Kinesiology Commons^™

What Goals? Which Point? Whose Purpose? A Critical Engagement With Sport Internalism, Francisco Javier Lopez Frias

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

In this article, I critique the dominance of internalism in sport philosophy and outline an alternative theoretical framework that integrates internal and external elements while striving to transcend the dichotomous language used to conceptualize sport. The analysis begins by claiming that internalism conflates three fundamental teleological aspects of sport: goals, point, and purposes. I argue that this conflation limits internalism’s ability to explain the complexity of sporting practices. By carefully distinguishing these elements, I illustrate their distinct roles in shaping sport and explore how they interact. I conclude by proposing that the alternative pluralist framework briefly sketched here enables a …

Goals Reconsidered: From Brute Prelusory States Of Affairs To The Lusory Complexity Of Sport, Francisco Javier López Frías

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

In this paper, I examine Bernard Suits’ conceptualization of goals in his influential definition of gameplay, focusing on how his account falls short of capturing the complexity of sporting practices. Suits famously describes games as voluntary attempts to overcome unnecessary obstacles in achieving an identifiable state of affairs. By referring to this state of affairs as the prelusory goal of games, he frames gameplay as structured teleologically around this goal, converting it into the most fundamental element of his notion of gameplay. Although elegant and very intuitive, this conception of games raises tensions when applied to the complex, multilayered activities …

Electromyographic Analysis Of Lower Limb Muscles During Multi-Joint Eccentric Isokinetic Exercise Using The Eccentron Dynamometer, Brennan J. Thompson, Merrill Ward, Brayden Worley, Talin Louder

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Eccentric muscle actions are integral to human movement, rehabilitation, and performance training due to their characteristic high force output (overload) and low energy cost and perceived exertion. Despite the growing use of eccentric devices, a gap in the research exists exploring multi-muscle activation profiles during multi-joint eccentric-only, isokinetic exercise. This study aimed to quantify and compare surface electromyographic (EMG) activity of four leg muscles—vastus lateralis (VL), tibialis anterior (TA), biceps femoris (BF), and medial gastrocnemius (GM)—during a standardized (isokinetic) submaximal eccentric multi-joint exercise using the Eccentron dynamometer. Eighteen healthy adults performed eccentric exercise at 40% of their maximal eccentric strength. …

The Effects Of A Combined Exercise Intervention On Body Composition, Gdf-15, Apelin-12, And Il-15 Among Older Korean Women According To Obesity Status, Jeongsook Kim, Eadric Bressel, Minkyo Kim, Taekyu Kim, Suhan Koh, Doyeon Kim

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 16-week exercise program combining aerobic and resistance training on body composition, growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), apelin-12, and interleukin-15 (IL-15) in older Korean women according to obesity status. Methods: Participants were divided into obesity (n = 15) and normal-weight groups (n = 14). A walking exercise was performed at 60–70% heart rate reserve (RPE 13–15). The bodyweight resistance exercises were progressively intensified over 16 weeks. Analysis methods included two-way repeated measures ANOVA, ANCOVA, and paired and independent t-tests. Results: Significant main effects of time and …

On The Connection Between Sport And Morality: Does Russell’S ‘Continuity Thesis’ Hold Water?, Cesar R. Torres, Francisco Javier López Frías

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The connection between sport and morality is a key focus of J. S. Russell’s scholarly work. He rejects the ‘separation thesis’, which claims that sport has a significant degree of autonomy and thus its own set of values separate from those of society. Instead, he supports the ‘continuity thesis,’ which suggests that the moral values at the heart of sport reflect more basic moral values found outside its boundaries. Therefore, for Russell, individuals involved in sport do not leave ordinary morality to enter a separate sporting one. Rather, they engage in a social practice whose core moral principles are extensions …

It's Time To Re-Evaluate The Reporting Of Common Measures From Isokinetic Dynamometers: Isokinetic For Torque, Isotonic For Power, Brennan J. Thompson

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Isokinetic dynamometry is commonly used to provide an objective and reliable assessment of muscle function across a variety of clinical, athletic and research settings. Important muscle function variables that are commonly assessed are torque- and power-related measures. Isokinetic mode is overwhelmingly used to provide these variables, and has been so for decades; however, this mode may not be the best suited to examine power variables. The article aims to explore this issue through conceptual evaluation and empirical results using unpublished data. The implication is that due to the almost complete lack of unique information that power provides additional to torque …

Racial-Ethnic Differences In The Associations Between Functional Disabilities And Subsequent Depression Among Community-Dwelling Midlife And Older Adults In The Us, Debasree Das Gupta, Uma Kelekar, Kallol Kumar Bhattacharyya, Sidney Carl Turner

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Background: The intersection of race/ethnicity with disability is a critical dimension of mental health outcomes in later ages that remains under-investigated.

