Life Sciences Commons^™

Student Sleep Patterns When Exposed To Mindfulness Reminders, Zeyanna Dhalla

Undergraduate Honors Theses

University students are plagued with increased levels of stress and anxiety which can lead to poor sleep quality and quantity. Breathing techniques have demonstrated counteractive effects to the chronic stresses that the population encounters on an everyday basis. Wearable technology, such as Apple Watches, contain a mindfulness feature that encourages its users to pause throughout the day and engage in mindfulness through resonant breathing. Wearable technology has become increasingly accessible and is also growing in accuracy to measure different biometrics such as sleep quality and quantity. The purpose of the present study was to examine if the mindfulness reminders initiated …

Validity Of Intrinsic Foot Muscle Size Measured By Ultrasound And Mri, Dallin Swanson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Intrinsic foot muscles maintain foot structural integrity and contribute to functional movement, posture and balance. Thus, assessing intrinsic foot muscle size and strength are important. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been shown to accurately image the individual muscles but is costly and time consuming. Ultrasound (US) imaging may provide an alternative that is less costly and more readily available. The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity and reproducibility of US imaging in measuring intrinsic foot muscle size in comparison to MRI. US and MRI were employed to measure the intrinsic foot muscle size involving 35 participants (females …

The Effects Of Caffeine On Jumping Performance And Maximal Strength In Female Collegiate Athletes, Benjamin Burke, Kyle Travis, Henry Lang, Jeremy Gentles, Kimitake Sato, Caleb Bazyler

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Introduction: Caffeine has long been used to enhance athletic performance. The research regarding caffeine’s effects on strength and power performance is lacking, especially in female athletes. Purpose: To analyze the acute effects of caffeine on jumping performance and maximal strength in female collegiate athletes. Methods: Eight female collegiate athletes performed two testing sessions separated by one week. Using a double-blind approach, athletes randomly received 6 mg/kg of body mass of caffeine (CAF) or a placebo (PLA). Following 60min of quiet sitting and a standardized warm-up, athletes were tested on measures of squat jump height (SJH) and peak power (SJPP), countermovement …

The Effectiveness Of A Fitness Mentoring Program On Life Skills In At-Risk Youth, Delaney Dunlap

Undergraduate Honors Theses

BACKGROUND: The Aspire program is an eight-week program for troubled youths around the Canberra, Australia community that is run by former Canberran of the year and Canberra Raiders Captain Alan Tongue. The program aims to build self-esteem, develop social skills, help teach the effects actions have on others, understand how practice and hard work provide support, give purpose in life, and teach other practical, lifelong skills. During the program, Alan uses a combination of various activities including fitness, teamwork, discussion, writing, and self-reflection to help youth see their potential. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the lasting …

Investigation Into Characteristics Of Bench Press Using Push Band, Avery Peters, Kimitake Sato

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Introduction: Sport scientist and strength coaches use resistance training to increase athletic performance and muscle hypertrophy. Improving muscular strength is the most essential task for these scientists, however, how best to identify weakness has yet to be established. The popularity of velocity-based resistance training has recently increased as a method to prescribe resistance training intensity, therefore, the purpose of the study was to identify the characteristics of bench press concentric velocity. It is hypothesized that the velocity output will decrease during the change from the 75% relative load of the 1RM to the 85% relative load of 1RM. It is …

Statistics And Biomechanics: An Interdisciplinary Evaluation Of The Mathematical, Practical, And Athletic Applications Of Principal Component Analysis, Sydney Grace Davis

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Excerpt from Introduction

Coaches and athletes around the world are in constant pursuit of improving their athletic performance. For some, a routine amount of weight lifting, cardiovascular exercise, agilities and flexibility training with gradual advancement may be enough to see growth. However, many are not satisfied and turn to in-depth analyses of their techniques in order to measure their progress. After an intense workout or competition, coaches spend time breaking down athletic performances based on major movements. By compartmentalizing these activities, they can identify which motions are efficient and which ones hinder fluid motion. From this evaluation and discernment, athletes …

