About

Kevin P. Davy, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Tech. His research focuses on the etiology, prevention, and treatment of cardiometabolic dysfunction in aging and obesity. Current studies are centered on the cardiometabolic consequences of diets high in ultra-processed foods and the response of energy expenditure to physical activity in humans. Dr. Davy has held various academic positions, including co-director and director of the Translational Obesity Research Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program at Virginia Tech since 2012. His educational background includes a PhD in Applied Physiology from Virginia Tech, a postdoctoral fellowship in Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado, and degrees in Exercise Physiology, Physical Education, and related fields. He has received notable awards such as the NIH/NHLBI Independent Scientist Award and the NIH/NIA Special Emphasis Career Award. Dr. Davy's work contributes significantly to understanding the physiological impacts of obesity, aging, and exercise on cardiometabolic health.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Endocrinology
• Biochemistry
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Physical therapy
• Materials science
• Physiology
• Food science
• Cardiology
• Bioinformatics
• Environmental health

Selected publications

• Early Women’s Health Research on Endurance Exercise Training and Cardiovascular Aging at the University of Colorado Boulder Using the Masters Athlete Model

  Journal of Applied Physiology · 2026-05-06

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Because male physiology was historically viewed as the “norm” and data on females were considered difficult to interpret, little information regarding the effects of regular exercise on women’s health over the lifespan was available leading into the 1990s. In 1993, we initiated research at the University of Colorado Boulder to determine the effects of endurance exercise training on healthy cardiovascular aging in women. To do so, we used a “masters athlete model” in which midlife and older female distance runners were compared with their healthy, but non-exercising peers, as well as young adult women. The masters runners (~50-70 years, mostly postmenopausal) had a maximal oxygen consumption (V̇O 2 max) almost twice that of non-exercising postmenopausal women, in part due to a larger total blood volume. The masters runners showed stable body mass with age/menopause and exhibited much smaller age-related differences in total body fatness and abdominal adiposity than non-exercising women, related in part to preserved resting metabolic rate. The masters runners maintained a healthier overall systolic blood pressure profile and showed smaller differences in large elastic artery (aorta and carotid arteries) stiffness with age/menopause compared with non-exercising women. In contrast to non-exercising women, circulating coagulation and fibrinolytic activity was well-preserved with age/menopause in the masters runners. Masters runners also maintained greater heart rate variability, more favorable regulation of plasma glucose and insulin, and a superior plasma lipid-lipoprotein profile compared with non-exercising postmenopausal women. In contrast to males, female masters athletes did not demonstrate greater vascular endothelial function than their non-exercising peers. Collectively, this work represented the first systematic research conducted on the benefits of endurance exercise training on optimal cardiovascular function and health with age/menopause in women using the masters athlete model.

  PublisherDOI

• Effects of Controlled Diets High in and Free of Ultraprocessed Food on the Brain of Emerging Adults

  medRxiv · 2026-05-01

  articleOpen access

  Objective: The average American consumes 55% of their daily energy from ultraprocessed foods (UPF) created through industrial processes and additives not used at home. We investigated if a high-UPF diet alters brain response to milkshake compared with a diet free-from UPF (NonUPF) in emerging adults, who are in a critical period for brain development and typically consume high amounts of UPF. Methods: In a randomized controlled crossover trial participants aged 18-25 completed two, 2-week controlled feeding periods including a UPF (81% UPF) and nonUPF (0% UPF) diet. Before and after each diet intervention participants consumed milkshake concomitant with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results: In the entire cohort, there were no differences between diet conditions in brain response. An exploratory analysis revealed orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) response to milkshake decreased after the UPF diet and increased following the NonUPF diet in adolescents (18-21 years) but not young adults (22-25 years). Habitual UPF intake (gs) was positively associated with OFC response to milkshake independent of diet intervention in all participants. Conclusions: An acute UPF dietary intervention may only alter brain response in adolescents. Further work is needed to determine potential vulnerability of adolescents to changes in dietary UPF on brain response to rewards.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Chemical Analysis of Controlled Diets High in and Free of Ultraprocessed Foods and Proof-of-Concept Findings: Reducing Ultraprocessed Food Consumption May Lower Diabetes Risk in Midlife Adults

  Journal of Nutrition · 2026-01-22 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Slow it down: evolution of human metabolism over two million years

  Historical Biology · 2025-05-14

  articleSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Physical activity is directly associated with total energy expenditure without evidence of constraint or compensation

