Zachary Bell, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Exercise and Health Science,
College of Human Sciences and Humanities
Email: bellz@uhcl.edu
Biography
Dr. Zachary Bell is an assistant professor in the Department of Clinical, Health,
and Applied Sciences. He achieved his Ph.D. in Health and Kinesiology from the University
of Mississippi in May 2022.
His doctoral research focused on skeletal muscle adaptations, specifically through
the application of blood flow restriction, and with efforts driven towards investigating
more practical means of blood flow restriction. His dissertation explored the cross
education of strength in the upper body, coupled with measures of post-activation
potentiation, and how these two factors might explain strength adaptations with resistance
training.
Dr. Bell subsequently worked as a postdoctoral researcher at McGill University in
Montreal, Canada for two years where he completed research within the Exercise Metabolism
and Nutrition Research Laboratory. He was involved with research that emphasized protein
metabolism and how muscle protein synthesis and breakdown changes during periods of
disuse, immobilization and beyond the fifth decade of life. These research studies
considered how protein supplementation and exercise might ameliorate such circumstances.
Dr. Bell is enormously passionate about teaching and developing the minds of his students.
He seeks to cultivate a classroom environment where his students are able to go beyond
textbook knowledge and instead try to use empirical evidence to draw their conclusions.
He teaches courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level focusing on exercise
physiology, clinical nutrition, and physical activity.
Publications
- Wong V, Spitz RW, Song JS, Yamada Y, Kataoka R, Hammert WB, Kang A, Seffrin A, Bell ZW, Loenneke JP. Blood Flow Restriction Augments the Cross-Education Effect of Isometric Handgrip Training. European Journal of Applied Physiology. (2024) Jan 2:1-1.
- Kaspy MS, Hannaian S, Bell ZW, Churchward-Venne TA. The Effects of Branched-Chain Amino Acids on Muscle Protein Synthesis, Muscle Protein Breakdown, and Associated Molecular Signaling Responses in Humans. Nutrition Research Reviews. (2023) Sep 8:1-36.
- Hawley S, Bell ZW, Huang Y, Gibbs J, Churchward-Venne TA. Evaluation of sex-based differences in resistance exercise training-induced changes in muscle mass, strength, and physical performance in healthy older (≥60 y) adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ageing Research Reviews. (2023) Jul 27:102023.
- Yamada Y, Kataoka R, Bell ZW, Wong V, Spitz RW, Song JS Abe T, Loenneke JP. Improved interference control after exercise with blood flow restriction and cooling is associated with but not mediated by increased lactate. Journal of Physiology and Behavior. (2023) Jul 11:114291.
- Bell ZW, Wong V, Spitz RW, Yamada Y, Song JS, Kataoka R, Chatakondi RN, Abe T, Loenneke JP. Unilateral high-load resistance training influences strength changes in the contralateral arm undergoing low-load training. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. (2023) Jun 28.
- Spitz RW, Dankel SJ, Jessee MB, Wong V, Bell ZW, Abe T, Loenneke JP. Does Muscle Growth Mediate Changes in a Non-Specific Strength Task. Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging. (2023) July ;43(4):223-231
- Spitz RW, Song JS, Yamada Y, Wong V, Bell ZW, Kataoka R, Loenneke JP. Cuff Width Does Not Affect Discomfort Ratings Immediately Following Isometric Handgrip Exercise. Physiology International. (2023) Mar 10;110(1):64-73
- Kataoka R, Spitz RW, Wong V, Bell ZW, Yamada Y, Song JS, Hammert WB, Dankel SJ, Abe T, Loenneke JP. Sex segregation in strength sports: Do equal-sized muscles express the same levels of strength between sexes? American Journal of Human Biology. (2023) May;35(5):e23862.
- Spitz RW, Kataoka R, Yamada Y, Dankel SJ, Bell ZW, Song JS, Wong V, Yamada Y, Loenneke JP. Quantifying the Generality of Strength Adaptation: A Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine. (2023) Mar;53(3):637-648.
- Song JS, Kataoka R, Yamada Y, Wong V, Spitz RW, Bell ZW, Loenneke JP. The Hypoalgesic Effect of Low-Load Exercise to Failure Is Not Augmented by Blood Flow Restriction. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. (2022) Sep 12:1-0.
Courses (Current Academic Year)
- EXHS 5335 Exercise in Chronic Disease: Cardiopulmonary and Metabolic
- EXHS 5134 Clinical Nutrition
- KINE 3316 Applied Kinesiology
Research Projects
- Blood Flow Restriction
- Muscle Protein Synthesis
- Exercise and Resistance Training
- Diet and Supplementation