Life Sciences Commons^™

The Correlation Between Ankle Proprioception And Lower Extremity Muscle Reactions In Response To Simulated Lateral Ankle Sprains, Erin M. Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

Context: Lateral ankle sprains are one of the most commonly occurring sport-related injuries. The somatosensory system is primarily responsible for monitoring the position of the joints in space during movement. This system functions by way of neurological structures that provide proprioceptive and neuromuscular input to the brain. Motor control of the lower extremity relies on proprioceptive input to the central nervous system (CNS) and local neuromuscular control of each joint to produce coordinated, global muscular responses to external events. Previous research has investigated links between proprioception and neuromuscular control in relationship to ankle inversion separately, but none have searched for …

Sleep Quality And Prevalence Of Anxiety And Depression In Young Adults With Concussion History, Jessica Barrack

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Concussions are a growing public health concern, and emerging long-term health risks may negatively impact an individual’s quality of life. With concussions, there can be a multitude of signs and symptoms, but frequent long-term sequelae of concussions including mood disturbances (e.g. trait anxiety and depression) and sleep disturbances (e.g. difficulties initiating and maintaining sleep) are given less attention. Few clinicians address mood and sleep disturbances in their concussion assessment and management plan, potentially placing individuals at risk for prolonged disturbances beyond recovery. Purpose: To examine the relationship between sleep disturbances (sleep quality) and mood disturbances (trait anxiety and depression) …

How The Covid-19 Closures And Restrictions Were Perceived By University Students As It Relates To Physical Activity Behaviors, Madison Brown

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how COVID-related closures and restrictions were perceived and received by students at a Midwestern university. Data were collected via an online survey that was distributed two weeks prior to the fall 2020 semester. Participants were 426 student volunteers. Eighty-one percent of respondents planned to return to campus in fall 2020. More than half had been physically active since the onset of COVID-19, primarily at home or outside. Most students reported willingness to attend the university student fitness center if masks were required at entry or during exercise (60%), although fewer were willing …

Biomechanical Assessment Of The Lower Extremity Following An Unexpected Ankle Perturbation, Emilia Gladys Schempp

Theses and Dissertations

A deeper understanding of the response to an unexpected ankle perturbation could help provide insight into ankle sprain injury avoidance strategies. This study compared lower extremity electromyographic and kinematic measures between unexpected ankle perturbation and normal walking conditions, including muscle amplitudes and reaction times, dominant limb joint angles and velocities. Trial conditions included a walking control condition, unexpected 30° inversion, and unexpected 18° combined inversion and plantarflexion. With randomized trials, 20 healthy volunteers walked along the custom-built walkway that unexpectedly released into the described ankle perturbations. Significant differences were found for peak and average EMG of the peroneus longus and …

The Effect Of Load On The Kinetics And Kinematics Of The Lower Extremity During Landing, Michael Akira Sullivan

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To understand the differences in the lower extremity kinetics and kinematics as load increases during jump landings. Methods: Ten male participants (20.4 years ± 2.41 years, 108.8kg ± 14.02kg) took part in two testing sessions. The first testing session involved testing each participant’s 1-repetition max in the hexagonal barbell deadlift. The second testing session involved the data collection of the jumping trials for each participant. Participants performed their countermovement jumps under seven randomized conditions. Six of the conditions involved the hex bar using loads equivalent to 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60% estimated 1-repetition max of the hexagonal …

Modeling Individual Muscle Forces In The Lower Extremity During Loaded And Unloaded Hexbar Vertical Jumps, Abigail Salvadore

Theses and Dissertations

Hexagonal barbell (HB) loaded jumps are often used in training to increase lower extremity power. Given the importance of coordinated muscular effort in achieving maximal power output, an understanding of how the lower extremity musculature individually performs during loaded jumps would be advantageous. The purpose of this study is to describe the effect of load on individual muscle forces, muscle torques, and the contribution to the net joint moment (NJM) during the concentric phase of loaded HB jumps.10 male collegiate athletes performed 5 maximal HB jumps at 0%, 20%, 40% and 60% of their HB deadlift 1-repetition maximum. Filtered Ground …

