Both a single session of exercise and chronic exercise training are well known to improve outcomes related to metabolic health. However, dietary choices around exercise may further enhance or negate these exercise-induced improvements. This talk will discuss how acute and chronic exercise can improve glycemic control and insulin sensitivity, while also describing how nutrition may influence and modify these responses. We will explore how different nutritional strategies, including exercising in the fasted or fed state, the macronutrient composition of post-exercise meals, and the presence of an energy and/or carbohydrate deficit may differentially affect exercise-induced health benefits. The objective of this presentation is to provide insight into how various nutritional strategies may be used to optimize the metabolic health benefits associated with exercise.
Alexa Govette is a PhD candidate in the Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education at the University of Toronto. Her work focuses on investigating the effect of different exercise and nutritional strategies for improving cardiometabolic health in females across the lifespan, supervised by Dr. Jenna Gillen. Previously, she completed a Master of Science Degree where she examined the effects of fasted versus fed-state bodyweight interval exercise on postprandial glycemia, post-exercise fat oxidation and perceptions of appetite in healthy young females. Alexa's current research interests involve exploring the influence of different forms of exercise (e.g., low-volume high-intensity interval exercise, moderate-intensity continuous exercise) and their interactive effects with different nutritional strategies on blood glucose regulation, insulin sensitivity, and skeletal muscle adaptations related to improved metabolic health in females who are inactive and/or at-risk for cardiometabolic disease. Alexa is also interested in understanding how menopausal status may impact how females respond to different dietary and/or exercise interventions.