Sep 15, 2022

The UCR Research Center will help high-performance athletes in the country

The Center for Research in Human Movement Sciences (CIMOHU) of the University of Costa Rica (UCR) seeks to plan, develop, execute and disseminate research projects focused on the three sciences of human movement, in addition to helping solve relevant problems with these major areas: Movement Pedagogy, sports performance and exercise, well-being and health.

"One of our priorities with athletes is for them to reach their full potential. To do this, we have some tests that we can try to help them improve precisely in that 1% that sometimes makes the difference between a medal or not," the director of the institution, Francisco Siles, told us.

A primary objective of the center is the generation of new knowledge; to this end, research projects are carried out, scientific publications are made in high-impact journals, and participation in seminars and other academic activities is undertaken.

Social action is also part of the CIMOHU program , where tests are carried out on the community, not only the university community, but also external people, such as children or older adults, offering services such as body composition or oxygen consumption, hydration and rehydration processes, sports activities, among others.

The facilities are frequented by Olympic athletes and other athletes who want very specific data on their athletic performance. They also serve women over 50 who want to know their risk of developing osteopenia or osteoporosis.

"In general, the doors of CIMOHU will always be open to scientific collaboration, measurements in general, and research," said Francisco Siles.

Testing costs:

Basic densitometry: This test measures the density of the bones of the entire body and the amount of fat and muscle in the body. It costs approximately 25,000 colones.

Advanced densitometry: This test measures bone density, body fat, and muscle mass. It also provides information about the appendicular spine (lumbar vertebrae in the lower back) and hips. The cost is approximately 45,000 colones.

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