Kinesiology lab leverages industry partnership to advance research, student experience

“The labs in the School of Kinesiology conduct life-changing research that informs practice and helps people live healthier lives,” said school Director Mary Rudisill. “When we have donors and industry partners who come alongside us to financially support our work, we can better fulfill our commitment to improve the health of society through research, outreach and teaching.”

For more than ten years, Roberts and his students have been studying the efficacy of nutritional supplements, answering questions such as, “Does this supplement intended to enhance blood flow during exercise actually achieve that goal?” and “Does this supplement that claims to enhance muscle building mechanisms actually work?” For Roberts, the Nutrabolt gift’s impact is summed up in its direct benefit to students.

“Students have brilliant ideas for dissertation research projects,” he said. “However, many times, these ideas cost money and require us to apply for competitive grants which take time, can cause delays in project execution, and have no guarantee of being funded. Having a three-year line of support from Nutrabolt will ensure that certain student dissertation projects—specifically participant compensation costs, reagent costs, etc.—are taken care of for the foreseeable future.”

Dr. Chris Lockwood, Nutrabolt’s Vice President of Scientific Affairs, spearheaded this gift with the full backing of Chief Legal Officer of Nutrabolt Mike DiMaggio and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nutrabolt Doss Cunningham.

“The collaboration with Dr. Roberts and Auburn University is a natural evolution of Nutrabolt’s history of supporting legitimate research and innovation and a key part of our industry-first investments in revolutionizing the science of performance nutrition. At its heart and soul, though, this partnership is a reinforcement of Nutrabolt’s core beliefs and values that drive our team and mission. For example, this investment, and particularly in support of a researcher and mentor as brilliant and selfless as Dr. Roberts, reinforces our ‘Passion For The Mission’ of maximizing human potential and creating opportunities ‘For All’ to pursue with zeal their passions in this field and to never stop being ‘Intellectually Curious.’” said Lockwood.

By giving students an opportunity to explore new ideas, the gift will also allow the Nutrabolt Applied and Molecular Physiology Laboratory the means to publish research to help inform practice. Additionally, the gift will allow the laboratory to showcase its molecular capabilities to federal funding agencies and the industry, and this will have a return on investment for years to come.

“The Nutrabolt gift will enhance our research by allowing us to stay innovative—for example, use more sophisticated approaches such as proteomics on human muscle tissue—in a time where innovation is mission critical for having scientific papers accepted to top-tier journals,” Roberts said.

He said his lab’s research has drifted toward examining how exercise impacts wellness during aging and/or rehabilitation.

“Over the past two years, PhD students in the laboratory have published incredibly innovative research and this has led to many of them procuring competitive federally funded postdoctoral fellowships. We have learned so much about muscle growth mechanisms in response to resistance training. This research moves the needle forward for all sports nutrition companies in that it has unveiled novel targets in skeletal muscle that warrant further research with certain nutritional supplements.” said Roberts.

The Nutrabolt gift also highlights a key opportunity for other corporations: brand differentiation through corporate social responsibility (CSR). Although CSR takes on many other recognizable forms (e.g., fairer labor practices, community volunteering, or carbon footprint reduction), charitable giving to support the future livelihood of PhD students that may one day impact the world boldly checks a CSR box.

“This research gift to Dr. Roberts’ lab and Auburn University, and what it has been able to achieve, is an extension of my career-long mantra to ‘Grow and Give Back.’ A philosophy that’s foundational to our mission to maximize human potential for all. I see our ability to pour back into the communities we serve as our reason to be here – our grander purpose for doing the work we do. In fact, furthering our ‘Grow and Give Back’ mantra is a key component of Nutrabolt’s strategic vision,” Cunningham said.

Roberts will continue to broadcast this gift from Nutrabolt when he delivers lectures at two scientific conferences this year, with one of them being a keynote lecture in front of a large audience at the International Society of Sports Nutrition’s annual conference in Florida. Moreover, Roberts’s laboratory is set to be featured in a documentary on health and fitness (filming in 2025), and part of the interview content will include corporate support through contracts and gifts as well as his current partnership with Nutrabolt.

As far as future opportunities go for Roberts and his students, he aims to continue helping them become the best versions of themselves in the classroom and the laboratory.

“We’re riding a big wave right now with the firm support of Nutrabolt, and I’ll be lucky to say that I knew some of my former students one day when they’re publishing in high-end science journals and delivering their own keynote lectures at scientific conferences,” Roberts said. “The work that our students have performed over recent years has solicited a great deal of positive attention. Past, current and future projects from the Nutrabolt Applied and Molecular Physiology Laboratory are having a significant impact across the world, and we’re excited to take our approach to the next level with this partnership.”