Life Sciences Commons^™

An Assessment Of A 13-Week Teaching Gardens Intervention On Healthy Behavior Outcomes In 4th And 5th Grade Students At Crestwood Elementary School In Las Vegas, Nevada, Miranda Corgiat

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Nearly 13 million children and adolescents are considered to be obese in the United States, with children enrolled in Clark County School District showing elevated overweight and obese weight statuses compared to national averages. Carrying an excessive amount of weight can lead children to experience a multitude of complications with their physical and mental health as well as increase their risk of developing various chronic diseases. The American Heart Association's Las Vegas Teaching Gardens program implemented a school-based garden pilot study to target environmental causes of obesity in 4th and 5th grade students at Crestwood Elementary School. The objective of …

Application Of The Transtheoretical Model: Assessing Exercise Behavior In African Americans In A Church-Based Setting, Robin Marie White

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sedentary behavior rates are higher among African-American men and women than in other American races and ethnicities, placing them at greater risk for chronic illness. Routine physical activity reduces the risk of chronic health problems such as: (a) overweight and obesity, (b) type 2 diabetes, (c) hypertension, (d) coronary artery disease, (e) stroke, (f) congestive heart failure, and (g) cancers. Assessment of African-Americans' exercise attitudes in a church-based setting may provide information with which to develop effective interventions to improve physical activity. This descriptive, cross-sectional study used components of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) to assess whether any associations exist between …

Parental Factors That Influence Swimming In Children And Adolescents, Jennifer Pharr, Carol C. Irwin, Richard L. Irwin

Environmental & Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Swimming can be an important source of physical activity across the life-span. Researchers have found that parents influence physical activity behaviors of their children. The purpose of this study was to determine what parental factors influenced the number of days that children swam. Survey respondents (n = 1,909) from six cities across the United States were surveyed at local YMCAs. Children were found to swim significantly more if their parents encouraged them to swim, members of the family knew how to swim and swam with them, or their parents were not afraid of the children drowning or afraid of …

Can Resistance Training Contribute To The Aerobic Components Of The Physical Activity Guidelines?, Travis J. Hrubeniuk, Neal Prokop, Semone Myrie, Martin Sénéchal, Danielle R. Bouchard

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 7(4) : 278-285, 2014. To evaluate if resistance training can reach Moderate to Vigorous Intensity (MVI) and contribute to the aerobic component of the international physical activity guidelines. Sixteen participants aged between 20 and 35 were recruited. Heart rate was recorded by heart rate monitor during a resistance training program. Based on maximal heart rate, time spent at MVI (55-69% of maximal heart rate) was calculated. Participants displayed a HR equal or above MVI for 51.5% ± 21.7% of time. When stratifying by lower and upper body sessions, that proportion was median (25-75th); 75.0% (32.5%-89.2%) …

Practical Applications Of Biomechanical Principles In Resistance Training: Neuromuscular Factors And Relationships, Jason Lake, Paul A. Swinton, Justin Keogh

Justin Keogh

This paper is the second in our three part series examining how a variety of biomechanical principles and concepts have direct relevance to the prescription of resistance training for the general and athletic populations as well as for musculoskeletal injury rehabilitation. In this paper, we considered different neuromuscular characteristics of resistance exercise. We started by defining the causes of motion, discussing force and Newton’s second law of linear motion. This led to discussion of impulse, and how its relationship with momentum can be used to study force-time curves recorded from different ground-based resistance exercises. This enables the sports biomechanist to …

Effects Of Exercise On Bmi Z-Score In Overweight And Obese Children And Adolescents: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis, George A. Kelley, Kristi S. Kelley, Russell R. Pate

Faculty Publications

Background: Overweight and obesity are major public health problems in children and adolescents. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis to determine the effects of exercise (aerobic, strength or both) on body mass index (BMI) z-score in overweight and obese children and adolescents.

