Dr Jamie Whitfield
Senior Lecturer
Exercise and Nutrition Research Program
Dr. Jamie Whitfield is a senior lecturer and exercise physiologist with a primary research focus on the regulation of skeletal muscle metabolism during exercise. His research utilises complementary cell, rodent, and human models to address central questions related to physiology and nutrition. Currently his work is focused on determining how altering nutrient availability impacts skeletal muscle metabolism, and whether it can promote or inhibit training adaptation and, ultimately, human performance capacity.
Jamie completed his PhD studies under the joint supervision of Professor Lawrence Spriet and Professor Graham Holloway in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph (Canada). His doctoral research centred on the role of genetic and nutritional interventions in altering cellular energy production and skeletal muscle metabolism. The goal was to discover the mechanisms of action underpinning proposed ergogenic aids for athletic performance, such as dietary nitrates (beetroot juice).
Jamie joined Australian Catholic University (ACU) in 2017 as a postdoctoral research fellow working in the lab of Professors John Hawley and Louise Burke. Since joining ACU, he has led a series of studies investigating the impact of a nutritional interventions in world class endurance athletes. These unique "research camp" studies involved housing and feeding the athletes for several weeks, monitoring all training, and collecting a variety of physiological and psychological data on responses to selected nutritional interventions.
Select Publications
- Burke LM, Whitfield J & Hawley JA (2025). The race within a race: Together on the marathon starting line but miles apart in the experience. Free Radic Biol Med 227, 367-378.
- Broome SC, Whitfield J, Karagounis LG & Hawley JA (2024). Mitochondria as Nutritional Targets to Maintain Muscle Health and Physical Function During Ageing. Sports Med Auckl NZ 54, 2291-2309.
- Burke LM & Whitfield J (2024). Ketogenic Diets Are Not Beneficial for Athletic Performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 56, 756-759.
- Bowler A-LM, Whitfield J, Marshall L, Coffey VG, Burke LM & Cox GR (2023). The Use of Continuous Glucose Monitors in Sport: Possible Applications and Considerations. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 33, 121-132.
- Burke LM, Whitfield J, Ross MLR, Tee N, Sharma AP, King AJ, Heikura IA, Morabito A & McKay AKA (2023). Short Severe Energy Restriction with Refueling Reduces Body Mass without Altering Training-Associated Performance Improvement. Med Sci Sports Exerc 55, 1487-1498.
- Shamim B, Camera DM & Whitfield J (2021). Myofibre Hypertrophy in the Absence of Changes to Satellite Cell Content Following Concurrent Exercise Training in Young Healthy Men. Front Physiol 12, 815.
- Whitfield J, Burke LM, McKay AKA, Heikura IA, Hall R, Fensham N & Sharma AP (2021). Acute Ketogenic Diet and Ketone Ester Supplementation Impairs Race Walk Performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 53, 776-784.
- Burke LM, Whitfield J, Heikura IA, Ross MLR, Tee N, Forbes SF, Hall R, McKay AKA, Wallett AM & Sharma AP (2020). Adaptation to a low carbohydrate high fat diet is rapid but impairs endurance exercise metabolism and performance despite enhanced glycogen availability. J Physiol 599, 771-790.
Current Projects
- Unravelling the energy issues underpinning Low Energy Availability in high performance athletes. Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance Agility Grant. 2025-2027.
- Effects of Mitopure (Urolithin A) on skeletal muscle function and endurance performance. Amazentis, Inc. 2020-2024.
Accolades and awards
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) - Postdoctoral Fellowship. 2020-2022.
- Medicine and Science in Sports Editor's Choice Publication, Acute Ketogenic Diet and Ketone Ester Supplementation Impairs Race Walk Performance. Whitfield & Burke et al., 2021.
- Journal of Physiology Editor's Choice Publication; Adaptation to a low carbohydrate high fat diet is rapid but impairs endurance exercise metabolism and performance despite enhanced glycogen availability. Burke & Whitfield et al, 2020.
Appointments and affiliations
- Senior Lecturer, Exercise and Nutrition Research Program, Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, 2025-Present
- Research Fellow, Exercise and Nutrition Research Program, Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, 2017-2024
- Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA), Level 2 Accredited Sport Scientist (ASpS2) and member
- International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK), Level 1 Accreditation
- Member of Australian Physiological Society (AuPS)
- Member of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
Editorial Roles
- Editorial Board Member, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
Journal reviewer (selection)
- Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
- American Journal of Physiology - Endocrinology and Metabolism
- Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism
- Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism
- European Journal of Sports Science
- International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism
- Journal of Physiology
- Sports Medicine
