High Altitude Exercise Physiology graduate program receives 70K in grants

Western Colorado University’s High Altitude Exercise Physiology (HAEP) graduate program, located in the cutting-edge High Altitude Performance Laboratory, received a $70,000 grant from the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the largest fitness-related organization in the country.

Western was chosen to receive this grant for its work in personalized, community-based exercise programming and whether reduced-exertion, high-intensity interval training can combat the damaging effects of a sedentary lifestyle.

A $20,000 in-kind donation from Gunnison Valley Health (GVH)—facilitated by GVH Administrator of Rehabilitation and Athletic Medicine Todd Ward and GVH Chief Executive Officer Rob Santilli—was also awarded to the HAEP graduate program to help with the cost of tests for bloodwork and body composition regarding the projects.

The work being done by the HAEP graduate program, including personalizing exercise for people of all backgrounds and ages, could help people all over the world become happier and healthier.

“The really neat thing is we sometimes think of Gunnison and Western as this small, little remote school and community, but I like to tell students that this is a project that is funded by the largest fitness organization in the U.S. And when they publish the results, they are sending it out to all their certified professionals,” said Lance Dalleck, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Exercise & Sport Science at Western and Director of the Center for Wellness and Human Performance. “What we do here at Western will eventually be seen in the inbox of over 100,000 people.”

Story by Western sophomore Caitlin Gleason.