Kinesiology Commons^™

Changes In Anthropometric And Physiological Characteristics Of Male Collegiate Rugby Union Players Throughout A Season, Edward Kyle Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Rugby Union is a physically demanding sport requiring a variety of anthropometric and physiological characteristics to maximize performance. Factors such as muscular power, speed, agility, maximal aerobic power, mobility, and body composition all factor into player performance. PURPOSE: To determine changes in body composition, anthropometric and physiological characteristics of collegiate rugby union players throughout a competitive season. METHODS: Participants included 37 (20.3 ± 1.5 years) men from a collegiate rugby club. Muscular power (vertical jump), speed (10m and 20m sprint), agility (L-drill), mobility (FMS active straight leg raise and shoulder mobility) maximal aerobic power (VO2peak via 20m multi-stage shuttle run …

Quantifying Static And Dynamic Stability Using Mobile Sensors, Mason Schleu

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Balance disorders impact millions of people causing substantial impact on quality of life due to psychological and physical hardships associated with poor balance. However, a clinically relevant, low cost, self-service system in detecting such disorders does not exist. Previous research has shown the built in accelerometer and gyroscope sensors of a smart phone to be valid tools in detecting standing balance performance using traditional linear analysis, however, such a system has yet to be proven useful in detecting dynamic postural variability. Indeed, more quantitative methods than are typically used in clinical settings are necessary for early detection of poor postural …

Design Of An Instrumented Cane For Real-Time Force Feedback, Samantha Sack

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Stroke is a major cause of adult disability in the United States, and many affected stroke survivors require the use of an assistive device post-stroke. Even so, the effects of these assistive devices on specific movement outcomes like propulsion in rehabilitation are not well studied. The goal of this study was to develop an instrumented cane capable of recording accurate force data and providing real-time feedback to the user. A standard, single-point cane was instrumented with a force cell that measures force applied to the cane and a motor that vibrates once a threshold value has been applied. The force …

An Investigation Into The Correlation Between Step Width Variability And Balance Deficits In Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Jordan Freeman

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience a higher incidence of falls. Further, gait variability has been shown to be a useful predictor of future falls. It is unknown if balance measures and gait variability are related. Our purpose was to investigate if step width (SW) variability is related to balance deficits in patients with COPD. We hypothesized that functional balance tests will closely correlate to the step width variability as compared to subjective balance questionnaires. Nine subjects with COPD and six controls performed a series of balance measures: sensory organization test (SOT), motor control test (MCT), Fullerton advanced …

The Effect Of Bilateral Vestibular Stimulation On Locomotor Adaptation, Allison Hoover

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Locomotor adaptation requires input from vision, somatosensory and vestibular systems. The contribution of the vestibular system is important for maintaining postural control during gait specifically orientation of the head on the trunk and acceleration (linear and angular) feedback. Disrupting this system causes instabilities during locomotion. However, it is not clear, how much the vestibular system contributes to gait adaptation. Eighteen healthy adults adapted to a split-belt treadmill task with or without additional vestibular perturbation using bilateral mastoid vibration. The symmetry index for step length and step time, as well as the change in standard deviation in stride time for both …

Movement Variability And Sensorimotor Cortical Activation During Forward And Backward Walking, Boman Groff

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Previous research has used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to show that motor areas of the cortex are activated more while walking backward compared to walking forward. It is also known that head movement creates motion artifacts in fNIRS data. The aim of this study was to expand on previous findings by examining cortical activation during forward and backward walking, while also measuring head movement. We hypothesized that greater activation in motor areas while walking backward would be concurrent with increased head movement.

Participants (N=8) performed forward and backward walking on a treadmill. Participants wore motion capture markers on their head …

Augmenting Human Muscle Performance Through Added Foot Stiffness, Samuel F. Ray

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

In human walking, the relationship between foot and ankle structure and function is not fully known. The foot and toe structures seem to dissipate energy while the ankle generates force through the plantarflexor muscles. Increasing foot stiffness through added carbon fiber insoles has been shown to increase force output and decrease contraction velocity of the ankle plantarflexor muscles. This shift in the muscular force-velocity operating range may be beneficial in fast walking. During fast walking, muscle fascicles contract at high velocities and low force output. We predict that added foot stiffness can reduce the metabolic cost of fast walking by …

