VALDOSTA STATE MAGAZINE 29 A couple of Webster’s longtime friends — fitness guru Dr. Jim Stoppani and his colleague, Dr. Tim Scheett — connected Webster with a company that puts capsaicin into a micro-encapsulated form. The capsule doesn’t dissolve until it reaches the small intestine, thereby eliminating the uncomfortable burning in the mouth and stomach and allowing an individual to ingest larger quantities of the ingredient. The study — a joint operation with Dr. Wes Dudgeon, one of Webster’s colleagues at the College of Charleston in South Carolina — is testing different doses of capsaicin to see if a larger amount has an even greater effect on a test subject’s metabolism. The subjects are mostly VSU and College of Charleston students who undergo three-hour testing sessions once a week for six weeks. Similar to the chocolate studies, both resting and exercise energy expenditure are being measured. Results are still too preliminary to make final determinations, but Webster said the research could have an impact in the fight against obesity. “The problem we have in this country is that over the last 40 years, the average 5-foot- 9-inch male has gone from 160 pounds to 195 pounds, while the average 5-foot-4-inch female has gone from 130 to 160 pounds,” he said. “Approximately 25 percent of our available fighting force for the military doesn’t qualify because of obesity. More than two-thirds of our population is classified as overweight or obese. “Energy balance — calories in and out — is a real issue. Anything that can manipulate that balance is going to have an effect on overall body weight and body health. Can we do something that will increase somebody’s energy expenditure by even a little bit? “Obesity is the lynchpin of most of the other chronic diseases we’re dealing with today, from diabetes to hypertension to kidney disease to cardiovascular disease and heart failure — they’re all linked to obesity as the beginning of that process. This research with red peppers and dark chocolate might be part of the solution.” Dr. Michael Webster, associate professor of exercise physiology, holds a bag of capsules consumed daily by subjects during the capsaicin research study.