Heather Sprenger
PhD

Research and Expertise

• Background and Interests

  Dr. Heather Sprenger completed her graduate work at the University of Guelph in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences under the supervision of Dr. Lawrence Spriet. Dr. Sprenger’s research was funded by the Gatorade Sport Science Institute, where she investigated the impact of mild dehydration on substrate oxidation, skeletal muscle metabolism, and performance. 

  Since 2013, she was Lead of Sport Physiology and Research and Innovation at the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario, where she provided physiology consulting to National and Provincial Sport Organizations, and conducted applied sport research with the goal to mitigate performance and knowledge gaps by answering key questions impacting athlete and coach success. As a two-sport National Team member in both ice hockey and road cycling, Dr. Sprenger applies her experience and knowledge as an athlete, coach, applied practitioner and researcher to the areas of nutritional and environmental physiology to enhance training adaptation and performance. 

• Publications

  Logan-Sprenger H.M., G.J.F Heigenhauser, & L.L.Spriet. (2015). The effects of dehydration on muscle metabolism and time trial performance during prolonged cycling in males. Physiological Reports. 3:8:1-13.

  Logan-Sprenger H.M., G.J.F Heigenhauser, & L.L.Spriet. (2013). Increase in skeletal-muscle glycogenolysis and perceived exertion with progressive dehydration during cycling in hydrated men. International Journal of Sports Medicine, Nutrition, Metabolism. 23:3:220-9

  Logan-Sprenger H.M., G.J.F Heigenhauser, & L.L.Spriet. (2012). Effects of dehydration during cycling on skeletal muscle metabolism in females. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 44:10:1947-57.

  Logan-Sprenger H.M., Palmer M.S., Spriet L.L. (2011). Estimated fluid and sodium balance and drink preferences in elite male junior players during an ice hockey game. Appl Physiol, Nutr, & Metabol. 36:1:145-52.

  Quadrilatero, J., Bombardier, E., Norris, S.M., Talanian, J.L., Palmer, M.S., Logan, H.M., Tupling, A.R., Heigenhauser, G.J.F., Spriet, L.L. (2010). Prolonged moderate intensity aerobic exercise does not alter apoptotic signaling and DNA fragmentation in human skeletal muscle. Amer J Physiol Endoc Metabol, 298: E534-547.

• Research collaborators
  • Canadian Sport Institute Ontario
• Courses taught
  • HLSC 4482
  • HLSC 2210
  • HLSC 4490
• Education

  PhD: University of Guelph, Human Health and Nutritional Sciences