  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2025-10-21 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  The prevailing linear model of physical activity (PA) and total energy expenditure (TEE) has been challenged by models that predict an upper limit of TEE linked to a compensatory reduction elsewhere in the energy budget in response to increased PA. We determined the equation of best fit between PA and TEE and explored relationships between PA and behavioral and physiological compensation. Using linear and nonlinear modeling, we observed a positive linear relationship between PA and TEE either without or after adjustment for fat-free mass (R 2 = 0.3492, TEE = 0.00685*PA + 7.124: R 2 =0.3667, TEE_ADJ(FFM) = 0.00511*PA + 8.598). Higher PA was associated with lower sedentary time (R 2 = 0.7207, %SPA= −0.0211*X + 91.261). There was no association between PA, TEE, or resting metabolic rate and adjusted biomarkers of immune, reproductive, or thyroid function after Bonferroni correction. The findings of this observational study do not support the constrained/compensated model but affirm the conventional additive relationship between PA and TEE across a broad range of PA levels.

  PublisherDOI

• Morphological Influences and Energetic Walking Flexibility in Determining Preferred vs. Optimal Speeds: An Evolutionary Human Ecology Perspective on Children and Adolescents

  American Journal of Biological Anthropology · 2025-11-01

  articleOpen access

  ABSTRACT Objectives Locomotion is fundamental to the survival of our species. The most comfortable walking speed may be the most efficient for allocating conserved energy for other functions. However, whether preferred (PLS) and optimal (OLS) speeds align in children and adolescents remains unclear. This study aimed to determine whether OLS and PLS are similar in children and adolescents and how anthropometry influences both speeds and their differences. Materials and Methods Eleven females and 17 males (8–17 years of age) were anthropometrically characterized. Five treadmill walking pace tests were used to identify the OLS and U‐shaped relationship between energy expenditure and speed ( χ 2 CoT), indicating walking flexibility. Additionally, PLS was self‐selected using the same protocol. Differences between OLS and PLS were calculated (mean difference [MD]). Results No significant sex differences in anthropometry and speed‐related variables were found. OLS, PLS, and their MD in the pooled sample were 3.05 ± 0.13, 2.46 ± 0.51, and 0.60 ± 0.46, respectively, with significant differences between OLS and PLS ( p < 0.0001). Femur length (FL), Bi‐iliac breadth (BIL), and χ 2 CoT explained variance in OLS, PLS, and MD, respectively, in the forward stepwise regression models. Discussion Unlike adults, OLS and PLS are not interchangeable in children and adolescents. Participants with lower χ 2 CoT (greater flexibility) can select comfortable speeds farther from OLS without energetic penalty. Taller individuals with longer femurs and wider hips might have biomechanical advantages in reaching higher OLS and PLS, but this reduces flexibility. These traits, along with the growth and development pattern of Homo sapiens , may reflect evolutionary advantages relevant to interspecies competition.

  PublisherDOI

• Water intake, hydration, and weight management: the glass is half-full!

  Physiology & Behavior · 2025-05-13 · 1 citations

  review
  PublisherDOI

• Baseline Cognitive Control Predicts Weight Loss after Intervention in Middle and Older Adults

  Innovation in Aging · 2025-12-01

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Cognitive processes, including attention and executive function (EF), are linked to multiple health behaviors including weight maintenance. In a 12-week clinical weight loss trial, 109 middle aged and older adults (50-70 years old) who had a BMI above 25 were randomized to control or lifestyle intervention (diet and physical activity) groups. Participants (76.4% female, 80% White) completed a set of cognitive tasks including the Attention Network Task (ANT) as well as physiological measurements at baseline and week 12. A mean weight change of -4.5 kgs (SD = 3.3) was observed across 12 weeks. A linear regression model was created with BMI change as the outcome with age, sex, race, education, intervention group, baseline BMI, and ANT performance as covariates. While experimental group was not associated with differences in BMI, reaction time (RT) on correct incongruent trials of the ANT significantly predicted BMI change (B= -.23, p=.033) suggesting that faster RTs on incongruent trials was linked to a larger decrease in BMI. Incongruent trials of the ANT are thought to reflect executive attention, the cognitive process that confers the ability to ignore irrelevant stimuli while focusing on the target stimulus or goal. This finding is consistent with other studies on EFs and weight loss and add to the literature by suggesting that executive attention may be an important cognitive process to consider in interventions aimed at helping individuals make lifestyle changes for weight loss health more generally. However, further research is needed to fully explore these links between EFs and weight maintenance.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Influence of Ultraprocessed Food Consumption on Energy Intake in Emerging Adulthood: A Controlled Feeding Trial