Relationship Between Acute: Chronic Ratio And Injury In Women's Collegiate Soccer Players, Jake A. Schwab

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The goal of this study was to analyze the relationship between the acute:chronic training load ratio and incidence of injury within a women’s collegiate soccer team over the course of their regular season. Methods: Thirty female collegiate soccer players wore Polar Team Pro heart rate monitors over the course of their season with eight sustaining injury. Two injuries were season ending, four injuries kept athletes out multiple weeks, and two injuries kept athletes out less than one week. Training load and distance were tracked for all individual practices, team practices, and games. Data was extracted from the Polar Team …

Barriers To Physical Activity In University Students Referred To An Exercise Is Medicine On Campus Program, Alexander Michael Diserio

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose was to describe barriers to being physically active based on reason for referral, gender identity, and incoming stage of change (SOC) for physical activity (PA) in university students referred to an Exercise is Medicine on Campus (EIMOC) program. METHODS: Students (21.9 +4.1 years of age) referred by university health and counseling services completed a 20-item questionnaire, which included the “Barriers to Being Active” quiz, an assessment of SOC (e.g., precontemplation), and students’ self-reported gender. Reason for referral (RFR), which was provided by a health practitioner, was categorized as Obesity, Anxiety/Depression, General PA, Unspecified or Other. RESULTS: A …

The Effect Of A Text-Message Based Hydration Education Intervention On Hydration Knowledge And Behavior Of Division I Female Collegiate Soccer Players, Milaena Ferrarese

Theses and Dissertations

There is increasing evidence of athletes entering their training sessions in an already dehydrated state. It is crucial for athletes to properly replenish fluid and electrolytes lost via sweat in order to optimize their training and recovery. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of a text-message based hydration education intervention on the knowledge and hydration status of division I female collegiate soccer players.A total of 14 participants completed baseline testing, which included hydration knowledge and behavior questionnaires, and pre- and post-practice weights to calculate % weight change (%WC). The participants also provided a baseline urine sample …

Developing And Comparing Sensor For Movement Analysis And Biofeedback, Umaiyaal Vasudevaraja

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Recent advances in the field of wearable technology are now at a peak in the sports field and the medical field. The validity, reliability, and application of such systems are still under research and yet to be revealed.

Purpose: This study aims to design and constructing the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) hardware with the required software to collect accelerometer data for potential use in human movement studies and test the efficacy of the collected IMU accelerometer data by comparing it with the motion capture data.

Methods: In this study, the IMU sensor is coupled with the Arduino, loaded with …

Physical Therapists Perceptions Of Patient Adherence And Strategies For Facilitating Motivation, Teadora Markovski

Theses and Dissertations

Physical therapists (PTs) are professionally required to undertake a comprehensive examination of their patients and provide consultation within their expertise, yet also have the task to motivate patients to adhere to therapy. Self-determined motivation, as a positive predictor of treatment adherence, can be facilitated by promoting patient autonomy, competence and relatedness. However, a greater understanding is needed of the context specific strategies PT’s can use to facilitate motivation. The purpose of this study is to explore physical therapists’ (PT)s perceptions of the factors affecting patient motivation, strategies and methods to facilitate adherence, and strategies used to satisfy patients basic needs …

The Perceived Effectiveness Of Autonomy-Supportive And Controlling Coaching Styles, Kayla Love

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine how collegiate athletes perceive their coach’s behaviors and if there are differences in the perceived effectiveness of autonomy-supportive and controlling coaching styles.

Method: A cluster analysis was conducted among collegiate athletes (N = 306) from the Midwest portion of the United States. The athletes were given questionnaires to report on perceived autonomy-support and control exhibited by their coach, as well as the perceived effectiveness of their coach in terms of confidence in their coach.

