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Exercise and Energy Research

physio and particiapnt

Making Strides in Exercise and Energy Research

From understanding how exercise acts as medicine to sending muscle cells to space, our team of research faculty, exercise physiologists and postdoctoral fellows are experts in muscle function and research training methods. 

 

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About Exercise and Bioenergetics (Energy) Research

Bioenergetics is the process of how the cells in our body transform and use energy.

  • Can exercise improve or prevent the development of chronic diseases?
  • How do our lifestyle choices impact our body's ability to transform and use energy?
  • How does age impact our ability to recover after periods of inactivity?
  • How do metabolic diseases alter our functional capacity and ability to transform and use energy?
  • How does reduced physical activity or immobilization affect our whole-body composition and does this relate to changes at a cellular level?
  • How do certain supplements, diet and nutrition affect our body's ability to transform and use energy.

Your participation contributes to new and important scientific discoveries that can make a large impact on your community. There are also several potential benefits to you as an individual that could include:

  • Weight loss, improved body composition and strength
  • Improvements in quality of life
  • Opportunity to learn new exercises and physical activities that will build a healthier lifestyle
  • Monetary incentives
  • Access to new and advanced therapies and treatment strategies before it's available to the public

While every research study is unique, exercise research often requires participants to:

  • Exercise under supervision about 2 to 4 times a week
  • Be measured for weight, height and waist circumference
  • Submit lifestyle questionnaire information
  • Undergo tissue and blood sampling
  • Receive medical imaging, such as MRI, DXA (bone density) and PET-CT
  • Wear an activity monitor

Our physicians screen every new participant accepted into a study to ensure that they safely meet the criteria to participate. Your participation is voluntary and our research team continues to monitor your health and wellbeing during the length of the study.

Lindy and participant

About Our Facility

The training facility, located at the Translational Research Institute, is equipped with treadmills, upright bicycles, recumbent bicycles, rowing equipment, free weights and resistance equipment as well as ergometers and ECG systems for testing the maximum amount of oxygen that a person can use during strenuous exercise. The exercise training facility is fully equipped with men’s and women’s showers, lockers and changing rooms. This facility has the capability to monitor participants’ blood pressure, blood glucose, and urine ketones as well as heart rate (via heart rate monitor wrist watches and chest straps) and Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) at specific time intervals.

Will Cavins' Exercise Research Story

When COVID-19 changed our world, former bariatric patient, Will, began to regain weight. Through becoming a research participant for an exercise study at AdventHealth, Will was able to both become healthier and give back to his community.

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