Methods: Studies were included if they were randomized controlled exercise intervention trials ≥ 4 weeks in overweight and obese children and adolescents 2 to 18 years of age, published in any language between 1990–2012 and in which data were available for BMI z-score. Studies were retrieved by searching eleven electronic databases, …

Circulating Angiogenic Cell Population Responses To 10 Days Of Reduced Physical Activity, Gayatri Guhanarayan, Julianne Jablonski, Sarah Witkowski

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

Circulating angiogenic cells (CACs) are a diverse group that have been identified as predictors of cardiovascular health and are inversely proportional to cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. Inactivity is a growing concern in industrialized nations and is an independent risk factor for CVD. There is limited evidence regarding the impact of reduced physical activity (rPA) on different CAC populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of objectively monitored rPA with maintained energy balance on two CAC populations (CFU and CD34+cells), intracellular nitric oxide (NOi), and genes related to NO production in active, healthy men. Participants (age 25 …

The Effects Of Exercise Training On Cognitive Reserve And Cognitive Function In Healthy Older Women, Katie Marie Becofsky

Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive reserve theory suggests that physical activity may protect individuals from cognitive decline. At the brain level, greater cognitive reserve may manifest as greater neural network efficiency. Our purpose was to investigate 1) whether participation in a 16-week walking program increased brain efficiency, and 2) whether increased brain efficiency correlated with change in fitness and task performance. Our secondary purpose was to investigate whether exercise training improved performance on a battery of cognitive tasks, particularly executive functioning performance. Seventeen healthy but sedentary women aged 60-75 years participated in a supervised walking program; eighteen women served as a non-randomized control group. …

Eccentric Muscle Challenge Shows Osteopontin Polymorphism Modulation Of Muscle Damage., Whitney L. Barfield, Kitipong Uaesoontrachoon, Chung-Sheih Wu, Stephen Lin, Yue Chen, Paul C. Wang, Yasmine Kanaan, Vernon Bond, Eric P. Hoffman

Genomics and Precision Medicine Faculty Publications

A promoter polymorphism of the osteopontin (OPN) gene (rs28357094) has been associated with multiple inflammatory states, severity of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and muscle size in healthy young adults. We sought to define the mechanism of action of the polymorphism, using allele-specific in vitroreporter assays in muscle cells, and a genotype-stratified intervention in healthy controls. In vitro reporter constructs showed the G allele to respond to estrogen treatment, whereas the T allele showed no transcriptional response. Young adult volunteers (n = 187) were enrolled into a baseline study, and subjects with specific rs28357094 genotypes enrolled into an eccentric …

Acute Testosterone Responses To Different Resistance Exercise Intensities, Robert Rietjens

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

We investigated the acute testosterone response to four different resistance-training protocols. We observed testosterone levels pre-workout, immediately post-workout, and 60-minutes post-workout following a bout of upper body exercise at 70%,1 RM, 90% 1 RM, and lower body exercise at 70% 1 RM and 90% 1 RM. Total training volume was held constant but all amount of weight, sets, and reps were different. 10 healthy, male, resistance trained individuals volunteered for the study. The performed each exercise condition on separate days. Capillary blood was taken via finger prick at the time points specified above. Blood samples were analyzed via Accubind Testosterone …

The Percussionist Bodybuilder: Optimizing Performance Through Exercise And Nutrition, Anthony Joseph Merlino

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Do preventive therapies have the potential to help avoid common injuries among percussionists? This document investigates physiological therapy and nutrition in relation to percussion performance. My interest in this subject matter is derived from my personal experiences with injuries related to the performance of percussion. Although I have studied and played percussion professionally for more than a decade, I was unaware of certain methods of rehabilitation that were available to me prior to my injuries. As I learned about the rehabilitation process through first hand experience, I discovered that my injuries were very common among percussionists. This raised the question: …

Considering Sport Participation As A Source For Physical Activity Among Adolescents, Jennifer Pharr, Nancy L. Lough

Environmental & Occupational Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND:

Studies have shown participation in sport is lower among girls than boys, decreases as students matriculate through high school, is lowest among Black and Hispanic girls and has a positive relationship with SES. With sport recognized as a contributor to physical activity and health in adolescents, consideration of diminishing rates of participation appears warranted. The purpose of this study was to identify patterns related to differences in self-reported sport participation between genders, ethnic groups, grades and SES.

