University of Oregon Lab Leads Olympic Athlete Research

The Oregon Performance Research Lab is an IOC-sanctioned "Olympic studies hub" exploring the limits of human endurance and performance.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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The University of Oregon's Oregon Performance Research Lab is at the forefront of studying elite Olympic athletes, serving as an IOC-sanctioned "Olympic studies hub." The lab, led by director Brad Wilkins, focuses on understanding the physiological limitations and capabilities of top athletes, particularly in endurance sports like Nordic skiing. Researchers at the lab also examine factors like hydration, temperature regulation, and warm-up routines that impact athletic performance.

Why it matters

As the Olympic Games have expanded over the past century, the science and technology behind elite athletic performance has rapidly evolved. The Oregon Performance Research Lab is playing a key role in advancing this field of study, providing critical insights that can help Olympic athletes reach new levels of achievement.

The details

The Oregon Performance Research Lab studies factors like VO2 max, which measures an athlete's maximum capacity to consume oxygen and work, as well as other physiological limitations. Researchers also examine how environmental conditions like cold temperatures impact factors such as hydration and temperature regulation for winter sport athletes. This scientific approach aims to uncover ways to optimize athletic performance.

  • The modern era of the Olympic Games covers the last 130 years.
  • The Winter Olympics started in 1924.

The players

Brad Wilkins

Director of the Oregon Performance Research Lab at the University of Oregon.

Chris Minson

Researcher at the Oregon Performance Research Lab who focuses on managing athlete hydration and temperature regulation.

University of Oregon

Home to the Oregon Performance Research Lab, which is an IOC-sanctioned "Olympic studies hub" exploring the science behind elite athletic performance.

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What they’re saying

“In the lab what we do is we study performance and what limits performance. We're really interested in what are the physiological limitations to human capability.”

— Brad Wilkins, Director, Oregon Performance Research Lab (kgw.com)

“With Winter Olympics and endurance, what comes to mind is Nordic skiing. Those athletes are beasts ... the speed and the power that they can produce over those long distances and up those hills and through that snow is quite impressive.”

— Brad Wilkins, Director, Oregon Performance Research Lab (kgw.com)

“It's been a huge increase in science-based approaches to manage these type of problems, like the dehydration or the temperature regulation issues that may come up, as well as just doing, being smarter about warm-up routines and those types of things.”

— Chris Minson, Researcher, Oregon Performance Research Lab (kgw.com)

What’s next

The Oregon Performance Research Lab plans to continue its IOC-sanctioned research on elite Olympic athletes, exploring new frontiers in human physiological capabilities and performance optimization.

The takeaway

The University of Oregon's Oregon Performance Research Lab is at the forefront of the rapidly evolving science behind elite athletic performance, providing critical insights that can help Olympic athletes reach new levels of achievement on the world stage.