American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
For Immediate Release Apr 16, 2008

OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS:  The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine awarded David Berkoff, M.D. the AMSSM Foundation Best Overall Research Award. Dr. Berkoff presented his research study titled “ Air Conditioned Benches Limit Core Temperature Rise More Than Traditional Benches in Exercising Athletes” at the Rendezvous II Meeting in Las Vegas.

Dr. Berkoff’s study, a prospective cross over clinical trial, compared core body temperature changes in Division I football players sitting on air conditioned benches between exercise sessions versus standard benches. The study found significant decreases in core temperature with the use of air conditioned benches, particularly when the core temperature was >100.7. The changes in all subject showed an effect size of "moderately large" for the air conditioned benches and "moderately small" for the traditional benches. Additionally the air conditioned benches limited the rise in core temperature that occurred between the two exercise bouts more than the traditional benches did. These findings are clinically significant as air conditioned benches may help keep athletes core temperatures lower during rest periods and thus help prevent complications of heat illness. Additionally, limiting this temperature rise during exercise may have potential performance benefits for the exercising athlete.

Dr. David Berkoff is an Assistant Professor at Duke University in Durham , North Carolina. His coauthors for this study were Blake Bogess, D.O., Jeffrey Roberts, M.D., Harry Stafford, M.D., and Jeffrey Bytomski, D.O.

The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) was organized in 1991 by physicians who recognized the need for an organization within the field of sports medicine that approached athletes, exercising individuals and teams comprehensively with consultative and continuous care of their orthopedic, medical, nutritional and psychosocial issues. Although sports medicine concepts are often thought of in conjunction with professional and elite athletes, these concepts apply to athletes of all levels including grade school, high school, college and recreational athletes. AMSSM is comprised of over 1000 Sports Medicine Physicians whose goal is to provide a link between the rapidly expanding core of knowledge related to sports medicine and its application to patients in a clinical setting.

NOTE: For more information, please contact the AMSSM, 11639 Earnshaw, Overland Park, KS 66210, (913) 327-1415.