Department of Public Health and Exercise Science

Education

• Post-doctoral research fellowship - University of Missouri, Columbia

• Ph.D. in Bioenergetics - East Carolina University

• M.A. in Physical Education - California State University, Chico

• B.S. in Exercise Physiology - California State University, Chico

Current Teaching

• ES 2035 - Introduction to Human Anatomy & Physiology
• ES 3002 - Exercise Physiology
• ES 3003 - Exercise Physiology Laboratory
• ES 5624 - Physiology of Exercise

Professional Affiliations / Organizations

• American Physiological Society
• American College of Sports Medicine

Laboratory Affiliation

• Biochemistry (Director)
• Vivarium

Research Interests

• My primary scholarly interests include investigating the mechanisms responsible for sarcopenia (the age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength) and skeletal muscle repair/regeneration after injury. My laboratory seeks to develop exercise and/or nutritional interventions for the treatment/prevention of sarcopenia and enhanced recovery of skeletal muscle from damage.
• Furthermore, my laboratory focuses on the role inflammation plays in sarcopenia and the failed regrowth from atrophy in aged skeletal muscle, as well as in skeletal muscle repair and regeneration after injury.
• Additionally, my laboratory investigates the role of exercise on the composition and diversity of the gut microbiome.

Current research projects include:

• Phytoecdysteroid supplementation on growth and function characteristics in young and old skeletal muscle in response to resistance and endurance exercise
• Phytoecdysteroid supplementation on the recovery of function and structural characteristics in young and old skeletal muscle in response to eccentric contraction-induced injury
• Influence of exercise on the composition, diversity, and function of the gut microbiota in young and aging subjects
• Effect of exercise on the recolonization and function of the gut microbiota after a course of antibiotics

Selected Publications

Google Scholar link for all publications

• Zwetsloot, K.A., L.M. Westerkamp, B.F. Holmes, and T. P. Gavin. “AMPK regulates basal skeletal muscle capillarization and VEGF expression, but is not necessary for the angiogenic response to exercise.” Journal of Physiology. 586(24). 6021-6035. 2008. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2008.159871
• Zwetsloot, K.A.*, A. Nedergaard*, T.E. Childs, and F.W. Booth. “Differences in transcriptional patterns of extracellular matrix, inflammatory, and myogenic regulatory genes in myofibroblasts, fibroblasts, and muscle precursor cells isolated from old male rat skeletal muscle using a novel cell isolation procedure.” Biogerontology. 13(4). 383-398. 2012. * - denotes authors contributed equally to this work. doi: 10.1007/s10522-012-9382-7
• Zwetsloot, K.A., T.E. Childs, L.T. Gilpin, and F.W. Booth. “Zero-passaged muscle precursor cells from old skeletal muscle have delayed proliferation and differentiation.” Cell Proliferation. 46(1). 45-57. 2013. doi: 10.1111/cpr.12007
• Zwetsloot, K.A., C.S. John^#, M.M. Lawrence^#, R.A. Battista, and R.A. Shanely. “High intensity interval training induces a modest inflammatory response in young active men.” Journal of Inflammation Research. 7. 9-17. 2014. doi: 10.2147/JIR.S54721
• Shanely, R.A., K.A. Zwetsloot, N.T. Triplett, M.P. Meaney, G.E. Farris, and D.C. Nieman. “Human skeletal muscle biopsy procedures using the modified Bergström technique.” Journal of Visualized Experiments. (91) e51812. 2014.  doi:10.3791/51812
• Zwetsloot, K.A., R.A. Shanely, E.K. Merritt, and J.M. McBride. Invited Review: “Phytoecdysteroids: A Novel, Non-Androgenic Alternative for Muscle Health and Performance.”  Journal of Steroids & Hormonal Science. 12:e001. 2014. doi: 10.4172/2157-7536.S12-e001
• Godwin, J.S.^#, C.F. Hodgman^#, A.R. Needle, K.A. Zwetsloot, and R.A. Shanely. Whole-body Heat Shock Accelerates Recovery from Impact-Induced Skeletal Muscle Damage in Mice. Conditioning Medicine. 2(4): 184-191. August 2020. http://www.conditionmed.org/Data/View/9543?type=300
• Nieman, D.C., K.A. Zwetsloot, A.J. Simonson, A.T. Hoyle, X. Wang, H.K. Nelson, C. Lefranc-Millot, and L. Guerin-Deremaux. Effects of Whey and Pea Protein Supplementation on Post-Eccentric Exercise Muscle Damage: A Randomized Trial. Nutrients. 12(8): 2382. August 2020. doi: 10.3390/nu12082382
• Lawrence, M.M.^#, K.A. Zwetsloot, S.T. Arthur, C.A. Sherman^#, J.R. Huot, V. Badmaev, M. Grace, M.A. Lila, D.C. Nieman, and R.A. Shanely. Phytoecdysteroids Do Not Have Anabolic Effects in Skeletal Muscle in Sedentary Aging Mice. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - Special Issue: Regulation of Muscle Mass, Exercise, and Metabolism. 18, 370. January 2021.  doi: 10.3390/ijerph18020370
• Zwetsloot, K.A., R.A. Shanely, J.S. Godwin^#, and C.F. Hodgman^#. Phytoecdysteroids Accelerate Recovery of Skeletal Muscle Function Following in vivo Eccentric Contraction-Induced Injury in Adult and Old Mice. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences - Exercise and Aging with Musculoskeletal Conditions. 2. 1-13. November 2021. doi: 10.3389/fresc.2021.757789
• Koopmans, P.J.^# and K.A. Zwetsloot. A simple and inexpensive running wheel model for progressive resistance training in mice. Journal of Visualized Experiments. (182), e63933, April 2022. doi:10.3791/63933
• Stewart, J.A.^#, E.K. Merritt, D.E. Lidstone, J.M. McBride, and K.A. Zwetsloot. Prolonged cycling lowers subsequent running mechanical efficiency in collegiate triathletes. BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation. 14(149). August 2022. doi: 10.1186/s13102-022-00543-w
• Koopmans, P.J.^#, T.K. Williams-Frey^#, and K.A. Zwetsloot. "Stuart has got the PoWeR! Skeletal muscle adaptations to a novel heavy progressive weighted wheel running exercise model in C57BL/6 mice." Experimental Physiology. 109:271-282.October 2023. doi.org/10.1113/EP091494
• Koopmans, P.J.^#, K.A. Zwetsloot, and K.A. Murach. Invited Review: “Going Nuclear: Molecular adaptations to exercise mediated by myonuclei” - Special Issue: "Molecular Mechanisms of Exercise-Induced Skeletal Muscle Health”; Sports Medicine and Health Science. 5.1. March 2023. doi: 10.1016/j.smhs.2022.11.005
• Brooks, C.N., M.E. Wight^#, O.E. Azeez^#, R.M. Bleich, and K.A. Zwetsloot. Invited Review: “Growing old together: What we know about the influence of diet and exercise on the aging host’s microbiome.” Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. 5:1168731. April 2023. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1168731

^# - denotes student trainee