Exercise Science Commons^™

The Effects Of Low Volume High-Intensity Interval Training Vs. Moderate-Intensity Interval Training With Blood Flow Restriction On Body Composition, Hormone Concentration, And Arterial Elasticity In Overweight And Obese Male Adults, Alexis Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: This study compared the effects of HIIT and MIIT+BFR on the adaptations in body composition, salivary hormone concentration, peak oxygen uptake, anaerobic parameters, and arterial elasticity in young overweight and obese male adults.

RESULTS: There was a significant increase in total BMC (p<0.01), leg BMC (p<0.05), and trunk BMC (p<0.05) from baseline in response to HIIT. MIIT+BFR significantly increased LFM/TFM Ratio from baseline (p<0.01). HIIT significantly decreased AIx@75 (p<0.05) and CI (p<0.05). There was a significant increase in ISO 180o Away (p<0.05), Thor Begin. (p<0.01), and Thor Mid. (p<0.05) in response to HIIT. MIIT+BFR had a superior increase in Thor Mid. (p<0.05) and significantly increased ISO 180o Toward (p<0.01), VO2peak (p<0.05), and VO2peak:Time (p<0.05). In the last training session, HIIT significantly increased salivary leptin (p<0.05), but MIIT+BFR had a superior increase in salivary leptin (p<0.01) from pre- to post exercise.

CONCLUSION: HIIT significantly improved total BMC, leg BMC, trunk BMC, and AIx@75 but decreased CI from baseline. HIIT increased quad muscle strength, whereas MIIT+BFR increased hamstring muscle strength. HIIT and MIIT+BFR significantly increased peak torque in Thor Mid and salivary leptin. Only MIIT+BFR significantly improved VO2peak.

Effects Of Physical Characteristics Of Placebos On Exercise Performance, Owen Sipes

Human Movement Sciences & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

Previous research has shown that placebos can impact medical conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and depression as well as elicit analgesic effects and improvements in certain exercise performances. These placebo responses occur from a variety of alterations to the placebo itself or through verbal suggestion of how helpful the placebo will be. This study aimed to observe whether changing the color and quantity of capsules can induce improvements in both vertical jump and hand grip strength. This deceptive, parallel study consisted of 28 participants, with a mean age of 24.9 (±4.3) years old, that were randomly assigned to receive …

The Effects Of Ultra-Marathon Trail Running And The Physiological Response Of Stress On Salivary Biomarkers, Kevan W. Stout, Jeremy R. Pearson, Catherine A. Hambleton, Jake A. Deckert, Philip M. Gallagher

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

PURPOSE: This study investigated changes in salivary α-amylase (sAA), cortisol, and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) concentrations following completion of an ultra-marathon trail run (UMT) to better understand the physiological stressors imposed by this extreme type of race. METHODS: Eight subjects participated in this study. Each subject completed a 50 km UMT. Two-minute oral salivary swabs were taken 10 minutes prior to race start and again within 1 minute of race finish. Samples were analyzed for sAA, cortisol and IL-1β using ELISA kits. RESULTS: Our results demonstrated a significant increase in both sAA (p = 0.002) and cortisol (p < 0.001) from baseline. No significant differences were observed for IL-1β. There was no significant relationship between the observed sAA increase and race speed. The observed increase in cortisol was significantly correlated with race speed (R² = 0.582, p …

A Qualitative Study Of The Experiences Of Obesity, Body Image, And Mental Health Of British-Born Afro-Caribbean Male Students At A West Yorkshire University In England, Johnson Mbabazi, Dorothy Irene Nalweyiso, Fiona Macgregor, Jeff Breckon, Edward Kunonga, Barry Tolchard, Rosemary Dawson, Jennifer Teke, Josette Bettany Saltikov, George William Kagugube, Lawrence Achilles Nnyanzi

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Obesity, body image, and depression are all biopsychosocial phenomena that are frequently misunderstood across cultures. Body dissatisfaction is a psychological aspect of obesity that has been associated with disordered eating, low self-esteem, and depression. Nevertheless, body image dissatisfaction may affect non-obese individuals too. Those with a positive body image are more likely to participate in physical activity than those with a negative body image. Individuals who are satisfied with their body image are more likely to possess high self-esteem, confidence, and healthy eating habits. Obesity prevention among the black population is increasingly important. This study sought to examine the perceptions …

Understanding Students’ Cognitive And Affective Attitude And Attitudinal Structures Toward Physical Activity: A Person-Centered Approach, Yubing Wang, Pan Li, Yaogang Han, Binn Zhang

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine the proportions of students who were holding positive, negative, and neutral cognitive/affective attitude and different cognitive-affective attitudinal structures toward moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) using a person-centered approach. Methods: A total of 3949 students participated in this study (1065 middle-school students, 784 high-school students, and 2100 college students). Results: A majority of students were holding positive cognitive (about 94%) and affective attitude (about 85%) toward MVPA. Most students (about 84%) held the Positive cognitive—Positive affective attitudinal structure toward MVPA. School level influenced the proportions of students who were holding different cognitive …

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & Mental Resilience, Brendan Hanley