Objective: We examined the role of race-ethnicity in moderating the associations between functional disabilities and subsequent depression among Americans 51 and older and stratified into the two age-groups of midlife (51-64) and older adults (≥65).

Methods: Using a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling Americans (≥51; n=7,475) in the 2016-2018 Health and Retirement Study, we conducted bivariate and multivariable regression analyses. Racial-ethnic groups included non-Hispanic (NH) Black, Hispanic, and NH White and a binary (0/1) outcome defined subsequent depression in …

Lower Limb Muscle Activation In Young Adults Walking In Water And On Land, Christopher Long, Christopher J. Dakin, Sara A. Harper, Joonsun Park, Aaron Folau, Mark Crandall, Nathan Christensen, Talin Louder

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Previous research has shown that exercise interventions requiring increased activation of the tibialis anterior (TA), the primary ankle dorsiflexor, can improve walking performance in individuals with foot drop. Correspondingly, heightened drag forces experienced during walking performed in water may augment TA activation during the swing phase of gait, potentially leading to improved walking gait on land. Therefore, this study aimed to compare surface electromyographic (sEMG) activation in the TA and medial gastrocnemius (GM) during gait performed in water versus on land. Thirty-eight healthy, recreationally active young adults, comprising 18 females and 20 males, participated in the study. Each participant completed …

A Comprehensive Examination Of Age-Related Lower Limb Muscle Function Asymmetries Across A Variety Of Muscle Action Types, Kylee L. Heap-Eldridge, Brennan J. Thompson, Cody Fisher, Talin J. Louder, Jon Carey

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Previous research has found that lower limb muscle asymmetries increase with age and are linked to fall and injury risks. However, past studies lack a wide variety of muscle function modes and measures as well as comparison to a comparable younger age group. The purpose of this study was to examine age-related lower limb muscle function asymmetries across a variety of muscle action types and velocities in young and old adults. Lower limb balance, strength, power, and velocity were evaluated with concentric, isometric, isotonic, and eccentric muscle actions during a single-leg stance test and on single- and multi-joint dynamometers in …

Circuit Training Improves The Levels Of Β-Amyloid And Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Related To Cognitive Impairment Risk Factors In Obese Elderly Korean Women, Duwang Kang, Suhan Koh, Taekyu Kim, Eadric Bressel, Doyeon Kim

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of circuit training on β-amyloid, BDNF, and cognitive function in untrained obese elderly Korean women. Methods: The subjects for the study were aged 65–70 years and were each assigned to a circuit training group (EG, n = 12) or a control group (CG, n = 11). The 60 min combined exercise was performed 3 times per week for 16 weeks. The exercise intensity was progressively increased from a 40% heart rate reserve to a 70% heart rate reserve. The test data were analyzed using a paired t-test, an …

Empirical Evidence Supporting The Inclusion Of Multi-Axes Segregation In Assessing Us County Health, David W. S. Wong, Debasree Das Gupta

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

To facilitate community action toward health equity, the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program (CHR&R) assigns health rankings to US counties. The CHR&R conceptual model considers White-Black and White-non-White dissimilarity values to represent residential segregation as part of the family and social support subcomponent. As the US is greying and becoming more multi-racial-ethnic, the two-group White-centered segregation measures are inadequate to capture segregation among population subgroups in the US. Thus, we evaluate the relevancy of segregation measures that consider multiple racial, ethnic, and age groups in assessing US county health. Besides using the two-group dissimilarity index to measure Whitecentered racial …

Older Adult Falls In The Community: Does Unsafe Home Environment Have A Risk Role Through The Mediating Effect Of Functional Limitations?, Debasree Das Gupta, Uma Kelekar, Sidney C. Turner

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Background and Objectives: Fall incidents from unsafe home environment are frequent in older-adult homes but the literature is ambiguous whether it is the presence/absence, or the interplay of such conditions and physical functioning that is of salience. We therefore estimated whether unsafe home environment adversely associated with subsequent falls among older adults and what proportion of this association was mediated through limitations in daily and instrumental activities of daily living (ADL/IADL).

