Vernon Coffey

The scope of my research in exercise physiology that began during my doctoral candidature, includes molecular cell signalling, gene expression/genetics and protein synthesis in skeletal muscle through to whole body metabolism, and attempts to bridge the gap between basic sciences and applied sport science.

My primary interests are in the specificity of training adaptation and nutrient-training interactions to promote adaptation in skeletal muscle.

The focus of my research is related to athletic training and performance, but many of the underlying mechanisms of adaptation also closely align with prevention of obesity and associated co-morbidities, and maintenance of functional capacity with aging.

My current research is exploring the variation in response to different types of contractile overload, and genotype-phenotype interactions that may determine the extent of adaptation in skeletal muscle.

The nature of my field of research dictates that research projects of interest will typically utilise the muscle biopsy technique to enable the quantification of proteins and genes directly in the muscle, rather than being limited to indirect alternatives in the circulating blood (if any) or sports performance outcomes.

Investigating a sub-cellular muscle profile is a difficult proposition, particularly for applied sport scientists or dietitians, but the additional information that it provides is critical for understanding the "how" and "why" of nutrient-training interactions or training adaptation.

Previous post-graduate students that I have supervised have undertaken general thesis titles including:

• The specificity of training adaptation in skeletal muscle
• Optimizing protein delivery to promote skeletal muscle protein synthesis
• Variable CHO-high protein diets for healthy weight loss

My current interests include, but are not limited to, the interference effect with concurrent training, and practical implications of manipulating muscle glycogen concentration on adaptation.