Ed.D. Dissertations in Practice

Since the later eighteenth century, the United States Army began to put a large emphasis on soldiers' physical fitness scores as an indicator of operational readiness. In the early 2000s, the United States Army began looking at operational readiness with a focus on mental wellness termed resilience. Following twin pandemics, the term resilience has become a buzzword in not just soldiers' lives but everyday citizens of the United States. According to the U.S. Army, the six trainable resilience competencies are self-awareness, self-regulation, optimism, mental agility, strengths of character and connection. This study examines the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and …

Pilot Testing Of A Non-Gaming Cognitive Battery In Expert Esports Athletes, Allison J. Brager, Patrick Belling, Jason Sada, Jeffrey Osgood, Bradley Fawver, Michael Dretsch

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Introduction: The esports industry is rapidly expanding, making it imperative to identify common data elements of expert gamers for the purposes of performance optimization and enhancement. We aimed to measure cognitive performance in a convenient sample of expert esports athletes, as well as to determine if cognitive performance of these individuals could be further enhanced through a novel non-gaming neurocognitive test battery.

Methods: Elite esports athletes (n = 5) participated in a four-day cognitive and strength & conditioning program at the Sports Academy (Thousand Oaks, CA). Cognitive performance was assessed through five tasks of increasing cognitive load. Baseline …

Strength Training: An Inquiry Of Females Perceptions, Laura A. Richardson, Victoria R. Kanel, Alexandria L. Rellinger, Susan E. Ramlo, Carrie L. Fister

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 4: Issue 1, Article 10, 2023. While traditionally considered a male-dominated activity, women have increasingly embraced strength training. Although strength training has numerous physical and mental benefits to women, their subjective decision-making about using strength training have not been investigated thoroughly, especially using a unique methodology, Q, that is designed specifically to study subjectivity such as viewpoints and decision-making. There is limited research focused on females’ viewpoints about strength training. Capturing feelings and perceptions females have towards resistance training in an objective manner requires a specialized, mixed method called Q methodology [Q] that …

Predictors Of Driving Performance Post-Stroke, Halle Elise Prine

Theses and Dissertations

Driving is a complex skill involving the interaction of various brain functions, making it challenging to determine the independent contributions of each process to driving proficiency. While past studies have identified assessments such as the Useful Field of View Test (UFOV) and the Trial Making Test (TMT) as strong predictors for driving skills, little research has explored the impact of visual search and movement inhibition on driving after stroke. This cross-sectional study includes participants between the ages of 21 to 80 years with residual disability caused by a unilateral middle cerebral artery stroke at least six months prior. The participants …

Effects Of Caffeine On Measures Of Clinical Outcome And Recovery Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury In Adolescents, Jacob Michael Eade

Theses and Dissertations

OBJECTIVE: The overarching purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of habitual caffeine consumption on mTBI outcomes in adolescents. BACKGROUND: Adolescents who suffer an mTBI have an increased risk for neurological impairment and symptomology. Thus, it is important to elucidate modifiable lifestyle factors that have the potential to influence injury outcomes and recovery. Caffeine is a legal psychoactive compound prevalent among the adolescent population. Marketed as an ergogenic aid caffeine coincides with recreational activities where incidence of mTBI is high. However, no human study has explored the influence of caffeine consumption on mTBI pathology. It was hypothesized that …

The Role Of Environmental Context In Supporting Children’S 24- Hour Movement Behaviors; A Positive Deviance Perspective, Roddrick Dugger

Theses and Dissertations

Background: During summer, children display less favorable movement behaviors than the school year. To investigate the role of environmental context in supporting children’s ability to meet the 24-hour Movement Guidelines (i.e., Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity: ≥ 60 minutes, Sleep duration: 9-11 hours, Screen Time: ≤ 2 hours), this dissertation had three primary aims: 1) Utilize the Positive Deviance Framework to identify unique practices and resources that enabled children to meet guidelines, 2) Examine potential associations between the neighborhood built and social environment with movement behaviors by household poverty experience, and 3) Identify specific features of the family and home environment that …

Closing Racial Disparity By Dismantling Constructs Of Fear - A Practical Methodology For Learning To Swim, Dane W. Wolfrom, Christine L. Snellgrove, Marisol A. Rivera, Keisha Laguer Vandessppooll, Emily D. Feliciano

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

African American, Black, Hispanic, Latino, and low-socioeconomic communities have lower swimming ability and higher relative drowning rates than White and high-socioeconomic communities, distinguishing the former as high-priority populations to engage with effective learn-to-swim programming. This article demonstrates how prioritizing the reduction of fear-producing brain processes while learning to swim can result in 79.5% of high-priority population non-swimmers being able to jump into deep water, roll onto their backs and either float or tread for 60 seconds, and swim 25 yards after an average of 14 practice sessions. Practical explanations of four key components— water exploration, structured games, emulating coaches, and …

Blue-Mindfulness Training: A Story Of Restorative Justice Decolonizing And Re-Indigenizing Communal Relationships With Water, Thaddeus Gamory, Miriam Lynch Ph.D., A. Udaya Thomas, Angela K. Beale-Tawfeeq Ph.D., Mph

