, 3-1, 7-3, 6-1) in a Group A match of the men’s water polo tournament at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.

The best scorers of team Romania were Francesco Iudean, Vlad Georgescu and Levente Vancsik, with 4 goals each, Andrei Neamtu scored 3, Matei Lutescu, David Bota, Andrei Tepelus, 2 each, Andrei Prioteasa, Mihnea Gheorghe and David Belenyesi, one goal each.

Scoring for the South Africans were Dean Sneddon (2 goals), Ryan Sneddon (1), Matthew Nesser (1) and Carl Germishuys (1).

In the other group match, also on Monday, world runners-up Italy will face Olympic champions Italy.

Romania will play the last match of the group on July 16 against Serbia. AGERPRES (RO – writing by: Mihai Tenea; EN – writing by: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu)

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2025 Daily News Fans Boys Volleyball Player of the Year Poll

Agawam boys volleyball celebrates winning D2 state title over Wayland Agawam exacted its revenge for a loss last season, defeating Wayland in four sets to claim their 2nd D2 state championship in the last three years. Bump, set or spike? The 15 candidates for the 2025 Daily news Fans Boys Volleyball Players of the Year […]

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Bump, set or spike? The 15 candidates for the 2025 Daily news Fans Boys Volleyball Players of the Year are among the best in the state.

They are all-state selections, league MVPs and state semifinalists.

Five schools are represented. Marlborough leads the way with four candidates, while Natick and Milford put forth three each.

Vote below:

The poll will remain open for a week until noon Monday, July 21.



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Thailand bow out of VNL 2025 with narrow loss to Canada but avoid relegation

Under the guidance of coach Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai, Thailand fielded their full-strength squad, including Pornpun Guedpard, Pimpichaya Kokram, and Ajcharaporn Kongyot. The Thais made a flying start, racing to a 7-0 lead before comfortably taking the first set 25-17. However, Canada responded in the second and third sets, edging Thailand 25-23 and 30-28 to take a […]

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Thailand bow out of VNL 2025 with narrow loss to Canada but avoid relegation

Under the guidance of coach Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai, Thailand fielded their full-strength squad, including Pornpun Guedpard, Pimpichaya Kokram, and Ajcharaporn Kongyot.

The Thais made a flying start, racing to a 7-0 lead before comfortably taking the first set 25-17. However, Canada responded in the second and third sets, edging Thailand 25-23 and 30-28 to take a 2-1 lead.

Thailand bow out of VNL 2025 with narrow loss to Canada but avoid relegation

Thailand fought back valiantly in the fourth set, narrowly winning 25-23 to level the match and secure a vital point that guaranteed their VNL survival regardless of the final result.

In the deciding fifth set, the two sides traded points evenly, but Canada managed to clinch the win with a tight 15-13 finish.



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