Professor of Medicine John O. Holloszy, M.D., returned from Australia last week with Olympic gold.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Medical Commission honored Holloszy with the 2000 IOC Olympic Prize on Sports Medicine as part of the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
He received the award in recognition of his contributions to the science behind enhanced athletic performance and disease state management. The award included a $500,000 prize, endowed by Pfizer, which Holloszy plans to use to further his research.
Like the athletes themselves, Holloszy had global competition --he was selected from a list of candidates from four continents by an independent committee made up of some of the world's most accomplished physicians and scientists. The Olympic Prize on Sports Medicine is considered the highest honor in the field of movement, exercise and sport science. Holloszy is the fourth recipient of the award, which is presented every two years during the Olympic Games.
Holloszy is a pioneer in understanding the impact of exercise training on athletic performance and the quality of life of the elderly. He was honored for his key role in uncovering the mystery behind muscle adaptation and its effect on the overall health of the human body. This groundbreaking discovery in 1967 sparked research developing an entire field devoted to the study of movement, exercise and sport. This research also has led to significant breakthroughs in preventive medicine for heart disease, diabetes and obesity.
Born in Austria, Holloszy graduated from Washington University School of Medicine in 1957 and joined the faculty in 1965. He is chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology and director of the section of applied physiology.
Holloszy has devoted 40 years to making exercise a valid area of research and showing how it can help prevent and reverse heart disease and diabetes. He laid out the scientific methodology that enables athletes to increase their endurance as they train and provided a rational basis for athletic training that continues to test the limits of human performance.