Symposium at Hasselt University during the
European Cycling Championships
14 - 15 September 2024
We are excited to invite you to this symposium with the unique approach of being scientifically highly captivating and, at the same time, welcoming whoever is interested in the latest expertise on cycling and sports medicine.
9:00 – 9.10 | Welcome by the organizing committee | |
Session 1A | The importance of exercise and lifestyle for health and wellbeing Chair: Prof Sofie Brouwers (OLV Aalst / Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Dr Christophe Laruelle (Clinique Saint-Luc | |
09:10 – 09:30 | What is more important – A healthy lifestyle or being fit? | |
09:30 – 09:50 | Health and wellbeing – Can wearables reduce the socio-economic burden of cardiovascular disease? | |
09:50 – 10:10 | Can anti-obesity drugs replace the need for a healthy lifestyle? | |
10:10 - 10:30 | Innovation in Preventive Medicine? | |
10:30 – 10:40 | Discussion | |
Session 1B | Ultrasound imaging ‘hands on’ workshop: sports injuries of the upper and lower limbs | |
10:40 – 11:00 | Coffee break and visiting the booths | |
Session 2A | Heart check-up before sports: whom, when and how? Chair: Dr Guy De Schutter ((Team doctor Alpecin-Deceuninck pro-team) and Dr Kaatje Goetschalckx (Leuven University Hospital) | |
11:00 – 11:18 | Heart screening before sports: whom, when and how? | |
11:18 – 11:36 | What are we looking for: causes of sudden cardiac death in athletes | |
11:36 – 11:54 | How do we protect athletes from cardiac events – Is the answer in our DNA? | |
11:54 – 12:12 | Coronary plaques in athletes – Should they be worried? | |
12:12 – 12:30 | How to keep track of heart rhythm problems in athletes? | |
Session 2B | Ultrasound imaging ‘hands on’ workshop: sports injuries of the upper and lower limbs | |
12:30 – 13:40 | Lunch break | |
Session 3A | Cleared to ride – How do I build up my training? | |
13:40 – 14:00 | From exercise test to training program | |
14:00 – 14:20 | After the exercise test – How to keep track of training progression in-the-field? | |
14:20 – 14:40 | Optimalization of training schedules and performance in female athletes | |
14:40 – 15:00 | Cycling nutrition – everything you need to know | |
15:00 – 15:20 | Muscle MRI scanning – Identifying the talents of the future? | |
15:20 – 15:30 | Discussion | |
Session 3B | Ultrasound imaging ‘hands on’ workshop: sports injuries of the upper and lower limbs |
Session 4 | Imaging the sports heart | |
09:00 – 09:20 | A journey through the heart using cardiac ultrasound | |
09:20 – 09:40 | What is a cardiac MRI and what can we learn from it in athletes? | |
09:40 – 10:00 | Assessing the effects of extreme endurance exercise on the heart | |
10:00 – 10:20 | Limits of the athlete’s heart – Lessons from the Pro@Heart and Master@Heart study | |
10:20 – 10:30 | Discussion | |
10:30 – 11:00 | Coffee break and visiting the booths | |
Session 5 | Psychosocial aspects – The athlete with heart disease | |
11:00 – 11:20 | The athlete’s perspective – psychological impact | |
11:20 – 11:40 | Shared decision making – What is the ethical responsibility of the physician and of the athlete? | |
11:40 – 12:00 | Sports after inflammation of the heart muscle – can we avoid the mental repercussion of six months of sports restriction? | |
12:00 – 12:20 | The athlete with atrial fibrillation – is sports restriction necessary and how to convince the athlete? | |
12:20 – 12:30 | Discussion | |
12:30 – 13:00 | Lunch break | |
Session 6 | Rise and fall – injuries during cycling | |
13:00 – 13:20 | How do I recognize a concussion – What are the consequences for cyclists? | |
13:20 – 13:45 | Typical acute injuries in cyclists – an update | |
13:45 – 14:10 | How to prevent cycling injuries: some possible strategies. | |
14:10 – 14:40 | Round table |
Accreditation for medical doctors & physiotherapists
Aaron L. Baggish M.D. FACC, FACSM
Brief Bio-summary
Dr. Aaron L. Baggish is the founder of the Cardiovascular Performance Program (CPP) at Harvard Medical School and now professor of medicine and sports science at the University of Lausanne. He has served as medical director for the Boston Marathon and cardiology/team physician consultant for numerous organizations including the IOC, FIFA, World Rowing, Trek-Lidl Cycling, NFL & MLS Player’s Association, UOSPC, US Soccer, and US Rowing. He has published more than 300 original peer reviewed research articles and serves on the editorial boards of multiple journals including Circulation and Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise.
