UC experts lead groundbreaking research and wellness programming to enhance adaptive athlete health
PARA-WISE project aims to transform holistic care, improve athletic performance
The University of Cincinnati is part of a collaborative national team spearheading research and wellness programming with the goal of improving care for adaptive athletes.
Victoria Heasley, MD. Photo/UC Health.
Researchers at UC, the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital are collaborating to develop the Para-Athlete Research for Wellness, Injury Prevention and Sports Medicine Excellence (PARA-WISE) registry.
UC’s Victoria Heasley, MD, said there are currently very few published studies focused on adaptive athletes, highlighting the need for more research in this area.
“The three main principal investigators came together because we realized there was strength in numbers and sites to get more adaptive athletes involved in our research study,” said Heasley, a study co-principal investigator, assistant professor in UC’s Colleges of Medicine and Engineering and Applied Science, and a UC Health physician.
The PARA-WISE registry aims to build the infrastructure necessary to support a nationwide network of adaptive athlete injury information, ultimately developing the capacity to sustain and expand successful injury prevention programs tailored to these athletes.
“It is exciting to see the potential of our research and hope that it can impact athletes’ lives in the future,” Heasley said. “We are gaining a lot of momentum with the project and getting athletes of all levels, from beginners to Paralympians. It is exciting to see this field grow and advance further.”
The registry tracks self-reported training metrics as well as quality of life. Using weekly online questionnaires for three months, participants will report on any injury or illness that prevents them from participating in sports.
Designing and evaluating injury prevention strategies requires continuous access to high-quality, longitudinal injury data. However, ongoing and systematic collection of sports injury data is rare.
While mortality, hospital and emergency department surveillance systems can provide routine data for serious sports injuries, they often under-report less severe events. Research suggests that to capture the full spectrum of sports injuries, comprehensive club-based and organized sports injury surveillance systems are required.
UC's MeMe Earnest-Stanley, former physical therapist and athletic trainer for USA Wheelchair rugby, helped develop the educational models and sessions for the wellness intervention. Photo/Melanie Butez, melaniebutez.com
Working alongside researchers is an advisory council composed of world-class adaptive athletes who are providing feedback on the registry surveys and educational programming, along with insight into the athlete’s experience.
The Athlete Advisory Council includes four members of USA Wheelchair Rugby, which brought home silver at the Paris Paralympic Games, as well as elite and recreational athletes representing the adapted sports of high jump, sled hockey, soccer, swimming and wheelchair basketball, handball, and tennis.
“I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with this council as well as learning from others in the community,” said Nico Calabria, captain of the U.S. Amputee Soccer Team, the all-time leading goal-scorer for Team USA and a member of the PARA-WISE Athlete Advisory Council. “The world of adaptive sports is incredibly exciting and growing fast. It is a wonderful time to be involved and connect with like-minded individuals who see the power of sports to improve lives.”
The collaboration is piloting a groundbreaking wellness intervention that aims to promote sports nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, resilience and quality of life among adaptive athletes. Tailored for current and former adaptive athletes, this five-week health and wellness program focuses on improving mental health, nutrition, injury prevention and overall health. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the tele-wellness program or a control group.
This virtual program offers weekly sessions covering wellness topics tailored specifically to the needs of adaptive athletes. UC’s MeMe Earnest-Stanley, PhD, collaborated with physicians and dietitians across multiple institutions to develop the educational models and sessions for the wellness intervention.
“With valuable input from the advisory council, we created a comprehensive educational program aimed at improving the overall health and wellness of adaptive athletes,” said Earnest-Stanley, assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation, Exercise and Nutritional Sciences in UC’s College of Allied Health Sciences and former physical therapist and athletic trainer for USA Wheelchair rugby. “I’m excited to move forward with assessing the feasibility of the wellness program and further advancing the project to determine its effectiveness in supporting meaningful health and quality-of-life improvements for adaptive athletes.”
Researchers will evaluate participant satisfaction as well as the program’s overall impact on their health and well-being. This initiative represents a significant step in promoting holistic health and wellness for para-athletes, paving the way for future programs and research in this vital area.
Earnest-Stanley said the combination of the registry and wellness intervention has the potential to transform holistic care and performance outcomes for adaptive athletes.
“As providers, we’ve long advocated for high-quality, athlete-centered research for this under-supported group, and it’s incredibly rewarding to contribute to a project that will help improve the care of adaptive athletes,” she said.
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For more information on eligibility requirements and to join the PARA-WISE registry, visit Redcap.link/PARAWISE.
The original version of this release was published by the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Featured photo at top: Left to right: UC student-athletes Jaime Mazzi and Logan Cover, UC Adaptive Athletics Coach Jacob Counts and student Seth Miller. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand.
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