Role
Dr David Clayton is a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, teaching across the undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. He leads the Foundation Nutrition and the Food and Healthy Eating Modules and contributes to several other modules across the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum.
Career overview
Dr Clayton joined the Sports Science Academic Team at Nottingham Trent University in September 2017. He completed his PhD at Loughborough University in 2016, which investigating the effects of energy restriction on metabolism, energy balance, appetite regulation and exercise performance. Dr Clayton received prestigious international and national awards for his PhD research, including the Young Investigator Award from the American College of Sports Medicine (2015) and the Nutrition Society Postgraduate Award (2015).
Following his PhD, Dr Clayton worked as a Research Associate for the Leicester-Loughborough Biomedical Research Unit, conducting research on the effects of exercise on appetite regulation in specific population, including overweight/obese individuals and people with a genetic predisposition to weight gain. Dr Clayton also obtained a Teaching Fellowship at Loughborough University for the 2016-2017 academic year, where he taught on the BSc Sport and Exercise Science and the MSc Sport and Exercise Nutrition/Exercise Physiology degree programmes.
Research areas
Dr Clayton is a member of the Sport, Health and Performance Enhancement (SHAPE) Research Group.
His research is primarily focussed on the effects of nutritional intervention on metabolism, energy balance, appetite regulation and exercise performance. In particular, he is studying the effects of contemporary methods of energy restriction, such as breakfast omission and intermittent fasting. His research aims to determine the effect of these dietary interventions on long-term health and wellbeing, as well as exercise performance.
Dr Clayton welcomes applications for MRes / MPhil / PhD study under his supervision. Opportunities arise to carry out postgraduate research towards an MPhil / PhD in the areas identified above. Further information may be obtained on the NTU Research Degrees website https://www.ntu.ac.uk/research/research-degrees-at-ntu.
Current Postgraduate Research Students
- Tommy Slater
- William Mode
- Mollie Pinkney
External activity
Consultancy
Dr Clayton has previously performed nutritional consultancy work for professional clubs, helping players to develop effective hydration strategies to aid performance. These have included:
- England Men’s Football Team
- Sale Sharks RFC
- NTU Sport
Dr Clayton can be contacted for consultation in the following areas:
- Diet
- Weight loss/management strategies
- Hydration and sweat composition assessment
- Nutrition to optimise sport performance
Invited Speaker
Dr Clayton has delivered invited talks and disseminated his research findings for both public and academic audiences. These include:
- NHS Public Lecture
- Nutrition Society Summer Meeting
- Human Nutrition Research Centre at Newcastle University
- Human Appetite Research Unit at the University of Leeds
Research Funding
- British Nutrition Foundation Drummond Award (2019)
- Society for Endocrinology (2021)
- The Turmeric Co. (2022)
Awards
- GSSI-ACSM Young Investigator Award (2015)
- Nutrition Society Postgraduate Award (2015)
- British Feeding and Drinking Group Conference Travel Grant (2016)
- Loughborough University School Travel Grant (2015)
- Loughborough University Faculty PhD Studentship (2012)
Sponsors and collaborators
Dr Clayton is currently involved in collaborative research projects with:
- Dr Lewis James (Loughborough University)
- Professor David Stensel (Loughborough University)
- Prof James Betts (University of Bath)
- Dr John-Phillippe Wahlin (University of Bath)
- Dr James King (Loughborough University)
- Dr Carl Hulston (University of Newcastle)
Press expertise
- Nutrition for weight management
- Breakfast/meal omission for weight management
- Intermittent fasting
- Protein for health and exercise
- Appetite regulation
- Dieting and weight loss
- Diabetes