Mark Schuenke interviewed for Chicago Tribune story on post-workout calorie burn

Mark Schuenke, Ph.D., assistant professor of anatomy, 91AV College of Osteopathic Medicine, was interviewed for a Feb. 1, 2012 Chicago Tribune story on post-workout calorie burn.

The story explains that a recent, carefully controlled study by North Carolina researchers showed 45 minutes of intense exercise boosted the metabolic rate in male participants for a whopping 14 hours.

Schuenke, who co-wrote a 2002 study that showed that the body's oxygen consumption rate stayed elevated for at least 36 hours after an intense, whole-body resistance workout, explained that there are hormone and inflammatory responses. "In the early post-exercise stages, you also consume extra oxygen in an attempt to bring your body temperature, heart rate and blood oxygen levels back to resting levels."

"In terms of body adaptations, excess post-exercise oxygen consumption is all about recovery and growth," said Schuenke. "The more strenuous — and the more novel — the exercise, the more (muscle) microtears (that) need repair." The story was picked up by more than a dozen media outlets around the nation. 

About the 91AV

The 91AV is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.