Exercise Metabolism Lab

Dr. Pincu’s laboratory research focuses on the interaction between exercise, health and metabolic dysfunction.

Specifically, we study the effects of physical activity on metabolic health in individuals living with obesity and individuals living with diabetes. Dr. Pincu has an extensive background in exercise physiology, utilizing both human and animal models of metabolic dysfunction. Dr. Pincu specializes in molecular aspects of exercise physiology and clinical aspects of exercise in type 1 diabetes and glucose control.

The laboratory utilizes a broad range of measurement tools and techniques to evaluate aerobic capacity, resting metabolic rate, metabolic flexibility, genotyping, gene expression, circulating proteins and miRNA.

Some of the ongoing projects in the lab include:

1. Metabolic differences across the different phases of the menstrual cycle in women. In this project we use indirect calorimetry to measure resting metabolic rate and metabolic flexibility in response to a meal challenge and a submaximal exercise bout in 3 phases of the menstrual cycle when circulating concentrations of the sex hormones fluctuate.
2. The effects of rate of muscle contraction on substrate utilization and blood glucose in young adults with and without type 1 diabetes. In this collaborative project with Dr. Kevin Short form Pediatric Endocrinology OUHSC, and Dr. Hugo Pereira’s lab we compare rate of substrate oxidation and blood glucose regulation during submaximal exercise at the same aerobic intensity while manipulating rate of muscle contraction by increasing or decreasing step rate while walking or running or by increasing or decreasing pedaling cadence during cycling.
3. The differences between different sets of protective bunker gear in thermoregulation and cardiac load during simulated firefighting and recovery. In this collaborative project with OKC Fire Department and Dr. Rebecca Larson’s lab, we measure core temperature and heart rate responses to live fire simulation followed by a firefighter physical ability test and during recovery. We test active firefighters to assess the ability of the different sets of protective gear to help with thermoregulation during firefighting and during recovery.
4. The effects of ACE polymorphism on circulating markers of cardiac remodeling in response to high intensity interval training (HIIT) in people with type 2 diabetes. In this project we will genotype people with and without type 2 diabetes for ACE polymorphism and assess the circulating levels of markers of cardiac remodeling following HIIT. We will also directly evaluate the contribution of ACE inhibition on cardiac remodeling in people with type 2 diabetes in response to HIIT.
5. Using circulating miRNA as predictors of weight loss and metabolic health in people following weight loss treatment. In this collaborative project with the Lab of Professor Assaf Rudich from Ben-Gurion University, we test the use circulating miRNA based clinical tools we previously discovered (see selected publications), to predict weight loss and metabolic health several years following bariatric surgery. We also plan to test the efficacy of this clinical tool in predicting weight loss in response to other weight loss strategies such as GLP-1 receptor agonist treatment.

1. Zemer A, Samaei S, Yoel U, Biderman A, Pincu Y, Ketogenic Diet in Clinical Populations-A Narrative Review., Front. Med.; 11:1432717, eCollection 2024.
2. Makarenkov N, Yoel U, Haim Y, Pincu Y, Bhandarkar N, Shalev A, Shelef I, Liberty IF, Ben-Arie G, Yardeni D, Rudich A, Etzion O, Veksler-Lublinsky I., Circulating isomiRs May Be Superior Biomarkers to Their Corresponding Canonical miRNAs: A Pilot Biomarker Study of the isomiR-ome to Detect Coronary Calcium-based Cardiovascular Risk in Patients with NAFLD., Int J Mol Sci; 25(2):890, 2024.
3. Makarenkov N, Haim Y, Yoel U, Pincu Y, Tarnovscki T, Liberty IF, Kukeev I, Baraf L, Dukhno O, Zilber O, Blüher M, Rudich A, Veksler-Lublinsky I., Circulating miRNAs detect high versus low visceral adipose tissue inflammation in patients living with obesity., J Clin Endocrinol Metab.; 109(3):858-867, 2024.
4. Pincu Y, Makarenkov N, Tsitrina AA, Rosengarten-Levine M, Haim Y, Yoel U, Liberty IF, Dukhno O, Kukeev I, Blüher M, Veksler-Lublinsky I, Rudich A., Visceral Adipocyte Size Links Obesity with Dysmetabolism More Than Fibrosis, and Both Can Be Estimated by Circulating miRNAs., Obesity (Silver Spring);31(12):2986-2997, 2023.
5. Pincu Y, Yoel U., Haim Y., Makarenkov N., Maixner N., Shaco-Levy R., Bashan N., Dicker D., Rudich A., Assessing Obesity-related Adipose tissue Disease to improve precision care of patients with obesity, Front. Endocrinol.; 13: 860799, 2022.
6. Pincu Y, Tryggestad JB, Teague AM, Short KR, The effect of a high-fat meal on heart rate variability and arterial compliance in adolescents with or without type 1 diabetes, J Diabetes Complications; 36(3):108130, 2022.
7. Tamayo MC, Dobbs PD, Pincu Y, Family-Centered Interventions for Treatment and Prevention of Childhood Obesity in Hispanic Families: A Systematic Review. J Community Health; 46(3):635-643, 2021.