Crash And Burnout: The Sophomore Slump In College Athletics, Jessica Ferguson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study analyzed and compared the severity of performance slumps of collegiate student-athletes in general and across academic years. The factors examined with performance slumps included athlete burnout, academic burnout, relationship satisfaction, and grade point averages. The first hypothesis was that reduced accomplishment scores from the athlete burnout questionnaire would indicate the severity of performance slumps. The results did not support the hypothesis. The second hypothesis was that the severity of performance slumps would positively correlate with academic burnout and negatively correlate with relationship satisfaction. The results supported this hypothesis. The third hypothesis was that student-athletes who experienced a performance …

Testing Vert™ Accelerometer To Identify Validity And Reliability When Compared To Switch Mat, Tara Mcdonald

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This present study was intended to identify the reliability and validity of the Vert™ device when compared to a Switch mat. Vert is a wireless device intended to measure jump count and jump height through an application on a smartphone or tablet and the Switch mat provides jump height using wireless sensors. Jump height is an important factor in many sports such as volleyball and basketball and it is important to have devices that coaches and trainers can use for testing that they can rely on. If this device is found to be valid and reliable, coaches and trainers …

The Relationship Between Body Image And Exercise Type, Ashley Littrell

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Exercise can have very beneficial effects on health and body satisfaction, but sometimes a negative body image gets in the way of exercising. Modern society holds certain beauty ideals in high regard, and these standards are often unattainable and unrealistic. These outside pressures to look a certain way can have a very negative effect on an individual’s body image, or the way that a person perceives his or her own appearance. There have been many studies done that have attempted to define the relationship between body image with exercise behaviors (Burger and Diony 2002, Hall and Pearson 2013). Some studies …

Feelings Of Connectedness To Nature: A Comparison Of Park & Recreation Management Students And Sport Management Students., N. E. Scarborough

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the face of the present consumer-based environmental movement, leaders in many industries and disciplines are striving to understand why people are “going green” in order to market to them. Researchers have been studying ways in which people connect to the environmental movement, and researchers in the field of sport and recreation are also conducting such studies. Several surveys have been developed to measure these connections; one such survey instrument is the Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS). In the present study, the CNS was re-created online, and a link to the survey was sent via email to students studying Park …

The Relationship Of Anthropometric Measures To Vertical Jump Height., R. C. Kerns

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The capability to perform your best is an important aspect in the sport of soccer. The relationship between anthropometric measures to vertical jump height among NCAA Division I Women’s soccer players is a subject lacking sufficient scientific research. Purpose: To analyze this relationship, body mass and %body fat was correlated with un-weighted countermovement jump height to determine the strength of this relationship in NCAA DI female soccer players. Methods: Data from an ongoing athlete monitoring program from fourteen NCAA D1 female soccer players in the year 2007 was analyzed. Air Displacement Plethysmography (ADP) via a BOD POD (Life Measurement, Inc., …

The Relationship Of Strength And Body Composition To Vertical Jump Ability In Division 1 Female Volleyball Players., Alyssa Shedlarski

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Jump ability is important in volleyball; therefore analysis of factors that influence jump performance is necessary to ensure maximal jump ability. Purpose: To analyze how strength characteristics associated with jumping are affected by percent body fat, lean body mass and free fat mass. Methods: Data from eleven female NCAA DI volleyball players as part of an ongoing athlete monitoring program collected from 2007-2010 was analyzed. Data was separated into weakest and strongest based on isometric peak force allometrically scaled. In all cases the weakest data corresponded to testing during the athletes first year at ETSU. Body composition was measured using …

An Economic Impact Analysis For The 2nd Annual Bluegrass, Old-Time Music And Dance Festival In The Village Of Stone Mountain, Georgia., Kevin A. Lane

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Festivals in the Appalachian region may provide a substantial economic impact for host communities. Regionally unique themes like Bluegrass and Old-Time music are substantial draw factors for potential visitors. This paper uses information collected at a small Appalachian themed music festival to project what the economic impact of hosting such an event is. Demographic information and an analysis of the festival visitor drawing area will further project the economic activity affected by the event.