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Research InterestsAssociate Professor Steve Boutcher | | (Position Details) | | Phone Please contact School/Unit | | Qualifications MSc Dalhousie, PhD Arizona State |
| | | School/Unit |
| School of Medical Sciences | |
| | Broad Research Areas | |
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Preventive Medicine
Metabolism
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| | | | Specific Research Keywords | |
| Obesity
Diabetes and Endocrinology
Peripheral and central adiposity
Nutrition
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| | | | Research Interests | |
| We are interested in examining the ability of exercise and diet to decrease body fat and to normalize metabolic syndrome factors such as insulin and inflammation. For example, we have shown that high intensity intermittent sprinting exercise (LifeSprints), compared to steady-state exercise, results in significant fat loss in women. We have also shown that LifeSprints reduces fasting insulin levels to a greater extent compared to steady state exercise. We are currently attempting to find out what mechanisms (e.g., EPOC, satiety hormones) underlie these LifeSprint-induced effects. An ongoing RCT called the FEM trial is examining the effect of fish oils (F), LifeSprint exercise (E), and a Mediterranean eating plan (M) on fat loss and metabolic markers in overweight women. We are also carrying out studies examining the fat oxidation and vascular effects of bioactive agents such as green tea. We are also interested in the effect of exercise and reactivity on health. Reactivity, which is typically measured by assessing autonomic and metabolic response, relates to how the body responds to psychological and physical challenge. For, example, research has shown that people at risk for hypertension and heart disease display exaggerated autonomic reactivity to psychological challenge. Ongoing studies are examining how these abnormal autonomic responses lead to vascular problems and hypertension. Impedance (cardiac output, cardiac contractility), beat-by-beat blood pressure, occlusion muscle blood flow, vascular resistance), baroreceptor sensitivity (body and neck chambers), vagal sensitivity, pulse wave analysis (arterial stiffness), metabolic cart (O2 uptake), and blood variables (e.g., catecholamines, glycerol, insulin, lactate, hemoglobin, HbA1c) are used in human subjects.
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| | | | ILP Research Interests (Will supervise ILP students) |
| Preventive Medicine
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| | | | Teaching Interests | |
| Teaching interests focus on physical activity, health, and exercise physiology. Teaching approach firstly, provides evidence underlying theory, and secondly, provides opportunities to put theory into practice. To achieve this second aim students carry out practicums and internships in the recently developed Lifestyle Clinic. | |
| | | | Society Memberships & Professional Activities | |
| - American College of Sports Medicine
- Society of Psychophysiology
- High Blood Pressure Council of Australia
- Australasian Society for the Study of Obesity
- Australian Diabetes Society
- Australian Association for Exercise and Sports Science | |
| | | | Funding Sources | |
| Diabetes Australia Research Trust | |
| | | | Other Postgraduate Research | |
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The effects of high intensity exercise on adiposity and insulin levels
The effects of high intensity exercise on satiety
The effects of acute and chronic exercise on sympathetic hyper-reactivity | |
| | | | Key works/Publications | |
| Boutcher, S.H., & Dunn, S.L. Factors that may impede the weight loss
response to exercise-based interventions. Obesity Reviews (2009).
Trapp, G., Chisholm, D., Freund, J. & Boutcher, S.H. (2008). The effects
of high intensity cycle exercise on fat loss and insulin levels of
young women. International Journal of Obesity, 32, 684-691.
Matuszek, M., & Boutcher, S.H. (2008). Elevated levels of circulating
cortisol in young normotensive adults with a family history of
hypertension. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology.
Trapp, G., Chisholm, D., & Boutcher, S.H. (2007). Metabolic response of
trained and untrained females during high intensity cycle exercise.
American Journal of Physiology, 293, R2370-R2375.
Hamer, M., Boutcher, Y.N., & Boutcher, S.H. (2007). Fatness is related to
blunted vascular stress responsitivity, independent of
cardiorespiratory fitness in normal and overweight men. International
Journal of Psychophysiology, 63, 251-257.
Boutcher, Y., & Boutcher, S.H. (2006). Cardiovascular and catecholamine
response to the Stroop Task. Biological Psychology, 73, 235-241.
Hamer, M., Park, Y., Boutcher, Y.N., & Boutcher, S.H. (2006).
Reproducibility of skeletal muscle vasodilation responses to Stroop
mental challenge over repeated sessions. Biological Psychology, 73,
186-189.
Hamer, M., & Boutcher, S.H. (2006). Impact of moderate overweight and
body composition on post-exercise hemodynamic responses in healthy men.
Journal of Human Hypertension, 20(8), 612-617.
Boutcher, S.H., & Hamer, M. (2006). Physical activity and cardiovascular
reactivity. In E. Acevedo & P. Ekkekakis (Eds). The Psychobiology of
Exercise and Sport. Champaign: Human Kinetics.
Hamer, M., Jones, J., & Boutcher, S.H. (2006). The effect of acute
exercise on cardiovascular reacitvity to mental challenge. Journal of
Hypertension. 24, 315-320.
Hamer, M., & Boutcher, S.H. (2005). Stress reactivity and health - the
impact of exercise and nutrition. In Kimberely V. Oxington (Ed.),
Psychology of Stress, Nova Science publications.
Hamer, M., Boutcher, Y., & Boutcher (2003). The role of cardiopulmonary
baroreceptors during the forearm vasodilatation response to mental
stress in humans. Psychophysiology 40: 249-253.
Hamer, M., Boutcher, Y., & Boutcher, S.H. (2002). Cardiovascular and
renal reactivity to mental challenge in trained and untrained offspring
hypertensives. Journal of Human Hypertension 16: 319-326.
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