LEXINGTON, Va., March 16, 2021—Maj. Dan Baur, assistant professor of physical education at Virginia Military Institute, will discuss the use of hydrogel technology by elite athletes on the public radio program With Good Reason March 20-26.

The upcoming show, “Bigger Than a Game,” focuses on the world of sports and athletic performance. Many elite athletes, including Eliud Klipchoge---the famous Kenyan who ran a marathon in less than two hours in 2019---have endorsed hydrogels, which give the user a quick burst of glycogen, a simple sugar. But do hydrogels really work? On the public radio show, Baur will explain why the evidence for them is inconclusive at best.

In Lexington, With Good Reason will air Sunday, March 21, at 3 p.m. and Wednesday, March 24, at 8 p.m. on WMRA 89.9 FM. In Charlottesville, it can be heard at the same times on WMRA 103.5 FM, and in Harrisonburg, the show will air at the same times on WMRA 90.7 FM.

In addition to Baur, others speaking on the show will include Dr. Christopher Elzey of George Mason University, who will discuss the showdown that took place at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany, between the men’s basketball teams from the United States and the Soviet Union, and how that game offers a window of insights into the Cold War. Also, Marc Ouellette of Old Dominion University will talk about how the golden age of wrestling in the 1990s coincided with a perceived decline in masculinity throughout society.

With Good Reason is sponsored by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. Audio files of the full program and its companion news feature will be posted the week of the show to the With Good Reason website. 

-VMI-