A physician from Central Indiana Sports Medicine also examines participants to determine the nature of their colds and to assure that they are otherwise healthy. Weidner emphasized that the physician is on-call 24 hours a day to monitor participants' health. Participants are divided into two groups. The first group is involved in 30 minutes of supervised moderate exercise. The other does no exercise at all.
Participants report to the laboratory twice a day for seven consecutive days.
Ball State's research on the effects of colds and exercise was the first using human subjects. Ball State is creating a track record as a research center for colds and exercise. The study will continue through mid-November. Weidner said he expects to report findings by early 1999. A reduction in student loan interest rates signed into law by President Clinton will have little major impact on students, a Ball State University official says.