Senior Lecturer in Health, Nutrition and Exercise

Dr. Julia Zakrzewski-Fruer is a Senior Lecturer in Health, Nutrition and Exercise at the University of Bedfordshire, where she specialises in paediatric exercise and nutrient metabolism and is the Co-Deputy Director of the Institute for Sport and Physical Activity Research (ISPAR) and coordinates the MSc Physical Activity, Nutrition and Behaviour Change. Prior to this role, Julia completed a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science (First Class Hons) from Loughborough University (2004-2007), an MSc by Research at the University of Gloucestershire (2007-2008) and a PhD at Loughborough University (2008-2011). Julia then worked as a Research Officer at the University of Bath, where she managed the UK site for the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE) and collaborated internationally to examine associations between breakfast consumption, physical activity and obesity in children from 12 countries across the world.

Julia's primary research interests focus on how manipulations in physical activity and breakfast consumption can enhance cardiometabolic health in children and adolescents for the prevention of cardiometabolic disease, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Her most recent work also spans the co-benefits of physical activity and nutrition behaviours for human and planetary health in attempts to aid climate change mitigation efforts. Julia has published widely in this area in highly-ranked journals (e.g., the International Journal of Obesity, Journal of Nutrition), received funding from various sources (e.g., British Nutrition Foundation, British Academy/Leverhulme Trust) and supervised several research students to completion. Further, Julia is a Registered Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition.

Julia integrates her expertise in paediatric physical activity and nutrient metabolism with her strong passion to contribute to efforts to mitigate climate change and is a member of the British Association for Sport and Exercise Science Climate Change Action Team (BASES CCAT). Key areas of interest include the role of active travel and physical activity in nature for cardiometabolic and planetary health co-benefits among children and adolescents.

Qualifications

• PhD, Paediatric exercise, and nutrient metabolism – Loughborough University
• MSc by Research – Exercise Physiology in Overweight Children - University of Gloucestershire
• BSc (Hons), Sport and Exercise Science (First Class) – Loughborough University

Selected Awards and Professional Activities

• Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) with the Association for Nutrition (2013 to present).
• Workshop organisation committee member: 'Health relevance of lowering postprandial glycaemia in children and adolescents through diet'. International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe/ Dietary Carbohydrate Taskforce.
• Nutrition Society Paper of the Month (September 2017): nutritionsociety.org/papers/effect-breakfast-omission-and-consumption-energy-intake-and-physical-activity-adolescent
• Research featured in: Nursing Times, Mail Online, Health Medicine Network and News Medical
• Invited speaker: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Human Performance Laboratory Webcast: 'The developing athlete – considerations to support energy for growth, maturation & physical performance' (June 2016).
• Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism Outstanding Review Award 2015: http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/cjfas/outstandingreviewers

Teaching Expertise

I am the course co-ordinator for the MSc in Physical Activity, Nutrition and Behaviour Change and teach undergraduate and postgraduate students from levels 4 to 7 in the following areas:

• Dissertation supervision
• Physical activity, nutrition and health
• Exercise metabolism
• Nutrition for metabolic health and related conditions
• Undergraduate and postgraduate courses

Research Interests

• Paediatric exercise and nutrient metabolism
• Child and adolescent obesity, insulin resistance and glycaemic control
• Type 2 diabetes prevention
• Interactions between breakfast consumption and physical activity
• Human and planetary co-benefits of physical activity for climate change mitigation

Postgraduate Research Student applications

If you have funding to complete a PhD studentship or MSc by Research, I would welcome applications from anyone interested in the areas of research outlined above.

