Kinesiology Commons^™

Comparative Forelimb Muscle Function In Turtles: Tests Of Environmental Variation And Neuromotor Conservation, Angela Rivera

All Dissertations

Novel locomotor functions in animals may evolve through changes in morphology, muscle activity, or a combination of both. The idea that new functions or behaviors can arise solely through changes in structure, without concurrent changes in the patterns of muscle activity that control movement of those structures, has been formalized as the `neuromotor conservation hypothesis'. In vertebrate locomotor systems, evidence for neuromotor conservation is found across transitions in terrestrial species and into fliers, but transitions in aquatic species have received little comparable study to determine if changes in morphology and muscle function were coordinated through the evolution of new locomotor …

The Effects Of A Lumbopelvic Hip Complex Conditioning Program On Dynamic Knee Valgus In Female Tennis Players, Katelyn Marie Roling

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Female athletes have a four-to-six times greater risk of sustaining a lower extremity injury than their male counterparts (Hewett, 2000). One explanation for the discrepancy in injury rates is increased dynamic knee valgus angles caused by neuromuscular imbalances of the lumbopelvic hip complex (LPHC). The purpose of this study was to determine if implementing a LPHC conditioning program improved neuromuscular deficiencies. Seven female collegiate tennis players competitive at the NCAA Division I level volunteered for the study (19.7 + .95 years, 167.3 + 7.4 cm, and 60.72 kg + 6.71 kg). The subjects participated in a 16 week LPHC conditioning …

The Effect Of Acute Exercise-Induced Fatigue On Pistol Shooting Performance In Police Officers, Melissa Jean Brown

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Duties of police officers include apprehending suspects, which may involve foot pursuit and firing a weapon at a suspect. Previous studies in biathletes and soldiers suggest that shooting performance is compromised when fatigue is present. Purpose: To investigate the effects of exercise-induced fatigue on shooting performance in police officers. Methods: Nine police officers fired five rapid-fire shots at three targets each with a fifteen second rest period in between each trail. Officers then exercised on a cycle ergometer to 85% maximum heart rate or voluntary fatigue. The pretest shooting was repeated post-exercise. Distances of 4 shots from the center of …

Kinematic And Electromyographic Description Of Baseball And Softball Catching, Hillary Ann Plummer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The catcher is actively involved, defensively, in every pitch that is thrown during the duration of a baseball or softball game. Because catchers play such an active role, the outcome of the game can be decided on their ability to keep base runners from stealing and advancing into scoring position. The ability to throw out a stealing runner is a necessary skill that catchers must possess in order to be successful at their position. To keep a base runner from stealing catchers have the option of throwing down to second base from either their stance or their knees. Despite the …

The Self: Your Own Worst Enemy? A Test Of The Self-Invoking Trigger Hypothesis, Bradley J. Mckay

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The self invoking trigger hypothesis was recently proposed by Wulf and Lewthwaite (2010) as the mechanism underlying the robust effects of attentional focus on motor learning and performance. The hypothesis suggests that causing individuals to access their self schema will negatively impact their ability to learn and perform a motor skill. The purpose of the present study was to provide an initial test of this hypothesis by causing one group of participants to activate their self schema in a straightforward manner. Participants (N = 32) were assigned to either a self-activated or control condition and asked to practice a wiffleball …

The Effect Of Self-Controlled Practice On Forearm Passing, Motivation, And Affect In Women’S Volleyball Players, Nels Rydberg

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Motor learning research has suggested that self-controlled practice (or “autonomy”) leads to more effective learning of motor tasks. Debate continues, however, as to why. Most motor behaviorists maintain the better learning is due to cognitive and information-processing factors. Recently, others have proposed the learning enhancement is due to such psychological factors as motivation and affect. The present study sought to measure motor skill learning, intrinsic motivation, and affect in self-controlled versus externally-controlled (yoked) practice conditions.