Research Design and Methods: Using a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries (≥65 years) in the 2018-2019 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS; n=2,599), we conducted bivariate …

Suppressing A Blocked Balance Recovery Step: A Novel Method To Assess An Inhibitory Postural Response, David A. E. Bolton, Charlie C. Baggett Iv, Chase A. Mitton, Sara A. Harper, James K. Richardson

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Stepping to recover balance is an important way we avoid falling. However, when faced with obstacles in the step path, we must adapt such reactions. Physical obstructions are typically detected through vision, which then cues step modification. The present study describes a novel method to assess visually prompted step inhibition in a reactive balance context. In our task, participants recovered balance by quickly stepping after being released from a supported forward lean. On rare trials, however, an obstacle blocked the stepping path. The timing of vision relative to postural perturbation was controlled using occlusion goggles to regulate task difficulty. Furthermore, …

Isokinetic Dynamometer Leg Extensor Peak Torque Measurement: A Time-Delayed Reliability And Score Selection Analysis Study, Brennan J. Thompson, Jennifer Xu

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The reliability of isokinetic peak torque (PT) has been reported mostly using a short-term ( < ~10 day) inter-trial testing time frame. However, many studies and programs utilize a long-term (several weeks to months) inter-trial testing period. Additionally, the methods by which the PT value is selected and reported from a multiple rep testing scheme have not been well investigated for both reliability and PT absolute performance comparisons. The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term reliability of isokinetic and isometric PT of the leg extensors with an emphasis on the differences among several PT score selection methods. Thirteen men and women (age = 19.5 years) underwent two testing trials separated by 28.8 (±1.8) days. Testing included maximal voluntary contractions of three sets of three reps for two isokinetic contraction conditions of 60 (Isok60) and 240 (Isok240) deg/s velocities, and three sets of one rep of isometric contractions for the leg extensors. The PT score was derived from seven different methods (see text for descriptions). Reliability as assessed from intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) varied widely across contraction conditions and PT score selection parameters. The Isok60 velocity overall had lower reliability (ICCs = 0.48–0.81) than Isok240 (0.77–0.87) across the conditions whereas the isometric PT variables showed moderate reliability (0.71–0.73). Overall the set 1 PT score selection parameters were generally lower (p ≤ 0.05) than those that involved sets two and three. Systematic error (p ≤ 0.05) was shown for 6 out of the 17 PT selection variables. On a subjective interpretation basis, when taking everything into account the best overall combination of time/trial efficiency, reliability, best/highest PT score parameter, and reduced risk of systematic bias appears to be the PT variable that uses the average of the highest two reps of the first two sets of three reps—i.e., averaging the highest two values of the six total reps from the first two sets.

Association Between Ideal Cardiovascular Health And Multiple Disabilities Among Us Adults, Brfss 2017–2019, Debasree Das Gupta, U. Kelekar, M. Abram-Moyle

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Objectives

Cardiovascular health is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Our objective was to estimate the association between ideal cardiovascular health (ICVH) and multiple disabilities among US adults stratified into the three age groups of young (18–44 years), midlife (45–64 years), and older adults (≥65 years).

Study design

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data pooled from the 2017 and 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

Methods

Using American Heart Association's seven-component (four ideal behaviors and three ideal health factors) scoring tool, we identified ICVH as a composite score ≥5 and also computed the …

Sport Management Study Abroad And International Exchange Program Innovation For A Post Covid-19 Era, James T. Morton, Chris Hanna, Jeffrey F. Levine

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The globalization of the sport industry has required sport management programs to create strategies for internationalizing students. Study abroad programs are a prominent example of those strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on study abroad programs in Spring of 2020. Many students had their study abroad experiences either cut short or canceled all together. The purpose of this essay is to discuss how the student learning process can continue during an interruption or cancellation of study abroad and international exchange programs due to a pandemic or other global issues. Using an observational study, we asked the following research …

Bioelectrical Impedance Changes Of The Trunk Are Opposite The Limbs Following Acute Hydration Change, Dale R. Wagner

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This study aimed to evaluate the changes in impedance and estimates of body composition variables obtained from segmental multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (SMFBIA) following acute hydration change. All participants (N = 11 active adults) had SMFBIA measurements at baseline (euhydration), post-dehydration, and post-hyperhydration in an experimental repeated-measures design. Dehydration and hyperhydration trials were randomized with the opposite treatment given 24 h later. Dehydration was achieved via a heat chamber of 40 °C and 60% relative humidity. Hyperhydration was achieved by drinking lightly-salted water (30 mmol·L^-1 NaCl; 1.76 g NaCl·L^-1) within 30 min. Post-measurements were taken 30 min …

Houston College Sport Programs’ Hurricane Harvey Communication: A Twitter Content Analysis, Chris Hanna, Robert Thompson, James T. Morton