Results: Preliminary analyses found that autonomy support was positively related to confidence in the coach, whereas controlling …

Hemodynamic Effects Of Graston Technique On Trigger Points In The Upper Trapezius In Patients With Neck Pain, Hannah Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Non-specific neck pain (NS-NP) is defined as neck pain without a specific diagnosis with varying causes such as poor posture, occupational stressors, and muscular trigger points. Individuals often present with poor posture, including forward head and rounded shoulders. In this position, the upper trapezius muscle becomes tight due to sustained muscle activity leading to trigger points as a result of decreased oxygen to the muscle. Graston Technique® (GT) is a form of manual therapy that uses stainless steel instruments to break down tissue adhesions. GT on trigger points has been presumed to increase local blood flow leading to tissue …

Sprint Speed And Musculoskeletal Fitness Test Performance In Youth, Brittany Nicole Walleck

Theses and Dissertations

Sprint speed is a common focus of adult strength and conditioning programming and research. However, the links between sprint speed and other tests of musculoskeletal performance have not been extensively studied in youth. PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between sprint speed and tests of jumping performance, muscular strength/endurance, agility, and anaerobic capacity in children and adolescents. METHODS: The analysis included 402 boys and 148 girls (ages 7 to 18 years) participating in a baseline musculoskeletal fitness evaluation. Sprint speed was assessed via a 10-yard and 20-yard sprint. Agility and anaerobic capacity were assessed via the pro-agility and 200-yard shuttle run, …

Examination Of Student-Athletes' Developmental Transition From Youth Sport To College Sport, Coleman Childers

Theses and Dissertations

The majority of research in developmental sport psychology has targeted the youth and adolescent age groups (aged five to 18) and has tended to avoid athletes in organized and highly competitive environment such as major college athletics. The transition from high school to college brings many challenges. Academically and socially, students encounter increased course rigor, decreased in-class time, and adjustment to new social groups. Additionally, student-athletes encounter scrutiny from the public, extensive time commitments, changing social dynamics, and physical and mental demands as they combine athletic and academic pursuits. This on-going study explores student-athletes’ perspectives of the developmental transition from …

Hip Abductor To Hip Adductor Strength Ratio Measurements In Patients With Non-Specific Low Back Pain, Matthew Hugg

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The hip musculature is globally known to support the pelvis, which in turn can aid in reducing the occurrence of low back pain (LBP). Previous research has shown a decrease in strength of the hip abductors in patients with LBP. The hip abductors also have an important role in stabilizing the pelvis while walking. The hip adductors attach to the pubic symphysis and assist in stabilizing the pelvis. Due to the ability to activate and assist with hip and leg motions, the adductor muscles may have an effect on controlling hip motion to reduce LBP and sacroiliac dysfunction. The …

Effects Of Attentional Focus Cues On Soccer Trap Kinematics And Performance, Ladule Lako Losarah

Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this research was to assess how the kinematic performance of an inside of the foot soccer ball control movement changed with an internal, external, or holistic attentional focus coaching cue. The researchers used pendulum catapult to launch a soccer ball from 8.5 meters at the participant. Ten female active NCAA division 1 soccer players received one of three cues, or no cue, and then had five trials to control the ball onto an artificial turf mat to score 1-3 points depending on where the ball landed. Participants completed a manipulation check survey to ascertain the efficacy …

Single Leg Hop Landing Analysis In Patients With Chronic Ankle Instability, Lateral Ankle Sprain Copers, And Healthy Individuals, Jordyn Ashlyn Rine

Theses and Dissertations

CONTEXT: There are an estimated 28,000 ankle injuries that occur per day in the United States, thus making the pathology one of the most common sports-related injuries. Lateral ankle sprains account for 80% of all athletic injuries and approximately 73% will suffer from a recurrent injury. The residual symptoms that linger following repetitive lateral ankle sprains are often correlated with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Lateral ankle sprain (LAS) copers successfully cope with the damage that results from sustaining a lateral ankle sprain, whereas CAI patients suffer from residual symptoms. Traditional measures of COP from force-plate data are useful in evaluating …