A Comparison Of Balance Between A Smoker And Never-Smoker, Robert J. Barber

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

“Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) the third leading cause of death in the United States.” “While COPD is defined in terms of fixed airflow limitation, it’s also characterized by the frequent association of complications outside the lung, including compromised balance.” Research has shown “medio-lateral (i.e., side-to-side) balance is altered in patients with COPD compared to controls and is further affected by challenging sensory systems (e.g., eyes closed or uneven surface).” “Smoking increases risk for onset of COPD”, therefore the objective of this study was to investigate balance in smokers. It’s hypothesized that smokers will demonstrate balance deficits, compared to never-smokers. …

Treadmill Walking In Claudication, Shane Lentz

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

INTRO. Claudication is lower leg pain that resides with rest. There are two potential causes of claudication: Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) and Lumbar Spinal Stenosis (LSS). Vasculogenic claudication is the defining characteristic of PAD. There is little research that exists to differentiate the two forms of claudication and there is little no non-invasive to determine which condition is causing the claudication. The purpose of this study is to utilize biomechanics to distinguish between individuals with claudication that arises from neurogenic versus vasculogenic causes. METHODS. Four LSS subjects completed a walking test on a treadmill (Gardner Test). The treadmill is pressure …

Influence Of Neuromuscular Fatigue On The Reliability Of Gait Variability Measures, Nicholas Reynolds

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Walking in healthy young adults displays an optimal pattern of variability from one stride to the next. This level ensures that each step taken is not stereotyped but also not completely unpredictable. Previous studies have investigated differences in stride-to-stride characteristics comparing groups of young to groups of elderly. The consistency of gait variability measures on an individual level remains to be determined. The first aim of this study is to determine the between day and between trial consistency of gait variability measures in healthy young adults. We hypothesize that there will be a high level of consistency from day-to-day and …

Effects Of Serial Subtractions On Elderly Gait Speed In A Virtual Reality Setting, Taylor Leeder

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Falls are the leading cause of fatal injuries in older adults aged 65+ with one in three adults falling each year. Cognitive processes are involved in gait, and thus, as cognitive changes are normative with age, this may impact fall risk in the elderly. Sixteen older adults aged 70.8±5.3 years took part in a dual-task (DT) study where they walked on a split-belt self-paced treadmill with and without a virtual reality (VR) setting while simultaneously performing a serial subtraction (SS) task. For SS, individuals were given a random 3-digit starting number and told to subtract by three from that number …

Effects Of Whole Body Heating During Warm-Up On Strength, Power, And Flexibility, Trevor Krzyzanowski

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Background/Hypothesis: There has been little research investigating the use of external heat to enhance muscular performance. The purpose of this study is to compare the differences between warming up in a hot (H) and neutral (N) temperature environment on muscle performance. Methods: Seven (M:3/F:4) Division I collegiate athletes (age = 20 ± 1; weight = 78.8 ± 24.7 kg; height = 176.2 ± 7.6 cm; body fat 19.7 ± 11.3%) each completed 2-trials in a randomized, counter-balanced order. Subjects warmed up in a temperature and humidity controlled chamber at 20 °C (N) and 40 °C (H), both at 40% humidity, …

An Investigation In Muscle Activation During Load Carrying, Sidney Baudendistel

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Carrying items is essential to everyday living, but is often reported to be a functional limitation in individuals with respiratory dysfunction. The interaction between breathing and carrying a bimanual load (i.e., carrying an evenly distributed load in each hand) is not well understood and limits the capacity to derive interventions to address functional limitations. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of two bimanual loads, 10% and 5% of body weight, on gait. Fourteen healthy, young adults walked with and without a load on each wrist (2.5 and 5% of body weight) using wrist weights. The mean, …

Comparison Of Whole-Body Cooling Techniques For Athletes And Military Personnel, Emma A. Nye, Lindsey E. Eberman, Kenneth E. Games, Colin Carriker

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(2): 294-300, 2017. The purpose of this study was to evaluate cooling rates of The Polar Life Pod®, a military protocol and cold water immersion. A randomized, repeated measures design was used to compare three treatment options. Participants exercised in an environmental chamber, where they followed a military march protocol on a treadmill, followed by the application of one of three treatments: Cold water immersion tub (5 – 10 °C), Polar Life Pod® (5 – 10 °C), Ice sheets at onset (5 – 10 °C). Mean cooling rate for CWI was 0.072 ºC/min, 0.046ºC/min for …

Orchard Sports Injury Classification System 10.1 Plus: An End-User Study, Ashley K. Crossway, Kenneth E. Games, Lindsey E. Eberman, Neil Fleming

