Nutrition plays an important role in supporting performance, recovery, and overall health for athletes. Participants in multi-day endurance activities, such as cycling tours, ultramarathons, trekking expeditions, paddling events, and recreational adventure races, experience prolonged physiological stress and unique nutritional demands. However, little is known about the nutritional intakes and dietary quality of recreational athletes participating in multi-day endurance sport events, and their potential impact on performance and/or recovery. Understanding how nutritional intakes and dietary quality changes before, during, and after these multi-day events may identify nutritional gaps that affect performance, recovery, and long-term health outcomes. The objective of this study is to evaluate the diet quality and eating behavious among recreational athletes before, during, and after participation in a multi-day sporting event. A prospective observational study with repeated measures will be conducted with recreational athletes participating in multi-day, nature-based, multi-activity endurance event. Participants will be asked to complete a structured survey that examines their eating behaviours, including supplement and caffeine use, and two 24-hour dietary recalls prior to the race. To assess nutritional intake during the event, trained research assistants will photograph participants' race provisions before the start and any remaining food items upon completion of the event. Following the event, participants will complete an additional 24-hour dietary recall to assess post-event dietary intake and recovery nutrition practices. Nutritional intakes and diet quality will be assessed pre, during, and post-event to compare the differences across three settings, and examine their impact on athletes’ performance and recovery. The findings will provide insight into the nutritional practices of recreational endurance athletes and may help inform evidence-based recommendations to support optimal performance, recovery, and long-term health.
Research area, student roles & skills
Research area: My research program focuses on examining diets, environmental factors that can shape our diets and dietary behaviours, and their interactions. My work includes looking at the diet quality and eating behaviours of university students, potential dietary implications of Canadian front-of-pack labelling regulations, quality of plant-based protein foods, e-commerce labelling practices, and developing and validating nutrient profiling models.
Student roles: The student will join a multidisciplinary nutrition research team based at Toronto Metropolitan University, located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This role offers a valuable opportunity to gain hands-on experience in applied nutrition research, with a focus on dietary data analysis and interpretation within a collaborative academic environment. The student will work under the supervision of faculty and staff who are committed to providing mentorship and fostering academic and professional growth. The student will assist with a range of research activities, including data cleaning, and statistical analysis of dietary intake data using statistical software. While prior experience with these tools is beneficial, training will be provided if needed to support the student's development in this area. The student will also be expected to contribute to the interpretation of results. The student will prepare two key written reports: (1) a research proposal, which will include a literature review to contextualize the study and outline the research objectives and methods; and (2) a final research paper, which will present the findings, include appropriate data visualization and an interpretation of the results in relation to existing literature. The student will also be expected to deliver an oral presentation to the research team at the conclusion of the project. This presentation will summarize the research process, highlight key findings, and provide a forum for discussing the findings.
Skills required: Applicants should have an academic background in nutrition, nutritional sciences, or a related field. Experience working with dietary data and strong statistical skills, including the use of statistical software (e.g., R, SAS), is an asset. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel is required. Applicants should also demonstrate strong critical thinking, problem solving skills, and attention to detail. Excellent interpersonal, teamwork, and collaboration skills will also be important for working in a multidisciplinary research team.
2. Evaluating the nutritional quality of school food programs in Ontario
School Food Programs (SFPs), which provide free or low-cost meals and snacks in schools, are widely recognized for their potential to improve children's health and well-being, promote healthy eating behaviours, and reduce health inequities. In 2024, Canada introduced the National School Food Policy, a federal commitment to strengthening SFPs and improving the short- and long-term health outcomes of children and youth across the country. However, there is limited research examining the nutritional quality of SFPs in Canada. Therefore, this study will evaluate the nutritional quality of SFPs across Ontario, one of the most populous provinces in Canada. One-week menus from SFPs in Ontario will be analyzed for their alignment with Canada’s food guide, Canada’s national dietary guidelines, and provincial standards for SFPs. All foods reported in the menus will be linked to the national food composition database, Canadian Nutrient File, to estimate nutrient levels. Nutritional quality will be assessed using the Canadian Food Scoring System, a nutrient profiling model that can evaluate individual food’s alignment with Canada’s food guide. The findings will highlight the (un)healthfulness of foods provided in SFPs and offer valuable insights to inform future policies and programs that can support SFPs in offering nutritious foods for the healthy development of children.
Research area, student roles & skills
Research area: My research program focuses on examining diets, environmental factors that can shape our diets and dietary behaviours, and their interactions. My work includes looking at the potential dietary implications of Canadian front-of-pack labelling regulations, quality of plant-based protein foods, e-commerce labelling practices, and developing and validating nutrient profiling models.
