Guy Hajj-Boutros

Guy Hajj-Boutros is a researcher in exercise physiology focused on aging, muscle, and metabolic health.
He earned an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology, followed by a Master’s in Physiology centered on aging, exercise, and metabolic complications, and a PhD in Experimental Medicine from McGill University on how bed rest affects muscle, bone, and cardiovascular health in older adults.
He is completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University, studying how GLP-1 medications may influence skeletal muscle mass.
He is also a lecturer at Bishop's University and Concordia University, and previously taught at Université du Québec à Montréal, with over 10 years of teaching experience.
He has led more than 15 clinical trials and co-founded the SAFE Seniors Foundation with Dr. José Morais to promote exercise and healthy aging.

1.     Vincent Marcangeli, Laura Girard-Côté, Valeria Di Leo, Marie-Pier Roussel, Conor Lawless, Olivier Charest, Anteneh Argaw, Maude Dulac, Guy Hajj-Boutros, José A. Morais, Amy Vincent, Gilles Gouspillou, Jean-Philippe Leduc-Gaudet, Elise Duchesne. 12-week strength training improves mitochondrial respiration, H2O2 emission and skeletal muscle integrity in women with myotonic dystrophy type 1, Acta Physiologica, November, 2025

2.     Kathryn J. Jacob*, Guy Hajj Boutros*, Vita Sonjak, Jean-Phillippe Leduc-Gaudet, Felipe Broring, C Robb Flynn, Stéphanie Chevalier, Marie Lamarche, Sabah Hussain, José A. Morais Resistance training, but not leucine, increased basal muscle protein synthesis and reversed frailty in older women consuming optimized protein intake. (*equal contribution as first author). GeroScience

3.     Carmelo Mastrandrea*, Guy Hajj-Boutros*, Vita Sonjak, Eric Hedge, Richard Hughson, José A. Morais. Effects of 14-Day Bed Rest and Exercise Countermeasure on Insulin Resistance, Glucose Uptake, and Glucose Metabolism in Older Adults. (*equal contribution as first author). Scientific Report, 2025, July

4.     Guy Hajj-Boutros, Andréa Faust, John Muscedere, Perry Kim, Gilles Gouspillou, Lea Harrington, James L. Kirkland, George A. Kuchel, Jeremy Van Raamsdonk, R Jane Rylett, Chantal Autexier, Louis R. Lapierre, Michael Kobor, Mohammad Auais, Ann Beliën, Jeroen Aerssens, George Sutphin, Kenneth Rockwood, Alexandra Papaioannou, Marc Sim, Jamie Justice, Nancy Mayo and Gustavo Duque. Foundations and Strategic Vision of the Canadian Translational Geroscience Network. Journals of Gerontology series A, 2025, May

5.   Pressila Njeim, Antony D. Karelis, Andréa Faust, Juliette Casgrain, Guy Hajj-Boutros. Comparison between vegans and omnivores on the recovery of delayed onset muscle soreness in young females. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 2024, June

6.     Maude Dulac* Guy Hajj-Boutros*, Vita Sonjak, Andréa Faust, Sabah NA Hussain, Stéphanie Chevalier, Isabelle J. Dionne, José A. Morais and Gilles Gouspillou. A multimodal exercise countermeasure prevents the negative effects of head-down tilt bed rest on muscle mass and mitochondrial health in older adults. (*equal contribution as first author). Journal of Physiology, 2024, May

7.     Guy Hajj-Boutros, Andréa Faust, John Muscedere,  Perry Kim, Naji Abumrad,   Stéphanie Chevalier, Mylene Aubertin-Leheudre, Howard Bergman, Dawn Bowdish, Jessica Burford, Stacy Carrington-Lawrence, Hélène Côté, David E Dawe, Philipe de Souto Barreto, Colin Farrelly, Robert Fowler, Gilles Gouspillou, Lea Harrington, Sofie Lautrup, Susan Howlett, Mahdi Imani, James Kirkland, George Kuchel, Frédérick A Mallette, José A Morais, John C Newman, Daryl Pullman, Felipe Sierra, Jeremy Van Raamsdonk, Jennifer Watt, R Jane Rylett, Gustavo Duque. Navigating the Landscape of Translational Geroscience in Canada: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Current Progress and Future Directions. Journals of Gerontology series A, 2024, Mar 15

