Adrienne Clark
Virginia Dietetic Association recognizes Clark for research project
'Eat healthier, drink water, and exercise every day!' In today's society, we are often confronted with these sorts of messages, but rarely do we stop to examine the research driving the advice.
Adrienne Clark, an undergraduate student working with Brenda Davy, associate professor of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, recently found that older, overweight adults will lose more weight and reduce their risk of Type 2 diabetes if they drink two cups of water before every meal and eat a low calorie diet.
The original research project, conducted by former PhD student Liz Dennis, lasted 12 weeks and involved splitting a sample of overweight adults between 55 and 75 years old into two groups. Participants in one group were instructed to drink two glasses of water (16 oz.) before every meal while on a low calorie diet. The other group did not consume two glasses of water, but was on a low calorie diet. The group that consumed the extra water lost an average of 7 kg, whereas participants in the control group lost an average of only 1 kg.
"We found that increasing water consumption on a low calorie diet resulted in better glucose tolerance," Clark said. "Thus, if a registered dietitian is ever counseling someone in this population he or she can advise them to drink two glasses of water per day before each meal to improve glucose tolerance which may then decrease the likelihood of developing diabetes."
Clark's poster took second place among 26 contestants at the 83rd annual Virginia Dietetic Association meeting held in March at the Inn at Virginia Tech, in which students from all over Virginia submitted research posters.
Through her work with Davy, Clark is also involved in the Resist Diabetes Project, led by Davy and Richard Winett, professor of psychology at Virginia Tech. The interdisciplinary research project examines how resistance training influences blood glucose levels and other diabetes markers in older, pre-diabetic adults. Davy's students are responsible for evaluating physical changes and characteristics in the participants such as glucose, body mass index, and weight changes, while Winett's students look at differences in the nutrition trainer's approach, and how that influences participant behavior.
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, diabetes is a dangerous disease that can lead to skin infections, foot and leg amputations, vision problems, increased risk for heart attack, kidney damage, diabetic coma and diabetic ketoacidosis. It occurs when the hormone insulin is unable to break down the carbohydrate glucose in order to move it from the bloodstream to muscle, fat and liver cells where it can be stored or used for energy.
Diabetes can occur in three forms: Type 1, Type 2 and gestational. Type 1 diabetes is often diagnosed in young children and is a result of a lack of production of insulin; when these patients are given insulin daily, this usually treats the disease. Gestational diabetes occurs when a woman who is otherwise not diabetic experiences high blood sugar during pregnancy. Type 2 diabetes makes up most cases and is largely preventable.
Q&A: Meet Adrienne
Hometown:
Centreville, VA
Major:
Dietetics (Senior)
Fralin Advisor:
Brenda Davy
What attracted you to your particular field of science?
I started my undergraduate degree at the University of Richmond. I didn't know exactly what I wanted to study, but knew that I wanted it to be science-based. While I was there, I was pursuing a degree in Biology with a minor in Dance. I soon realized that being at a small private college was not the experience I was hoping for. I had chosen UR over Virginia Tech and found that Tech was often on my mind. My older sister was a student here at the time and I was becoming very intrigued with the Dietetics major in HNFE. I have been a dancer since I was three years old and have always understood the importance of nutrition. After spending hours on the VT and HNFE homepages, I realized that I really wanted to be a Hokie! I transferred here after my freshman year and immediately started the Dietetics coursework. I knew right away that I had made the right decision.
What attracted you to studying glucose specifically?
I began doing undergraduate research with Dr. Brenda Davy in January of last year. My involvement in her lab is centered around the Resist Diabetes Project that is based in Roanoke. Much of Dr. Davy's research addresses obesity, diabetes, weight loss, and water consumption. Obesity and diabetes are becoming increasingly important health topics and I am very interested in being part of the research that may help overcome these conditions. My interests in obesity and diabetes are what have led me to study glucose tolerance, specifically.
Your best Eureka! Moment:
I created a poster for the Virginia Dietetic Association meeting held last month in Blacksburg. It was my first experience creating a poster and doing statistical analyses. Becoming familiar with the analytic computer software and creating my first poster was really exciting! When we ran the tests and discovered that increased water consumption really did improve glucose tolerance, I was thrilled!
If you could be one part of the human body, what would you be?
The legs, because I have always been a dancer and know that you need a lot of strength and flexibility in your legs. Dancers with beautiful leg extensions are incredible to watch on stage!
Which qualities of the following, do you feel are most important for researchers to possess—open-mindedness, precision, time management skills, optimism, cynicism, integrity, a good sense of humor?
Many of these are important qualities to have! Once I started working in research, I quickly discovered the importance of time management skills. Research is very time and resource intensive, especially when you are doing it on top of your regular coursework. We also have to travel to Roanoke for our study, so the time spent traveling quickly adds up! I think precision is also very important with research. You want your techniques and results to be as accurate as possible, especially if your data will be published.
Favorite hobby outside of school?
I have always been very passionate about dance. I'm a member of the Contemporary Dance Ensemble, a student-run company on campus. We perform two semester shows and host the "Remembrance Through the Arts Showcase," a performance we created after we lost one of our company members, Reema Samaha, during the events on April 16th, 2007. The show is held on the anniversary each year to honor all of the victims, survivors, and their families.