Andrew J Galpin

California State University, Fullerton | CSUF · Department of Kinesiology

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) constitute a significant public health issue and a major source of disability and death in the United States and worldwide. TBIs are strongly associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, resulting in a host of negative health outcomes and long-term complications and placing a heavy financial burden on healthca...

Chiu, LZF, Fry, AC, Galpin, AJ, Salem, GJ, and Cabarkapa, D. Regulatory light-chain phosphorylation during weightlifting training: association with postactivation performance enhancement. J Strength Cond Res 37(10): e563–e568, 2023—Postactivation performance enhancement has been reported for multijoint resistance exercise, with both neural and intr...

The prevalence of dietary supplement use among athletes continues to rise with 60–80% of athletes often reporting current or previous use of dietary supplements. While select dietary ingredients have been shown to improve acute performance and enhance training adaptations over time, it is important to still consider the risk vs. reward for athletes...

Introduction Multiple domains of cognitive function decline with age, resulting in a significant burden on quality of life and the healthcare system. Recent studies increasingly point to links between muscle mass, particularly low muscle mass, and risk of cognitive decline. However, complex relationships exist between muscle mass, muscle function,...

The human gastrointestinal microbiota and its unique metabolites regulate a diverse array of physiological processes with substantial implications for human health and performance. Chronic exercise training positively modulates the gut microbiota and its metabolic output. The benefits of chronic exercise for the gut microbiota may be influenced by...

Rhodiola rosea (RR) is a plant whose bioactive components may function as adaptogens, thereby increasing resistance to stress and improving overall resilience. Some of these effects may influence exercise performance and adaptations. Based on studies of rodents, potential mechanisms for the ergogenic effects of RR include modulation of energy subst...

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a tart cherry supplement on recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage. Seventeen recreationally active women (mean age ± SD = 22.2 ± 3.3 years, height = 162.0 ± 6.0 cm, body mass = 65.1 ± 11.1 kg, BMI = 24.7 ± 3.5 kg·m 2) supplemented with 1000 mg of concentrated tart cherry or a placebo fo...

Skeletal muscle is the most abundant tissue in the human body. Known for its primary role in movement, muscle also plays important roles in regulating metabolism, maintaining body temperature and providing large stores of protein, carbohydrates and fats. Muscle cells (known as ‘muscle fibres’) can rapidly adapt to exercise or disuse by changing siz...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a vibrating foam roller, a foam roller, and vibration-only on the dominant hamstrings, with a secondary aim of examining the effects on the quadriceps and non-dominant limb. METHODS: Fifteen resistance trained women (mean age ± SD = 22.9 ± 2.0 years, height = 162.7 ± 4.8 cm, body mass...

The effects of vibrating foam rolling the hamstrings on range of motion (ROM), hamstrings-to-quadriceps (H:Q) ratios, muscle activation, and peak torque (PT) of the quadriceps and hamstrings have yet to be extensively studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a vibrating foam roller on the hamstrings. Fifteen resistance train...

Bagheri, R, Moghadam, BH, Ashtary-Larky, D, Forbes, SC, Candow, DG, Galpin, AJ, Eskandari, M, Kreider, RB, and Wong, A. Whole egg vs. egg white ingestion during 12 weeks of resistance training in trained young males: a randomized controlled trial. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2020-The primary purpose was to compare the effects of whole egg i...

Little data exist on powerlifting-specific skeletal muscle adaptations, and none elucidate sex differences in powerlifters. Powerlifters tend to display higher fast-twitch fiber content and phosphagen system dependence. Nevertheless, it is unknown whether fast-twitch fiber or muscle creatine content are predictive of competitive powerlifting perfor...

We read the article of Buckner et al. (1), hoping to find new insights on resistance training. Unfortunately, the article is a restatement of information contained in previously published reviews from this group. Here are our major concerns: HYPERTROPHY AND STRENGTH GAINS Buckner et al. believe that high-volume phases are unnecessary. Initial alter...

Human skeletal muscle is a heterogeneous tissue composed of multiple fiber types that express unique contractile and metabolic properties. While analysis of mixed fiber samples predominates and holds value, increasing attention has been directed towards studying proteins segregated by fiber type, a methodological distinction termed "fiber type-spec...

While powerlifters tend to display higher fast-twitch fiber content, it is unknown if this content predicts competitive performance via Wilks coefficient. Purpose: to 1) compare the myosin heavy chain (MHC) fiber type (FT) profiles between powerlifters and sedentary controls of both sexes, and 2) determine if fast-twitch fiber content predicts Wilk...