Research Projects

• How does breakfast consumption versus omission affect free-living physical activity and cardiometabolic health in adolescents?
• Measuring glycaemic control and insulin sensitivity in adolescents – impact of exercise and nutrition manipulations
• Exercise and appetite

Research profiles

• ORCID
• ResearchGate

Research supervision

Current:

• Abbie Bell: 'Reducing sedentary behaviour for the prevention of heart disease'.
• Opie Charlett: 'The effects of sedentary behaviour on cardiometabolic risk markers in older adults'.
• Jane Williams: 'Can physical activity support parentally bereaved young people?'.
• Sahar Afeef: 'Exercise and dietary manipulations to improve insulin sensitivity in adolescent girls and boys' (external: Loughborough University)
• Kamalesh Dey, PhD – 'Effects of breaking up prolonged sedentary time on cardiometabolic risk markers in South Asians'

Completed:

• Benjamin Maylor, PhD (2021). "Effects of breaking up prolonged sitting on appetite control and cardiometabolic risk markers."
• Victoria Morari, MSc by Research (2020)."Acute impact of breakfast consumption versus omission on postprandial metabolic responses during rest and exercise in adolescent girls."
• Charlotte Stringer, MSc by Research (2019). "Blood glucose response to free living interrupted sitting in overweight and obese adults."
• Matthew Horner, MSc by Research (2018). "Effect of environmental temperature during exercise on appetite and gut hormone responses."
• Rachel Horsfall, MSc by Research (2018) . "Effect of environmental temperature on appetite and gut hormone responses during rest."
• Charlie Orton, MSc by Research (2017). "Effects of breaking up sitting with sprint interval exercise compared with a continuous single sprint interval exercise session on cardiometabolic risk markers."
• Paul Mackie, MSc by Research (2016). "Independent effects of seven days of imposed exercise on free-living energy balance and appetite-regulating hormones in males."
• Christopher Esh, MSc by Research (2016). "The cumulative effects of seven days of imposed exercise on energy balance and appetite in men."
• Tatiana Plekhanova, MSc by Research (2015) . "Effects of breakfast consumption compared with omission on energy intake and physical activity in overweight and non-overweight adolescent girls."

Academic citizenship and leadership

• Course co-ordination roles: MSc Physical Activity, Nutrition and Behaviour Change
• Unit co-ordination roles: Nutrition for Metabolic Health and Related Conditions (BSc); Lifecycle Nutrition (BSc); Metabolic Health (MSc)
• Research leadership roles: Institute for Sport and Physical Activity Research (ISPAR) Centre for Health, Wellbeing and Behaviour Change Deputy, postgraduate research student lead, ISPAR Seminar Series Lead (2013 to 2020), ISPAR Conference Lead (2016 to present)

Funded Projects

• British Nutrition Foundation Pump Priming Awards (2018), Jones R and Zakrzewski-Fruer JK, 'Acute impact of breakfast consumption and omission on glycaemia and insulinaemia in adolescent girls'. £4796 awarded. (Co-applicant).
• Nutrition Society Summer Studentships (2018), Zakrzewski-Fruer JK, 'The effects of breakfast consumption and breakfast omission on free-living physical activity energy expenditure and energy intake in adolescent girls classified as habitual breakfast skippers'. £2500 awarded. (Supervisor).
• Society for Endocrinology Summer Studentships Projects (2016), Zakrzewski-Fruer JK, 'Interaction between environmental temperature and appetite regulation'. £2850 awarded. (Supervisor).
• British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants (2015-2017), Zakrzewski-Fruer JK and Tolfrey K, 'Interaction of breakfast consumption with daily energy expenditure in adolescent girls'. £9990 awarded. (Principal Investigator).
• University of Bedfordshire Teaching and Learning Projects (2014-2015), Zakrzewski-Fruer JK and Bailey D, 'Utilisation of dietary analysis software to develop an authentic problem-based learning environment to enhance student learning'. £2838 awarded. (Principal Investigator).
• Tanita Healthy Weight Community Trust Grant (2011-2012), Tolfrey K and Zakrzewski-Fruer JK, 'Effect of exercise energy expenditure on subsequent energy Intake in overweight and non-overweight children'. £8400 awarded. (Co-applicant).
• Tanita Healthy Weight Community Trust Grant (2009-2010), Tolfrey K and Zakrzewski-Fruer JK, 'Effect of breakfast glycaemic index on fat oxidation during subsequent low to moderate exercise'. £7000 awarded. (Co-applicant).

