Nancy Rehrer, Academic staff, School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Otago, New Zealand

Associate Professor
BA(Duke) MSc(Clemson) PhD(Maastricht) FACSM
Tel +64 3 479 9128
Email nancy.rehrer@otago.ac.nz

Background

Nancy Rehrer is an Associate Professor in the School of Physical Education, Sport & Exercise Sciences. She studied Environmental Biology at Duke University as an undergraduate and then completed a Master's in Nutrition at Clemson University and a PhD in Exercise Metabolism/ Nutritional Physiology at Maastricht University.

Dr Rehrer won The Dutch Prize for Sports Medicine in 1991 for her PhD thesis 'Limits to Fluid Availability During Exercise'. She is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. Dr Rehrer is also a member of The Nutrition Society (British). She has spent research leave time (2001) with colleagues at the Laboratory for Human Environmental Physiology at the Ames Research Ctr./NASA and at The Centre for Nutrition Research in Lyon (2013). She is on the editorial board of The International Journal of Sports Medicine and the Journal of Sports Medicine and is a reviewer for most of the major journals in Exercise Physiology and Sports Nutrition (eg. J. Appl. Physiol, Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Int. J. Sports Nutr. Exerc. Metab., etc.). She also has been an invited member of the expert panel to develop the consensus statement on exercise associated hyponatraemia 2008 and 2015.

Teaching

Programme Leader – BSc Exercise & Sport Science

Teaching co-ordination:

Teaching contributions:

Research

Dr Rehrer's major interests include understanding how metabolism is altered at rest and during exercise and mechanisms that limit human performance. Some of the research is sport performance based and some is related to health and general knowledge of human function in relation to the environment. Specific areas of recognised expertise include substrate metabolism, gastrointestinal function, fluid & electrolyte balance and impacts of exercise thereupon.

Recent projects:

Dr Rehrer is part of an interdisciplinary team evaluating effects of varying dietary polysaccharides on short chain fatty acid production by the gut microbiota.
She along with colleagues and postgraduate student, Colleen Gulick, has also been exploring the effects of protein and exercise on insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).

Other research projects include:

Evaluating effects activities of daily life and different exercise modes have on energy and substrate utilisation, and health parameters
Using ¹³C isotopically labelled glucose and doubly labelled water to assess substrate and energy metabolism during exercise
Evaluating effects of sodium intake on fluid and sodium balance during exercise

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Publications

Heath, A.-L. M., Haszard, J. J., Galland, B. C., Lawley, B., Rehrer, N. J., Drummond, L. N., … Taylor, R. W., … Taylor, B., & Tannock, G. W. (2020). Association between the faecal short-chain fatty acid propionate and infant sleep [Brief communication]. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 74, 1362-1365. doi: 10.1038/s41430-019-0556-0

Liu, Y., Heath, A.-L., Galland, B., Rehrer, N., Drummond, L., Wu, X.-Y., … Lawley, B., … Tannock, G. W. (2020). Substrate use prioritization by a coculture of five species of gut bacteria fed mixtures of arabinoxylan, xyloglucan, β-glucan, and pectin. Applied & Environmental Microbiology, 86, e01905-19. doi: 10.1128/aem.01905-19

Fenemor, S. P., Homer, A. R., Perry, T. L., Skeaff, C. M., Peddie, M. C., & Rehrer, N. J. (2018). Energy utilization associated with regular activity breaks and continuous physical activity: A randomized crossover trial. Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, 28(6), 557-564. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2018.02.003

Francois, M. E., Graham, M. J., Parr, E. B., Rehrer, N. J., Lucas, S. J. E., Stavrianeas, S., & Cotter, J. D. (2017). Similar metabolic response to lower- versus upper-body interval exercise or endurance exercise. Metabolism, 68, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2016.11.009

Koenders, E. E., Franken, C. P. G., Cotter, J. D., Thornton, S. N., & Rehrer, N. J. (2017). Restricting dietary sodium reduces plasma sodium response to exercise in the heat. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 27(11), 1213-1220. doi: 10.1111/sms.12748

Journal - Research Other

Journal - Research Article

Peddie, M. C., Fenemor, S. P., Perry, T. L., Rehrer, N. J., & Skeaff, C. M. (2017). Sedentary behavior: Is it time to break up with your chair? Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 11(4), 855-857. doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2017.06.003

Journal - Research Other

Rehrer, N. J., McLay-Cooke, R. T., & Sims, S. T. (2017). Nutritional strategies and sex hormone interactions in women. In A. C. Hackney (Ed.), Sex hormones, exercise and women: Scientific and clinical aspects. (pp. 87-112). Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-44558-8_6

