L.J.C. van Loon

Dr L.J.C. van Loon

Luc van Loon is a Professor of Physiology of Exercise and Nutrition at the Department of Human Biology at Maastricht University Medical Centre+. Luc has an international research standing in the area of skeletal muscle metabolism. Current research in his laboratory (20-30 fte) focuses on the skeletal muscle adaptive response to exercise, and the impact of nutrition and exercise interventions to modulate muscle metabolism in health and disease. The main research interests of his laboratory include exercise metabolism, sports nutrition, adaptation to endurance and resistance type exercise, and the use of physical activity and/or dietary interventions to improve health in chronic metabolic disease and with ageing. The latter are investigated on a whole-body, tissue, and cellular level, with skeletal muscle as the main tissue of interest. The research group has authored more than 400 original, peer-reviewed research and review articles. Luc is a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism (IJSNEM), Amino Acids (AA), and the European Journal of Sport Science (EJSS) and the Scientific Board of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS). To support the use of stable isotopes in biomedical research, Luc is also scientific coordinator of the Stable Isotope Research Centre (SIRC) at Maastricht University Medical Centre+.

Research projects, funding, and scientific output: orcid.org/0000-0002-6768-9231

Website laboratory: www.m3-research.nl

Research funding: Luc van Loon and his laboratory have received research support from various sources including: The Top institute Food and Nutrition, Wageningen, Netherlands; The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), Den Haag, Netherlands; Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands; Evonik AG, Essen, Germany; Friesland Campina Innovation Centre, Wageningen, Netherlands; Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Barrington, USA; Gelita AG, Eberbach, Germany; MARS Snackfoods, London, United Kingdom; DSM Food Specialties, Delft, Netherlands; Kenniscentrum Suiker en Voeding, Baarn, Netherlands; PB Leiner, Tessenderlo Group, Brussels, Belgium; Senter, Den Haag, The Netherlands; TNO Nutrition, Zeist, Netherlands, Danone Research, Utrecht, Netherlands; International Dairy Federation, Madison, USA; KWF Kankerbestrijding, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Arla Food Ingredients, Aarhus, Denmark; Tereos, Marckolsheim, France; GSK, Brentfort, United Kingdom; Stichting Anna Fonds, Den Haag, Netherlands; Diabetes Fonds Nederland, Amersfoort, Netherlands; The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Ottawa, Canada, Australian Catholic University (ACU), Melbourne, Netherlands; JUMBO, Veghel, Netherlands; Alliance for Potato Research & Education, Chicago, USA (APRE).

Professional career history

2010 – present: Professor of Physiology of Exercise and Nutrition at the Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM, Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences, Maastricht University Medical Centre. Objective: to gain insight in the benefits of more physical activity and exercise training on health and performance, and the impact of nutrition on the skeletal muscle adaptive response to exercise training.

2015 – present: Lector Sport and Nutrition at the HAN University of Applied Sciences. Objective: to help increase the scientific quality and depth of the applied research performed at the HAN University of Applied Sciences in the field of sport and nutrition.

2017 – 2021: Honorary chair at the Australian Catholic University in Melbourne. Objective: to stimulate international student exchange (PhD level) between ACU and MUMC and set-up collaborative (clinical) research with these students.

2015 - present: Honorary chair at the Free University of Brussels. Objective: to teach students on sports nutrition, the clinical benefits of exercise in chronic metabolic disease and aging, and the role of protein and physical activity in maintaining muscle health.

2006 – 2010: Associate Professor, Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences Maastricht University Medical Centre.

2004 – 2006: Assistant Professor, Departments of Human Biology and Movement Sciences, Maastricht University

2000 – 2003: Post-doctoral Research Fellow, NWO-Talent stipendium and NWO-VENI fellowship, Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University

2001 - 2002: Visiting Post-doctoral Fellow, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. Study in molecular biology techniques (supervised by Prof. M. Hargreaves)

1994 – 1995: Internship at the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education,University of Texas, Austin, USA. HERITAGE-project (supervised by Prof. J.H. Wilmore)

1996 – 2000: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Department of Human Biology, Maastricht University. Thesis successfully defended on 20-04-2001 “The effects of exercise and nutrition on muscle fuel selection”.