Rodolfo Margaria

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Rodolfo Margaria (born November 15, 1901 in Châtillon (Aosta Valley) , † January 29, 1983 Milan ) was an Italian internationally active physiologist whose research on lactate metabolism , maximum muscle strength and altitude training represent the basis of today's applied sports medicine .

Life

After graduating from high school in Aosta in 1918, he studied medicine at the University of Turin , where he learned primarily from Amedeo Herlitzka and Ferdinando Micheli. After receiving his doctorate in medicine (1924), he was able to remain as an assistant in physiology, where he completed his habilitation in physiology in 1928 . His focus was on experimental human physiology and biochemistry . In his first independent work, he benefited from his experiences in the Alps, as he systematically dealt with the reduced performance at altitude. In 1930, as a young aspiring researcher, he received a Rockefeller Fellowship and continued to study under Nobel Laureate AV Hill at Cambridge (to whose work he had referred). From there he went on a scholarship to J. Barcroft and JL Henderson from 1932–33 at Harvard University , he worked for DD Van Slyke in New York and DW Bronk in Philadelphia, before joining Otto Meyerhof in Heidelberg in 1934 at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Medical Research went. He had thus assisted or studied with all the major physiologists in the world at that time. After the years of traveling he settled back in Italy. He received a call to the professorships of physiology at the University of Ferrara (1934), University of Parma (1935), University of Pavia (1935-37) and finally the University of Milan (1938-77), where he stayed intermittently. 1938–1943 he was seconded to the high-altitude research center of the Italian Ministry of Aviation in Guidonia Montecelio . He was a part-time director of the Sports Institute of Lombardy ( Istituto superiore di educazione fisica della Lombardia ) (1965-1977) and also in 1948 and 1950 visiting professor at Yale University for one academic year .

Scientific importance

Margaria has looked at the limits of human metabolism. On the one hand, he wanted to know what maximum performance a person is capable of. Among other things, the margaria kalamen test goes back to him. The alactic and lactic anaerobic metabolism of people in motion, the recycling of lactic acid under different conditions was his special focus. Many of the theories still in use today can be traced back to him. With more than 200 research papers and his ability to work with researchers in different languages, he was an important element of international research even during times of war. In addition to work on altitude medicine (later also space medicine ), he was particularly interested in sport, as high performance under standardized conditions Conditions have been achieved.

Honors

Margaria was a member of the venerable Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei , he was on the board of directors of the International Union of Physiological Sciences , was a fellow of the International Academy of Astronautics , the Physiological Society , the Istituto lombardo di scienze e lettere , the Accademia delle scienze di Torino . He was president of the Società italiana di fisiologia , the Association des physiologistes de langue française , the Società italiana di biologia sperimentale . He was awarded the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic for Physiology and Pathology (1953) and the Medal for Services to Public Health (in gold). The city of Milan has named a street after him.

Obituaries

  • V. Capraro, Commemorazione di RM, in Atti dell'Acc. nazionale dei Lincei. Rendiconti, cl. Di scienze fisiche, matematiche e naturali, s. 1983, 8: 65: 405-426.
  • DB Dill: RM The Physiologist, 26 (1983), 78-79.
  • R. Goldsmith - PE di Prampero - P. Cerretelli: Prof. RM 1901-1983: An appreciation. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 51 (1983), 1-2.
  • V. Capraro: In memoria di RM Atti della XI Riunione primaverile della Soc. italiana di fisiologia, Firenze 1984, pp. 5-13.
  • G. Rotondo: RM Riv. di medicina aeronautica e spaziale, 49 (1984), 7-20.
  • E. Meda: Commemorazione di RM, Atti dell'Acc. delle scienze di Torino, 120 (1986), 132-138.
  • E. Agostoni: Ricordo di RM Pathos, 2 (1995), 87-98.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ RM: The ability of humans to work under reduced air pressure. In: Occupational Physiology. 2, 1929, 3, pp. 261-272.
  2. ↑ Arnd Krüger , Sabine Weber: Is the MARGARIA KALAMEN test suitable for children from 6 to 10 years old? In: H. Ilg (Hrsg.): School sport in the primary level. EMA University, Greifswald 1991, ISBN 3-86006-040-6 , pp. 77-79.
  3. ^ The possible mechanisms of contracting and paying the oxygen debt and the role of lactic acid in muscular contraction. In: American Journal of Physiology. 106, 1933, 689-715
  4. ^ The source of muscular energy. In: Scientific american. CCXXVI (1972), pp. 84-91.
  5. ^ Biomechanics and energetics of muscular exercise. Oxford 1976.
  6. ^ Emilio Agostoni: Rodolfo Margaria. In: Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani. 70, 2008 ( treccani.it ).
personal data
SURNAME Margaria, Rodolfo
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian physiologist and medic
DATE OF BIRTH November 15, 1901
PLACE OF BIRTH Châtillon (Aosta Valley)
DATE OF DEATH January 29, 1983
Place of death Milan