Sports Sciences Commons^™

Bone Mineral Density And Body Composition Of Division Iii Ncaa Athletes At Southwestern University, Grey D. Wagner, Cole G. Peck

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

PURPOSE: To examine the variation of bone mineral density and body composition between athletes of different sports at Southwestern University. METHODS: One hundred and three Division III NCAA athletes at Southwestern University came to the kinesiology lab in a single session to complete a full body DEXA scan using a GE Lunar Prodigy Dexa Bone Densitometer. The athletes’ bone mineral density, body composition data and health history questionnaire were collected. RESULTS: There was a significant difference of t-scores among the men’s sports means (F(6,41) = 5.599, p < 0.001). There was a significant difference of t-scores among the women’s sports means (F(6, 34) = 2.879, p = 0.022). There was no significant difference of % body fat among the men’s sports means (F(6,42) = 1.787, p = 0.125). There was no significant difference of % body fat among the women’s sports means (F(6,35) = 1.301, p = 0.283). CONCLUSION: This study found a significant difference of T-scores between sports but not …

Alternative Concussion Balance Testing Between Land & Aquatic Athletes, Taylor Garcia, Bethany Metcalfe, Travis Peterson

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Sports related concussions have been a global and community health issue, with up to 3.8 million occurring in the U.S each year (Langlois et. al. 2006). Impaired postural control is one of the most common symptoms. Balance assessments have been an integral part of concussion analysis to assess if an athlete can return to play (RTP). Swimmers show significant differences in Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) performance compared to a normal population (Sugiura et. al. 2021). PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine if the SEBT (Plisky et. al. 2009) can assess differences in dynamic balance between land and aquatic …

Are There Balance Differences Between Aquatic And Land Athletes?, Bethany Metcalfe, Taylor Garcia, Travis Peterson

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Proficiency in static and dynamic balance tests is an indicator of both athletic proficiency as well as an indicator of movement deficiencies. Those movement deficiencies could be due to a neurological issue related to mild traumatic brain injury (i.e. concussion). Previous studies have studied single leg static balance using the BESS (Balance error scoring system) which is also used by the NCAA to pre-test for concussions (Riemann, 2012). Aquatic athletes could be at a predisposed disadvantage in NCAA concussion testing because there is a possibility of having differences in balance ability (as compared to land athletes) that may be mistaken …

Challenges That Women In Athletic Training Face In Ncaa Athletics, Madison Vargas, Andi Johnston Green

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

Athletic training was once known to be a male dominated profession however in more recent years the number of females in the profession has been increasing. According to the National Athletic Trainer’s Association 55% of its members identify as being a woman. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to seek the challenges that athletic trainers who identify as a woman have/or are currently facing while working in NCAA Athletics. There are many young women out there who aspire to be an athletic trainer one day but are hesitant about joining the profession because they want to have a …

Prevalence And Differences Of Sport Concussion Symptoms And Severity Among Male And Female University Student Athletes, Tacey Howell, Kristen Mcalexander

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

The prevalence of sport concussions continues to increase among university student athletes in the United States. Earlier methods of prevention, such as the Halo and modified football and hockey helmets, have not resulted in significantly fewer sport concussions. Further, even less is known about the differences between male and female university student athletes’ concussion symptoms and severity. PURPOSE: To measure sport concussion prevalence among university student athletes and compare the severity of self-reported symptoms among university male and female student athletes. METHODS: In the Fall of 2021, a modified version of the SCAT5 (Sport Concussion Assessment Tool, 5^th Edition) …

Enhancing Mental Toughness In Student-Athletes During The Covid-19 Pandemic Via Educational-Based Psychological Skills Training: Preliminary Results Of A Pilot Study, Madison Giuliani, Grant Morgan, Richard G. Cowden, Jeff S. Forsse, Andreas Stamatis Dr.

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

One group of measures against the COVID-19 pandemic have been the non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). NPIs taken by the NCAA included suspension of athletic seasons. Suspended championships during the pandemic have decimated the world of sports and led to changes in athletic role identity and social connectedness, which negatively affected student-athletes’ mental health (MH). One psychological characteristic that has the potential to support the MH and well-being of athletes is mental toughness (MT). MT is associated with successful sport performance and positive MH outcomes. Although empirical evidence supports the effectiveness of educational-based psychological skills training (PST) in promoting MH, similar effects …

Pacing Strategies In The 200 Yard Freestyle By Collegiate Men, Peter Robinson, Scott P. Mclean

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

ABSTRACT

Examination of components of a 200 yd freestyle race may provide useful information for understanding how pacing strategy contributes to successful performance. PURPOSE: To compare 50-yd splits of a 200-yd freestyle race in higher performing and lower performing swimmers to assess if pacing strategy differs between groups. METHODS: An ex post facto design was used employed to create a dataset of 200 yd freestyle results. Split times were generated for each 50 yard segment of a 200 yd race for two performance groups of swimmers; the first and last four finalists in eight conference championships each for NCAA Division …