Christof is a Reader in Exercise, Health, and Rehabilitation. He joined 含羞草视频 in 2009 to complete his PhD at the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, for which he now leads the Health and Wellbeing Strand.
Christof's main research focus has evolved from Applied Exercise Physiology in populations with disabilities to research in the fields of Spinal Cord Injury, Upper Body Exercise, and Inflammation. His current projects are aimed at populations with reduced muscle mass or function, or those with an increased risk for chronic disease due to mobility restrictions. In addition to investigating exercise interventions, Christof is interested in the health promoting effects of heat therapy interventions.
In the area of teaching, Christof is leading and delivering on modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate level in the field of Exercise Physiology. Christof is currently leading the Learning and Teaching Discipline Group in Physiology and Nutrition. Christof has further led the development of a Windows Application that assists with marking, generating individual assessment feedback for students. Today, this application is in use across departments at 含羞草视频.
Christof is involved in projects as follows:
- Passive elevations of core temperature as a method to improve the inflammatory risk marker profile
- Core and skin temperature and their relationship with the cytokine and heat shock protein response to exercise
- Core and skin temperature and perceptions of comfort and temperature
- Temperature and glycaemic control
- Acute passive elevations of core temperature and impact of high level spinal cord injuries
- Monocyte subtypes and leukocyte surface markers – influence of active muscle mass on exercise-induced responses
- The inflammatory response to exercise – impact of spinal cord injury level
- Exercise guidelines for adults with spinal cord injury
- External Examiner, Anglia Ruskin University
- UK-wide teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate level
Featured publications
- Su Y., Hoekstra S.P., Leicht C.A. Hot water immersion is associated with higher thermal comfort than dry passive heating for a similar rise in rectal temperature and plasma interleukin鈥�6 concentration. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 2024;124(4):1109-1119. DOI: 10.1007/s00421-023-05336-8
- Maley M.J., Hunt A.P., Stewart I.B., Weier S., Holland J ., Leicht C.A., Minett G.M. Hot water immersion acutely reduces peripheral glucose uptake in young healthy males: An exploratory crossover randomised controlled trial. Temperature 2023;10(4):434-443. DOI: 10.1080/23328940.2022.2161242
- Bellini, D., Chapman C., Peden D., Hoekstra S.P., Ferguson R.A., Leicht C.A. Ischaemic preconditioning improves upper-body endurance performance without altering VO2 kinetics. Eur. J. Sport Sci. 2023;23(8):1538-1546. DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2022.2103741
- Hoekstra S.P., Bishop N.C., Leicht C.A. Elevating body temperature to reduce chronic low-grade inflammation: a welcome strategy for those unable to exercise? Exerc. Immunol. Rev. 2020; 26:42-55.
- Leicht C.A., James, L.J., Briscoe, J.H.B., Hoekstra S.P. Hot water immersion acutely increases postprandial glucose concentrations. Physiol. Reports 2019 Oct;7(20):e14223. DOI: 10.14814/phy2.14223
- Hoekstra S.P., Bishop N.C., Faulkner S.H., Bailey S.J., Leicht C.A. The acute and chronic effects of hot water immersion on inflammation and metabolism in sedentary, overweight adults. J. Appl. Physiol. 2018; 125(6):2008-2018. DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00407.2018
- Martin Ginis K.A., van der Scheer J.W., Latimer-Cheung A.E., … Leicht C.A. et al. Evidence-Based Scientific Exercise Guidelines for Adults with Spinal Cord Injury: An Update and a New Guideline. Spinal Cord 2018; 56(4):308-21. DOI: 10.1038/s41393-017-0017-3
- Leicht C.A., Paulson, T.A.W., Goosey-Tolfrey V.L., Bishop N.C. Arm and intensity-matched leg exercise induce similar inflammatory responses. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 2016; 48(6):1161-8. DOI: 10.1249/mss.0000000000000874
- Leicht C.A., Goosey-Tolfrey V.L, Bishop N.C. Spinal cord injury: Known and possible influences on the immune response to exercise. Exerc. Immunol. Rev. 2013; 19: 144-63.