Susan Racette

Dr. Racette’s clinical research focuses on diet and exercise interventions to promote health and fitness and reduce cardiovascular disease risk factors in a variety of populations, including children. Current areas of investigation include caloric restriction's effects on aging, dietary phytosterols and their influence on cholesterol metabolism, and school-based initiatives to enhance physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and favorable weight status in children and adolescents. Research techniques include measuring total energy expenditure using doubly labeled water (DLW), resting metabolic rate using indirect calorimetry, cholesterol metabolism using stable isotopes, body composition by BIA, DXA, and MRI, cardiorespiratory fitness assessed with maximal oxygen consumption treadmill tests or field tests, energy intake from DLW, and nutrient intake from food diaries or surveys.