Background Information

Diet and exercise are of crucial importance to human health and performance across the lifespan. The main purpose of this meeting is to review the latest scientific evidence that demonstrates the interaction between nutrition and exercise in terms of maintaining and/or improving metabolic health and well-being, preventing disease and optimising performance. The scientific programme will provide up-to-date opinion and research from international experts across the field of nutrition, exercise and health and with the topic areas divided into three main sessions over 2 days. Session 1 introduces both an historical perspective and critical evaluation of invasive and non-invasive methodologies that have measured exercise energetics and energy balance within both laboratory and field environments. These methodologies underpin our existing knowledge base for understanding the role of nutrition and exercise in metabolic health and performance. Session 2 focuses on the importance of skeletal muscle mass for healthy ageing and disease prevention in older men and women. This session examines the nutritional evidence of animal- and plant-based diets in terms of preserving muscle mass with advanced age. Day 1 concludes with a plenary overview by Professor Romain Meeusen that discusses the link between nutrition, exercise and brain function in the context of health and performance. The focus of day 2 is on the interaction between nutrition and exercise for metabolic health. We begin with a second plenary presentation, by Professor Pat Harris, that explores the application of equine models, in terms of promoting non-pharmacological diet and exercise-based treatments, in addressing insulin resistance in humans. The final session will discuss the mechanisms that explain the combined role of diet and exercise in improving glucose control. The meeting concludes with a round table discussion summarising the interaction of diet and exercise for health and performance.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of the conference is to present the latest cutting-edge research that demonstrates the power of combining exercise and nutrition for promoting health, well-being and performance. Specifically, the interaction between nutrition and exercise will be presented in the context of healthy ageing and improving metabolic health.

Target Audience

Academics, Dieticians, Nutritionists, Geriatricians, Physiotherapists, Exercise referral schemes, Healthcare workers. Practitioners in Sport Science support.