Kevin K McCully

Biography

I grew up in Kalamazoo Michigan, and attended Western Michigan University. I was a Biology major and Math minor. I also was on the swimming team and had various swim coaching job over 4 years. I got my PhD in the Physiology Department at the University of Michigan. My research was on contractile properties and muscle injury in small animals. I did a post doc in Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of Pennsylvania. Mainly to learn how to study skeletal muscle with magnetic resonance spectroscopy. I studied patients with peripheral arterial disease and neuromuscular diseases. I was a MDA post doctoral scholar for two years. I got a job in Geriatric Medicine at Allegheny University of the Health Sciences and continued to study skeletal muscle using 31P MRS and NIRS in older adults. I then joined the Kinesiology Department at the University of Georgia where I teach and do research using noninvasive technologies aimed towards patients with chronic illnesses and injuries. I am the President of Infrared Rx, Inc. This is a company dedicated to making analysis software to analyze NIRS data.

Areas of Expertise

  • near infrared spectroscopy
  • magnetic resonance spectroscopy
  • doppler ultrasound
  • muscle electrical stimulation
  • localized muscle training
  • skeletal muscle physiology

Interests

  • skeletal muscle metabolism
  • noninvasive technologies to study metabolism and blood flow
  • cardiovascular disease
  • disability health
  • neuromuscular diseases

Concentrations

Education

  •  Ph.D. in Physiology, 1985
    University of Michigan
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Contact

 Ramsey Center
 706-248-7316 (mobile)
 UGA Non-Invasive Muscle Physiology Lab
 kevin-mccully-4b890727
 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kevin-Mccully-2

Research Summary

The Exercise Muscle Physiology Laboratory is equipped to study skeletal muscle metabolism and oxygen delivery. Research is focused on developing new non-invasive approaches to studying skeletal muscle metabolism, blood flow and oxygen utilization. The lab focusing on changes to muscle function after chronic illnesses and injuries: including spinal cord injury, ALS, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, peripheral vascular disease and heart failure. The lab is also focused on innovative methods of improving physical activity levels and exercising people with chronic illnesses and injuries.

We use near infrared spectroscopy, Doppler Ultrasound, muscle accelerometry, electrical stimulation, MRI and 31P MRS to study humans. We also work on novel methods of training humans to improve health, primarily by training skeletal muscle.

IF YOU ARE A GRADUATE STUDENT INTERESTED IN OUR LAB, PLEASE CONTACT ME WHEN YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION TO OUR DEPARTMENT. YOU SHOULD ALSO CONSIDER VISITING OUR LAB SO THAT WE CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT US.

Grants

Preventing Vascular Complications in Type 1 Diabetes: Muscle Metabolic Monitoring
9/21/2019- 8/31/2021
Specific Aim 1: we will develop an automated analysis platform for NIRS-derived measures of skeletal muscle mitochondrial capacity. Specific Aim 2: we will define the value proposition of NIRS-based microvascular and mitochondrial assessment.
STEP trial for MS
2019-2022

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS EXERCISE RESEARCH STUDY

The purpose of this study is to see what kinds of exercise people with MS prefer and do they benefit equally from in person or remote exercise training. This study is active at six sites around the country, including Athens Georgia. We are still recruiting for this study

If you are between the ages of 18 and 65 years and you have Multiple Sclerosis you may qualify if you: Can walk but with difficulty Do not exercise regularly Have been without a relapse in the past month Can commit to train 2 times a week for 16 weeks

Contact: Abisola Akinbobola at Abisola.Akinbobola@uga.edu or Kevin McCully at mccully@uga.edu (706-248-7316 )

Publications

Near infrared spectroscopy measurements of mitochondrial capacity using partial recovery curves
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used to measure muscle mitochondrial capacity (mVO2max) as the recovery rate constant of muscle metabolism after exercise. The current method requires as many as 50 short ischemic occlusions to generate 2 recovery rate constants. PURPOSE: To determine the effectiveness of using a 6-occlusion protocol (Mito6) versus one with 22 occlusions (Mito22) to measure muscle mitochondrial capacity. METHOD: In two independent data sets (bicep n=7, forearm A n=23), recovery curves were analyzed independently using both the Mito6 and Mito22 analyses. A third data set (Forearm B, n=16) was generated on forearm muscles of healthy subjects using four Mito6 tests performed in succession. Recovery rate constants were generated using a MATLAB routine. RESULTS: When calculated from the same data set, the recovery rate constants were not significantly different between the Mito22 and Mito6 analyses for the bicep (1.43+0.33min-1, 1.43+0.35min-1, p=0.81) and the forearm A (1.97+0.40min-1, 1.97+0.43min-1, p=0.90). The correlation between Mito22 and Mito6 recovery rate constants was y=1.07x-0.09, R2=0.90 for the bicep data and 1.00x+0.01, R2=0.85 for the forearm A data. When performing the four Mito6 tests in the Forearm B study; recovery rate constants were not different between tests (1.50±0.51 min-1, 1.42±0.54 min-1, 1.26±0.41 min-1, 1.29±0.47 min-1, P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Muscle mitochondrial capacity was not different between the Mito6 analysis and the longer Mito22 analysis. The Mito6 protocol was considered more practical as it used fewer ischemic occlusion periods, and multiple tests could be performed in succession in less time. There were no order effects for the rate constants of four repeated Mito6 tests of mitochondrial capacity, supporting the use of multiple tests to improve accuracy.
  • Sumner, M.D., S. Beard, E.K. Pryor, I. Das, K.K. McCully
  • Frontiers of Physiology

Awards and Accolades

Gary Scholar

Western Michigan University

Waldo Sangren Scholar

Western Michigan University, 1975

Peter A. Rechnitzer Lecturer

University of Western Ontario, 2003

Fellow #480

National Academy of Kinesiology, 2007

Henry J. Montoye Scholar Award

South East American College of Sports Medicine, 2009

Secretary of the Board of Directors

Athens Inclusive Recreation and Sports, 2013

Past-President

South East American College of Sports Medicine, 2015

Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring

CURO UGA, 2017