CHCS - Perspectives Summer/Fall 2017

College of Health Care Sciences 27 Faculty Research Project: Finding the ‘Speed Gene’ in Professional Athletes JOSE ANTONIO, Ph.D., FNSCA, FISSN, associate professor, conducted a series of studies looking at the effects of various nutrition and exercise perturbations on performance and body composition. His latest study answered the question of whether you have the “right stuff” for speed sports. Are specific individuals built for quick bursts of energy, or do they have the endurance to keep on going and going without getting tired? The research Antonio conducted in the Department of Health and Human Performance, in collaboration with Jaime Tartar, Ph.D., associate professor and research coordinator, and Sarah Knafo, undergraduate student in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, has answered that question. “We have tested well over 100 athletes, including professional mixed martial arts fighters, elite distance runners, swimmers, CrossFit athletes, bodybuilders, paddlers, and track-and-field athletes,” Antonio explained. “Besides the fascinating data showing differences between athletes in terms of body fat and muscle mass, we also found interesting data on the presence of the ACTN3 gene—dubbed the ‘speed gene.’ ” Research outcomes from the study will be published in a future issue of Perspectives . ● NSU Researchers Receive Grant to Examine Protein Powder Supplementation Corey Peacock, Ph.D., M.S., CSCS, CISSN, assistant professor, and Tobin Silver, Ph.D., M.S., CSCS, associate professor and practicum director, recently received external funding from the MusclePharm Corporation by way of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN). Peacock and Silver have been members of the ISSN since 2013 and are internationally certified as sports nutritionists through the organization. In a collaborative effort, the researchers received external funding to examine the effects of different types of protein powder supplementation (whey vs. casein) on markers of human physiology. The project will help to determine whether the different forms of protein will elicit a difference in body composition and metabolic rate over eight weeks. Peacock and Silver presented their data at the International Society of Sports Nutrition 14th Annual Conference and Expo held June 22–24 in Phoenix, Arizona. ● From left: Jose Antonio discusses the study results with elite standup paddlers and athletes Victoria Burgess and Mark Athanacio.