In an effort to further confirm results from Torino, the current research program leading to Beijing will study athletes from traditionally recognized high-intensity sports- rowing and weightlifting -and compare differences in heart function and energy use with endurance athletes as well as people from the general population.

"This study aims to evaluate elite athletes' cardiac adaptation to high-intensity exercise and training by analyzing cardiac response during peak and off-peak training cycles,'' said Dr. Wood. "Our work will hopefully grant the sports medicine community with greater insight to the cardiac fitness levels of their athletes, and provide healthcare providers with insight to new, more effective ways of assessing and treating heart disease for the non-athlete.''


GE's Vivid i ultrasound system offers the functionality and high performance of larger-scale systems, but in a portable and wireless design. The system makes it possible for patients to receive full diagnostic exams anywhere, as opposed to being transported to an imaging lab in a hospital.

Research with USA Weightlifting, USA Boxing, USA Wrestling and the U.S. Soccer Women's National Team to Focus on Point-of-Injury Diagnosis

The second clinical study, led by Drs. Marnix T. van Holsbeeck, Tony Bouffard and Scott A. Dulchavsky of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Mich., centers on improving the overall musculoskeletal health of athletes on the field.

Researchers will focus their attention on the hip, shoulder, ankle and knee regions and, similar to efforts in Torino with the U.S Women's Hockey team, they will investigate whether taking healthy baseline scans of the athletes helps in determining the extent of future sports injuries with greater speed and accuracy. For the Beijing Olympic Games, the Henry Ford investigators want to assess whether changes in ligaments, cartilage and muscle that are seen before the Olympic Games may have an effect on the athletes performances during the games.

According to Dr. van Holsbeeck, ultrasound can highlight problems with structure and with mobility of tissues that no other examination technique can show. In this study, researchers will use GE's LOGIQ i, a lightweight, portable ultrasound system that enables real-time diagnosis. Designed for a modern, all-digital healthcare environment, LOGIQ i allows clinicians to share information for consultation and to archive results electronically.

"In the Olympic Games, every second counts. Having a tool that can accurately and immediately determine the severity of an injury gives the sports physician the ability to determine if the athlete can continue to compete in time critical situations. It also can be used to guide training and rehabilitation after injuries," Dr. Dulchavsky said.

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