Bret Goodpaster, Ph.D. investigates the pathophysiology of human aging, obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes, and the biological mechanisms underlying the health benefits of exercise. Dr. Goodpaster has received a number of awards and honors for his work, including the Nathan Shock Award from the National Institute of Aging in 2008. He is particularly well known for “the athlete’s paradox” which has shifted the paradigm in type 2 diabetes research to investigate, how and why does fat accumulation in muscle cause insulin resistance in some subjects but not others? Which are the good fats and which are the bad fats?

Dr. Goodpaster has published >250 peer-reviewed papers, review articles and book chapters, has served on several Editorial Boards, and is currently an Associate Editor for Diabetologia. He has served on grant review panels for the NIH and the American Diabetes Association. Dr. Goodpaster obtained a B.S. in Biology from Purdue, and after completing a Pre-doctoral Fellowship at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, received his Ph.D. in Human Bioenergetics from Ball State University. Prior to coming to the AdventHealth TRI-MD, he was Professor of Medicine and UPMC Chair for Diabetes and Metabolism Research at the University of Pittsburgh.

Lecture: The effects of exercise on metabolic flexibility

Metabolic flexibility is the ability to utilize the appropriate fuel to supply energy according to the demand of specific physiological conditions, e.g., fasting, feeding, and exercise. Exercise training can improve insulin sensitivity and the capacity for efficient fatty acid oxidation, two key features of metabolic flexibility.  A better understanding of the separate and additive effects of exercise and weight loss on metabolic flexibility is needed in the context of obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Roberts is an Auburn University Alumni Professor in the School of Kinesiology at Auburn University where he serves as the Director for the Nutrabolt Applied and Molecular Physiology Lab. Dr. Roberts’ laboratory utilizes cell culture, rodent, and human models to examine how nutrition and/or exercise affects cellular markers and (in humans) whole-body physiology. He currently has over 200 publications in several preeminent physiology and nutrition journals, serves senior editor roles for various physiology journals, and has given numerous lectures at regional, national, and international scientific conferences and venues.

Lecture: The past, present and future of skeletal muscle hypertrophy research

For the past 40 years, researchers and practitioners have been mesmerized with examining mechanisms associated with skeletal muscle growth in response to weight lifting (or mechanical overload in rodents). Dr. Roberts will first discuss some of the historical papers instrumental in formulating this field. Next, he will outline the current thought in this area. Finally, he will discuss future directions that will add invaluable insights and continue moving the field forward.

Dr. Katie Dabrowski, DPT, CSCS is a physical therapist and strength coach whose passion for disrupting the traditional model of physical therapy led her to Old Bull Athletics to create a 100% individualized, one-on-one treatment model that meets patients where they fall along the spectrum of wellness: preparedness, performance, recovery, or injury rehabilitation. Additionally, she is the Director of Gifted Academics, an education company committed to providing high level certification prep materials for certification exams in the strength and conditioning and nutrition fields. Dr. Dabrowski is also a neuroscience faculty member at Nova Southeastern University, where she teaches coursework blending the fields of exercise science and neuroscience.

Lecture: The Old Bull way: Weaving pain neuroscience, principles of progressive overload, and non-diagnosis driven care in the rehab process

It’s time we make a shift in the rehab space. A shift away from the biomedical model of pain, one that operates on the faulty claim of all pain = tissue damage. A shift away from underdosing rehab with low level, low stimulus interventions that do not provide enough of a stimulus to promote adaptation. A shift away from diagnosis-driven care. Dr. Dabrowski’s lecture will dive into the more modern theories of pain neuroscience, how training principles should be interwoven in rehab, and how person-centered care supersedes the need for a specific diagnosis in most cases. Because, after all, as Phil Glasgow says, “Rehab is training in the presence of injury.”

Dr. Julianne Schmidt is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Georgia. Dr. Schmidt’s primary research interest is the clinical continuum of concussion. More specifically, her research is aimed at reducing the risk of concussion and head impact exposure, increasing the number of individuals that seek medical care following a concussion, and developing evidence-based recommendations for post-concussion driving. Dr. Schmidt completed her bachelor’s in Athletic Training at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, CA. She then completed her master’s and Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She joined the faculty at the University of Georgia in 2013 where she serves in the areas of athletic training and biomechanics. Dr. Schmidt co-directs the UGA Concussion Research Laboratory.

Lecture: Updates in Concussion Management & Research

This presentation will cover changes in best practices for concussion management and the research that informs those changes.

Adam M. Gonzalez, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Allied Health and Kinesiology at Hofstra University. He holds a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Central Florida. He has also earned a bachelor’s degree in Health and Exercise Science and a master’s in Health Science Education from The College of New Jersey. Dr. Gonzalez has years of experience researching sports science, exercise physiology, and nutritional supplementation. His primary research interests include exercise and nutritional strategies to optimize body composition, maximize health, and enhance adaptations to exercise. He holds certifications as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and a Certified Sports Nutritionist (CISSN), and was awarded the 2022 Nutritional Research Achievement Award by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Lecture Title: Supplementation with Nitric Oxide Precursors for Strength Performance

It’s all about the pump! Nitric-oxide (NO)-stimulating dietary supplements are widely available and marketed to strength athletes and weightlifters seeking to increase muscle performance. Nitric oxide plays a critical role in endothelial function, promoting relaxation of vascular smooth muscle and subsequent dilation which may favorably impact blood flow and augment mechanisms contributing to skeletal muscle performance, hypertrophy, and strength adaptations. In this presentation, Dr. Gonzalez will describe the NO production pathways and summarize the current literature on the effects of supplementation with L-arginine, L-citrulline, and nitrate for strength and power performance.