8.     Guy Hajj-Boutros, Vita Sonjak, Andréa Faust, Sharmila Balram, Jean-Christophe Lagacé, Philippe St-Martin, Donya Naz Divsalar, Farshid Sadeghian, Teresa Liu-Ambrose, Andrew P. Blaber, Isabelle J. Dionne, Simon Duchesne, Saija Kontulainen, Olga Theou, José A. Morais. Understanding the health impact of inactivity for the benefit of older adults and astronauts. Study protocol of the Canadian Bedrest Study. Journal of Experimental Physiology, 2024, Feb 19

9.     Balbim, G. M., Falck, R. S., Barha, C. K., Tai, D., Best, J. R., Hajj-Boutros, G., Madden, K., Liu-Ambrose, T. Exercise counters the negative impact of bed rest on executive functions in middle-aged and older adults: A proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial. Maturitas, 2024 Jan 1;179:107869.

10.  Gustavo Duque, Guy Hajj-Boutros, José A. Morais. Diagnosis and management of Sarcopenia. BMJ best practice, 2023 Sep 27

11.  Guy Hajj-Boutros, Vita Sonjak, Andréa Faust, Eric Hedge, Carmelo Mastrandrea, Jean-Christophe Lagacé, Philippe St-Martin, Donya Naz Divsalar, Farshid Sadeghian Stéphanie Chevalier, Teresa Liu-Ambrose, Andrew Blaber, Isabelle J. Dionne, Simon Duchesne, Richard Hughson, Saija Kontulainen, Olga Theou, Jose A. Morais. Impact of 14 days of bed rest in older adults and an exercise countermeasure on body composition, muscle strength and cardiovascular function: Canadian Space Agency standard measures. Gerontology, 2023 Sep 15;69(11):1284-94.

12.  Layale Youssef, Sylvère Durand, Fanny Aprahamian, Deborah Lefevre, Melanie Bourgin, Maria Chiara Maiuri, Maude Dulac, Guy Hajj-Boutros, Vincent Marcangeli, Fanny Buckinx, Eva Peyrusqué, José A Morais, Pierrette Gaudreau, Gilles Gouspillou, Guido Kroemer, Mylène Aubertin-Leheudre, Philippe Noirez. Serum metabolomic adaptations following a 12-week High-Intensity Interval Training combined to citrulline supplementation in obese older adults. European Journal of Sport Science, 2023 May 23:1-3.

13.  Layale Youssef, Mélanie Bourgin, Sylvère Durand, Fanny Aprahamian, Deborah Lefevre, Maria Chiara Maiuri, Vincent Marcangeli, Maude Dulac, Guy Hajj-Boutros, Fanny Buckinx, Eva Peyrusqué, Pierrette Gaudreau, José A. Morais, Gilles Gouspillou, Guido Kroemer, Mylène Aubertin-Leheudre and Philippe Noirez. Serum Metabolome Adaptations Following 12 Weeks of High-Intensity Interval Training or Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training in Obese Older Adults. Metabolites, 2023 Jan 29;13(2):198.

14.  Guy Hajj-Boutros, Marie-Anne Landry-Duval, Alain Steve Comtois, Gilles Gouspillou and Antony D. Karelis. Wrist-Worn Devices for the Measurement of Heart Rate and Energy Expenditure: A Validation Study for the Apple Watch 6, Polar Vantage V and Fitbit Sense. European Journal of Sports Science, 2023 Feb 1;23(2):165-77.

15.  Guy Hajj-Boutros, Antony D. Karelis, José A. Morais, Juliette Casgrain, Vita Sonjak. Potential mechanisms involved in regulating muscle protein turnover after acute exercise: a brief Review. Frontiers in physiology, 2023 Jan 9;13:2728.