METHODS:

This study was a cross-sectional, secondary analysis of data collected for a sport interest survey. All students in grades 8-11 attending …

Exercise And Diet Program For The College Student, Brooks Briel

Senior Theses

Oftentimes college students can be seen going to the gym with simply no direction in exercise or nutrition. They go through the motions of exercising, but have no real understanding of what they are doing. These students may see some progress, but plateau early and find it discouraging to continue to workout. The goal of this project was to create a personal diet and exercise program that could be used by the average college student to improve their physical fitness levels. The exercise program attempts to improve body composition, cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility. This is done …

Bodypump And The Rep Effect: An Instructor's Evaluation Of The Low-Weight, High-Repetition Group Exercise Program, Meredith Pritchett

Senior Theses

My senior thesis project was to become a certified Les Mills BODYPUMP instructor. In order to obtain my certification I had to go through training, which was paid for by the University of South Carolina. Training was a mentally and physically demanding weekend full of lifting weights and learning everything there is to know about BODYPUMP techniques, choreography, and coaching. Afterwards, I had sixty days to send in a video of myself teaching the class to a group of participants in order for my teaching skills to be evaluated by Les Mills. I passed my evaluation and am now a …

Exercise And Time Of Day: Influence On Hunger And Caloric Intake Among Overweight/Obese Adults, Molly C. Weber

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the time of day at which exercise was performed, morning compared to evening, influences acute daily caloric intake and hunger in overweight/obese sedentary adults. 8 overweight/obese (Age: 40 ± 4 yrs, Height: 170 ± 4 cm, Weight: 85.7 ± 6.4 kg, BMI: 29 ± 2 kg/m2) sedentary adults completed 3 trials: control, morning, evening in a randomly counterbalanced cross over design. Caloric intake was assessed over three 4-day periods with subjects consuming ad libitum diets. Hunger was measured 15 minutes before exercise and 15 and 30 minutes following exercise. …

Muscle Physiology And Performance During Intensified Cycle Training: Impact Of Carbohydrate-Protein Supplementation, Andrew Christian D'Lugos

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Previous studies show that carbohydrate-protein (CP) ingestion can enhance short-term recovery following exercise, thereby benefiting subsequent exercise performance and compounding physiological parameters, when compared to carbohydrate (CHO) alone. Less is known about the influence that CP supplementation may have over a long-term intervention (several days/weeks). The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether CP supplementation was effective in improving tolerance to a period of intensified training (IT), compared to CHO. Additionally, the influence of CP on recovery/ adaptation to a period of IT followed by a period of reduced volume training (RVT) was examined. Eight endurance-trained cyclists (age: 24.9±7.3 …

Soccer Participation And Youth Obesity In The United States, Lee Schober

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Among School Playground Design And Conditions And Physical Activity Levels In Children, Ipuna Estavillo Black

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Almost 20% of children aged 6 to 11 years are obese in the United States, tripling over the last ten years. The rise in childhood obesity challenges nurses in their efforts to improve community health and sustainability. A decrease in physical activity (PA) levels has been associated with an increase in obesity. Schools have been identified as a primary setting to provide children adequate amounts of daily PA, and nurses working in the area of child health promotion can work with schools to provide opportunities for children to increase PA levels. The playground is one environment where children can increase …

Walk-Training Increases Expression Of Gdnf In Pectoralis Muscle But Not Diaphragm From Mouse, Erin Donovan

Honors Theses

Neurotrophic factors are proteins that play an important role in the development and maintenance of neurons. Recent studies have shown that neurotrophic factors may hold promise for treating damage to the nervous system caused by trauma or diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is expressed in skeletal muscles and affects peripheral motor neurons. Results of previous studies have demonstrated that exercise can increase GDNF content in skeletal muscle of rat. The goal of the current study was to examine whether expression of GDNF in skeletal muscle of mouse is also regulated …

Environmental Correlates Of Physical Activity Among African-American Adults, Tim Bungum, Jennifer Pharr, Paulo S. Pinheiro, Maria Azzarelli

Nevada Journal of Public Health

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to identify perceived environmental correlates of meeting physical activity guidelines among African-American adults living in Southern Nevada. Trained interviewers phoned potential participants who lived in the 12 zip codes of Clark County, Nevada with the highest proportions of African-American residents. Respondents (n=237) answered 52 health-related and demographic questions. Slightly less than 50% of participants met physical activity guidelines. A factor analysis procedure produced two environmental variables, neighborhood safety and environmental supports for physical activity. Age, gender and educational attainment (p<.05) predicted the meeting of those guidelines (R2=.214), while neighborhood support for physical activity, neighborhood safety, and BMI failed to do so. This finding suggests that environmental factors are not strong predictors of physical activity among African- American adults, although environmental supports for physical activity approached significance. Future studies should consider assessing additional aspects of the built environment as an influence on physical activity.

