Catherine Weikart Yeckel PhD
Associate Research Scientist in and Lecturer in Epidemiology (Environmental Health)
Research Interests
Obesity; Insulin resistance; Exercise training
Current Projects
- The Longitudinal Impact of Diet and/or Exercise-induced Weight Loss on Metabolic Markers of Cardiovascular Risk
Research Summary
Obesity related insulin resistance is a primary health risk factor, with skeletal muscle playing a dominant role. Although exercise training can be an effective strategy to reduce insulin resistance, it is often not undertaken by obese individuals. Exposure to a mild cold environment may offer a novel means to force the body to beneficially adapt in a fashion similar to that of exercise training. Swings in environmental temperature necessitate a physiologic and metabolic response by the body to maintain, or regain, homeostasis. Physiologic and metabolic responses result in vasoconstriction in skin and increased heat production by skeletal muscle. The primary goal of Professor Yeckel's research is to examine whether mild cold exposure can significantly improve insulin sensitivity and health risk profile in obese adolescents and young adults. Mild cold exposure should improve fuel handling by skeletal muscle and liver, as well as potentially realign the balance of the autonomic nervous system.
Selected Publications
- DiPietro, L., Dziura, J., Yeckel, C.W., and Neufer, P.D. Exercise and Improved Insulin Sensitivity in Older Women: Evidence of the Enduring Benefits of Higher Intensity Training. Journal of Applied Physiology 100: 142-149, 2006.
- Yeckel, C.W., Taksali, S.E., Dziura, J., Weiss, R., Burgert, T.S., Sherwin, R.S., Tamborlane, W.V., and Caprio, S. The Normal Glucose Tolerance Continuum in Obese Youth: Evidence for Impairment in b-cell Function Independent of Insulin Resistance. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 90(2): 747-754, 2005
- Yeckel, C.W., Weiss, R., Dziura, J., Taksali, S.E., Dufour, S., Burgert, T.S., Tamborlane, W.V., and Caprio, S. Validation of Insulin Sensitivity Indices from Oral Glucose Tolerance Test Parameters in Obese Children and Adolescents. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 89(3): 1096-1101, 2004.
- Weiss, R., Dziura, J., Burget, T.S., Taborlane, W.V., Taksali, S., Yeckel, C.W., Allen, K., Lopes, M., Savoye, M., Morrison, J., Sherwin, R., and Caprio, S. Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents. New England Journal of Medicine 350(23): 2362-2374, 2004.
- Sheffield-Moore, M., Yeckel, C.W., Volpi, E., Wolf, S.E.,, Morio, B., Chinkes, D.L., Paddon-Jones, D., and Wolfe, R.R. Postexercise Protein Metabolism in Older and Younger Men Following Moderate-intensity Aerobic Exercise. American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism 287(3): E513-E522, 2004.
- Durham, W.J., Miller, S.L., Yeckel, C.W., Chinkes, D.L., Tipton, K.D., Rasmussen, B.B., and Wolfe, R.R. Leg Glucose and Protein Metabolism During an Acute Bout of Resistance Exercise in Humans. Journal of Applied Physics 97(4): 1379-1386, 2004.
