A new fitness gym equipped with advanced equipment such as lactate measurement devices and a new type of force plate opened recently at the Chinese University of Hong Kong to provide better support for student athletes.
The gym enables users to set training goals and to monitor their performance through designated mobile apps, reducing the chances of injury and boosting efficiency, according to a media tour organized by the university on Wednesday.
Elean Leung Fung-lin, director of CUHK’s Physical Education Unit, said that the new fitness center, which is open to all staff and students of CUHK, will allow athletes for the first time to see real-time assessments of devices while training
Elean Leung Fung-lin, director of CUHK’s Physical Education Unit, said that the new fitness center, which is open to all staff and students of CUHK, will allow athletes for the first time to see real-time assessments of devices while training. For instance, the lactate measurement device can inform elite athletes of their maximum pacing capabilities during high-intensity exercises, Leung said.
Other equipment in the fitness gym, such as spinning bikes, also have monitoring functions, which allow users to track their training progress and to optimize training plans.
Cindy Sit Hui-ping, chairperson and professor of the Department of Sports and Science and Physical Education at CUHK, praised the gym’s location – in the new wing of the University Sports Centre – enabling athletes to visit more frequently after using other facilities in the Sports Centre. The gym’s staff members are also professional enough to help athletes do related tests on-site, Sit said.
CUHK has implemented various initiatives, including psychological support, sports medicine and rehabilitation, to assist athletes in balancing their academic and sporting commitments. According to Leung, CUHK ‘s mental health and time management group workshops, which provide holistic mental support to student athletes, is a first for a Hong Kong university.
Student athletes thanked the university for helping them balance their study and training needs. Tang Yu-hin, a year-two student majoring in physical education, exercise science and health, said he competed in 10 karate events last year.
Tang said the university has provided him with a wide range of learning support, such as online video courses and special examination arrangements, enabling him to do well academically and in sport.