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(4): 49-61, 2020. The barbell back squat provides a highly effective training stimulus to improve lower body strength, speed, and power, which are considered key components of athletic performance in many sports. The barbell hip thrust exercise utilizes similar musculature, and is popular among practition...

Women and men present different metabolic responses to exercise, yet whether this phenomenon results from differences in fiber type (FT) composition or other sex-specific factors remains unclear. Therefore, our aim was to examine the effects of sex and FT independently on AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), Tre-2/BUB2...

Background: Metabolic abnormalities and increased sedentary time in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients lead to unfavorable skeletal muscle adaptations and reduced exercise tolerance. Muscle function is affected by the proportion of “pure” myosin heavy chain (MyHC) fiber type isoforms (Type I, IIa, and IIx) and prevalence of co-expressing “hybr...

Powerlifting regularly exposes athletes to extreme stimuli such as chronic heavy resistance training (HRT), and many pow-erlifters choose to augment their performance with anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS). However, little is known about the myocellular adaptations that occur from long-term HRT and AAS use, especially into middle age. We were pres...

We examined the association between footfall pattern and characteristics of lower limb muscle function and compared lower limb muscle function between forefoot and rearfoot runners. Fifteen rearfoot and 16 forefoot runners were evaluated using ultrasonography of the gastrocnemii and tibialis anterior while strike index and heel strike angle quantif...

Bagley, JR, Burghardt, KJ, McManus, R, Howlett, B, Costa, PB, Coburn, JW, Arevalo, JA, Malek, MH, and Galpin, AJ. Epigenetic responses to acute resistance exercise in trained vs. sedentary men. J Strength Cond Res 34(6): 1574-1580, 2020-Acute resistance exercise (RE) alters DNA methylation, an epigenetic process that influences gene expression and...

Human skeletal muscle fibers exist across a continuum of slow → fast-twitch. The amount of each fiber type (FT) influences muscle performance but remains largely unexplored in elite athletes, particularly from strength/power sports. To address this nescience, vastus lateralis (VL) biopsies were performed on World/Olympic (female, n = 6, “WCF”) and...

Athletes utilise numerous strategies to reduce body weight or body fat prior to competition. The traditional approach requires continuous energy restriction (CER) for the entire weight loss phase (typically days to weeks). However, there is some suggestion that intermittent energy restriction (IER), which involves alternating periods of energy rest...

Human skeletal muscle fibers exist across a continuum of slow → fast-twitch. The amount of each fiber type (FT) influences muscle performance but remains largely unexplored in elite athletes, particularly from strength/power sports. To address this nescience, vastus lateralis (VL) biopsies were performed on World/Olympic (female, n=6, “WCF”) and Na...

Introduction: Myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoform composition determines skeletal muscle fiber classifications. MHC types can shift in response to different stimuli or environmental conditions (e.g., microgravity and exercise). Minimal data on short-duration simulated microgravity exposure exhibits transitioning effects on MHC fiber types from slow-to...

IntroductionPhysical health and function depend upon both genetic inheritance and environmental factors (e.g., exercise training). PurposeTo enhance the understanding of heritability/adaptability, we explored the skeletal muscle health and physiological performance of monozygotic (MZ) twins with > 30 years of chronic endurance training vs. no speci...

Collins, KS, Coburn, JW, Galpin, AJ, and Lockie, RG. Relationships and reliability between a drive block test and traditional football performance tests in high school offensive line players. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2018-The offensive line (OL) is a specialized football position responsible for blocking tasks. Little research exists on...

Purpose: Powerlifting (a strength sport consisting of maximal squats, bench press, and deadlifts) regularly exposes athletes to extreme stimuli such as chronic heavy resistance training (HRT) combined with anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use. However, little is known about the myocellular adaptations that occur from long-term HRT and AAS use, esp...

Purpose: Powerlifting (a strength sport consisting of maximal squats, bench press, and deadlifts) regularly exposes athletes to extreme stimuli such as chronic heavy resistance training (HRT) combined with anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use. However, little is known about the myocellular adaptations that occur from long-term HRT and AAS use, esp...

PURPOSE: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is an energy-sensing regulator of cellular metabolism that is activated during acute exercise. Previous human skeletal muscle studies analyzed AMPK activation in mixed fiber type (FT) biopsy samples, though recent investigations show that AMPK's properties are dependent on myosin heavy chain (MHC) FT (i....

Purpose: To examine the effects of foam rolling (FR), on range of motion, (ROM), peak torque (PT), hamstrings-to-quadriceps (H:Q) ratios, and muscle activation . Methods: Twenty-two recreationally active women (mean age ± SD = 21.55 ± 1.82 years, 161.91 ± 6.58 cm, 61.47 ± 10.54 kg) volunteered for this study. Participants performed pre- and post...

