Heath Burton

Associate Professor of Health Sciences

Curriculum Vitae
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After graduating from Furman in 2014, Dr. Burton moved to Austin, Texas and earned a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Kinesiology, with an emphasis on Exercise Physiology at the University of Texas where his research focused on physiological responses and adaptations to exercise training and the interaction of chronic inactivity and/or a sedentary lifestyle. Dr. Burton returned to Furman in 2024 in hopes of building on the history of transformative experiences, in and out of the classroom, that the professors of the Health Sciences Department have afforded students like him and many other alumni. He teaches courses which currently focus on human anatomy, physiology, wellness, and the science of aging. His research has been published in professional journals to include Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, The Journal of Applied Physiology, European Journal of Applied Physiology, and Exercise and Sport Science Reviews. In 2022 Dr. Burton's work on inactivity and postprandial fat metabolism received recognition from the American College of Sports Medicine as the Paper of the Year in their flagship journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. He believes his greatest accomplishment is the modest role he has played in preparing future scholars, medical professionals, and educators. He values the thank you notes and "life update" emails from former students highly, considering them more meaningful than any professional award.

Dr. Burton has Furman—especially Furman baseball—to thank for many things, most notably his wife, Cassady, whom he met while playing summer baseball and married the year after graduation. Cassady earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from James Madison University and now works as a labor and delivery nurse in Greenville. The couple has a son, Bennett, who keeps them constantly on their toes, adding a mix of chaos and joy to their lives.

Honors and Awards

  • Micheal Boyle Excellence in Teaching Award Runner-Up (2023)
  • Student Government Association’s Second Mile Award Finalist (2023)
  • Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise® Paper of The Year (2022)
  • University of TexasThe College of Education Spring Dissertation Writing Fellowship (2019)
  • University of Texas Biology Department’s Outstanding TA Award Finalist (2018)
  • Mary Buice Alderson Scholarship for Teaching Excellence (2017 & 2018)

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin
  • M.S., University of Texas at Austin
  • B.S., Furman University

Research Interests

  • Metabolic and cardiovascular factors that limit exercise performance.
  • Cardiometabolic effects of prolonged inactivity.
  • Exercise as a method of counteracting the consequences of sedentary behavior and aging.
  • The efficacy of power training and testing to reduce and diagnose overtraining and injury risk.
  • Biomechanics of running and cycling as they relate to performance.

Publications

  • Stanforth, D., Burton H.M. (2023) Celebrate Success! Veteran Care that Works: THRIVE. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal
  • Coyle, E. F., Burton, H.M., & Satiroglu, R. (2022). Metabolic Resistance With Inactivity Relates to Low Exercise Energy Expenditure Response. EXERCISE AND SPORT SCIENCES REVIEWS, 50(4), 231-231.
  • Coyle, E. F., Burton, H.M., & Satiroglu, R. (2022). Inactivity Causes Resistance to Improvements in Metabolism After Exercise (vol 50, pg 81, 2022). EXERCISE AND SPORT SCIENCES REVIEWS, 50(3), 172-172.
  • Leary, B. K., Burton, H.M., Vardarli, E., Wolfe, A. S., Crawford, C. K., Akins, J. D., & Coyle, E. F. (2021). Differences in joint power distribution in high and low lactate threshold cyclists. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 121(1), 231-238.
  • Burton, H.M., Wolfe, A. S., Vardarli, E., Satiroglu, R., & Coyle, E. F. (2021). Background Inactivity Blunts Metabolic Adaptations to Intense Short-Term Training. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 53(9), 1937-1944.
  • Vardarli, E., Satiroglu, R., Allen, J. R., Bjellquist-Ledger, R., Burton, H.M., & Coyle, E. F. (2021). Physiological responses to maximal 4 s sprint interval cycling using inertial loading: the influence of inter-sprint recovery duration. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 1-10.
  • Burton, H.M., & Coyle, E. F. (2021). Daily Step Count and Postprandial Fat Metabolism. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 53(2), 333-340.
  • Wolfe, A. S., Burton, H.M., Vardarli, E., & Coyle, E. F. (2020). Hourly 4-s sprints prevent impairment of postprandial fat metabolism from inactivity. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 52(10), 2262-2269.
  • Akins, J. D., Crawford, C. K., Burton, H.M., Wolfe, A. S., Vardarli, E., & Coyle, E. F. (2019). Inactivity induces resistance to the metabolic benefits following acute exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 126(4), 1088-1094.

Additional Professional Activity

  • Associate Editor- ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal
  • ACSM Strength and Conditioning Interest Group Chair
  • Reviewer- Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
  • Reviewer- Journal of Applied Physiology
  • Reviewer- American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology
  • Reviewer- International Journal of Exercise Science

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