Glenn Gaesser is a professor of Exercise Physiology in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University. Professor Gaesser has had prior academic appointments at the University of Virginia and UCLA. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, and recently served as president of the Southwest Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine.
Professor Gaesser’s research focuses on the effects of exercise and diet on cardiovascular fitness and health. He has published seminal articles on muscular efficiency during exercise, excess postexercise oxygen consumption, and the slow component of oxygen uptake during high-intensity exercise. He has conducted more than 20 exercise-training interventions in adults, and these studies have enhanced our understanding of the impact of exercise intensity on cardiovascular and metabolic adaptations. His most recent studies in this area demonstrated the benefits of high-intensity interval training in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and in adults with obesity. His recent work also highlights the positive effects on blood pressure and blood glucose control of breaking up prolonged periods of sitting with physical activity of varying intensities and durations, with activity bouts as short as two minutes.
He has written and lectured extensively on the subjects of obesity, fitness and health, and has been a strong proponent of “health at every size” for the past 25 years. His work challenges conventional wisdom on the health implications of obesity, and he encourages a non-weight-loss-centered approach to treating obesity-related health conditions. He is the author or co-author of several books, including Big Fat Lies: The Truth About Your Weight and Your Health.
Professor Gaesser has given more than 250 invited regional, national and international presentations to a variety of professional, business, and lay audiences on the subjects of health, fitness and body weight.