Introduction: Large imbalances between limbs are common and potentially dangerous, yet few studies have simultaneously examined performance and physiological asymmetries. The current study examined the associations between lower limb dominance, drop-jumping kinematics, maximal strength, and myosin heavy chain (MHC) fiber type in the vastus lateral...

Human skeletal muscle is a heterogeneous mixture of multiple fiber types (FT). Unfortunately, current methods for FT-specific study are constrained by limits of protein detection in single muscle fiber samples. These limitations beget compensatory resource-intensive procedures, ultimately dissuading FT-specific research. Additionally, previous stud...

THIS COLUMN DISCUSSES TWO RELATED, BUT IMPORTANTLY DIFFERENT, APPROACHES TO ENHANCING POWER; ASSISTED AND RESISTED TRAINING. UNDERSTANDING BOTH MODALITIES ALLOWS THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PROFESSIONAL TO DISCERN THE ROLE OF EACH IN ENHANCING JUMP AND SPRINT PERFORMANCE.

Speed is a crucial aspect in softball, and can be the difference between winning and losing. Base stealing is a method used to produce runs. There has been debate over which starting position is the most advantageous to maximize acceleration and speed to reach the next base the fastest. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of differe...

International Journal of Exercise Science 11(4): 68-74, 2018. Softball and baseball are games that require multiple skill sets such as throwing, hitting and fielding. Players spend a copious amount of time in batting practice in order to be successful hitters. Variables commonly associated with successful hitting include bat velocity and torso rota...

International Journal of Exercise Science 11(4): 68-74, 2018. Softball and baseball are games that require multiple skill sets such as throwing, hitting and fielding. Players spend a copious amount of time in batting practice in order to be successful hitters. Variables commonly associated with successful hitting include bat velocity and torso rota...

Background: Accurate and accessible methods of body composition are necessary to ensure health and safety of wrestlers during competition. The most valid and reliable instruments are expensive and relatively inaccessible to high school wrestlers; therefore, more practical technology is needed. Objective: To compare body fat percentage (BF%) results...

Plyometric exercise is popular in commercial exercise programs aiming to maximize energy expenditure for weight loss. However, the effect of plyometric exercise on blood glucose is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of relatively high intensity plyometric exercise on blood glucose. Thirteen subjects (6 females age= 21....

Skeletal muscle fiber composition of the right vastus lateralus in an ultramarathon runner.

The bench press and pushup are commonly used for training upper body muscular strength and endurance. Although they are often used interchangeably, differences between the two relative to body mass load are unknown. Furthermore, sex differences may exist due to anthropometric body mass specificity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the rela...

PURPOSE: There is a paucity of research investigating the expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in chronically trained (CT) athletes. Thus, it is unclear how MAPK may contribute to performance and muscle adaptation in CT subjects. The purpose of this study was to determine MAPK total protein, and phosphorylated expression of extrac...

Leg dominance may lead to asymmetrical performance and injuries. No study has investigated this issue at both the biomechanical and single muscle fiber level. METHODS: Fourteen men (age=24.1±2.6yrs; height=181.6±6.6cm; mass=87.8±10.9kg) answered a leg dominance questionnaire (preferred kicking leg) and performed drop-jumps (30cm) onto two independe...

Developing exercise countermeasures to prevent muscle atrophy is vital for ensuring Astronaut health during spaceflight. However, most physiological studies in microgravity have utilized only male participants. Of the 537 total Astronauts who have traveled to space only 60 have been female (~11%), but fortunately this number is steadily growing. Wi...

Forty years ago, Thorstensson and Karlsson (1976) described the link between muscle fatigability and fiber type, finding that more fast-twitch fibers were associated with a quicker onset of quadriceps fatigue. This provided the foundation for the Classic Thorstensson Test (CT) of fatigability and subsequent noninvasive fiber type prediction equatio...

Purpose: Athletes and military service members are known to undergo strenuous exercise and sometimes have to take long haul flights soon afterwards; however, its combined effect on many physiological functions is relatively unknown. Therefore, we examined the combined effects of a full-body muscle-damaging workout and transcontinental flight on co...

Background: Recent research has compared explosive deadlift to kettlebell training observing their effects on strength. The kettlebell swing is a popular practical exercise as it shares share a hip hinge movement with the explosive deadlift, but the two have not been compared. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of kett...

Background: Recent research has compared explosive deadlift to kettlebell training observing their effects on strength. The kettlebell swing is a popular practical exercise as it shares share a hip hinge movement with the explosive deadlift, but the two have not been compared. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the Flourishing Cre...

