Exercise science soars on human powered wings

As a physiologist, Ethan Nadel, Ph.D., knows a great deal about what happens to the body during exertion and the causes of fatigue. Even he didn't know just what to expect, however, when he helped to plan a world-record, human-powered flight. In his March 27 lecture, Dr. Nadel, professor of cellular and molecular physiology and of epidemiology and director of the Yale-affiliated John B. Pierce Laboratory, described the challenges planners faced when preparing the pilot 10 years ago for Project Daedalus, a modern day reenactment of the mythical Greek inventor Daedulus' 74-mile passage between the Greek islands of Crete and Santorini. Dr. Nadel selected the pilot team and developed a drink to prevent dehydration and boost the pilot's energy supply during the grueling but ultimately successful flight. His talk inaugurated a new series of campus lectures, along with a new summer research internship program for seven Yale College students, sponsored by Gatorade Inc.