Participants, 16 collegiate women’s volleyball student-athletes from two National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I programs, were paired by forearm passing skill level, and one of …

Agonist And Stabilizer Muscle Activity During A Push Up On Unstable Surfaces, Anthony J. Dyrek

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A recent trend among fitness professionals is to have clients perform resistance exercises on unstable equipment. Anecdotally, this is done with the intent that stabilizing and agonist muscles are more active while doing certain exercises on unstable surfaces. However, there are limited data as to whether or not this is the case and no studies have investigated muscle activity while doing the same exercise on surfaces that offer different levels of stability. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to measure electromyography (EMG) during push up exercise performed on unstable surfaces as well as on the ground. Surface EMG was …

Effect Of Aquastretch On Range Of Motion At Knee Joint In Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients, Raja Devinder Kochar

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The success of the Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) depends upon its functional outcomes of increase in reduction in pain, and gait ambulation and performing functional activities of daily living. Compromised range of motion, pain and weakness can reduce their ability to perform activities of daily living. Aquatic Physical Therapy may offer an alternative intervention to traditional Physical Therapy Rehabilitation and many studies have shown improvements in range of motion, swelling, pain reduction, stiffness and quality of life after TKA. AquaStretch, a relatively new form of aquatic therapy, claims to restore the functional mobility which is lost restrictions caused due to …

The Acute Effects Of Various Types Of Stretching (Static, Dynamic, Ballistic, And No Stretch) Of The Iliopsoas On 40-Yard Sprint Times In Non-Athletes, Scott David Christensen, Craig Perry, Ryan Richard Resnik

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of static, ballistic, dynamic, and no stretching immediately prior to a 40-yard sprint in college students. There were 35 healthy subjects (22 male and 13 female) between the ages of 24 and 37 (Mean = 26.46 yrs, SD = 2.99 yrs) who participated. The experiment consisted of running 4, 40-yard sprint trials immediately following 1 of 4 different stretching protocols. Prior to each 40- yard sprint trial, a 5-minute warm up was performed at 3.5 mph on a treadmill. Each subject received each of the four techniques in a randomized …

Examining Activity Levels And Motor Proficiency: A Comparison Of Children Who Are Overweight And At A Healthy Weight To Their Parents And Peers, Aaron Copeland, Maresa Madsen, Riley Phelps, Brandon Richards

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine relationships and differences between motor proficiency, activity level, and parental activity level in children who are at a healthy weight and children who are overweight or obese.

Methods: Forty-four children (26 children at a healthy weight and 18 children who were overweight or obese) between the ages of 8-16 (BMI: 14.3-43.6 kg/m2) and 36 parents (BMI: 18.1-44.7) participated in this study. Children and parents wore StepWatch activity monitors (SAM) to measure activity levels over a 72 hour period. Tests reflecting several determinants of motor performance were also administered to …

The Acute Effects Of Static Stretching Of The Gastrocnemius On Limits Of Stability In Young Adults Versus Elderly Adults, Matt Bugnet, Kirk Player

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background and Purpose: Balance is an important part of everyday life for all individuals with many body systems interacting to achieve optimal balance. Proprioceptive organs aid in this interaction, while also acting as stretch receptors. Therefore, it is possible that stretching may influence the overall balance of the individual. The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of stretching on dynamic balance of healthy young and elderly adults. The two groups were used to determine if stretching may discriminately affect balance at different ages.

Subjects: Thirty healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 35 …

Effects Of Environment On Children's Motor Scores, Eligibility Status, And Administration Times, Derrick Mittelstadt, Abigail Parker, Kirsten Pickett, Heather Temkin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Best practices for assessing developmental skills in young children focus on naturalistic observation in everyday settings, but the effects of environment on test scores, eligibility status and administration time have not been explored. The Peabody Developmental Motor Scales-Second Edition (PDMS-2) was administered to 34 children aged 18 to 59 months in natural and pull-out settings. PDMS-2 total, gross, and fine motor quotient (TMQ, GMQ, and FMQ) scores were significantly lower in the natural environment (p’s≤.014). Based on our results, more children would qualify for services when tested in natural environments using TMQ and GMQ scores. It also took significantly longer …

Effects Of Xs® Energy Drink On Aerobic Exercise Capacity Of Athletes, Kevin M. Sheehan, Lynn K. Hartzler

International Journal of Exercise Science

A small increase in performance is often the difference between winning and losing for athletes, and energy supplements are marketed to give them a competitive edge. One such supplement is XS^{Alt 0174} Energy Drink which contains B vitamins, caffeine, taurine, and an herbal adaptogen blend. XS^{Alt 0174} Energy Drink is primarily designed and marketed as an alertness stimulus; however, it is also marketed to athletes as a performance enhancing supplement. We hypothesized that the consumption of XS^{Alt 0174} Energy Drink before exercise would increase aerobic capacity (an increase in Vo₂max) and time to fatigue, and …