PurposeMany physiological maladaptations persist after overreaching and overtraining resistance exercise (RE). However, no studies have investigated changes in mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) after overtraining in humans, despite their critical role regulating exercise-induced muscular adaptations. The purpose of this study was to describe...

Variations in physical ability between individuals depend on both training background and genetics. Previous research has investigated the details of this phenomenon by studying monozygous (identical) twins with long-term, moderate differences in physical activity patterns and/or monozygous twins with short-term, but greater differences in physical...

OBJECTIVE: The study examined mechanomyographic (MMG) amplitude (root mean square, RMS) and mean power frequency (MPF) vs. torque relationships during isometric muscle actions in women with higher vs. lower strength. METHODS: Eighteen women volunteered to perform isometric leg extensions at 10 to 100% of their maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) on...

Background: The use of chains in resistance training is a way to accommodate the muscular strength curve. Short-term training and jump squats have been shown to increase back squat strength, but not in conjunction with each other or with chains. Jump squats have also been used to increase jump height and power. Objectives: The purpose of this study...

INTRODUCTION: Variations in physical ability between individuals depends on both genetic inheritance and lifestyle. No previous research has examined monozygous (MZ) twins with both substantial and long-term differences in physical activity patterns. PURPOSE: Examine vastus lateralis (VL) size, thickness, and quality in a set of MZ twins (age=52y)...

The leg preferred to " kick a ball " is often considered the " dominant leg ". However, no study has investigated this phenomenon at the single muscle fiber level. METHODS: Fourteen men (age=24.1±2.6yrs; height=181.6±6.6cm; mass=87.8±10.9kg) answered a leg dominance questionnaire and received muscle biopsies of their vastus lateralis in both their...

Asymmetrical function caused by leg dominance may hinder performance or promote injury. No study has addressed this issue by simultaneously examining biomechanical and physiological determinants of human performance. PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between leg dominance, muscle fiber type composition, and jumping performance in resistance-...

INTRODUCTION: Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression of an organism in response to environmental stimuli. The human epigenetic response to resistance exercise (RE) is poorly understood. This is problematic because RE is a powerful stimulus with numerous performance and health benefits. PURPOSE: To investigate the human epigenetic re...

Strength coaches are searching for the best ways to train athletes to be bigger, faster, and stronger in order to increase performance. A unique form of training is to invoke postactivation potentiation whichis based on the premise of performing a heavy resistance exercise followed by anexplosive exercise, resulting in increased power performance....

Background: The drum set involves dynamic movement of all four limbs. Motor control studies have been done on drum set playing, yet not much is known about the physiological responses to this activity. Even less is known about heavy metal drumming. Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine metabolic responses and demands of heavy metal drum...

Chronic resistance training increases the prevalence of myosin heavy chain (MHC) IIa (fast-twitch) fibers. Consequently, resistance-trained individuals have lower proportions of MHC I (slow-twitch), I/IIa (hybrid), IIa/IIx (hybrid), and IIx (fast-twitch) fibers. Most research on muscle fiber type composition and knee extensor strength studied untra...

Poor landing mechanics are often a result of weak lower body musculature. Yet, no study has compared knee-landing mechanics from a drop vertical jump to knee extension strength. In addition, no study has examined these variables in relation to leg dominance. METHODS: Sixteen resistance-trained men (age=23.94±2.9yrs; height=180.19±6.4cm; mass=85.23±...

Extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) moderates skeletal muscle growth; however, chronic responses of this protein to unique resistance exercise (RE) paradigms are yet to be explored. The purpose of this investigation was to describe the long-term response of ERK1/2 following circuit weight training (CWT), recreationally weight...

CONCLUSIONS Although there were no diierences between conditions, the CH group was still able to increase their 1RM strength while lifting less overall weight. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Coaches may use short term training with chains to yield a similar increase in back squat strength as traditional jump squats. PURPOSE To investigate the eeects of sho...

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the influence of intermittent neck cooling during exercise bouts designed to mimic combat sport competitions. Participants (n = 13, age = 25.3 ˘ 5.0 year height = 176.9 ˘ 7.5 cm, mass = 79.3 ˘ 9.0 kg, body fat = 11.8% ˘ 3.1%) performed three trials on a cycle ergometer. Each trial consisted of two,...

Purpose: Mixed martial arts (MMA) requires a unique combination of muscular strength, power, and endurance. However, little is known regarding elite MMA athletes muscle characteristics at the cellular level. The purpose of this study was to determine the myocellular phenotype [fiber type, size, and myonuclear domain (MND) size] and whole muscle per...