Bench to Bedside II – Fall 2010

We are recruiting fourth year undergraduate students of NUTR*4010, registered in the Applied Human Nutrition program at the University of Guelph, to participate in a voluntary research and teaching project. You do not have to participate in this project, nor does it count towards your grade for NUTR*4010.

The purpose of the RESEARCH portion of the project is to determine body composition (fat mass, lean soft tissue, bone mineral density) of nutrition undergraduates. You will be put into a group with three AHN classmates, and will visit the lab for approximately 1 to 1.5 hours. Each person in the group will undergo one DXA scan and one BOD POD test to measure body composition. On a separate visit, in pairs, you and your partner will have your resting metabolic rate measured with a metabolic cart. Some students will also undergo MedGem testing (handheld indirect calorimetry). The purpose is to determine the difference between the metabolic cart and the MedGem in measuring resting metabolic rate. This second visit will also last approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.

The purpose of the TEACHING portion of the project is to help students learn, in a hands-on way, the methods that are taught in NUTR*4010, Assessment of Nutritional Status.

You will also be asked to complete short questionnaires at each visit.

Is there anything I should do to prepare?

For the DXA: We will ask you to remove all jewellery, including piercings, as metal interferes with the scan. We will ask you to wear a hospital gown over your undergarments. For females, please wear a non-metal-containing sports bra/bra top. You do not need to fast. You will lie on a scanning bed for approximately 5 to 7 minutes, during which x-rays will be emitted from below your body and measured above by a moving “arm”. Although the amount of radiation is very low, we will ask you whether you are pregnant, or if there is any chance that you may be pregnant. We will ask you to recall the first day of your last menstrual cycle. This test will be done by a Medical Radiation Technologist.

For the BOD POD: Please bring a bathing suit and bathing cap. While you do not need to fast, we do ask that you refrain from eating or drinking for 2 hours prior to the test.

For the metabolic cart: We will ask you to fast (no food or beverages other than water), and to refrain from exercise and smoking, for 12 hours prior to this test. You will be asked to lie on a bed with a ventilated plastic bubble placed over your head and neck. It is large, see-through and lightweight and you will be able to watch a movie during the test. The test will last approximately 30 to 40 minutes. We will provide you with refreshments after this test so that you do not feel hungry.

For MedGem: If you are randomly chosen for this test, it will take place during the same visit as the metabolic cart testing. You will be asked to sit in a chair, and breathe into the handheld device, for approximately 20 minutes.

I have some questions – who can I talk to?

Please contact Emily Opperman, NUTR*4010 Graduate Teaching Assistant, at eopperma@uoguelph.ca, with any questions or concerns. Alternatively, please contact the primary investigators, Dr. Janis Randall Simpson (rjanis@uoguelph.ca) or Dr. Andrea Buchholz (abuchhol@uoguelph.ca).