Students Utilize Social Media for a Study at UF

    More students at UF are motivated to work out and using social media to share this after after a recent study at UF went in-depth behind the science of exercise. 
    A study at the UF College of Medicine’s department of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine found that irisin, a hormone that the body releases during exercise, can help fight obesity and diabetes. 
    According to the study, which was recently published in the American Journal of Physiology — Endocrinology and Metabolism, the hormone actually prevents fat from forming and works by boosting the activity of genes and protein that are used when burning fat. 
    Students are now changing their perspective on exercise, said Brady Sweet, an active 20-year-old junior majoring in criminology at UF. 
    “A lot of people work out to fix a problem, and after that you’re done,” Sweet said. “The fact that there is evidence that you can prevent these diseases should convince a lot of people you need to stick with it.” 
    Students involved in fitness-related organizations are working to spread the word about this new study. 
    Steven Svoboda, president of the Gator Youth Fitness Movement and senior nutritional science major at UF, said knowing the science behind exercise would allow students to be more inclined to work out.
     Svoboda, 21, said their organization is working to inform students about the benefits of exercise and help them become more active. 
    “I think social media is a huge platform that needs to be utilized to reach students,” Svoboda said. “I’m looking to increase our membership and promote fitness for all levels and for me personally.” 
    The research team worked on the study for about three years, said Yousong Ding, assistant professor at the college and co-author of the study. Researchers studied how the hormone irisin functions in order to understand its benefits and how to apply it in future drug development. 
    “With this research, I think people should engage in more physical activity to stay in shape and be healthy and active, especially for people in Florida.” Ding said.    

Written by Jamie Honowitz, VP of Digital Strategy