Selected publications

Selected conference Presentations

• Fruer, J. (2018). 'Physical activity duration but not energy expenditure differs between daily compared with intermittent breakfast consumption in adolescent girls: a randomised crossover trial'. (Oral communication). 23rd annual congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS), Dublin, 2018.
• Fruer, J. (2017). 'Associations between breakfast frequency and objectively-measured physical activity and sedentary time during different times of the day in children from 12 countries'. (Oral communication). British Association for Sport and Exercise Science Conference, East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham
• Fruer, J. (2016). 'Effect of breakfast consumption compared with omission on free-living physical activity energy expenditure in girls'. (Oral communication). British Association for Sport and Exercise Science Conference, East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham.
• Fruer, J. (2016). 'Associations between breakfast frequency and objectively-measured physical activity and sedentary time in children from 12 countries'. (Oral communication). 21st annual congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS), Vienna.
• Fruer, J. (2014). 'Breakfast, exercise and health in young people: time to move on'. (Oral communication). Invited lecture: School of Life and Medical Sciences Research Conference, University of Hertfordshire
• Fruer, J. (2011). 'Acute effect of Fatmax' exercise on glycaemia, insulinaemia and fat oxidation in overweight and non-overweight girls'. (Oral communication). 16th annual congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS), Liverpool John Moores University.

Selected Awards and Professional Activities

• Registered Nutritionist (RNutr) with the Association for Nutrition (2013 to present).
• Workshop organisation committee member: 'Health relevance of lowering postprandial glycaemia in children and adolescents through diet'. International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe/ Dietary Carbohydrate Taskforce.
• Nutrition Society Paper of the Month (September 2017) - www.nutritionsociety.org/papers/effect-breakfast-omission-and-consumption-energy-intake-and-physical-activity-adolescent

Funding Awards

• British Nutrition Foundation Pump Priming Awards (2018), Jones R and Zakrzewski-Fruer JK, 'Acute impact of breakfast consumption and omission on glycaemia and insulinaemia in adolescent girls'. £4796 awarded. (Co-applicant).
• Nutrition Society Summer Studentships (2018), Zakrzewski-Fruer JK, 'The effects of breakfast consumption and breakfast omission on free-living physical activity energy expenditure and energy intake in adolescent girls classified as habitual breakfast skippers'. £2500 awarded. (Supervisor).
• Society for Endocrinology Summer Studentships Projects (2016), Zakrzewski-Fruer JK, 'Interaction between environmental temperature and appetite regulation'. £2850 awarded. (Supervisor).
• British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grants (2015-2017), Zakrzewski-Fruer JK and Tolfrey K, 'Interaction of breakfast consumption with daily energy expenditure in adolescent girls'. £9990 awarded. (Principal Investigator).
• University of Bedfordshire Teaching and Learning Projects (2014-2015), Zakrzewski-Fruer JK and Bailey D, 'Utilisation of dietary analysis software to develop an authentic problem-based learning environment to enhance student learning'. £2838 awarded. (Principal Investigator).
• Tanita Healthy Weight Community Trust Grant (2011-2012), Tolfrey K and Zakrzewski-Fruer JK, 'Effect of exercise energy expenditure on subsequent energy Intake in overweight and non-overweight children'. £8400 awarded. (Co-applicant).
• Tanita Healthy Weight Community Trust Grant (2009-2010), Tolfrey K and Zakrzewski-Fruer JK, 'Effect of breakfast glycaemic index on fat oxidation during subsequent low to moderate exercise'. £7000 awarded. (Co-applicant).

External Roles

• International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Europe/ Dietary Carbohydrate Taskforce: Expert Group member on the 'Health relevance of lowering post-prandial glycaemia in children and adolescents through diet'
• Collaborator on the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment (ISCOLE), Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana, US.

Contact Details

T: +44 (0)1234 793410 (ext. 4410)
E: julia.fruer@beds.ac.uk

Postal address:
Dr Julia Fruer
Institute for Sport and Physical Activity Research (ISPAR)
School of Sport Science and Physical Activity
University of Bedfordshire
Polhill Avenue
Bedford
MK41 9EA
UK