The Impact Of Gloves And Simulated Occupational Tasks On Handgrip Strength In Structural Firefighters, Sarah Lanham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adequate handgrip strength (HGS) is important to safely and effectively perform fireground tasks. However, there is limited research describing the deleterious impact of glove use and fatigue from occupational tasks on HGS. Therefore, the aims of this investigation were to quantify the impact of glove use and occupational tasks on HGS, to explore the relationship between HGS versus the glove and task-induced decrement in HGS, and to evaluate the relationship between HGS and decrement in HGS versus occupational performance. Fourteen (Males: n=13) career structural firefighters performed a maximal isometric HGS assessment with and without gloves before and immediately following completion …

Effects Of Post-Exercise Recovery Drink Composition On Subsequent Performance In Masters Class Athletes, Erica Goldstein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Carbohydrate (CHO) and carbohydrate-protein coingestion (CHO-P) have been shown to be equally effective for enhancing glycogen resynthesis and subsequent same-day performance when CHO intake is suboptimal (≤0.8 g/kg). Few studies have specifically examined the effect of isocaloric CHO vs CHO-P consumption on subsequent high-intensity aerobic performance with limited time to recover (≤2 hours) in masters class endurance athletes. Participants (n = 22) were assigned to consume one of three beverages during a 2-hour recovery period: PLA (electrolytes and water), CHO (1.2 g/kg bm), or CHO-P (0.8 g/kg bm CHO + 0.4 g/kg bm PRO). All beverages were standardized to one …

The Effects Of Neural And Mechanical Interventions On Muscle Size Versus Function During Short Term Immobilization Of The Lower Limb, Kylie Harmon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

Limb immobilization is a commonly used therapeutic intervention during periods of recovery from injury. To improve rehabilitation outcomes, interventions that curtail the severe decrements in muscular size and strength that occur during immobilization are critically needed. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of two distinct interventions during one week of knee-joint immobilization on muscular size, strength, and neuromuscular function. Thirty-nine healthy, college-aged adults (21 males and 18 females) participated in this study. Participants were randomized into one of four groups: immobilization only (n = 9) , immobilization + action observation/mental imagery (AOMI) (n = 10), immobilization …

The Acute Effects Of Continuous And Intermittent Blood Flow Restriction On Sprint Interval Performance And Muscle Oxygen Responses, Aaron Wizenberg

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-2023

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of intermittent and continuous blood flow restriction (BFR) during sprint interval training (SIT) on muscle mitochondrial function and perceived effort. Fifteen men volunteered to participate in this investigation and were randomly assigned to complete SIT with CBFR, IBFR, and NoBFR. Each SIT session consisted of 2, 30s maximal sprints on a cycle ergometer with a resistance of 7.5% of body mass. Peak power (PP), total work (TW), ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), sprint decrement score (Sdec), and muscle oxygen responses were measured during each sprint. Before (pretest) and after (posttest) …

The Effects Of Common Low-Load Blood Flow Restriction Training Protocols On Muscle Excitation And Fatigue, Taylor M. Aldeghi

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Low-load blood flow restriction (LLBFR) training has been shown to elicit greater increases in muscle hypertrophy and strength compared to traditional low-load training, yet few studies have compared the effectiveness of different LLBFR protocols. To our knowledge, no previous study has compared the acute neuromuscular changes induced by two common LLBFR protocols: 30-15-15-15 repetitions (BFR-75) and four sets of repetitions performed to volitional failure (BFR-F). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use surface electromyography (sEMG) to compare changes in muscle excitation and fatigue during BFR-75 and BFR-F protocols. Ten women (mean ± SD age = 22 ± 3.5 …

The Relationship Between The Population's Perception Of Herniated Intervertebral Disks And Their Known Physical Presentation, Jonah D. Gant

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The second most common lumbosacral diagnosis in the United States is a herniation or prolapse of the intervertebral disc. Individuals with herniated discs can have a wide variety of clinical presentations, ranging from asymptomatic to severe spinal cord compression and pain. Studies suggest that an individual’s pre-existing perception of a condition is likely to influence their course of recovery. Currently, perceptions the general public holds regarding the consequences of disc herniation is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess current views regarding disc herniations in the general population with their reported prevalence and clinical outcome. This was …

Exploration Of Warm-Up Protocols On Muscular Fatigue, Sahil Kapadia

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Muscular dystrophy is a genetically linked myopathy with no cure available. The lack of a cure makes early detection and treatment of muscular dystrophy imperative. When reviewing protocols examining muscular fatigue at submaximal isometric contractions, proper warm-up appeared to be absent and could have caused skewed results and conclusions. This study examines the effects of implementing a warm-up protocol before fatiguing trials. In this study, 10 adult subjects conducted fatiguing protocols with the right rectus at submaximal isometric contractions. The warm-up period included a light walk along with contractions at 20% and 33% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) levels. …

Influence Of Approach Angle On Ball Velocity During The American Football Instep Placekick, Kristoph C. Lopata

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

High ball velocity in American football placekicking (PK) enhances the opportunity to score during competition. Insight into self-selected (SS) approach angle and whether an optimal angle exists for maximal ball velocity may improve performance. Methods: Three selected approach angles (30°, 45°, 60°) and a SS approach angle were assessed to analyze kicking velocity among 11 intercollegiate male kickers. Descriptive statistics analyzed SS angles, and a one-way repeated measures ANOVA with the significance level set a p < .05 compared maximal ball velocity between angles. Results: Mean SS angle was 37.25° ± 3.67, and the SS and 45° approach produced the highest maximal ball velocities; however, no approach angle (SS, 30°, 45°, 60°) differed significantly F(3, 30) = 1.869, p < .156. Conclusions: Approach angle did not significantly affect maximal ball velocity. However, future studies are needed with larger sample sizes and diverse placekicking populations who are participating in American football.