Body Mass As The Optimal Load Predictor For Power Clean Variations: A Practical Approach, Marcel Lopes Dos Santos

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the possibility of estimating the optimal load of the Hang Power Clean (HPC), Hang High Pull (HHP), and Mid-thigh Clean Pull (MTP) based on a relative percentage of the subjects’ body mass (BM). Fifteen males with experience in weightlifting (age: 21.8 ± 1.9 years; BM: 83.2 ± 9.0 kg; height: 175.4 ± 6.0 cm; 1-repetition maximum [1RM]: 93.0 ± 12.7 kg; 1RM to BM ratio: 1.12 ± 0.13) performed HPC, HHP, and MTP at intensities of 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90% BM. Kinematic data were collected through a 16-camera …

Impact Of A Single Injury Prevention Instructional Session On The Incidence Of Injury Among U.S. Army Rotc Cadets, Joshua Wooldridge

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Musculoskeletal injuries are the leading health concern for the United States Army. These injuries are the third leading cause of hospitalizations for Army service members and the primary cause for the majority of service-connect disability discharges. Over 80% of musculoskeletal injuries are overuse injuries caused by physical training. The Joint Services Physical Training Injury Prevention Work Group considers education to be a mandatory component of all injury prevention efforts; however, little military research has investigated the impact of education as a primary intervention. Objective: To examine the effect of an injury prevention education class on the incidence of injuries …

Comparing Bmi Perceptions Of Self-And Others Between Kinesiology And Non-Kinesiology University Students, Dzenita Bahtic

Theses and Dissertations

Misperception of own BMI has been postulated as a factor contributing to the increasing prevalence rates of overweight and obesity. Objectives: To examine 1) perceptions university students had toward their own and others’ BMI, and 2) if Kinesiology majors could better assess others’ BMI classifications than non-Kinesiology majors. Methods: Data were collected from 567 (male, n = 144; female, n = 423) university students using a structured questionnaire. Measures consisted of height, weight, perception of own BMI, and visual perception of own and others’ BMI. Self-reported BMI was calculated from height and mass then classified per World Health Organization classifications. …

Graston Technique Pressure Changes On Hamstring Range Of Motion, Emily Martz

Theses and Dissertations

Context: Instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) can be applied as a myofascial treatment using a set of instruments and is growing in popularity with clinicians. There is a gap in the literature identifying the best pressure application recommendation without eliciting unnecessary discomfort.

Objective: To investigate if using light or firm pressure applied with the Graston Technique (GT) would have an impact on changing range of motion (ROM).

Design: Single blinded randomized control trial

Setting: Laboratory

Patients or Other Participants: Twenty-seven physically active participants (14 females and 13 males; age: 23±3.4 years; height: 68.59±3.32; weight: 83.6±30.79) were recruited and assessed …

Supporting The Medial Longitudinal Arch: A Comparison Between Intrinsic And Extrinsic Musculature, James D. Schaefer

Theses and Dissertations

Context: Much Research has been done to study what muscles best support the medial longitudinal arch (MLA). However these studies look at intrinsic or extrinsic muscles individually rather than comparing their effects at support of the MLA in a static stance. Researchers have yet to examine the changes to the MLA in the gait cycle rather than just looking at it from a static point of view. Objective: To study the effectiveness of two strengthening protocols for supporting the medial longitudinal arch during stance and gait. Design: Single-blinded, randomized control trial. Setting: Testing was completed in two athletic training facilities. …

Exercise Is Medicine On Campus Program Comparisons: A Descriptive Study, Jacquelyn Sherman

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research is to gain a better understanding of how universities are implementing EIM-OC at their campus with specific focus on the involved departments/entities, the client experience, and programming options.

