Study Breakdown/Procedures

MetFlex will be recruiting participants for 2 different groups.

Study qualifications

Group 1:

  • Men and women
  • Ages 18-50 (prefer age 35 and lower)
  • BMI between 25-30
  • No diagnosed cardiovascular disease or diabetes
  • No weight fluctuations exceeding +/- 5% in the previous 3 months
  • No smoking or use of inhaled substances
  • No current or recurrent use of a diet regimen within the last 3 months
  • No hypertension

Group 3:

  • Women only
  • Ages 18-50
  • BMI <50
  • No diagnosed cardiovascular disease or diabetes
  • No smoking or use of inhaled substances
  • Planning to have bariatric surgery

Would you like to calculate your own BMI? Click here.

Number of visits

  • Group 1 will have a total of 6 visits, totaling approximately 18 hours of participation.
  • Group 3 will have a total of 3 visits, totaling approximately 11 hours of participation.

General procedures for both groups

  • Completion of health history, participant questionnaire, and 2019 PAR-Q+
  • Height and weight
  • Blood pressure
  • Fasting blood draw
  • Euglycemic/hyperinsulinemic clamp (groups 1-2): measures how much carbohydrates your body uses after fasting and after eating a meal
  • Basal metabolism studies (group 3): measures carbohydrate use in the body
  • Muscle biopsies: examines skeletal muscle
  • Indirect calorimetry: measures how much energy your body uses
  • Microdialysis: measures muscle metabolism
  • Near-infrared spectroscopy: measures oxygen consumption of muscle

Additional procedures based on group placement

  • DXA scan: measures body composition such as fat and lean tissue
  • 3D infrared scanning: measures body shape
  • VO2max test on an ergometer: measures aerobic capacity
  • REE and RER: measures what kind of fuel your body uses at rest and during exercise
  • High-fat feeding: helps determine how individuals respond to a diet with a higher percentage of fat
  • Diet recall on MyFitnessPal

If you have any additional questions, please contact Dr. Terry Jones at 252-744-6249. We want everyone to feel comfortable with all procedures and to feel welcomed by all the investigators and staff.