HISTORY OF THE HUMAN ENERGY RESEARCH LABORATORY (“HERL”)
Part III:  Underground Again: The Women’s Gymnasium

 William W. Heusner, Henry J. Montoye, James M. Pivarnik,
Wayne D. Van Huss, and Janet A. Wessel

The Human Energy Research Laboratory, in its various forms and locations, has been the site for most of the investigations related to exercise physiology conducted under the auspices of MSU during the last half century.  The history of the laboratory provides a nostalgic review of past and present accomplishments.  It is hoped that a series of brief reports featured in upcoming issues of our newsletter will provide readers with a historical perspective of “HERL” and its many contributors.  For a more detailed treatment of the history of the entire department, the reader is directed to 100 Years of Kinesiology: History, Research and Reflections.  To purchase this text, please contact the Kinesiology Office at 517.355.4730.

Underground Again: The Women’s’ Gymnasium

About 1957, an addition to the Women’s Gymnasium (now known as the Intramural Sports Circle Building) was built.  With the help of Mr. Munn, several vacated shower and locker rooms were made available to replace the Quonset huts and the Jenison Fieldhouse basement rooms.  In the new facility, the laboratory finally was given a name.  It was called the Human Energy Research LaboratorHERL).  As compared to the situation that existed before, the new and expanded quarters permitted the laboratory staff to take a more comprehensive approach to research within the broad field of exercise physiology.  Obviously, both males and females, young and old, participated in numerous types, intensities, and durations of physical activity.  Furthermore, when one considers the extent and nature of the changes that may be produced by different regimens of exercise in the various systems of the body (muscular, skeletal, respiratory, neural, hormonal, etc.), the complexity of the field becomes evident.  It is not surprising then that the researchers felt as if they were kids in a candy store.  There was so much to be done

To make matters even more propitious, the move into the Women’s Gymnasium came at a financially opportune time.  The bipartisan political climate in Washington D.C. was entering an era in which support of basic and applied research was viewed with continuously increasing favor.  Indeed, for the next 25 to 30 years, including one uninterrupted period of 21 years, the HERL had essentially adequate external funding to carry out all of the research projects the faculty and staff could handle.  Of course, the quest for research moneys remained an arduous and largely unloved task; but funding could be obtained if sound research proposals were constructed carefully.  As a consequence, skilled personnel and available time replaced space and money as the primary limiting factors in the HERL.

To help alleviate this new but welcome problem, Mr. David Anderson was hired as a laboratory technician in 1960.  He provided essential assistance to both faculty members and graduate students in the areas of biochemical analyses, energy metabolism determinations, body composition measurements, and numerous other laboratory procedures.  David also maintained the departments reprint files of research articles and provided much of the graphic artwork needed for publications and presentations.