Chapter in Book - Research

Homer, A. R., Fenemor, S. P., Perry, T. L., Rehrer, N. J., Cameron, C. M., Skeaff, C. M., & Peddie, M. C. (2017). Regular activity breaks combined with physical activity improve postprandial plasma triglyceride, nonesterified fatty acid, and insulin responses in healthy, normal weight adults: A randomized crossover trial. Journal of Clinical Lipidology, 11(5), 1268-1279. doi: 10.1016/j.jacl.2017.06.007

Journal - Research Article

Douglas, J., Plews, D. J., Handcock, P. J., & Rehrer, N. J. (2016). The beneficial effect of parasympathetic reactivation on sympathetic drive during simulated rugby sevens. International Journal of Sports Physiology & Performance, 11(4), 480-488. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2015-0317

Journal - Research Article

Hew-Butler, T., Rosner, M. H., Fowkes-Godek, S., Dugas, J. P., Hoffman, M. D., Lewis, D. P., … Rehrer, N. J., … Verbalis, J. G. (2015). Statement of the Third International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference, Carlsbad, California, 2015. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 25(4), 303-320. doi: 10.1097/jsm.0000000000000221

Journal - Research Article

Peddie, M. C., Cameron, C., Rehrer, N., & Perry, T. (2015). Postprandial metabolic effects of accelerometer measured spontaneous low-level activity. Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 12(8), 1133-1138. doi: 10.1123/jpah.2014-0298

Journal - Research Article

Parr, E. B., Cotter, J. D., Frew, R. D., & Rehrer, N. J. (2015). Muscle glycogen dominates females fuel usage in moderately intensive endurance exercise even in the cold. Annals of Sports Medicine & Research, 2(3), 1021.

Journal - Research Article

Rehrer, N. J., McLaughlin, J., & Wasse, L. K. (2014). Importance of gastrointestinal function to athletic performance and health. In R. J. Maughan (Ed.), The encyclopaedia of sports medicine: An IOC Medical Commission Publication. (pp. 526-538). Wiley Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9781118692318.ch43

Chapter in Book - Research

Mallard, A. R., McLay-Cooke, R. T., & Rehrer, N. J. (2014). Protein supplements: Do they alter dietary intakes? International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, 24(3), 333-340. doi: 10.1123/ijsnem.2013-0066

Journal - Research Article

Peddie, M. C., Bone, J. L., Rehrer, N. J., Skeaff, C. M., Gray, A. R., & Perry, T. L. (2013). Breaking prolonged sitting reduces postprandial glycemia in healthy, normal-weight adults: A randomized crossover trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 98(2), 358-366. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.051763

Journal - Research Article

Schofield, K. L., Rehrer, N. J., Perry, T. L., Ross, A., Andersen, J. L., & Osborne, H. (2012). Insulin and fiber type in the offspring of T2DM subjects with resistance training and detraining. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 44(12), 2331-2339. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e318268008f

Journal - Research Article

Peddie, M. C., Rehrer, N. J., & Perry, T. L. (2012). Physical activity and postprandial lipidemia: Are energy expenditure and lipoprotein lipase activity the real modulators of the positive effect? Progress in Lipid Research, 51(1), 11-22. doi: 10.1016/j.plipres.2011.11.002

Journal - Research Article

Rehrer, N. J., Freeman, C., Cassidy, T., Waters, D. L., Barclay, G. E., & Wilson, N. (2011). Through the eyes of young people: Favourite places for physical activity. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 39, 492-500. doi: 10.1177/1403494811401478

Journal - Research Article

Hinton, P. S., Rolleston, A., Rehrer, N. J., Hellemans, I. J., & Miller, B. F. (2010). Bone formation is increased to a greater extent than bone resorption during a cycling stage race. Applied Physiology, Nutrition & Metabolism, 35(3), 344-349. doi: 10.1139/H10-025

Journal - Research Article

Rehrer, N. J., Hellemans, I. J., Rolleston, A. K., Rush, E., & Miller, B. F. (2010). Energy intake and expenditure during a 6-day cycling stage race. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 20(4), 609-618. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2009.00974.x

Journal - Research Article

Trompers, W., Perry, T. L., Rose, M. C., & Rehrer, N. J. (2010). Glycemic and insulinemic response to selected snack bars in trained versus sedentary individuals. International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, 20(1), 27-33.

