The team of 16 athletes that make up the permanent Brazilian Paralympic athletics team visited the Pediatrics Research Center (Ciped), at the Faculty of Medical Sciences at Unicamp, coordinated by professor Gil Guerra Júnior this Wednesday morning. As part of the pre-season assessments, the athletes underwent a high-precision body assessment examination using the double emission X-ray densitometry (Dexa) method. In addition to bone mineral density, the method allows the measurement of muscle mass, lean soft tissue (TMM) and total fat mass (TMG) in detail.
The group's physiotherapist and doctoral student at Unicamp, Mauro Mellori, who was responsible for bridging the gap between the athletes and the University, explained that the exam could bring significant advances to the team. “Dexa is the gold standard. The other tests we carried out only brought approximate results”, explained Mellori.
According to him, the results will directly influence the planning of the team that supports the Selection, made up of coaches, nutritionists, physiotherapists, psychologists and physiologists. “Based on these results, we will evaluate what the athletes need and set new goals,” he says.
The jumping coach, Everaldo Braz, who also accompanied the group in the tests, is already thinking about the 2017 Paralympic Athletics World Cup, which will take place in London, next July. According to him, the Dexa results, together with the other tests that the athletes are carrying out this week, will guide the team's interventions aimed at direct improvements in performance.
Daniel Joaquim Pádua, the team's nutritionist, also relies on the results of the exam carried out at Unicamp to more precisely meet the athletes' needs. “Determining body composition is essential to carry out an adequate nutritional assessment of each athlete and establish goals”, he explains.
The physical educator and postgraduate student of the Child and Adolescent Health Program, Mauro Easter, who supported the group in carrying out the exams, highlighted the importance of the Research Ethics Committee protocol to protect those who are evaluated. “Whenever research involves human beings, a protocol must be followed to avoid causing embarrassment,” he explains. According to him, in addition to direct feedback to the team, the evaluations generated a database that will be of great value to the research center.
Renato Benhur – He is 23 years old. He has been Lorena's guide since 2015. During training and competitions, he gives coordinates and directions to the athlete. He says that their relationship has to be one of deep trust and synchrony. “On the track we have to be one. She is the strength, I am the eyes,” he says.
The group will return in March and May to repeat the exam.