Benefits Of Exercise Intervention In Reducing Neuropathic Pain, John L. Dobson, James L. Mcmillan, Li Li

Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Peripheral neuropathy is a widespread and potentially incapacitating pathological condition that encompasses more than 100 different forms and manifestations of nerve damage. The diverse pathogenesis of peripheral neuropathy affects autonomic, motor and/or sensory neurons, and the symptoms that typify the condition are abnormal cutaneous sensation, muscle dysfunction and, most notably, chronic pain. Chronic neuropathic pain is difficult to treat and is often characterized by either exaggerated responses to painful stimuli (hyperalgesia) or pain resulting from stimuli that would not normally provoke pain (allodynia). The objective of this review is to provide an overview of some pathways associated with the development …

The Effect Of Shear Stress, Potassium, And Adenosine On Α-1 Adrenergic Vasoconstriction Of Rat Soleus Feed Arteries, Tanner J. Heckle

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

During exercise, sympathetic nerve activity increases, augmenting the release of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE) at the arterial wall and into the blood. NE binds to arterial adrenergic receptors to cause vasoconstriction, yet arteries in contracting skeletal muscle dilate during exercise. Previous evidence from Ives et al. suggests that heat and acidosis may partially inhibit constriction resulting from α-1 adrenergic receptors (termed sympatholysis). Our lab has previously demonstrated that rat soleus feed arteries respond to sympathetic signaling solely by α-1 adrenoceptors. We hypothesized that increased levels of arterial wall shear stress, potassium, or adenosine also contribute to sympatholysis, thereby reducing sympathetic …

Is Sickle Cell Trait As Benign As Is Usually Assumed?, Carroll Nicole Flansburg

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Introduction Sickle cell trait carriers may experience sickling events, which can cause severe health problems. Some sickle cell haplotypes contain genetic modifiers that are associated with increased levels of fetal hemoglobin, which is resistant to sickling. The aim of this study is to determine if sickle cell trait individuals who do not carry these modifiers are more likely to experience sickling episodes than those who do carry the modifiers.

Methods: Participants were eligible for inclusion in this study if they were male, 18 years of age or older, a sickle cell trait carrier, and had previously played any level …

Evaluation Of The Interest In Development And Availability Of The Resting Metabolic Rate Test As A Routine Healthcare Standard, Seth Wayne Parrish

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: A growing worldwide pandemic exists today that has large implications for the future of healthcare among the nations. Obesity is a growing disease that has multiple

implications for morbidity and mortality including cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes. The obese and overweight population plagues nearly 46% of the world's population, and likely is

preventable. We wanted to examine what role metabolic testing could play in prevention.

Methods: A cross-sectional study composed of a 52-question Likert-based scale survey was constructed and distributed to healthcare providers. We hypothesized that there would be a

generally accepted interest in establishing routine metabolic rate testing …

Voluntary Exercise Reduces Alzheimer’S-Like Pathology After Inflammation In Mice, Marielle K. Weintraub, Jordon D. White, Stephanie M. Turner, Samantha L. Hodges, Amanda Leigh Morin, Lindsey N. Sadler, Gary W. Boehm, Michael J. Chumley

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Current global statistics estimate that 44.4 million people are afflicted with dementia, and that 50%-75% of these patients suffer from Alzheimer’s disease (AD; Prince et al. 2013). AD, a progressive disorder categorized by neuronal and behavioral deterioration, is the 6^th leading cause of death in America (Alz facts and figure 2012). One hallmark pathology of AD is the presence of amyloid-beta (Aβ) in the brain, which can limit cell-to-cell communication, leading to cognitive deficits, and neuronal cell death. Although the exact origins of this disease still remain unknown, one possible catalyst of AD pathology is inflammation. Our lab has …