Journal - Research Article

Rolleston, A. K., Rehrer, N. J., Hellemans, I. J., Rush, E., Murphy, C., & Miller, B. F. (2010). The effect of a cycling stage race on whole-body protein turnover. European Journal of Sport Science, 10(5), 347-358. doi: 10.1080/17461391003699054

Journal - Research Article

Garrett, A. T., Goosens, N. G., Rehrer, N. J., Patterson, M. J., & Cotter, J. D. (2009). Induction and decay of short-term heat acclimation. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 107, 659-670. doi: 10.1007/s00421-009-1182-7

Journal - Research Article

Jacobs, L. C. A., Perry, T. L., Rose, M. C., & Rehrer, N. J. (2009). The effect of exercise on glycemic and insulinemic response to two beverages of differing glycemic index. Medicina Sportiva, 13(4), 239-244. doi: 10.2478/v10036-009-0037-y

Journal - Research Article

Sims, S. T., Rehrer, N. J., Bell, M. L., & Cotter, J. D. (2008). Endogenous and exogenous female sex hormones and renal electrolyte handling: Effects of an acute sodium load on plasma volume at rest. Journal of Applied Physiology, 105(1), 121-127.

Journal - Research Article

Hew-Butler, T., Ayus, J. C., Kipps, C., Maughan, R. J., Mettler, S., Meeuwisse, W. H., … Rehrer, N. J., … Wharam, P. (2008). Statement of the Second International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference, New Zealand, 2007 [Consensus Statements]. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 18(2), 111-121. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0b013e318168ff31

Journal - Research Article

Limstrand, T., & Rehrer, N. J. (2008). Young people's use of sports facilities: A Norwegian study on physical activity. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 36(5), 452-459.

Journal - Research Article

Harvey, C. R., Frew, R., Massicotte, D., Péronnet, F., & Rehrer, N. J. (2007). Muscle glycogen oxidation during prolonged exercise measured with oral [¹³C]glucose: Comparison with changes in muscle glycogen content. Journal of Applied Physiology, 102, 1773-1779. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00690.2006

Journal - Research Article

McLay, R. T., Thomson, C. D., Williams, S. M., & Rehrer, N. J. (2007). Carbohydrate loading and female endurance athletes: Effect of menstrual-cycle phase. International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, 17, 189-205.

Journal - Research Article

Helge, J. W., Rehrer, N. J., Pilegaard, H., Manning, P., Lucas, S. J. E., Gerrard, D. F., & Cotter, J. D. (2007). Increased fat oxidation and regulation of metabolic genes with ultraendurance exercise. Acta Physiologica, 191, 77-86.

Journal - Research Article

Deutsch, M. U., Kearney, G. A., & Rehrer, N. J. (2007). Time-motion analysis of professional rugby union players during match-play. Journal of Sports Sciences, 25(4), 461-472. doi: 10.1080/02640410600631298

Journal - Research Article

Sims, S. T., van Vliet, L., Cotter, J. D., & Rehrer, N. J. (2007). Sodium loading aids fluid balance and reduces physiological strain of trained men exercising in the heat. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(1), 123-130.

Journal - Research Article

Sims, S. T., Rehrer, N. J., Bell, M. L., & Cotter, J. D. (2007). Preexercise sodium loading aids fluid balance and endurance for women exercising in the heat. Journal of Applied Physiology, 103, 534-541.

Journal - Research Article

Weschler, L. B., & Rehrer, N. J. (2006). Reply [Letter to the editor What can be concluded regarding water versus sports drinks from the Vrijens-Reher experiments?]. Journal of Applied Physiology, 100, 1433.

Journal - Research Other

Van Hamont, D., Harvey, C. R., Massicotte, D., Frew, R., Peronnet, F., & Rehrer, N. J. (2005). Reduction in muscle glycogen and protein utilization with glucose feeding during excercise. International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism, 15, 350-365.

Journal - Research Article

Rehrer, N. J., Smets, A., Reynaert, H., Goes, E., & De Meirleir, K. (2001). Effect of exercise on portal vein blood flow in man. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 33(9), 1533-1537.

Journal - Research Article

McKewen, M. W., Rehrer, N. J., Cox, C., & Mann, J. (1999). Glycemic control, muscle glycogen and exercise performance in IDDM athletes on diets of varying carbohydrate content. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 20, 349-353.

Journal - Research Article

Vrijens, D. M., & Rehrer, N. J. (1999). Sodium-free fluid ingestion decreases plasma sodium during exercise in the heat. Journal of Applied Physiology, (86), 1847-1851.

Journal - Research Article

Van Den Bergh, A. J., Houtman, S., Heerschap, A., Rehrer, N. J., Van Der Boogert, H. J., Oeseberg, B., & Hopman, M. T. E. (1996). Muscle glycogen recovery after exercise during glucose and fructose intake monitored by C-13-NMR. Journal of Applied Physiology, 81(4), 1495-1500.

Journal - Research Article

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