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(2): 284-293, 2017. The purpose of this study was to establish the level of ease of use and effectiveness of the Orchard Sport Injury Classification System (OSICS) 10.1 Plus for recording injuries and interventions. Three hundred and forty-two (males=148, females=192, no response=2; age=30.9±9.5y; experience=9.1±10.5y) athletic trainers (ATs) in the United States completed the survey. Participants were primarily employed in the secondary school (n=135) or collegiate setting (n=171). Participants entered system includes the OSICS 10.1 to catalog injuries and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes to document interventions. Participants completed an 18-item end-user evaluation to assess the …

A 15-Week Vitamin D Supplementation And Indoor Cycling Intervention Reduces Exercising Heart Rate, With No Effect On Glycaemic Control In Healthy Adults: A Pilot Investigation., Ffion Curtis, Rhys Thatcher, Sam Rice, Glen Davison

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(2): 274-283, 2017 Significant positive correlations are often observed between vitamin D concentrations and physical activity levels. Whilst this may be due to individuals who are physically active spending time outdoors (i.e. increased opportunity for vitamin D synthesis), there is growing evidence to suggest a more complex relationship between vitamin D status, physical fitness and health outcomes. To explore this further thirty-nine healthy adults were randomly allocated to 15 weeks of exercise training (Ex), no training (NoEx), 2000 IU/day vitamin D (VitD) and/or placebo (Pla) supplementation (giving four possible allocations: NoEx+VitD; NoEx+Pla; Ex+VitD; Ex+Pla). Vitamin …

Effect Of Caffeine On Near Maximal Blood Pressure And Blood Pressure Recovery In Physically-Active, College-Aged Females, Laura E. Connahan, Christopher A. Ott, Vaughn W. Barry

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(2): 266-273, 2017 The purpose of this study is to determine how caffeine affects exercise blood pressure (BP) and active and passive recovery BP after vigorous intensity exercise in physically active college-aged females. Fifteen physically active, ACSM stratified low-risk females (age (y): 23.53 ± 4.07, weight (kg): 60.34 ± 3.67, height (cm): 165.14 ± 7.20, BMI (kg/m²): 22.18 ± 1.55) participated in two Bruce protocol exercise tests. Before each test participants consumed 1) a placebo or 2) 3.3 mg·kg^-1 of caffeine at least one hour before exercise in a counterbalanced double-blinded fashion. …

Effect Of Swedish Massage On Doms After Strenuous Exercise, Cathleen Holub, John D. Smith

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(2): 258-265, 2017. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) can occur after intense exercise and remain for several days. Massage is one means by which DOMS can be reduced; however, the timing of exercise, techniques applied, and timing of application produces differing outcomes. Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a 20-minute Swedish massage immediately after strenuous exercise on DOMS. Procedures: Twenty college students engaged in two sets of a squatting exercise to fatigue and then the right or the left leg was immediately massaged. Effleurage, petrissage, friction and compression manual techniques were used for 10 minutes …

Adherence To Exercise Prescription And Improvements In The Clinical And Vascular Health Of African Americans, Dianne Babbitt

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(2): 246-257, 2017. Improvements in indices of vascular health and endothelial function have been inversely associated with hypertension, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (e.g., myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure), renal failure, and mortality. Aerobic exercise training (AEXT) has been positively associated with improvements in clinical health values, as well as vascular health biomarkers, and endothelial function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether measures of exercise adherence were related to clinical outcome measures and indices of vascular health subsequent to a 6-month AEXT intervention in a middle-to-older aged African American cohort. …

Motivation Of Shoulder Surgery Patients For Rehabilitation, Skyler W. Jorgensen, Matthew R. Bice, Scott Unruh, Kazuma Akehi, Heber Crockett, Joel Mcreynolds

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(2): 234-245, 2017 Motivation can be a valuable construct during physical rehabilitation. Rehabilitation can be uncomfortable and painful, testing patients’ rehabilitation motivation and continued participation. Maintaining motivation throughout rehabilitation is important for patients to return to optimal joint motion and daily functioning. The purpose of this research project was to examine rehabilitation motivation after shoulder surgery (rotator cuff repairs, slap repairs, biceps tenodesis, acromioplasty, distal clavicle excision or combination). Persons who underwent shoulder surgery (December 2014 – April 2015) voluntarily participated in the study. The Self Regulation Questionnaire was used to assess patients’ self-regulation and …