Balke, Bruno

German emigre and researcher in sports medicine and environmental factors influencing human work performance. Balke received doctoral degrees in sports medicine from the University of Berlin (1937) and in physiology from the University of Leipzig (1945). In 1945 he developed a test for determining functional adaptability and limitations of human work capacity. As a result, he was invited to join the research staff of the U.S. Air Force School of Aviation Medicine in San Antonio, Texas. In 1960 Balke left the School of Aviation Medicine to take a position as Professor of Physical Education and Physiology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Biography

German emigre and researcher in sports medicine and environmental factors influencing human work performance. Balke was educated in the University of Berlin medical school, receiving his degree in sports medicine in 1937. In 1938, he was recruited as team physician for the German expedition to the summit of Nanga Parbat, a Himalayan mountain cresting at 26,700 feet. His experiences on the mountain inspired his life-long interest in human performance under extreme environmental conditions.

During WWII Balke served on the Russian front until he contracted infectious hepatitis. As a result he was relocated to the School of Mountain Rescue in Tyrol, where he was asked to establish two physiology laboratories, one at 2,000 feet above sea level and the other at 10,000 feet. At these sites, Balke studied the impact of environmental factors such as cold, heat, and altitude, in addition to the impact of exercise and nutrition. In collaboration with Ulrich Luft, who was also a member of the 1938 Nanga Parbat expedition team, Balke developed a test for determining functional adaptability and limitations to work capacity.

In 1945, Balke submitted a Ph.D. thesis on physical performance capacity at high-altitude, which was accepted by the University of Leipzig. Though never published, the thesis was instrumental in Balke's being recruited to join the staff of the United States Air Force School of Aviation Medicine in San Antonio, Texas. While on staff there from 1950 to 1960, Balke worked in the Human Performance Laboratory, investigating human adaptation to high altitude, in-flight stress, and simulated deep space.

In 1960, Balke left the USAF School of Aviation Medicine to accept a position as Professor of Physical Education and Physiology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Balke currently resides in Grand Junction, Colorado.