Nutritional Physiology Research Centre Research Facility
The
NPRC is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities for assessing
anthropometry (3-dimensional body scanning), body composition (dual-energy
x-ray absorptiometry), physical activity (accelerometry), physical fitness
(treadmill and cycle ergometry), muscle strength (isokinetic dynamometry)
and metabolism (metabolic rate by indirect calorimetry and blood lipids
glucose, insulin, cytokines, etc by autoanalyser and ELISA).
The NPRC has established a suite of non-invasive techniques to assess cardiovascular function, including endothelial dilatation in both systemic and cerebral circulations (brachial artery and transcranial doppler ultrasound), arterial compliance (cardiovascular profiler) and heart rate variability. Blood pressure is recorded at rest (automated oscillometry, by 24hr ambulatory monitoring and by continuous Finapres monitoring, e.g. to assess pressor responsiveness to stress.
Additionally, a wide variety of validated questionnaires are used to evaluate physical activity, diet composition and energy balance, together with batteries of mood and cognitive function tests to assess mental health status.