The Benefits Of Therapeutic Ultrasound For Improving Recovery Of Collegiate Soccer Players In Between Friday And Sunday Matches, Adam Armijo

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

Collegiate soccer athletes face physical and physiological stressors during match play that can lead to ailments such as inflammation, muscle soreness, decreased range of motion, and skeletal muscle damage. Through the use of evidence-based studies coaches, trainers, and collegiate soccer athletes can determine best practices for optimized recovery in a collegiate soccer setting. One of the lacking supplemental recovery modalities in collegiate soccer is therapeutic ultrasound. Therapeutic ultrasound is a machine that utilizes vibration and thermal effects to help decrease skeletal muscular damage, reduce soreness of skeletal muscles, improve blood flow, and increase relaxation of the muscles. Therapeutic ultrasound in …

Promoting Personal And Social Responsibility In Higher Education, Karisa L. Kuipers

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation utilizes a three-paper approach to explore the topic of promoting personal and social responsibility (PSR) in higher education. Paper one is a conceptual piece that examines the alignment between the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (TPSR) model and PSR in higher education. The paper proposed a kinesiology-based framework (i.e., the TPSR model) to assist in defining, implementing, and evaluating PSR education with post-secondary students. The paper offered a general overview of the higher education landscape and then presented its alignment with the TPSR model. Recommendations for implementing the framework into higher education were shared, and challenges with integrating …

Biomechanical Evaluation Of Hand Representation For Typing In Virtual Reality, Mobasshira Zaman

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Virtual reality (VR) is becoming popular in the workplace recently. Text entry is thus now important for efficient office use and occupational use of VR, and VR paired with a conventional keyboard is suitable for long text entry. There has been a lack of research on physical demand, posture, motion, and cognitive demand, along with the performance of typing on VR. Presence of virtual hands while typing in VR may affect typing performance, physical demand, and posture. The focus of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical effect of hand representation for typing on VR using a conventional keyboard. Fifteen …

An Investigation Of The Sled-Push Exercise In Older Adults: Physiological Quantification, Perceived Enjoyment And Body Discomfort, Micheal A. Baumann

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Healthy aging is defined as the process of maintaining and developing functional ability that allows a state of mental and physical wellbeing. Physical activity, particularly exercise training, has been highly recommended for individuals of all ages, especially older adults, as way to maintain, improve or restore functional ability and health. Different modalities and types of exercise have been successfully tested in older adults but not much is known about the potential of the sled-push exercise in this population, a modality that has been highly used among athletes to improve cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength and endurance, and core stability. PURPOSE: The …

A State-Of-The-Art Review On The Underlying Mechanisms Of Running Economy, Paul Allen Sage

WWU Graduate School Collection

Running economy is determined by multiple physiological, biomechanical, and neuromuscular variables. Lower extremity stiffness has been identified as a primary factor in the determination of running economy due to its role in the utilization of elastic energy. Recent research exploring fascia has uncovered new insights into the underlying mechanisms driving the storage and utilization of elastic energy during running. New insights coupled with improvements in musculoskeletal modeling techniques and in instrumentation, allowing for accurate non-invasive quantification of passive stiffness, has opened the door for further exploration of running economy. The intention of this state-of-the-art review is to summarize the established …

A Comparison Of Dietary Intake In Female College Volleyball Players Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Justine Nuckols

WWU Graduate School Collection

Context: There is little evidence on the comparison of dietary intake in female college volleyball players before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. Because of the pressures athletes face to perform, it is important to monitor how athletes respond to adversity. Diet is important to consider when analyzing the overall health of athletes.

Objective: To investigate the effects of a global pandemic on kilocalorie intake and macronutrient consumption in collegiate female volleyball players.

Design: Subjects were invited to provide two diet health questionnaires about dietary intake before and during the pandemic. The questionnaires were the same.

Setting: An internet link to …

The Lived Experiences Of Female Informal Caregivers For Individuals With Young-Onset Dementia, Hailey A. O'Neil

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

Objective: Informal CGs for individuals with dementia experience an increased risk of compromised health. However, CGs of individuals with young-onset dementia (CGs-YOD) are more likely to have longer caregiving durations, less social support, and heavier caregiver burdens than those caring for people with LOD (Arai et al., 2007). Further, there are limited resources available to CGs-YOD, increasing their likelihood of negative health outcomes associated with CGs roles. This qualitative study investigated the experiences of female informal CGs-YOD specifically examining the effect of providing informal care on CGs overall health and well-being.

Methods: The theoretical orientation used to guide the …

Young Adult And Adolescent Balance Control Strategies During A Dual-Task Stone-Stepping Paradigm, Emily Ford

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Stone-stepping demands greater attention and visuomotor integration, as it requires precise foot placement. The amount of attention required during locomotion is typically assessed with a secondary task, by analyzing the dual-task cost. Adolescents are suggested to have a greater dual-task cost than young adults and demonstrate balance control impairments while dual-tasking walking. The purpose of the current study was to explore the balance control differences between adolescents and young adults during a stone-stepping paradigm. We hypothesized that adolescents would experience greater balance control deficits while performing the secondary task compared to the young adults, especially while on the uneven terrain. …