"The first week of my project
included a trip to the West Ham FC Training Ground, in Chadwell Heath. Ahmad
and I met Professor Sharma (Prof) at the ground, before meeting with his
cardiology team of St George's University Hospital. We also had the privilege
of meeting some of his medical students, who were able to give us insight into
the application process for universities, while also telling us, personally, how
life at university is. While the cardiology staff set up the ground's medical
room with equipment used for measuring the ECGs (electrocardiograms) and
echocardiograms of the players, Prof along with his staff briefed us on what we
would be doing through the day. We were told the process used to connect the
players up to the ECG machines - where exactly to place the electrodes on the
body of the player. The doctors working with Prof showed us how to analyse
echocardiograms of the players and how to record certain measurements such as
aortic size and the hearts muscular wall's thickness. Soon after, we had the
fortune to meet the reserve players and the first team players to measure their
ECGs and record their echocardiograms. Through the day, we continued with this
process, alternating between roles. At times, we would have to take personal
details of the players, and ask them to sign the suitable consent forms. At the
end of the day, we had met each player of West Ham, including manager Sam
Allardyce, and were able to have friendly conversations with them. Ahmad and I
had each brought a football which we were able to get signed by each of the
players, which was the highlight of our day. 
In general the whole experience was
very enjoyable as being football fans, meeting the players was an exciting
opportunity. Along with having a fun time, we were able to learn a lot, with
ECGs and echocardiograms being new to us. Our research project is based on
comparing the heart rate of a professional athlete with an ordinary
non-athletic person. In addition, we will be comparing the heart rates of the
players of West Ham, with the heart rates of players of perhaps Tottenham
Hotspur or even Manchester City. Other factors the project may look into
investigating are if race, age and fitness have any effect on the performance
of the players hearts.
In terms of minuses, I must admit I
have yet to report on any so far. The project has been intriguing and engaging
for us. We hope soon we can visit another club to record some more data for our
project. Prof has kept the results and data but with his permission, we can use
it to tailor our projects. Of course, the project will not include the names of
the players, due to the players confidentiality agreements."
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