History of sports medicine - 1969

1969

In Britain, an investigation was started on sports injuries, to collect statistics on all kinds of medical interventions and to find out how many sports injuries were treated in accidents and emergencies.

1969

The American College for Sports Medicine published the first issue of Medicine and Science in Sports, the first editor-in-chief of which was American physiologist Bruno Balke (1907-1997).

1969

In order to better achieve the performance objectives of the GDR, the 'Forschungsinstitut für Körperkultur und Sport' (FKS) was established in Leipzig in April 1969 by merging the 'Vereinigung der Forschungsstelle' and the 'Institut für Sportmedizin der Deutschen Hochschule für Körperkultur". It was the only institute for competitive sports research in the GDR and employed over 600 workers until its dissolution in 1990. The research focused on boxing, skating, weightlifting, athletics, wrestling, rowing, sledding, swimming, ski jumping, cross-country skiing, gymnastics, and volleyball. The work on the FKS was organized by interdisciplinary research groups. Sport-specific ergometers were used for practical work. For example, there was a flow channel for swimming and a tilting treadmill for cross-country skiing. About twenty sports physicians were involved in projects in the competitive sports research. From the mid-1970s, sports medicine worked relatively independently in performance diagnostics, stress management, sports care and rehabilitation. The number of sports physicians rose to forty in 1990. Only one physician worked in the Endocrinology (Doping Research) department, led by a biologist.

1969

A very simple and easy to use Dynamo ergometer was the Universal Ergometer from the Berlin company Franzke. This device could be used sitting, standing or lying down. The delivered work could be read on a Wattmeter. The housing could be tilted 180°.

1969

Finnish bicycle and moped manufacturer Tunturi released the first exercise bike for home use in 1969.

1969

The study by American physiologist Henry Blackburn (1925-), head of the Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene in Minnesota, showed the incidence of ST segment depression in various leads. Blackburn's finding that 90% of the ischemic changes in the CM5 or V5 lead could be demonstrated made it possible to perform stress tests with a relatively simple ECG system. This had a huge impact as it expanded the use of progressive tests outside the research laboratory.