Awakening enthusiasm for science and the thirst for research - that is the declared aim of the KinderUni Munich, which has been organized since 2004. Every winter and summer semester, the KinderUni is hosted by one or more of Munich's universities and colleges, where it organizes free lectures and events specifically for children between the ages of seven and twelve. The patron is Markus Blume, Bavarian Minister of State for Science and the Arts.
In the winter semester of 2024/2025, the KinderUni will be held outdoors at TUM Campus at the Olympic Park, as well as in BayWa-lecture Hall 1. The first lecture was given by Prof. Dr. Karsten Köhler, head of the Assistant Professorship of Exercise, Nutrition and Health. On Friday, October 25, 2024, he gave a lecture in front of more than 400 children on the topic of "Energy in a different way - how much energy do we use in sports and where does this energy actually come from?".
During the lecture, the children were "taken" into the world of metabolism. They were able to learn from Prof. Köhler in which forms energy can be used, during which activities a particularly large amount of energy is needed, and why one is particularly hungry when doing a lot of sport. During the lecture, the participants were allowed to determine their personal energy metabolism. Prior to the lecture, the children had already participated in a physical activity experiment and were then allowed to calculate, during the lecture, how many calories they burned during a ten-minute run on the TUM CiO’s track. As a reward, small sweets were handed out after the lecture – essentially as an “energy balance.”
To illustrate the lecture, a bicycle ergometer was brought to the Westpark, on which Valentin Nußer, Research Associate at the Assistant Professorship of Exercise, Nutrition and Health and a passionate triathlete, pedaled during the KinderUni lecture.
"We wanted to set the whole thing up a bit like the show with the mouse," says Prof. Köhler. “The children were supposed to guess, based on Valentin Nußer's physical activity, how far he would get on the bike during the 30-minute lecture and how many calories he would burn – and represent that visually using gummy bears. In addition, we discussed with the young researchers how far he would go with other fuels like flour or oil, to introduce them to the concept of different energy densities.” To conclude the event, the nutrition scientist had to respond to the children's exciting and curious follow-up questions.
"How much energy does our body actually use?" This exciting question and many others await the curious young researchers during the winter semester 2024/2025 at the InderUni Munich. "It offers children and young people a wonderful opportunity to dive into the fascinating world of science, spark their curiosity, and show them how exciting and diverse university topics can be," explained Science Minister Markus Blume in the current lecture catalog of the KinderUni Munich. “This way, we can inspire the next generation of researchers and explorers, opening doors to a world full of knowledge and innovation – because Bavaria offers a diverse learning environment for young minds."
To the lecture schedule of the KinderUni Munich in the winter semester 2024/2025
To the homepage of the Asisstant Professorship of Exercise, Nutrition and Health
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Karsten Köhler
Assistant Professorship of Exercise, Nutrition and Health
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62
80992 München
phone: 089 289 24488
e-mail: karsten.koehler(at)tum.de
Text: Bastian Daneyko
Photos: Gérard Pleynet/KinderUni Munich