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

This article aims to introduce and describe the development of the concept of Blue-Mindfulness Training^TM, which was created and designed by Thaddeus Gamory and supported by research and the experience of other experts in the field. Drawing from the author’s and others' practical experience, the authors present a "Voice from the Field" perspective on creating and developing the Blue-Mindfulness^TM . This Instructional Framework, coined by Mr. Thaddeus Gamory Blue-Mindfulness^TM, addresses the impacts of historical racial discrimination and trauma in BIPOC communities, specifically on marginalized African American communities while promoting a communal and safe relationship with …

Self-Reported Water Competency Skills At A Historically Black College & University And The Potential Impact Of Additional Hbcu-Based Aquatic Programming, Knolan C. Rawlins Ph.D., Shaun M. Anderson Ed.D, Tiffany Monique Quash Ph.D.

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

This article provides an analysis of self-reported water competency skills at a Historically Black University (HBCU). A survey was administered to undergraduate students who lived on campus at one HBCU. Of the 254 respondents that reported the ability to swim, only 187 respondents self-reported the ability to swim and the ability to perform water competency skills. The biggest discrepancy occurred within individuals that identified as Black or African American. In this group, 142 out of 250 participants proclaimed the ability to swim. However, the number of Black or African Americans that could swim dropped to 84 when researchers operationally defined …

A Leisure Model: Barriers And Black Womxn Collegiate Swimmers, Tiffany Monique Quash

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

There remains a gap in the literature about the experiences of Black Womxn Collegiate Swimmers (hereafter referred to as BWCS) and the application of the leisure constraints model. Whether research has been conducted with Black Womxn Swimmers enrolled in a swimming course while using an autoethnographic lens (Norwood, 2010) or the representation of one Black Womxn Swimmer from a Predominantly White Institution (Quash, 2018), minimal knowledge is known about this specific demographic representative of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) and the barriers they experience. Using a qualitative methodological approach to understand the leisure constraints …

Third Diversity In Aquatics Special Issue, Angela K. Beale-Tawfeeq, Steven N. Waller Ph.D., Tiffany M. Quash Phd

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Front matter - none available

“Pool: A Social History Of Segregation Exhibition” Exploring Social Justice Through The Lens Of Water Safety Awareness And Art-Based Education, Angela K. Beale-Tawfeeq Ph.D., Mph, Tiffany Monique Quash Ph.D., Knolan Rawlins Ph.D., Victoria Prizzia, Miriam Lynch Ph.D.

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Art exhibitions, with a focus on water safety and drowning prevention, are rarely seen as a medium to address social justice and public health, or water safety awareness and drowning prevention efforts in communities. Globally, data have shown drowning is considered a “neglected public health threat” (World Health Organization, 2021, CDC, 2023). Additionally, reports have shown that across the globe there are demographic groups of people impacted by drowning, historical traumas, and social determinants, also impacting some communities that are at greater risk (WHO 2021, CDC, 2023). Although there are national and international efforts to address the importance of water …

Resistance Training And Running Performance And Economy: A Literature Review, James Bottrill

University Honors Theses

Running performance is largely determined by maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂ max), velocity at VO₂ max, fractional utilisation of VO₂ max and running economy. Running economy is relatively under-researched and could be improved by resistance training because of its neuromuscular underpinnings. However, existing research on this topic is quite unorganised and inconclusive and is yet to prove a direct linkage between resistance training, running economy and performance. This literature review aimed to provide an organised overview of the existing literature, identify and address confounding variables and provide recommendations for future research. A search for studies was conducted via …

Barriers To Exercise In A Medical Unit Of Us Army Reservists: An Exploratory Study, Madelyn B. Huhn, Elizabeth A. Kleitz, Namuna Sunar

Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences

Military Reservist healthcare workers must meet physical fitness standards similar to those on active duty. They, however, experience a unique occupational environment as citizen Soldiers. Their civilian careers as healthcare workers and their positions in the military both demand shift work, long hours, and critical response to high stress events. For a small group of Reservists working in civilian healthcare occupations who also serve in medical roles in the military, this exploratory study aimed to describe any perceived barriers to exercise. Although over 60% of respondents to an exercise barriers scale perceived physical and social health as the top benefits …

A Case Study: Examining Biological Sex Differences In A 14-Week Neck Strength Protocol For Optimal Neuromuscular Indicators To Reduce The Incidence Of Traumatic Brain Injury, Jennifer L. Kale, Maggie Craig Tyndall, Alexander T. Mcdaniel, Lindsey Schroeder, Yishi Wang

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 4: Issue 1, Article 9, 2023. The primary aim of this research was to analyze potential biological sex differences to determine if a variation in dynamic and isometric neck strength existed following a 14-week novel neck strengthening protocol. College-aged healthy participants who did not have a previous history of head or neck trauma were recruited for this study. A pre- and post-assessment was conducted to gather initial isometric and dynamic neck strength values. The neck strengthening intervention utilized a novel dynamic neck strength device for 14-weeks. 14-week neck strength protocol used in this …