Michael G. Bemben, Ph.D.

Michael Bemben received his doctoral degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Exercise Physiology and is currently a Professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at the University of Oklahoma.

Besides being a Professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science on the Norman Campus, Dr. Bemben is also an adjunct Assistant Professor in Physiology and Biophysics and Geriatric Medicine at the Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City and a senior fellow with the Oklahoma Center on Aging. His general research emphasis encompasses the broad area of aging.

Some of Dr. Bemben’s research projects have included the effects of different supplementation programs on enhancing muscular strength and muscle mass following training in older individuals, different training interventions for improving balance and postural stability in older women, assessing changes in total and regional body composition with normal aging and following exercise interventions, age related changes in hormonal responses to resistance training, and trying to quantifying strength, power, and muscular endurance by a variety of methodologies to examine and describe normal age expected changes.

Dr. Bemben also works closely with his wife, Dr. Debra Bemben, who share some common interests related to aging (bone health and endocrine function). He hopes that some of the outcomes from this research will help develop safe, enjoyable resistance training programs that can improve strength and muscle mass so that elderly men and women are able to retain or regain normal daily activities and maintain independence in the community. Dr. Bemben currently has 4 doctoral students and 5 master’s students working with him in the Neuromuscular Research Laboratory.

• Vita (PDF)

Courses

Undergraduate Courses Currently Taught at The University of Oklahoma

• HES 3823 Exercise Physiology
• HES 4833 Exercise Physiology Laboratory

Graduate Courses Currently Taught at The University of Oklahoma

• HES 5863 Physiology of Aging
• HES 6844 Neuromuscular Physiology

Research Interests

• Aging
  • Neuromuscular Function and Adaptation
    • Isometric, Isotonic, and Isokinetic Movements
    • Hormonal Regulation
    • Strength - Power - Endurance Relationships
    • EMG Activity
  • Body Composition Assessment
    • Two, Three, and Four Component Models
  • Potentiation of Muscle Hypertrophy
    • Dose-Response Relationships
    • Hormonal Status
• Performance
  • Creatine Supplementation
  • Chromium Picolinate Supplementation