Contact Information:
aaronbaggish@gmail.com +41 79 918 05 63 (SUI) / +1 617-943-4545 (USA)
Wim Derave is a professor at the Department of Movement and Sports Sciences at Ghent University (Belgium), a global top ranked sport science institute (http://www.shanghairanking.com/Special- Focus-Institution-Ranking/Sport-Science-Schools-and-Departments-2016.html). He teaches and leads a dynamic research team in exercise physiology, sport nutrition and muscle metabolism.
After obtaining his Master’s Degree in Physical Education and Movement Sciences at Ghent University, Wim made a PhD on the effects of exercise on muscle insulin action and glycogen metabolism, in collaboration with Prof. JL Pannier and Prof. Erik Richter from the prestigious Copenhagen Muscle Research Centre in Denmark. During his post-doc work in Prof. Peter Hespel’s lab at the K.U.Leuven (Belgium), his main research focus was the physiological role and the nutritional manipulation of the creatine system in skeletal muscle. Since 2005, Wim established his own laboratory in Ghent, which has taken a lead in the research regarding beta-alanine supplementation and the role of carnosine in skeletal muscle, both with respect to sport as to chronic metabolic diseases. An emerging research topic of his group relates to the development of an MRI-based - thus non-invasive - evaluation of muscle fiber type composition (the Muscle Talent Scan), and its applications towards talent identification, training advice and injury risk in athletes and team sport players. In 2017, Wim spent a 6-month sabbatical at the Gold Coast (Australia) as a visiting professor of Griffith University, to further develop the Muscle Talent Scan in elite Australian athletes.
Wim Derave has authored more than 150 peer-reviewed international scientific publications.
Thijs Eijsvogels, PhD is an Associate Professor of Exercise Physiology. His research training started at Radboud University (PhD degree, NL), followed by postdoctoral fellowships at Hartford Hospital (USA) and Liverpool John Moores University (UK). Dr. Eijsvogels is interested in the physiological and cardiovascular responses to acute and chronic exercise training. His research is focused on the benefits and potential deleterious effects of exercise across the whole physical activity spectrum: from cardiovascular disease patients demonstrating excessive sedentary behavior to veteran athletes performing long-term, high volume, high-intensity exercise training. He currently leads the Exercise Physiology research group at the Radboud University Medical Center (Nijmegen, NL), with the aim to optimize exercise prescription for cardiovascular health improvement. For this purpose, research techniques from the fields of physiology, cardiology and epidemiology are integrated in his multidisciplinary team.
Dr Tom Teulingkx (1974) is a general practitioner and sports physician in Westerlo . since 2013 he ‘s Chairman of SKA (vereniging Sport- en keuringsartsen ) and since 2022 Chairman of Belgium federation of sports and exercise medicines, member of medical commite of Belgian Cycling and member of part of Board of directors of Sporta Federation . With Ska he developed VASO , Flemish Recommendation of Preparticipation medical examination (VASO) and the Sport cardiac action plan (SCA)
I am a senior researcher at the Heart Centre of Amsterdam University Medical Centre. Primary research interests include secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and healthy lifestyle programs. With a master's degree in epidemiology and a strong background in nursing and teaching, my professional experience has included substantial positions in research and education. My work continues to have impact on the field of cardiovascular research, helping to inform healthcare professionals and improve patient outcomes. I have to admit I am not an experienced race biker, although I can proudly say I do ride my sports bike to work every day.
Marius Myrstad, MD, PhD, FESC, is senior consultant and researcher at Baerum Hospital, Norway. Leader of the Norwegian Exercise and Atrial Fibrillation Initiative NEXAF (www.nexaf.no) and principal investigator (PI) of the international randomized controlled trial (RCT) Effects of Detraining in Endurance Athletes with Atrial Fibrillation (NEXAF Detraining). Local PI of The Norwegian Exercise and Atrial Fibrillation Trial, a RCT on exercise in patients with atrial fibrillation. He is part of the Norwegian Atrial Fibrillation Research Network afib.no (www.afib.no). Has published several papers based on clinical and epidemiological studies on atrial fibrillation in endurance athletes and in relation to exercise. Passionate XC-skier and runner.
