There are treadmills and cycle ergometers, a heat chamber and shimmering silver capes that enable wearers to block heat absorption. In these labs, researchers can use an infrared imaging system to take non-invasive skin temperature measurements and study such wide-ranging topics as oxygen consumption and physiological responses to exercise.

It's a treasure trove of discovery, and the results of the research conducted within can make a difference in everything from pandemic prevention to sportswear performance.

It's no wonder companies like Gatorade, Dupont, Russell, Under Armour, Nike, L.L. Bean and the Southern Company, as well as the U.S. Navy, take note of the Department of Kinesiology's findings.

Gatorade did its part to aid the department's cause in 2008 by presenting it with a $57,000 gift that enabled the purchase of new equipment and broadened the lab experiences of graduate students.

"We have a wonderful working relationship with [Gatorade],'' said Dr. Mary Rudisill, head of the Department of Kinesiology and a Wayne T. Smith distinguished professor.

It's a relationship fueled by a shared interest in human performance as well as personal connections.

Dr. JohnEric Smith '00, who earned his doctorate from Auburn in exercise science in 2008 after completing bachelor's and master's degrees in the same field at the university, now works for the Gatorade Sports Science Institute   as a senior scientist. He worked under Dr. David Pascoe, Humana-Germany-Sherman distinguished professor and head of the Thermal Lab, while completing his doctorate.

Plus, one of Pascoe's colleagues from the doctoral program at Ball State University works for Gatorade as well.

"We have some pretty strong connections,'' Pascoe said.

They also possess strong reputations for research.

Gatorade and its Sports Science Institute study ways to help athletes improve performance through proper nutrition and hydration. The company's $57,000 gift to Auburn has helped provide research opportunities for Department of Kinesiology graduate students, as well as some from the College of Sciences and Mathematics who have sought lab experience in the Thermal Lab.

Pascoe said it's not uncommon for major corporations to be keenly interested in what's cooking inside the Thermal Lab. Over the course of the years, it has developed research on a number of topics relevant to sports drink and apparel companies - the carbohydrate content of sports drinks, the efficiency of running in the heat and the performance of athletic clothing.

"The lab has become very well known for some of the infrared and hydration studies we've done so we have these opportunities where companies want to interact with us through grants and gifts,'' Pascoe said.