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This study provides a Twitter content analysis of tweets by Houston-based Division I college sport programs during Hurricane Harvey. A content analysis was performed on the tweets appearing on the main intercollegiate athletics Twitter pages of University of Houston, Houston Baptist University, Prairie View A&M University, Rice University, and Texas Southern University in response to Hurricane Harvey. The researchers based their study on grounded theory informed by a study conducted by Inoue and Havard (2015). While this study examined tweets rather than newspaper and magazine articles like Inoue and Havard (2015), this study confirmed the theme findings in Inoue and …

Interdevice Reliability Of A-Mode Ultrasound To Measure Body Composition, Megan Bigler, Dale R. Wagner, R. Stephan Lowry

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

A-mode ultrasound is a noninvasive, rapid method for measuring subcutaneous fat thickness and estimating body fat percentage (%BF). Validity and reliability of the BodyMetrix BX2000 A-mode ultrasound has been reported; however, this study aimed to compare results from two machines to determine interdevice reliability. Ultrasound measures were repeated with two BX2000 machines at 10 body sites (chest, biceps, triceps, scapula, lower back, hip, waist, thigh, calf, axilla) on 42 males of varying age and leanness (age: 28.6±11.9 y, BMI: 25.4±4.6 kg/m2). The intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from 0.939 to 0.998 with standard errors of measurement from 0.31 to 0.58 mm …

Oversimplification Of The Relationship Between Ultrasound And Skinfold Measurements Of Subcutaneous Fat Thickness, Dale R. Wagner

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

In the March 2021 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, two separate studies (1,2) from different research laboratories both used ultrasound to estimate body fat percentage (%BF). Both Chandler et al. (1) and Tinsley et al. (2) reported using a modification of the Jackson–Pollock (3) seven-site skinfold formula to convert their ultrasound fat thicknesses into estimates of body density and subsequently converted body density to %BF with the Siri (4) formula. Close inspection of their methods reveals that the only “modification” to the Jackson–Pollock equation was a doubling of the ultrasound fat thicknesses. Tinsley et al. …

Ultrasound Measurements Of Subcutaneous Fat Thickness Are Robust Against Hydration Changes, Dale R. Wagner, James D. Cotter

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Ultrasound is an appealing tool to assess body composition, combining the portability of a field method with the accuracy of a laboratory method. However, unlike other body composition methods, the effect of hydration status on validity is unknown. This study evaluated the impact of acute hydration changes on ultrasound measurements of subcutaneous fat thickness and estimates of body fat percentage. In a crossover design, 11 adults (27.1 ± 10.5 years) completed dehydration and hyperhydration trials to alter body mass by approximately ±2%. Dehydration was achieved via humid heat (40 °C, 60% relative humidity) with exercise, whereas hyperhydration was via ingestion …

Organizational Effectiveness Measures And Their Relationship To Donor Contributions, James T. Morton, Chris Hanna

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between organizational effectiveness measures and donor contributions for National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I athletic departments. For this study, donor contributions were used as a proxy for donors’ perception of organizational effectiveness for these athletic departments. Using a combination of the goals attainment model (Price, 1972) and the strategic constituencies model (Connolly, Conlon, & Deutsch, 1980) the effectiveness measures used were athletic performance, student athlete welfare, and student athlete academic success. The whole of Division I, as well as the three subdivisions, were examined for the five-year period from 2013 …

Interrater Reliability Of Novice Examiners Using A-Mode Ultrasound And Skinfolds To Measure Subcutaneous Body Fat, Dale R. Wagner, Masaru Teramoto

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Examiners with minimal training and skill are often called upon to make body composition assessments using field methods. This study compared the interrater reliability of novice examiners for the skinfold (SKF) and A-mode ultrasound (US) methods of body composition assessment. Undergraduate Kinesiology majors (48 males, 32 females) with minimal training took both SKF and US measurements at three sites (males: chest, abdomen, thigh; females: triceps, suprailiac, thigh). Interrater reliability was significantly better for US compared to SKF at the thigh (ICC_US = 0.975, ICC_SKF = 0.912) and abdomen (ICC_US = 0.984, ICC_SKF = 0.693) for men …

No More “Social Distancing” But Practice Physical Separation, Debasree Das Gupta, David W. S. Wong

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Though not a new term, “social distancing” exploded onto the global stage as an expression to publicize the only means currently available to control the transmission of COVID-19. This term is increasingly being adopted and translated into the vernacular to inform and guide public behavior in most, if not all, countries around the world. However, any effective global response requires direct and unambiguous communication and sharing of ideas across communities with different cultural backgrounds as well as between researchers and responders across the disciplinary spectrum. Unfortunately, social distancing is a misnomer. The current use of social distancing – separating ourselves …

