The Columbia Runners Heart Clinic

Led by Stanford University’s Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, the ELITE Study is an international collaboration of investigators aiming to define the genetic factors associated with physical fitness in the world’s most elite endurance athletes. To qualify, you must have a lifetime highest VO2max of 55+ (mL/min/kg) for women and 65+ men as documented via a laboratory exercise test or wristwatch estimate. Participation takes only 15 minutes and can be done remotely. Participants read and sign a consent form, fill out a brief health and athletic performance survey, and provide a saliva sample.

This research study is focused on understanding the physiology and performance of masters endurance runners (age 40+). We are studying how specific approaches to training, fueling, and supplements influence performance in this population. Findings from this study may help guide future investigations into age-specific endurance training strategies and support evidence-based recommendations for extending competitive longevity in aging athletes. We welcome masters runners who are interested in learning more about this work to reach out and get involved.

The New York Fitness Cohort (NYFC) study, led by Dr. Michael Lipton, MD, PhD, aims to assess the competing effects of fitness and head impacts (“headers”) on the brains of soccer players. This NIH-funded, longitudinal investigation compares soccer players, non-contact athletes, and non-athletes using advanced neuroimaging, VO2max testing, and cognitive assessments to determine whether fitness can offset heading-related brain changes and establish evidence-based thresholds for safe participation.

New York Road Runners (NYRR), Columbia University, and the Runner Health Consortium (RHC) are collaborating on a study to evaluate a pre-race cardiac screening survey in long-distance runners preparing for their next race. The survey focuses on cardiac risk factors but also on runners’ understanding of the potential cardiac risks associated with long-distance running. Findings will inform the feasibility and effectiveness of cardiac screening and education strategies designed to improve the safety of long-distance running races.

The Outcomes Registry for Cardiac Conditions in Athletes (ORCCA) study aims to monitor clinical outcomes in athletes diagnosed with cardiac conditions at risk for sudden death. This is a registry study that will follow athletes who meet the following criteria: age 14 to 35 years old at the time of enrollment, have a diagnosis of an eligible cardiac diagnosis or eligible borderline findings, and participate in competitive sport at the time of enrollment or within the last 2 years. Please read more about the study and the researchers leading this work here, and please reach out if you are interested in participating.