David A. Sherman, Ph.D., DPT, ATC is a postdoctoral researcher in the Section of Rheumatology at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He earned his DPT from Boston University in 2014, and Ph.D. from the University of Toledo in 2022. David applies mobile brain imaging and wearable sensor technologies to investigate the root causes of chronic pain and motor impairments in orthopedic populations. His research develops and tests the efficacy of physical therapy treatments and rehabilitation technologies that restore neuromotor control and reduce the burden of disease through neuromodulation. David’s work has been funded by the National Athletic Trainers Association and the American College of Sports Medicine. He has national speaking experience on the topics of motor control, motor learning, electroencephalography, and neuromodulation.

Lecture: Neural Determinants of Motor Function in ACL Rehabilitation

Injury changes an individual’s ability to sense, integrate, and move within their environment. Our scientific understanding of joint injury as more than a musculoskeletal injury has brought insight into how neural adaptations interfere with recovery. Specifically, neuroplasticity at the level of the spinal cord and brain result in and perpetuate muscle dysfunctions and movement impairments. This presentation will discuss the emergence of neuroplasticity within sensory neural pathways, shifts in cortical integration, resultant muscle inhibition and neural control, and the application of interventions aimed at enhancing recovery through modulation of the nervous system.

Dr. Arhos is a physical therapist and postdoctoral researcher at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. She has been involved in researching clinical and biomechanical outcomes after ACL rupture and reconstruction. Her dissertation work from her Ph.D. in Biomechanics and Movement Science at the University of Delaware focused on clinical factors associated with the development of posttraumatic osteoarthritis after ACL rupture, and gait adaptability after ACL reconstruction. She has published her research in peer-reviewed journals and presented her research at the national and international level. Dr. Arhos’ research has been supported by the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research and the National Institutes of Health.

Lecture: From Surgery to Long-Term Joint Health: Optimizing Outcomes after ACL Rupture

After ACL reconstruction, outcomes are highly variable, with an increased risk for second injury, reduced rates of returning to pre-injury sport or activity level, and increased risk of developing post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis. Dr. Arhos will discuss clinical and biomechanical outcomes after ACL rupture, evidence-based objective criteria to guide return to sport decision making, and operative vs. non-operative management of acute ACL injury. She will also discuss what is currently known about the risk for development post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis in the 5-10 years that follow acute injury.

Eric Trexler has a Ph.D. in Human Movement Science from UNC Chapel Hill, and has published dozens of peer-reviewed research papers related to exercise, nutrition, and metabolism. In addition, Eric is a former professional bodybuilder and has been coaching clients with goals related to health, fitness, and athletics since 2009. He currently conducts research on metabolism and cardiometabolic health with the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology and the Clergy Health Initiative at Duke University.

Lecture: Chasing a Moving Target: Metabolic Adaptation, Exercise Energy Compensation, and Total Energy Expenditur

Whether aiming to lose weight, gain weight, fuel training, or facilitate recovery, caloric intake must be tailored to an individual’s energy expenditure and activity level. However, optimal energy intake can be a moving target. Due to metabolic adaptation and exercise energy compensation, humans may experience adaptive changes in energy expenditure when caloric intake and physical activity levels change. This presentation discusses how to effectively account for these factors when setting and adjusting calorie targets.

Dr. Carr is an Assistant Professor in the Kinesiology Department at Texas Christian University and the Department of Medical Education at the Burnett School of Medicine. He is the Director of the Neuromuscular Physiology Laboratory on TCU’s main campus and was recently awarded the BIGXII Faculty Fellowship Award. His primary research focus relates to exercise training with a specific interest in the adaptations that occur with single-limb exercise and interventions that restore and enhance neuromuscular function.

Lecture: The Long Held Promise of Cross-education: When, Why, and How?

Since 1894, the phenomenon of muscle strength and force control ‘transferring’ to untrained muscles has intrigued the medical and physiological communities. Beyond the curious physiology, this adaptation has held promising clinical potential for over a century. But over 100 years later, has the promise been delivered? This talk will examine the evidence for when, why, and how cross-education training may be implemented. This presentation invites you to consider a century-old puzzle and discover its modern relevance.

Dr. Jake Mota is an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management at Texas Tech University. He also directs the Neuromuscular and Occupational Performance Laboratory and leads a team of talented researchers. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his M.S. and B.S. from Texas Tech University. Dr. Mota’s research interests include determining the role of neuromuscular function on performance and injury risk for physically demanding occupations. Additionally, he is passionate about continuing to uncover the neuromuscular mechanisms which lead to adaptations from resistance training and other exercises. Techniques in his laboratory utilize surface electromyography, commercial and custom-built dynamometry, electrical and magnetic stimulation techniques, and B-mode ultrasonography. He has published over 40 peer-reviewed manuscripts in high-impact journals and has previously been funded by the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOSH) and the NSCA Foundation.

Lecture title: Physiological determinants of firefighter performance: Does sport science have a role?

Firefighters are critical components of public safety. Unfortunately, recent reports suggest firefighter obesity prevalence is greater than that of the general population, accompanied by industry-leading injury rates. Furthermore, underlying mechanisms which dictate firefighter performance are lacking. Dr. Mota discusses how sport science has a unique role to play with firefighters and potential, evidence-based strategies to make an impact.