How “Dependent” Are We? A Spatiotemporal Analysis Of The Young And The Older Adult Populations In The Us, Debasree Das Gupta, David W. S. Wong

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The shifting of a country’s age structure has far-reaching socioeconomic and policy implications. In the US, the changing age structure at the sub-national level has received little research attention. To address this gap, we examine age dependencies across states in the US between 1990 and 2010 using decennial census data. We find that dependency changes have been gradual with a distinct graying of states during this period. Within this overarching trend, the sources of states’ dependencies follow complicated trajectories without clear spatiotemporal patterns. Nevertheless, changes in states’ old-age dependency contributions to respective total dependencies are geographically clustered and the inverse …

Choice‐Based Reminder Cues: Findings From An Mhealth Study To Improve Tuberculosis (Tb) Treatment Adherence Among The Urban Poor In India, Debasree Das Gupta, Amit Patel, Deepak Saxena, Naoru Koizumi, Poonam Trivedi, Krupali Patel, Devang Raval, Andrew King, Kerianne Chandler

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Poor treatment outcomes due to nonadherence and consequent high levels of drug resistance continue to challenge efforts to combat tuberculosis (TB) in India. Mobile health‐ or mHealth‐based reminder cues have been considered in multiple health behavior modification interventions, including TB treatment nonadherence. We conducted a quasi‐experimental study in Ahmedabad, India, to examine the effectiveness of mHealth‐based reminder cues customized to meet diverse patient needs. Results from this experiment indicate that the potential of customized mHealth reminder cues may remain unrealized unless addressed in conjunction with the multifaceted drivers of TB treatment nonadherence. The perspective we present here has broad relevance …

Wingate Anaerobic Test Reliability On The Velotron With Ice Hockey Players, Ryan F. Bringhurst, Dale R. Wagner, Sarah Schwartz

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Bringhurst, RF, Wagner, DR, and Schwartz, S. Wingate anaerobic test reliability on the velotron with ice hockey players. J Strength Cond Res 34(6): 1716–1722, 2020—This study evaluated the test-retest reliability of the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WAnT) performed on a Velotron electromagnetically braked cycle ergometer (EE) for power-trained athletes and assessed whether a familiarization trial was necessary to achieve high test-retest reliability. Twenty-one male ice hockey players (age 23.5 ± 4.7 years, mass 86.3 ± 16.6 kg, height 180.9 ± 7.4 cm) from a collegiate club team (Club = 10) and a recreational league (Rec = 11) performed three 30-second WAnTs …

Case Study: Effect Of Surgical Metal Implant On Single Frequency Bioelectrical Impedance Measures Of An Athlete, Dale R. Wagner

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This case study examined the influence of a surgical metal implant on the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) readings of an athlete. Single‐frequency BIA using a tetrapolar electrode configuration was applied to both the right and left sides of a 23‐year‐old female jumper who had an 8 × 345 mm titanium alloy nail implanted in her left tibia. The metal implant reduced BIA resistance and reactance on the implanted side by 27 and 6 ohms, respectively. This reduction in impedance resulted in a 0.4 kg–1.9 kg increase in the estimate of fat‐free mass (FFM) depending on the prediction formula used. There …

A Modified Lean And Release Technique To Emphasize Response Inhibition And Action Selection In Reactive Balance, David A.E. Bolton, Manhoud Mansour

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Assessment of reactive balance traditionally imposes some type of perturbation to upright stance or gait followed by measurement of the resultant corrective behavior. These measures include muscle responses, limb movements, ground reaction forces, and even direct neurophysiological measures such as electroencephalography. Using this approach, researchers and clinicians can infer some basic principles regarding how the nervous system controls balance to avoid a fall. One limitation with the way in which these assessments are currently used is that they heavily emphasize reflexive actions without any need to revise automatic postural reactions. Such an exclusive focus on these highly stereotypical reactions would …

Exercise In Thermal Inversions: Pm2.5 Air Pollution Effects On Pulmonary Function And Aerobic Performance, Dale R. Wagner, Daniel C. Brandley

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Introduction Wintertime thermal inversions can lead to the accumulation of small particulate matter (PM_2.5). Despite an association between respiratory hospital admissions and elevated PM_2.5 levels, many people continue to exercise outdoors during inversions. This study compared pulmonary function and exercise performance during periods of low and high ambient PM_2.5 concentrations. Methods Forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 s were measured outdoors before and after two 3200 m running time trials: one with low ambient PM_2.5 (0.6–14.7 microgram·m^-3), and the other during high PM_2.5 (19.1–42.5 micrograms·m^-3). A 10 …