Effects Of A Caffeine-Containing Transdermal Energy Patch On Aerobic And Anaerobic Exercise Performance, Kenneth R. Dragoo, W. Matthew Silvers, Kelly E. Johnson, Eliseo A. Gonzalez

International Journal of Exercise Science

The use of caffeine-containing (74-mg) energy patches (EnP) offers a novel mode of caffeine delivery that may alleviate stomach discomfort associated with oral caffeine use. The purpose of this study was to use four separate tests to evaluate the effects of EnP use on aerobic and anaerobic exercise performance. Three separate moderately active college-aged sample populations performed either 1) cycle time-to-exhaustion, 2) Wingate (WIN), or 3) repeated sprints and one repetition maximum bench press using EnP and placebo patches (PlP). No statistical differences were found between EnP and PlP for all dependent variables (p > 0.05) except for WIN peak power, …

A Description Of Variability Of Pacing In Marathon Distance Running, Tom Haney Jr., John Mercer Dr.

International Journal of Exercise Science

The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to describe variability of pacing during a marathon and 2) to determine if there is a relationship between variability of pacing and marathon performance. Publically available personal global positioning system profiles from two marathons (Race 1 n = 116, Race 2 n = 169) were downloaded (http://connect.garmin.com) for analysis. The coefficient of variation of velocity (Velcov) was calculated for each profile. Each profile was categorized as finishing in under 3.9 hours, between 3.9 and 4.6 hours, or longer than 4.6 hours. Linear and quadratic lines of best fit were computed to describe …

Knee Osteoarthritis And The Efficacy Of Kinesthesia, Balance & Agility Exercise Training: A Pilot Study, Matthew W. Rogers, Nauris Tamulevicius, Marius F. Coetsee, Beth F. Curry, Stuart J. Semple

International Journal of Exercise Science

Kinesthesia, balance and agility (KBA) neuromuscular exercises are commonly used for rehabilitation of lower extremity injuries. KBA combined with strength training (ST) reportedly improves function among persons with knee osteoarthritis (OA), but independent effects of KBA are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of KBA exercises, independent of ST, to improve function among persons with knee OA. Twenty participants (69.3, SD 11.4 y) were randomized to 8 weeks, 3-days per week, instructor-lead KBA or ST groups. Self-reported physical function (difficulty with daily living activities such as walking, bending, stair climbing, etc.) was measured at baseline …

The Effect Of Energy Patches On Substrate Utilization In Collegiate Cross-Country Runners, Ryan E. Fiddler, Doug Smith, Bert Jacobson, Crishel Klein, Aric Warren, Matt O'Brien, Brennan Thompson, Lee Everett

International Journal of Exercise Science

It is well established that an increased capacity of skeletal muscle to oxidize fatty acids can spare glycogen and delay the onset of fatigue in mild- to moderate-intensity exercise. The purpose of the following study was to examine the effect of LifeWave® energy patches on non-protein substrate utilization in Division-1 cross-country runners. To determine the effect of the patches subjects were pretested to establish baselines and randomly assigned to an experimental (EX) or placebo (PL) group. Twenty-two trained male (n = 11; mean ± SD, age = 21.1 ± 2.6years, height = 179.6 ± 4.2cm, body mass = 71.4 ± …

Physical Activity And Screen Time Sedentary Behaviors In College Students, Charles J. Fountaine, Gary A. Liguori, Arupendra Mozumdar, John M. Schuna Jr.

International Journal of Exercise Science

It is well established that Americans are not meeting physical activity (PA) guidelines and college students are no exception. Given the lack of regular PA, many health promotion professionals seek to discover what barriers to PA may exist. A common explanation is screen time (ST), which is comprised primarily of television viewing, computer use, and the playing of video games. The purpose of this study was to present descriptive data on college students’ PA and sedentary behavior and to assess if any evidence exists to suggest displacement between sedentary behaviors and PA in college students. Students completed an online health …

Accuracy Of The Omron Hbf-500 Body Composition Monitor In Male And Female College Students, Michael I. Pribyl, John D. Smith, G Richard Grimes

International Journal of Exercise Science

The Omron HBF-500 is an inexpensive body composition monitor that incorporates both hand-to-hand and foot-to-foot electrical impedance technology. At this time, studies examining the accuracy of the HBF-500 when estimating percent body fat (%BF) are scarce and if this instrument gains popularity due to its claimed precision, comparisons against validated techniques should be conducted. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of the Omron HBF-500 body composition monitor using the BOD POD as a criterion. Forty-eight men and 33 women participated in the study (24.3±6.9 years, 171.0±10.0 cm, 78.4±18.0 kg, 26.6±5.1 kg/m2). Participants were asked to refrain …