Student roles: The student will join a multidisciplinary nutrition research team based at Toronto Metropolitan University, located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This role offers a valuable opportunity to gain hands-on experience in applied nutrition research, with a focus on menu data analysis and interpretation within a collaborative academic environment. The student will work under the supervision of faculty and staff who are committed to providing mentorship and fostering academic and professional growth. The student will assist with a range of research activities, including data cleaning, and statistical analysis of dietary intake data using statistical software. While prior experience with these tools is beneficial, training will be provided if needed to support the student's development in this area. The student will also be expected to contribute to the interpretation of results. The student will prepare two key written reports: (1) a research proposal, which will include a literature review to contextualize the study and outline the research objectives and methods; and (2) a final research paper, which will present the findings, include appropriate data visualization and an interpretation of the results in relation to existing literature. The student will also be expected to deliver an oral presentation to the research team at the conclusion of the project. This presentation will summarize the research process, highlight key findings, and provide a forum for discussing the findings.
Skills required: Applicants should have an academic background in nutrition, nutritional sciences, or a related field. Experience working with dietary data and strong statistical skills, including the use of statistical software (e.g., R, SAS), is an asset. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel is required. Applicants should also demonstrate strong critical thinking, problem solving skills, and attention to detail. Excellent interpersonal, teamwork, and collaboration skills will also be important for working in a multidisciplinary research team.
3. Evaluation of wet milled pea starch as a feed ingredient for swine
Supervisor: Deborah Adewole
University: University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon campus)
The project seeks to evaluate the effect of different inclusion levels of wet-milled pea starch on the growth performance of grow-finish pigs. The intern will be involved in feeding, weighing, and sample collection from pigs in a commercial-like swine facility.
Research area, student roles & skills
Research area: I am a monogastric nutritionist specializing in poultry and swine nutrition, and conducting research on feed ingredient evaluation, nutritional strategies to promote gut health and resilience in the absence of antibiotics.
Student roles: Daily pig management - feeding and health checks Weekly weighing of pigs Data collection and record keeping
Skills required: Previous experience working with pigs is an asset, but not required Ability/willingness to work in a swine barn environment Ability to learn new things
4. Immunomodulatory effects of a traditional kefir (KEFIR-IM study)
Supervisor: Caroline Richard
University: University of Alberta (Edmonton campus)
Canola has tremendous economic importance to Canada with 20.8 million acres under cultivation in 2020, and a total value of $26 billion. The USA Food and Drug Administration allows canola oil to carry a qualified health claim for reduction of coronary heart disease when substituted for saturated fat. Very low-carbohydrate diets, also called ketogenic diets (KETO) are popular for weight loss and are gaining interest as a treatment for diabetes because they may reduce the requirement for drugs to control blood sugar. However, KETO are often high in saturated fats, which may increase cholesterol and other cardiovascular risk factors. Substituting heart-healthy canola oil for saturated fats may improve these outcomes.
We aim to compare glucose response, cholesterol and inflammation in people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes after following KETO for 6 months compared with a third group consuming a standard diet recommended by Diabetes Canada. One KETO group will receive a supply of canola oil (KETO-Can), the other group will receive a supply of saturated fats (KETO-Sat), while the control group will consume a low-fat diet focused on whole grains. We expect that the results will support the hypothesis that outcomes, particularly cholesterol and inflammatory markers, will be improved in the KETO-Can group relative to the KETO-Sat group. The important outcomes including glucose response, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (C), LDL-C, apolipoproteinB100 (ApoB100), inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein (CRP), (adipo)cytokines and T- and B-cell populations of the immune system will be measured at baseline, 3 and 6 months. Our research team is experienced in conducting human clinical trials, ensuring the feasibility of this research project.
Research area, student roles & skills
Research area: Dr. Richard is an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Nutritional Immunology who has published 85 articles (h-index 26). She was awarded the CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes 2019 New Investigator Partnership prize and the Canadian Nutrition Society award for Knowledge Translation in 2015. She has extensive background and expertise in designing controlled nutrition interventions (including a trial of the Mediterranean Diet), immunology and lipid metabolism. Dr. Richard is also a Registered Dietitian in the College of Dietitians of Alberta.
Student roles: The HNRU is a state-of-the-art facility that provides access to centralized techniques and approaches, including a metabolic kitchen for feeding trials, equipment to assess body composition and core facilities for flow cytometry. Dr. Richard’s lab will therefore provide a unique training environment for highly qualified personnel. Trainees will develop expertise in nutrition, metabolism, biochemistry, immunology as well as human nutritional studies. Students will participate in our weekly lab meeting. Students will be ask to interact with participants taking their body weight measurement and going through questionnaires. They may participate in screening visit and recruitment of participants (administrating questionnaire). They will process blood samples during the intervention. Analyze the immune profile (flow cytometry and ex vivo cytokine production by ELISA) and the fatty acids composition in plasma and PBMC. Finally, we will do preliminary statistical analysis to allow them to present their data through a poster presentation at the end of the internship.
Skills required: The student should have a background in biological/health sciences for a quick understanding of the project. Any background related to nutrition, food sciences, immunology or biochemistry would be appropriate for this project. Good communication skills is required since students might have to interact with participants. Having experience working in a lab would be ideal but not required as the student will be trained on lipids analysis and immune assays (flow cytometry, ELISA...).