Wii, Kinect, & Move. Heart Rate, Oxygen Consumption, Energy Expenditure, And Ventilation Due To Different Physically Active Video Game Systems In College Students., Krista C. Scheer, Sarah M. Siebrandt, Gregory A. Brown, Brandon S. Shaw, Ina Shaw

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 7(1) : 22-32, 2014. Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation Move, and Microsoft XBOX Kinect are home video gaming systems that involve player movement to control on-screen game play. Numerous investigations have demonstrated that playing Wii is moderate physical activity at best, but Move and Kinect have not been as thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study was to compare heart rate, oxygen consumption, and ventilation while playing the games Wii Boxing, Kinect Boxing, and Move Gladiatorial Combat. Heart rate, oxygen consumption, and ventilation were measured at rest and during a graded exercise test in 10 …

The Effects Of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching On Post-Exercise Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness In Young Adults, Ryan P. Mcgrath, James R. Whitehead, Dennis J. Caine

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 7(1) : 14-21, 2014. Until recently, the scientific community believed that post-exercise stretching could reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), but recent reviews of studies on the topic have concluded that pre- or post-exercise static stretching has no effect on mitigating DOMS. However, the effect of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) post-exercise stretching on preventing DOMS has not been adequately studied. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of post-exercise PNF stretching on DOMS. Young adult participants (N=57) were randomly assigned to a PNF stretching group (n=19), a static stretching group (n=20), and …

Effect Of Age On The Hemodynamic And Sympathetic Responses At The Onset Of Isometric Handgrip Exercise., Sophie Lalande, Carolyn P Sawicki, Jacquie R Baker, Kevin Shoemaker

Kinesiology Publications

Cardiac and peripheral vasomotor factors contribute to the rapid pressor response at the onset of isometric handgrip exercise. We tested the hypothesis that age enhances the sympathetic and vasoconstrictor response at the onset of isometric handgrip exercise so that the pressor response is maintained, despite a diminished cardiac function. Twelve young and twelve older (24 ± 3 and 63 ± 8 yr) individuals performed 20-s isometric handgrip exercise at 30, 40, or 50% of maximal voluntary contraction force. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) was measured using microneurography. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and cardiac output (Q) were assessed continuously by finger …

Effect Of Extracted Garlic Powder Ingestion For Two Months On Exercise-Induced Immunological Responses, Ayaka Sunami, Hiroshi Tamura, Mikako Sunaga, Naoki Katori, Akira Yokota, Syuichi Kusano, Toshiaki Kodama, Takahiro Yoshizaki, Yuri Yokoyama, Ayumi Nakai, Jyun Yasuda, Yuki Tada, Azumi Hida, Yuko Hasegawa, Yukari Kawano

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Introduction. Exhaustive exercise is associated with an increased risk of upper respiratory tract infection. Previously, allicin supplementation has been reported to reduce the incidence of common cold symptoms and production of exercise-induced interleukin (IL)-6. However, it is not clear if daily ingestion of the edible portion of whole garlic (Allium sativum) alters the exercise-induced immunological response. The present study investigated the effects of extracted garlic powder ingestion for 2 months on immune cell counts, natural killer cell activity (NKCA), as well as changes in cytokines, cortisol, and lactic acid in response to high-intensity cycling exercise.

Methods. The present …

Auto Anti Oxldl, Igm And Igg: Comparison Between Sedentary And Athletes, Juliana M B Santos, André L L Bachi, Francisco J O Rios, Tiago L. Capel, Pedro H C Vaisberg, Gislene R. Amirato, Mauro Vaisberg

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Introduction: The practice of regular physical activity contributes to reduce the prevalence of coronary hearth disease (CHD) and aerobic exercises are associated with beneficial changes in the profile of circulating lipids and lipoproteins. However in the past years the oxidative hypothesis assumed great importance in the pathogenesis of CHD. During exhaustive exercises there is a greater possibility of oxidation of LDL, forming oxidized LDL (oxLDL) that has a key role in atherogenesis. However the incidence of coronary events in athletes is lower than in sedentary persons. It is described in the literature that we can found in serum auto autoantibodies …