Former Chairman of the Department of Neurology of the Antwerp University Hospital and honorary professor of neurology at the University of Antwerp (Belgium), Patrick Cras trained as a medical doctor at the University of Antwerp (UA, 1983), as a research fellow in the Laboratory of Neuropathology at the Born Bunge Institute (1983-1985) and obtained a speciality certification and a PhD in neurology (1989). This was followed by a Fogarty Fellowship at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (1989-1991). He is one of the vice- chairmen of the Belgian National Bioethics Committee. He is the Chairman of the European Board of Neurology (Union Européenne des Médecins Spécialistes) and a member of the Joint Educational Board of the European Academy of Neurology. His research interests involve dementia, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, movement disorders and the neuropathology of neurodegenerative diseases. He is the director of the National CJD Reference Center and NeuroBiobank, which determines CSF biomarkers for dementia and hosts a large research brain bank. He is also interested in the ethics of human experimentation, end-of-life decisions, euthanasia and research involving vulnerable subjects. He has been principal investigator in numerous pharmaceutical industry-sponsored studies on different compounds in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. He (co)authored more than 500 international peer-reviewed articles. As a neurologist interested in concussion, he is a former advisory group member for safe martial arts practice.
Jan Bogaert is a cardiovascular radiologist working at Gasthuisberg University Hospital and tenure- track professor at KU Leuven, Belgium. He has been active in the field of cardiovascular imaging for more than 30 years, published 300 peer reviewed scientific papers, written 55 chapters, and edited three textbooks on cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). Over the years, more than 75 fellows from 22 countries worldwide, got trained in CMR under his supervision. When doctor Bogaert is not professionally active, his passion goes to mountain-biking, cooking, photography and travelling.
Professor Heidbuchel graduated as MD in 1986 and obtained a PhD in Cardiac Cellular Electrophysiology in 1992. He worked as Research Fellow of the NIH and Fogarty International at the University of Oklahoma (1993–1994) and was Fundamental Clinical Investigator of the Fund for Scientific Research Flanders from 1996 till 2006.
He was appointed as Professor of Cardiology – Arrhythmology at the University of Leuven, Belgium in 1994. Since October 2016 he is the Chair of Cardiology at Antwerp University. He was President of the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) from 2018 to 2020 and Chair of the Section on Sports Cardiology of the European Society of Cardiology from 2010 to 2012.
He has published over 420 papers in international peer-reviewed journals (h-index 86), from cellular to clinical electrophysiology, from ablations and device therapy to sports cardiology.
Tomas Robyns is an assistant professor at the department of cardiovascular sciences of the University of Leuven and cardiologist at the university hospitals of Leuven. He has special expertise in cardiogenetics and electrophysiology. He is the head of the Centre for hereditary heart disease at the University hospitals Leuven. His research focuses on the genotype phenotype relation of inherited cardiomyopathies and arrhythmia syndromes.
Xavier Bigard, MD, PhD,
Medical director Union Cycliste Internationale
Pr. Xavier Bigard is a sports physician, physiologist and nutritionist. He has a long career as scientist with a focus on exercise physiology, muscle biology, sports nutrition, tolerance of physical training, and the adaptation of active Humans to extreme environmental conditions (altitude, heat, cold). Pr. Bigard was scientific advisor of the president of the French Antidoping Agency during 6 years, and currently member of the Health-Medicine-Research Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Pr. Xavier Bigard is now Medical Director of the International Cycling Federation, in charge of programs to maintain athletes' health and member of the ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations) Medical and Scientific Consultative Group.
Prof. dr. Guido Claessen, UHasselt and Jessa Hospital, Hasselt
Dr. Olivier Ghekiere, UHasselt and Jessa Hospital, Hasselt
Prof. dr. Bert Op ‘t Eijnde, UHasselt, Hasselt
Open to medical (sports) doctors & general practitioners, physiotherapists, coaches, (recreational) athletes with a passion for cycling.
After registering you will receive an email with the payment details from our financial department.
Registration for ultrasound 'hands on' workshops: sports injuries of the upper and lower limbs on Saturday September 14 (Prof. Dr. Jan Gielen) is limited to 20 persons for each session.
Session 1: upper limb (9:10-9:40)
Session 2: upper + lower limbs (11:00-12:30)
Session 3: lower limb (13:40-15:10)
On-line registration will be available until 5 September 2024.
Registration Fee
One-day symposium 80 € (catering included)
Two-day symposium 150 € (catering included)
Registration cancellation policy
Cancellations received until 7 September 2024 will be refunded.
Hasselt University (UHasselt)
Martelarenlaan 42
3500 Hasselt
Belgium