METHODS: The participants for the study were the university representatives for all currently recognized Exercise is Medicine® on Campus programs. The date was collected via Qualtrics survey, containing 49 questions, which was distributed via email to 172 schools (both domestic and international), to which 24 responses were submitted. Participants were identified via ACSM Exercise is Medicine® on Campus advisor email list for all universities with a …

Testing The Effects Of Message Framing On Physical Activity Motivation In Active And Non-Active Adults, Derek James Hevel

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: Understanding how to best “sell” physical activity (PA) is a critical goal. This study investigated the effects of message framing on motivation to participate in a PA program, and tested whether the effectiveness of messages framed to promote either affective benefits, physical health benefits, or a combination of benefits varied based on one’s current PA status.

METHODS: Adult participants (N=188) from a Midwestern university, who were recruited via email, completed an online survey assessing demographic information and current stage of change. They then viewed one of four randomly assigned promotional flyers for a PA program offered on campus. The …

The Association Between Parental Beliefs About Sport Specialization And Athlete Sport Specialization Classification, Henry Mercier

Theses and Dissertations

Context: Previous research has demonstrated a high prevalence of extrinsic pressures among single sport athletes. The influence of parental beliefs on a high school student athlete’s decision to participate in a single sport rather than multiple sports has yet to be determined. Objective: To estimate a student athlete’s level of sport specialization from parental sport specialization beliefs and to investigate independent relationships of potential factors influencing the decision to pursue a single sport. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: High school athletics. Participants: Fifty-seven high school student athletes (25 females, 32 males; mean age 15.6±1.6 years) selected onto freshmen, junior varsity, or …

The Physical And Psychological Effects Of Standing Desks In Office Workers, Hannah Dohm

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to determine differences in energy expenditure between sitting and standing conditions in typically sedentary office workers. A secondary purpose of this study was to determine if there are mindset differences with regards to job boredom, job stress, and job satisfaction between conditions. METHODS: Participants (N = 26, 4 males and 22 females) were from two moderately sized communities in the Midwest that had standing desk options available to them. Data was collected using BodyMedia SenseWear armbands for energy expenditure and self-reported Likert-scale surveys for psychological data. Intake data included sex, age, height, weight, …

Students’ Time In Their Heart Rate Zone With And Without Polar Display, Amy Marzano

Theses and Dissertations

The lack of physical activity (PA) and rise in sedentary behavior has become an increasing problem in the United States (Owen, Sparling, Healy, Dunstan & Matthews, 2010). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) recommends sixty minutes of daily PA for young people ages 6-17 (CDC, 2013). Despite this recommendation, the 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data reported that only 24% of youth 12-15 years of age were obtaining sixty minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) every day (Fakhouri, et al., 2014). Physical education (PE) is one of the few environments where all children are …

Differences In Lower Limb Kinetics In College Age Female Gymnasts To Coaches’ Perceived Efficiency In A Specific Counter Movement Jump Technique, Stephen Christopher Avgerinos

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis reports the results of a quantitative research project which examined kinetics of female collegiate gymnasts aged 18 to 21 performing a ‘punching’ counter-movement jump (CMJ) technique that is taught and required for exemplar scoring during NCAA competition. Twelve female gymnasts were recruited from the competitive team at Illinois State University. Participation was voluntary and athletes were not compensated. Each gymnast performed 8 punch-CMJ trials without coaching instruction except to perform a punching CMJ. The method of performing this CMJ began by stepping off from a 33 cm elevation, ‘punching’ off the force plates, and finishing with a landing …

The Effects Of Dietary Intake On Fuel Metabolism During Aerobic Capacity Exercise, Taylor Lynn Stephenson

Theses and Dissertations

In order to produce mechanical energy through muscular activity, the body must oxidize chemical energy, carbohydrate, fat, or protein through metabolic processes, which then results in the production of ATP as mechanical energy through exercise. Total body metabolism, specifically skeletal muscle depends on factors such as the intensity and duration of exercise, substrate availability, and Training status. During exercise at low intensities (25% of VO2 max) fat is the primary macronutrient that is oxidized for energy. As the exercise intensity progresses, (65% of VO2 max) there is an alteration in skeletal muscle utilization, which results in mainly the use of …