Publications

• Midorikawa, T., Sekiyuchi, O., Beckley, M.D., Bemben, M.G., and Abe, T.  A Comparison of Organ-Tissue Level Body Composition between College-Age Athletes and Non-athletes.  Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, in review, 2005.
• Rixon, K., Lamont, H., and Bemben, M.  Influence of Contraction Type, Gender, and Lifting Experience on Post Activation Potentiation Performance.  Journal of Strength and Conditioning, in review, 2005.
• Clary, S., Barnes, C., Bemben, D., Knehans, A., Bemben, M.  Effects of Ballates, Step Aerobics, and Walking on Balance in Women Aged 50 – 75 Years.  Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, in review, 2005.
• Witten, M., Carter, J., Eliot, K., Bemben, D., Knehans, A., Anderson, M., and Bemben, M.  Resistance Training: Creatine and Protein Supplementation in Older Men.  Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, in review, 2005.
• Eliot, K., Knehans, A., Bemben, D., Witten, M., Carter, J., and Bemben, M.  The Effects of Creatine and Whey Protein Supplementation on Body Composition in Men Aged 40 to 72 Years During Resistance Training.  International Journal of Sports Nutrition Research, in review, 2005.
• Olshansky, SJ., Carnes, BA., Butler, RA., Hayflick, L., Conn, M., Bemben, M., Bemben, D., and Brody, J.  Human By Design.  American Scientist, in review, 2005.
• Lamont, H., and Bemben, M.  Muscle Potentiation: Implication for Sports Performance.  Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, in review, 2005.
• Palmer, IJ., Runnels, E., Bemben, MG., and Bemben, DA.  Muscle-Bone Interactions Across age in Men.  Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, in press, 2005.
• Baker, J., Bemben, MG., Anderson, M, and Bemben, DA.  Effects of Age and Testosterone responses to resistance exercise and musculoskeletal variables in men.  Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, in press, 2005.
• Rixon, K., and Bemben, M.  Analysis of the assessment of caloric expenditure in four modes of aerobic dance.  Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, in press, 2005.
• Richardson, M., Cramer, J., Bemben, D., Shehab, R., and Bemben, M.  Effects of age and ACL injury on quadriceps gamma lop function.  Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, in press, 2005.
• Bemben, MG, Bemben, DA, and Hartman, MJ.  Chromium.  In: Sports Nutrition. Vitamins and Trace Elements.  Wolinski and Driskell (Eds.), CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, pages 267-274, 2005.
• Runnels, E., Bemben, D., Anderson, M., and Bemben, M.  Influence of age on isometric, isotonic, and isokinetic force production characteristics in men.  Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, 28(3):74-84, 2005.
• Carter, J., Witten, M., Bemben, D., Knehans, and Bemben, M.  Does Nutritional Supplementation Influence Adaptability of Muscle to Resistance Training in Men Aged 48 to 72 Years.  Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, 28(2): 40-47, 2005.
• White, S., Bemben, D., Knehans, A., Bemben, M.  Effect of continuous passive motion (machine assisted) exercise as an alternative form of training on physiological profiles of women aged 40-65 years.  Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 19(3): 634-639, 2005.
• Bemben, M., and Lamont, H.  Creatine Supplementation and Exercise Performance: Recent Findings. Sports Medicine, 35(2): 107-125, 2005.
• Bemben, M.G., Sato, Y., and Abe, T.  The use of Anthropometry for Assessing Muscle Size.  International Journal of Kaatsu Training Research, 1:33-36, 2005.
• Mayhew, JL., Jacques, JA., Ware, JS., Chapman, PP., Bemben, MG., Ward, TE, and Slovak, JP.  Anthropometric Dimensions do not Enhance 1-RM Prediction from the NFL-225 Test in College Football Players, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 18(3): 572-578, 2004.
• White, S., Christian, M., and Bemben, M.  The Efficacy of Utilizing Continuous Passive Motion for Improving Physical Fitness, Strength and Conditioning Journal, 26(2): 26-29, 2004.
• White, S., Bemben, M., Philpot, A., and Green, A.  Physiological Comparison Between Female University Ballet and Modern Dance Students.  Journal of Dance Medicine and Science, 8(1): 5-10, 2004.
• Bemben, D., Buchanan, T., Bemben, M., and Knehans, A. Influence of Type of Mechanical Loading, Menstrual Status, and Training Season on Bone Density in Young Women Athletes.  Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 18(2): 220-226, 2004.
• Collings, KL., Pratt, P.,  Rodriguez-Stanley, S., Bemben, M., and Miner, P.  Esophageal Reflux in Conditioned Runners, Cyclists, and Weightlifters.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 35(5):730-735, 2003.
• Mayhew, J. Ware, J., Cannon, K., Corbett, S., Chapman, P., Bemben, M., Ward, T., Farris, B., Juraszek, J., and Slovak, J.  Validation of the NFL-225 Test for Predicting 1-RM bench Press Performance in College Football Players.  J. Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 42:304-308, 2002.
• Bemben, M.G.  The use of Diagnostic Ultrasound for Assessing Muscle Size. Journal of Strength and  Conditioning Research, 16(1): 103-108, 2002.
• Bemben, M.G. and Murphy, R.A.  Age related neural adaptations following short term resistance training in women.  J. of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 41:291-299, 2001.
• Bemben, M., Bemben, D., Tuttle, T., and Knehans, A.  Effects of Creatine Supplementation on Isometric Force-Time Curve Characteristics.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 33(11):1876-1881, 2001.
• Bemben, M., Bemben, D., Loftiss, D., and Knehans, A.  Creatine Supplementation during Resistance Training in College Football Athletes.  Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise,33(10):1667-1673, 2001.
• Bemben, M.  Age Related Alterations in Muscle Mass and Muscle Function.  ACSM - Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise - Current Comments, February, 2001.
• Bemben, D.A., Fetters, N.L., Bemben, M.G., Nabavi, N., and Koh, E.T. Musculoskeletal Responses to High Load Versus High Repetition Weigh-Training in Early Postmenopausal Women.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 32(11):1949-1957, 2000.
• Dierking, J.K., Bemben, M.G., Bemben, D.A., Anderson, M.A.  Validity of Diagnostic Ultrasound as a measure of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness?  Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy, 30(3):116-125, 2000.
• Bemben, D.A. and Bemben, M.G.  Effects of a 16-week Dynaband resistance exercise program on lipoprotein-lipid patterns of postmenopausal women.  J. Strength and Cond. Research, 14(1):80-85, 2000.

Contact Information

C.B. Hudson Presidential Professor• Department of Health and Exercise Science
University of Oklahoma
Huston Huffman Center 120 • Norman, OK 73019-6081
Phone: (405) 325-2717 • Fax: (405) 325-0594
mgbemben@ou.edu