Leslie Saxon, executive director for the USC Center for Body Computing, studies human performance at its extremes, in elite athletes as well as military populations. She says the goal of the work is to help high performers function better, longer, and without injuries.
“We’re not just trying to preserve an individual in the short term,” she says. “We want methods that will preserve that individual into their post-elite athlete life. One has to think about what is going to ultimately affect the health of that individual—including their nutritional, emotional, and cognitive needs—over the long term.”