Virginia Tech® home

Exercise, Nutrition & Physical Performance

A Virginia Tech HNFE faculty member runs on a treadmill.

This research area is dedicated to assessing the impact of exercise and nutrition on physical performance in both healthy individuals and those with chronic diseases. Researchers investigate how these factors can optimize and enhance physical capabilities, shedding light on strategies to improve overall health and well-being.

Areas of Interest

  • Exercise and nutrient metabolism
  • Exercise science and physiology
  • Genetics of exercise and body weight
  • Sports nutrition
  • Sports science and medicine

Faculty

  • Bio Item
    A Virginia Tech HNFE faculty member stands outside for a photo.
    Brenda M. Davy, PhD, RDN , bio

    Professor: Obesity and body weight regulation; behavioral and metabolic aspects; diet and cardiovascular diseases; dietary intake assessment; water and beverage intake and health

  • Bio Item
    A Virginia Tech HNFE faculty member stands inside of a building on campus for a headshot.
    Kevin P. Davy, PhD , bio

    Professor: Etiology, prevention, and treatment of cardiometabolic dysfunction in aging and obesity

  • Bio Item
    A Virginia Tech HNFE faculty member takes a photo inside of their lab.
    Joshua C. Drake, PhD , bio

    Assistant Professor: How molecular mechanisms responsible for monitoring cellular energetics change with age and their relationship to the development of age-related disease

  • Bio Item
    A Virginia Tech HNFE faculty member stands outside against a Hokie Stone building for a photo.
    Deborah J. Good, PhD , bio

    Associate Professor: Molecular regulation of body weight, exercise, fertility, and puberty; prader-willi syndrome; phylogenetic analysis; nutraceutical functional foods; Pedagogy research

  • Bio Item
    A Virginia Tech HNFE faculty member stands outside for a photo.
    Samantha Harden, PhD, 500 RYT , bio

    Associate Professor: Yoga as an affordable, accessible public health practice; dissemination and implementation science; group dynamics for long-term health behaviors

  • Bio Item
    A Virginia Tech HNFE faculty member stands against a HokieStone wall for a headshot.
    Young H. Ju, PhD , bio

    Associate Professor: Effects of functional food and supplements on chronic disease; effects of integrative health on health

  • Bio Item
    A Virginia Tech HNFE faculty member stands inside of a campus building for a headshot.
    Enette Larson-Meyer, PhD, RD, CSSD, FACSM , bio

    Professor, Director of the Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics (MSND) Program, and Director of the Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (NEM) Lab: How nutrition and exercise influence health and physical performance; special interest in energy, vitamin D and iodine metabolism

  • Bio Item
    A Virginia Tech HNFE faculty member stands inside for a photo.
    Sumita Mishra, PhD , bio

    Assistant Professor: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; Interorgan cross-talk, Cardiometabolic links; focuses on mitochondrial, cGMP-protein kinase G signaling

  • Bio Item
    A Virginia Tech HNFE faculty member stands outside for a photo.
    Stella L. Volpe, PhD, RDN, ACSM-CEP, FACSM , bio

    Department Head and Professor: Nutrition and exercise in the prevention of obesity and diabetes; sports nutrition

  • Bio Item
    A Virginia Tech HNFE faculty member stands inside for a photo.
    Jay Williams, PhD , bio

    Professor: Muscle physiology and biochemistry; human performance; athlete monitoring; sports science

  • Bio Item
    A Virginia Tech HNFE faculty member stands inside for a photo.
    Zhen Yan, PhD , bio

    Professor: Exploring the role of exercise in preventing cardiovascular, metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer