A Remarkable Visit from China: Professor John Speakman at FSpS
Our faculty was honored by a two-day visit from the world-renowned expert, Professor John Speakman (over 700 publications with more than 34,000 citations and an h-index of 93 according to WoS), who began his scientific career at the University of Aberdeen and, in recent years, has been working at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology in China. Invited by Associate Professor Michal Kumstát, Professor Speakman consulted on the potential application of the doubly labeled water (DLW) method for assessing energy expenditure in elite athletes and discussed its potential use in both ongoing and upcoming research projects at the Department of Sport Performance and Diagnostics.
During his stay in Brno, Professor Speakman delivered two inspiring lectures that engaged students and academics not only from our faculty but from across Masaryk University.
In the first lecture, “Applications of Doubly Labeled Water in Assessing Energy Expenditure: Insights and Implications for Sport Science,” he introduced the doubly labeled water method, explaining its unique position among energy expenditure measurement methodologies and why it is considered the gold standard. He also highlighted the method’s potential to advance knowledge not only in sports research but also in obesity studies. Using data from population studies on energy expenditure with the DLW method, Professor Speakman pointed to the phenomenon of “compensation” for increased energy expenditure from physical activity. Research suggests that energy expenditure associated with physical activity has minimal influence on total daily energy expenditure due to compensation by other systems. As a result, the energy expenditure associated with physical activity has a much smaller impact on weight loss than previously assumed. This conclusion sparked a lively discussion among attendees.
The second lecture was part of the prestigious MUNI Seminar Series, regularly organized by Masaryk University. Here, Professor Speakman delivered a presentation titled “Why do we get fat? The impact of macronutrients on energy balance and food intake.” This perspective on the influence of macronutrients on energy balance and eating habits attracted students from all university faculties. The lecture provided deeper insight into why weight gain occurs and the mechanisms that influence our eating behavior.
Professor John Speakman left an unforgettable mark in Brno, not only through his outstanding scientific insights but also through his personal approach to contemporary scientific issues. His visit was an inspiration not only for students but for everyone who took the opportunity to meet a scientist of global reputation.
We are grateful to Professor Speakman for his inspiring lectures and look forward to future collaboration!
Who is Professor John Speakman?
John Speakman is a professor at the Shenzhen Research Institute of Advanced Technology in Shenzhen, China, and the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, UK. With over 40 years of dedicated research on energy balance and obesity, he has published more than 650 scientific papers, including 14 in Nature and Science. He is a foreign member of the US National Academy of Sciences, an academician of the Chinese National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the UK Royal Society.
Prof. Speakman's work focuses on the complex dynamics of energy balance, exploring how food composition influences satiety and the interplay between energy intake and expenditure. His groundbreaking research has shaped our understanding of obesity and nutrition, challenging traditional dietary assumptions. These insights have deeply impacted studies in physiology, ecology, and obesity research.
One of Prof. Speakman's most cited papers, " Body size, energy metabolism and lifespan", published in 2005 in the Journal of Experimental Biology, has received over 1,000 citations. This influential work examines the relationship between body size, metabolic rates, and lifespan, significantly advancing the field of energy metabolism.
Additionally, prof. Speakman co-authored a seminal paper titled " Daily energy expenditure through the human life course", published in Science in 2021. This study challenges the conventional view of consistent metabolic rates throughout life, revealing that metabolic rates, when adjusted for body size and composition, remain remarkably stable from young adulthood until approximately 60 years of age. These findings add fundamental piece of knowledge into the current understanding and provide valuable insights into human health, growth, and aging research.
Professor Speakman is rightly described in Herman Pontzer’s book “Burn” as one of the most brilliant researchers in human evolution and energy metabolism.