5. Metabolic and inflammatory outcomes of the ketogenic diet comparing saturated and unsaturated fat sources
Supervisor: Caroline Richard
University: University of Alberta (Edmonton campus)
Canola has tremendous economic importance to Canada with 20.8 million acres under cultivation in 2020, and a total value of $26 billion. The USA Food and Drug Administration allows canola oil to carry a qualified health claim for reduction of coronary heart disease when substituted for saturated fat. Very low-carbohydrate diets, also called ketogenic diets (KETO) are popular for weight loss and are gaining interest as a treatment for diabetes because they may reduce the requirement for drugs to control blood sugar. However, KETO are often high in saturated fats, which may increase cholesterol and other cardiovascular risk factors. Substituting heart-healthy canola oil for saturated fats may improve these outcomes.
We aim to compare glucose response, cholesterol and inflammation in people at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes after following KETO for 6 months compared with a third group consuming a standard diet recommended by Diabetes Canada. One KETO group will receive a supply of canola oil (KETO-Can), the other group will receive a supply of saturated fats (KETO-Sat), while the control group will consume a low-fat diet focused on whole grains. We expect that the results will support the hypothesis that outcomes, particularly cholesterol and inflammatory markers, will be improved in the KETO-Can group relative to the KETO-Sat group. The important outcomes including glucose response, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (C), LDL-C, apolipoproteinB100 (ApoB100), inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein (CRP), (adipo)cytokines and T- and B-cell populations of the immune system will be measured at baseline, 3 and 6 months. Our research team is experienced in conducting human clinical trials, ensuring the feasibility of this research project.
Research area, student roles & skills
Research area: Dr. Richard is an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Nutritional Immunology who has published 85 articles (h-index 26). She was awarded the CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes 2019 New Investigator Partnership prize and the Canadian Nutrition Society award for Knowledge Translation in 2015. She has extensive background and expertise in designing controlled nutrition interventions (including a trial of the Mediterranean Diet), immunology and lipid metabolism. Dr. Richard is also a Registered Dietitian in the College of Dietitians of Alberta.
Student roles: The HNRU is a state-of-the-art facility that provides access to centralized techniques and approaches, including a metabolic kitchen for feeding trials, equipment to assess body composition and core facilities for flow cytometry. Dr. Richard’s lab will therefore provide a unique training environment for highly qualified personnel. Trainees will develop expertise in nutrition, metabolism, biochemistry, immunology as well as human nutritional studies. Students will participate in our weekly lab meeting. Students will be ask to interact with participants taking their body weight measurement and going through questionnaires. They may participate in screening visit and recruitment of participants (administrating questionnaire). They will process blood samples during the intervention. Analyze the immune profile (flow cytometry and ex vivo cytokine production by ELISA) and the fatty acids composition in plasma and PBMC. Finally, we will do preliminary statistical analysis to allow them to present their data through a poster presentation at the end of the internship.
Skills required: The student should have a background in biological/health sciences for a quick understanding of the project. Any background related to nutrition, food sciences, immunology or biochemistry would be appropriate for this project. Good communication skills is required since students might have to interact with participants. Having experience working in a lab would be ideal but not required as the student will be trained on lipids analysis and immune assays (flow cytometry, ELISA...).
6. Resistance Training and Creatine in Older Adults: A Dose Response
Age-related declines in skeletal muscle mass, strength, and cognitive function contribute substantially to loss of independence, increased fall risk, and diminished quality of life in older adults. Resistance training is the most effective non-pharmacological intervention to preserve muscle function while creatine monohydrate supplementation has demonstrated efficacy in enhancing muscular strength and lean mass. Emerging evidence also suggests that creatine plays a critical role in brain energy metabolism, with potential benefits for cognitive function, particularly during aging. Presently, the optimal dose of creatine for muscle and brain function in older adults is unknown. The purpose of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial is to examine the combined effects of resistance training and creatine supplementation (with a low and high dose) on muscle function and cognition in older adults aged 50+ years. Participants (N=36) will be randomized to one of three groups for 12 weeks (12 weeks was selected because it will allow enough time for adaptations to occur): (1) high dose creatine (10 g/day), (2) low dose creatine (5 g/day), (3) placebo.
Research area, student roles & skills
Research area: Dr. Scott Forbes’ primary interest is in exercise science focusing on various nutritional and training interventions to enhance performance and functionality. In addition, he has expertise examining nutritional and exercise interventions for optimal muscle and brain health in older adults.
Student roles: The student will have to assist with data collection and help with participant recruitment. Ideally, the student would have expertise in exercise prescription and be comfortable in a gym. They must be passionate about nutrition and exercise. They will have the opportunity to learn how to assess muscle thickness with an ultrasound and collect other important outcome variables. They will also assist with literature searches and with data entry in an excel file.
Skills required: A background with exercise science research would be ideal. Experience in a gym setting and working with older adults would be helpful.