Inspiring Wholeness - AdventHealth’s physicians and scientists discuss research designed to explore the mystifying effects of exercise, from aging well to influencing cancer

AdventHealth’s physicians and scientists discuss research designed to explore the mystifying effects of exercise, from aging well to influencing cancer

11/09/23 • 24 min

We know exercise is good for health, but there isn’t a one-size-fits-all prescription when it comes to individual needs. Everyone is different in terms of how their bodies fight diseases and respond to therapies. The physicians and scientists at AdventHealth are working on some of the biggest problems in health care, including uncovering the mystifying effects of exercise.
“When we think about individuals who are aging, we know some can age very well. They maintain their functional capacity. Their brain health is good. There are others who appear to have an accelerated aging. We're trying to discover these differences,” said Dr. Steven Smith, senior vice president and chief scientific officer at AdventHealth.
In this episode of the Inspiring Wholeness podcast, presented by AdventHealth in partnership with the Orlando Business Journal, Smith and Bret Goodpaster, Ph.D., senior scientific director at AdventHealth’s Translational Research Institute (TRI), discuss partnering with the National Institute of Health (NIH) on a 10-year study titled Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC).
The goal of the research is to discover more about why the body breaks; how physical activity can improve brain health, protect the heart, prevent diabetes, influence cancer and promote other health benefits; and why people’s bodies respond differently to exercise.
You can’t answer these questions through experiments with mice or at a broader population level. This research couldn’t have been conducted a decade ago because the revolutionary technologies used to sequence DNA, genes, proteins, etc. weren’t available, according to Goodpaster.
Listen to this podcast episode to learn more about:

Why AdventHealth’s research efforts are often described as one of Orlando’s best-kept secrets.
The importance of understanding what’s happening in the body during exercise on a molecular level and why the results vary from person to person.
Sedentary behavior and the debate about how much physical activity it takes to promote health benefits.
Resilience and what it has to do with how some people age better than others.
Why Francis Collins, the former director of the NIH, calls MoTrPAC the moonshot for muscle and physical activity.
How these research findings will be used to develop personalized medicine for treating diseases in individuals, which will help the general population.

AdventHealth has provided whole-person care for 115 years. Today, our services, including cancer, cardiac, neurosurgery, orthopedics and a dedicated women’s and children’s hospital are rated among the nation’s best. Learn more at feelhealthyfeelwhole.com.
Disclaimer
AdventHealth and the Orlando Business Journal are providing this podcast as a public benefit. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any professional advice or medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of AdventHealth or the Orlando Business Journal policy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by AdventHealth or the Orlando Business Journal. The views expressed by our guests are their own. Their participation in the podcast does not imply an endorsement by them or any entity they represent. AdventHealth and the Orlando Business Journal hereby disclaim any and all liability to any party for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequence of damages, arising directly or indirectly from any use of the content in this podcast, which is provided, as is, and without warranties.

Why AdventHealth’s research efforts are often described as one of Orlando’s best-kept secrets.
The importance of understanding what’s happening in the body during exercise on a molecular level and why the results vary from person to person.
Sedentary behavior and the debate about how much physical activity it takes to promote health benefits.
Resilience and what it has to do with how some people age better than others.
Why Francis Collins, the former director of the NIH, calls MoTrPAC the moonshot for muscle and physical activity.
How these research findings will be used to develop personalized medicine for treating diseases in individuals, which will help the general population.

Previous Episode

Solar Bears head coach and AdventHealth Central Florida CEO Brian Adams talk winning with teamwork

The parallels between sports and business are undeniable to many leaders. For example, the saying about how an athlete can occasionally win a game, but it takes a team to win a championship resonates with Brian Adams, president and CEO, AdventHealth Central Florida Division.
In this episode of the Inspiring Wholeness podcast, presented by AdventHealth in partnership with the Orlando Business Journal, Adams talks with Matt Carkner, head coach and general manager of the Orlando Solar Bears, about his favorite sport — hockey — and their common approaches to leadership and teamwork.
“One of the things coach and I have in common is we set up goals for the organization that could only be achieved through teamwork. If you can inspire your team around that goal, then those who aren't aligned with it begin to show up in a different way,” Adams said. “When people are bought into the larger goal, that's how you drive teamwork. It's through the vision of them wanting to achieve something they can only achieve together.”
As a retired NHL star who transitioned into a head coach, Carkner knows first-hand how important it is to build a cohesive team that’s working toward the same goal.
Listen to this episode to learn more about:

What it looks like to lead from the heart.
Leadership lessons and learning from mistakes.
Achieving team alignment.
Tapping into the desire people have to be connected to a purpose.
The hardest things about leadership, from making unpopular decisions to managing low performers, and the loneliness that comes with the position.
Handling an incredible amount of pressure whether you’re saving lives or winning games.
The partnership between AdventHealth and the Orlando Solar Bears.
Servant leadership and a youth hockey team Carkner and his wife established for kids with special needs.

Next Episode

Walk, jog or run to better health

In this episode of the Inspiring Wholeness podcast, presented by AdventHealth in partnership with the Orlando Business Journal, Julie Sexton, vice president of AdventHealth Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Betsy Hughes, co-owner of Track Shack, discuss moving your body to better health.
“I'm a physical therapist so the concept of movement is what we are experts in,” Sexton said. “We know staying active and moving is a prevention for many chronic diseases. It also prevents diseases from worsening. The more we can partner and keep our community moving and active, the healthier our community is.”
AdventHealth is the official health care provider of Track Shack’s events. Hughes encourages everyone to participate in them: “Walk, run, jog, stroll, be active, get your exercise for the day,” she said. Track Shack has 16 of its own events, they produce all runDisney events and they were chosen to co-host the Olympic Team Trials Marathon in February.
Listen to this episode to learn more about:

Imbalances in muscle strength and flexibility, wearing the wrong shoes and other common reasons for injuries.
The role of orthopedic and sports medicine in helping people of all athletic levels recover from injuries and how AdventHealth approaches treatment and prevention.
Advice for anyone starting a new exercise routine, including beginners.
What inspired Hughes and her husband, John, to open Track Shack in 1977 and how it has evolved.
The partnership between AdventHealth and Track Shack, which gives customers easy access to physical therapists and orthopedic expertise.
AdventHealth’s running analysis program.

Request a running analysis appointment with AdventHealth by visiting yourrunningexperts.com.