  Obesity · 2025-11-19 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVE: This study examined the impact of a 2-week eucaloric diet high in ultraprocessed foods (UPF) compared to a diet without UPF (non-UPF) on ad libitum energy intake (EI) and food selection in individuals aged 18-25. METHODS: In a randomized, crossover, proof-of-concept trial, participants completed two 14-day controlled feeding periods (81% UPF vs. 0% UPF), with a 4-week washout. Diets were matched for macronutrients, fiber, added sugar, diet quality, and energy density. Following each condition, participants consumed an ad libitum buffet meal including UPF and non-UPF. Energy and food grams consumed were quantified. Statistical analyses were conducted for the full sample, late adolescents (aged 18-21), and young adults (aged 22-25). RESULTS: ) were included. Diet compliance was ~99% overall. There was no effect of diet condition on meal total kcal or grams consumed or UPF or non-UPF consumption in the full sample (all p > 0.05). In the exploratory age subgroup analysis, an interaction between diet and age was observed for total EI (p < 0.001), where total EI increased among adolescents following the UPF diet (p = 0.03, d = 0.79), but not in young adults. CONCLUSIONS: Late adolescents may be susceptible to increased EI following a UPF diet. Future trials are warranted to evaluate this possibility. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05550818.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Measured Versus Predicted Total Energy Expenditure: Evaluating Methods To Approach Daily Energy Requirements Across Physical Activity Levels.

  Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2024-09-16

  articleSenior author

  In healthy, weight-stable adults, total energy requirements are equivalent to total energy expenditure (TEE). Variations in physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) can make accurate prediction of TEE challenging. The present study aimed to determine the validity of developed approaches to predict TEE in individuals varying in PA levels. PURPOSE: To compare the validity of different models developed to predict TEE on a sample of adults varying in PA levels. METHODS: Forty-seven healthy, weight-stable adults (20 female and 27 male; 20-55 yrs) with PA levels ranging from sedentary to ultra-endurance training were recruited. Resting metabolic rate (RMR) and body composition were measured by indirect calorimetry and DXA, respectively. Accelerometry was used to quantify physical activity (ACC PAEE). Four days of food intake records (FIR) and three 24-hour dietary recalls (24hDR) were used to estimate energy intake. TEE was measured via doubly labeled water (DLW). We applied fourteen different methods to predict TEE: daily energy intake by FIR and by 24hDR; ACC PAEE added to RMR with a standard thermic effect of food (TEF); ACC PAEE added to RMR and the TEF from the energy intake reports; four equations published by Plucker et al. (2018); three equations published by Pontzer et al. (2021); and three equations published by Vinken et al. (1999). One-way repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc tests were used to compare means. Bland-Altman plots, mean difference (%), root mean square error (RMSE), and accuracy percentage were used to evaluate the agreement between measured and predicted TEE. RESULTS: All the applied methods underestimated measured TEE, although the Plucker equation based on age, body mass, height, and RMR performed best. There was no significant difference between measured and predicted TEE with mean bias of 218.64 ± 583.36 kcal, mean difference% of 5.82, and RMSE% of 20.56. Large limits of agreement, high RMSE values, and lower percentages of accuracy reflect a sizeable amount of error at the individual level. CONCLUSIONS: The Plucker et al. (2018) equation may have the potential to accurately estimate TEE in a population varying in PA, although caution must be used when individual analyses are performed. Future studies are needed to develop accurate methods for the prediction of TEE. OPN: VT Presidential Postdoctoral Fellowship; KRH: VT Translational Obesity Research Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Predoctoral Fellowship; GZR: NextGeneration EU funds Margarita Salas Postdoctoral Fellowship.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R21HL118668

  NIH · $586k · 2017

• NIH Grant K01AG000687

  NIH · $464k · 2001

• NIH Grant R21HL092572

  NIH · $436k · 2011

• NIH Grant R01HL062283

  NIH · $1.1M · 2006

• NIH Grant K02HL067227

  NIH · $493k · 2007

Frequent coauthors

• Brenda M. Davy

  Virginia Tech

  64 shared

• Stacy D. Beske

  University of Colorado Boulder

  41 shared

• Guy E. Alvarez

  Stamford Hospital

  39 shared

• Douglas R. Seals

  University of Colorado Boulder

  36 shared

• Tasha P. Ballard

  Gatorade Sports Science Institute

  35 shared

• Matthew W. Hulver

  Virginia Tech

  26 shared

• Andrew P. Neilson

  North Carolina State University

  26 shared

• Elaina L. Marinik

  Virginia Tech

  17 shared

Awards & honors

• NIH/NHLBI Independent Scientist Award (2001 – 2006)
• NIH/NIA Special Emphasis Career Award (1996 – 2001)