Nutrition and exercise timing, metabolism and energy balance

Exercise has the potential to improve metabolic health and body composition, with implications for the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and dementia. However, the efficacy of exercise to improve metabolic control and reduce body mass is hugely variable. For example, 6 months of structured exercise produces only ~40% of the expected weight loss based on the energy expended. Accordingly, strategies to optimise the health benefits of exercise are in need.

Whilst meal timing can influence fuel use during exercise, little is known about how meal timing and exercise interact to influence metabolic health and energy balance components (resting metabolic rate, thermic effect of feeding, physical activity energy expenditure and energy intake). Therefore, this project aims to understand the interactions between nutrient ingestion and exercise on postprandial metabolism, appetite, and energy balance components.

The Department for Health at the University of Bath specialise in combining controlled laboratory measures of metabolism with free-living methods to provide translation from fundamental science to real-world impact. During this programme of research, the appointed candidate will gain skills and experience in techniques to assess muscle and adipose metabolism, whole-body substrate metabolism (using stable isotope tracers alongside indirect calorimetry), physical activity energy expenditure, appetite and glycaemic control. Further to gaining a range of advanced skills important for academic or industrial careers in science, the successful applicant will begin to establish a research career in an area that will remain a worldwide priority target for the foreseeable future. There is also scope to work with collaborators of Dr Gonzalez, Dr Betts and Prof Thompson with the opportunity to visit specialist techniques at laboratories across the UK and Europe.

Academic requirements:

- BSc in Sport and Exercise Science, Biomedical Science or related discipline from a recognised university (First or 2:1)
- A Masters degree or relevant research experience in academia or industry.

English Language requirements:

Certificates must be dated to within two years of the start of the programme of study.
- IELTS 7.0 (with not less than 6.5 in each of the four components)
- TOEFL 600 (paper-based test) or 250 (computer-based test) with a score of not less than 4 in TWE or 100 (internet-based test) with not less than 24 in each of the components.