While studying kinesiology at the University of Windsor, Alexa Govette took a few courses in nutrition and muscle physiology. This sparked an interest in learning more about skeletal muscle metabolism and how nutrition could be used as a tool to improve health. A bit of Googling led her to discover the profile of Jenna Gillen, an assistant professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE), and she decided to apply there for graduate studies.
“One of my favourite parts about being a master’s student in KPE was the environment and being around supportive and passionate people,” says Govette. “Especially prior to COVID-19 and now as we slowly get back to normal, it was really motivating to walk into a room and end up almost always learning something new, getting perspective on an idea, brainstorming or problem solving through casual conversations. Everyone is always so willing to help and learn from each other.”
Govette worked with Gillen to develop the idea for her thesis project. She was interested in understanding how the timing of meals around high-intensity interval exercise could influence metabolic health benefits such as blood sugar control in women. Together they designed an exercise physiology research study that involved high-intensity exercise, a nutrition intervention, blood sampling and a metabolic cart. When COVID-19 hit, they had to completely revamp the project so that it could be conducted in the participants’ homes.
“With Jenna's outstanding mentorship, we were able to find methods to collect data remotely,” says Govette. “Additionally, Jenna went above and beyond to secure an industry partnership, which allowed us to utilize new technology to measure carbohydrate and fat utilization using a portable device.”
What seemed impossible outside of a laboratory setting was suddenly possible and Govette was able to continue her research. The new study design also allowed her and Gillen to test a novel exercise protocol, bodyweight interval exercise, which has recently gained popularity due to its time-efficient nature and ability to be performed without any exercise equipment or added space – an important factor during COVID-19.
“We were able to determine that exercising after a meal resulted in greater reductions in meal-induced increases in blood sugar compared to exercise before a meal, which may be important information for women who are trying to regulate their blood sugar,” says Govette.
She plans to celebrate convocation with her friends and family and is already looking forward to continuing her studies as a PhD student with Gillen.
“There is evidence to suggest that there are physiological differences in response to exercise and nutritional interventions between men and women, but the vast majority of exercise physiology research has been conducted in men, leaving women underrepresented in our area of work,” she says.
“The goal of my PhD thesis will be to further our understanding on how women respond to different exercise and nutritional interventions, with the intent of developing effective lifestyle interventions to improve their metabolic health across the lifespan.”
Her advice for new students is to know that every problem has a solution and that every challenge can have an accomplishment.
“Sometimes your path is hard to see, but you may just need to look at it from a different angle and be patient,” she says. “Don’t forget to utilize the support from the people around you. Lastly, pursue opportunities that will allow you to do the things that you enjoy and find interesting. I think that while anything worth doing requires hard work, if you love what you do, the accomplishments will outweigh the challenges in the end.”