Kinesiology Commons^™

Developing Durable Health Promotion: The Connections Between Exercise Setting And Adherence To Exercise In College-Aged Women, Tara Flubacher

Honors College

No abstract provided.

S8e3: How Can Athletic Trainers Help People Live More Healthy, Active Lives?, Ron Lisnet, Christopher Nightingale

The Maine Question

Athletic trainers help both athletes and non-athletes recover from injuries and get back in the game, and their services are in high demand. Job opportunities in athletic training have been growing rapidly in recent years, and so too have the places in which athletic trainers work.

The University of Maine has long offered a bachelor’s degree in athletic training, and alumni from it have found careers at high schools, major league sports like the National Hockey League, rehabilitation facilities and in other settings. This year, however, UMaine has reincorporated its program as a master’s degree, which prepares students to join …

Development Of A Novel Haptic Feedback System For Gait Training Applications, Mohsen Alizadeh Noghani

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Until recently, study and correction of motor or gait functions required costly sensors and measurement setups (e.g., optical motion capture systems) which were only available in laboratories or clinical environments. However, due to (1) the growing availability and affordability of inertial measurement units (IMUs) with high accuracy, and (2) progress in wireless, high bandwidth, and energy-efficient networking technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), it is now possible to measure and provide feedback in real-time for biomechanical parameters outside of those specialized settings. To enable gait training without an expert who can provide verbal feedback, augmented feedback, which is divided …

Zebrafish As A Model To Understand The Impact Of Inactivity And Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation On Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Elisabeth Kilroy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Skeletal muscle plasticity is imperative for functional adaptation to changing demands in activity. Although a great deal is known about the structural and functional plasticity of healthy skeletal muscle, far less is known about plasticity in diseased muscle. Here, we combined the power of the zebrafish model with the adaptability of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to study the basic mechanisms of plasticity in the zebrafish model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Four NMES paradigms, defined by their frequency, delay, and voltage, were designed to emulate the repetition and load schemes of human resistance training programs. Additionally, two inactivity paradigms were …

Relationship Between Health And Gpa When Comparing Traditional Undergraduate Students At The University Of Maine In Orono, Rachel A. Claussen

Honors College

Purpose: The primary relationship this research assesses is between health and academic performance. In addition, it looks at the differences in this relationship for resident students as compared to commuter students.

Methods: The participants were all UMaine undergraduate students. The inclusion criteria for the participants are as follows: 18-24 years old, never have been married, not a Division I athlete and full-time student during the spring semester of 2015. A paper- based self-reported survey was distributed using a convenience sample due to the fact that the primary investigator only asked professors she knew if she could distribute the survey during …

Improving Running Performance Using Non-Running Tasks, Darien Lewis

Honors College

For decades researchers and runners have endeavored to improve endurance running performance. Recent evidence suggests that adding resistance training to a running program can improve running performance. Our purpose was to determine if 6wks of resistance exercise via negative eccentrically-induced work (RENEW), an exercise that increases muscle size, strength, and stiffness, could serve as an effective “non-running” modality for improving running performance. Recreational runners were assigned to a: RENEW (n=7), plyometric (PLYO, n=7), or control (CON, n=7) group. RENEW trained on an eccentric ergometer (3x/wk, 10-30min, 54-66% of peak heart rate) while the PLYO performed …

The Effect Of Wild Blueberry Consumption On The Inflammatory Response, Oxidative Stress And Dna Damage Associated With Exercise, Taylor K. Bloedon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At all levels of intensity and duration, exercise is known to cause an increase in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). When derivatives of oxygen occur and exist independently with one or more unpaired electrons they are known as “free radicals” (Halliwell and Gutteridge 2007). Since atoms possess electrons that are usually associated in pairs, free radicals have the potential to act negatively in the body. Reactive oxygen species refer to oxygen-centered radicals as well as nonradical but reactive derivatives of oxygen (Halliwell and Gutteridge 2007). When ROS are created in excess, resulting in the disruption of the pro-oxidant/antioxidant …

Cell-Matrix Adhesion In Muscle Development And Disease, Michelle F. Goody

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A variety of diseases, both inherited and acquired, affect muscle tissues in humans. The anchoring of muscle fibers to their surrounding environment is critical for muscle homeostasis. Muscle fibers attach to their microenvironment through cell-matrix adhesion complexes. These anchoring complexes are placed under repeated stress during muscle contraction. Genetic mutations in these complexes weaken the attachment between muscle fibers and their microenvironment, making fibers more susceptible to damage and death. This increased fiber degeneration eventually leads to progressive muscle wasting diseases, known as congenital muscular dystrophies. Although clinical trials are ongoing, there is presently no way to cure the loss …

Lower Limb Acceleration During The Block-Start Vs. Selected Power And Strength Exercises, Thomas A. Ordelt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of load changes on angular accelerations of the ankle, knee and hip joints. Accelerations were measured in the squat (S), power clean (PC) and power hang clean (PHC), and compared to the accelerations in the push-off phase of the sprint start (SS). Methods: Nine female Division I college track athletes performed block sprint-starts, single-leg squat jumps (1S0) with 0% of 1RM, squats (jump) with 0, 25, 40% of 1RM, and PC and PHC with 30, 50, 75, 100% of 1RM. The fastest trial of each exercise was analyzed for minimum …

Physical Testing Characteristics And Technical Event Performance Of Junior Alpine Ski Racers, David Heikkinen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if a battery of physical tests can be used to distinguish between the ability levels of junior alpine ski racers. Many sports, such as football, have established laboratory and field tests to assess their athlete's preparation for competition. It would be of benefit to coaches in the sport of alpine skiing to be able to use a field test to assess the physiological readiness of the alpine ski racers they work with. At the junior level, alpine skiing in the United states consists of four events today . These events are the …

The Relationship Between Fitness-Based Incentive Programs And Exercise Adherence In A Corporate Fitness Facility, Elwood D. Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Experts agree that habitual exercise is beneficial to health and essential in the primary prevention of coronary heart disease and its associated risk factors. Despite this knowledge, adherence to an regular exercise regimen remains the major problem in the health and fitness industry. Reports estimate greater than 70% of the adult population in the United States do not participate regularly in physical activity. In contrast to the commercial fitness world where membership and profit continue to be the primary directives of the industry, corporate fitness programs are concerned with recruitment and adherence and consistently and exponentially increasing participation to justify …

Profiling Employees Participation In Employer Sponsored Fitness Programs In Maine, Wendy-Jo Berube

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Comprehensive health promotion and disease management programs have evolved significantly over the last two decades in both large and small work sites. Research over this time period has yielded plenty of evidence proving health promotion programs can produce tangible outcomes. Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that comprehensive work site health promotion programs can lower employee health care and insurance costs, decrease absenteeism, and improve job performance and productivity. Despite the well-known benefits of regular exercise, previous research has also shown that participation and adherence rates in work site health promotion programs have been unsatisfactory. This study was conducted to profile employee …