Child Obesity In Context: Ecology Of Family And Community, Joel E. Williams

International Journal of Exercise Science

Minority and low socioeconomic status groups have the highest rates of overweight and obesity. Children from these families face a greater risk for weight-related health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer as compared to their non-minority and more affluent peers. Factors from the larger physical, social, and cultural environments, and within families, influence weight status among children. Many of these factors are yet to be identified and relationships among known factors are complex and not well understood. The National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Agriculture have proposed a research agenda for social and behavioral scientists to …

Voluntary Wheel Running During Weight Loss Leads To Differential Changes In Monocytes, Compared To Forced Treadmill Running, Katie C. Carpenter, Kelley Strohacker, Whitney L. Breslin, Thomas W. Lowder, Brian K. Mcfarlin

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings

High-fat feeding and subsequent weight gain may contribute to innate immune dysfunction. Weight loss via calorie restriction and exercise represent one means to restore normal immune function. The purpose of the study was to examine how 8- weeks of aerobic exercise and low-fat diet affects weight gain, monocyte concentration, and monocyte cell-surface expression of TLR2, TLR4, CD80, and CD86. For 12- months, 24 male CD-1 mice underwent a pre-treatment phase, consuming either a low fat (10% fat) or high-fat (60% fat) diet ad libitum. Mice were randomly assigned to one of four groups (N=6/group): CN (low-fat sedentary), V-EX (voluntary wheel …

Choreographic Design And Process Of Dance, Kathleen Higgins

Undergraduate Research Conference

When I began the choreographic process, I was inspired by all of the emotions one might feel at a dance audition. However, with much though and manipulation of my original movement, I realized that the body image a dancer has of herself, and the body image for which she is continuously striving, was the underlying message that I wanted my choreography to communicate.

A Biomechanical Analysis Of The Weight Training Squat Using Dartfish Motion Analysis Software, Wesley Kephart

Undergraduate Research Conference

Biomechanical analysis of Weight Training Squat to ensure proper technique to avoid injury. This study used the Dartfish Motion Analysis Software to monitor two subjects form and technique during the lift.

It Takes A Village To Raise A Healthy Child: Collaborative Strategies For Nourishment Of American Youth, Ashley Watkins, Tameika Sanchez

Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

How To Become Involved With The United States Olympic Committee, Megan Ervin

Undergraduate Research Conference

A look at how how an athletic trainer can become involved in United States Olympic Committee. There are a couple options; an internship as an uncertified student or as a volunteer as an Allied health Professional.

The Effects Of Physical Education Credit Producing Activities On High School Students, Jonathan Denton

Undergraduate Research Conference

The original intent for this project was to see what summative information could be drawn using the FITNESSGRAM. Researchers wanted to relate the FITNESSGRAM to variables like academic performance, amount of physical education, and the student’s general idea of physical education. Over the past few years, researchers have found that students with a higher score on the FITNESSGRAM have a higher academic score on the T.A.K.S., better attendance, and less behavioral problems. Also, researchers were interested in determining if a participant’s satisfaction level of the physical education experience had any impact on the FITNESSGRAM variables. This descriptive research was designed …

Communicator, April 2011, San Jose State University, Department Of Kinesiology

Communicator (Kinesiology)

Volume 23, Issue 4

The "Playing" Field: Attitudes, Activities, And The Conflation Of Play And Games, Chad R. Carlson

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Many philosophers have attempted to describe the nature of play and games. In doing so, they have come to a number of similar conclusions. Some authors speak of play and games interchangeably, while others regard them as two distinct phenomena. However, even some of those who attempted to distinguish games from play provided ambiguous or otherwise confusing descriptions. The end result has been a tendency to conflate the two entities. This conflation is so commonplace that we regularly speak of participating in all and any games as “playing games.” In this paper I address the issue of play-game conflation and …

The Comparison Of Hamstring/Quadriceps Strength Ratio In The Dominant Versus The Non-Dominant Leg Of Elite Female Artistic Gymnasts, Marina Moure

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The majority of the injuries in women's artistic gymnastics occur in the lower limbs (Marshall et al, 2007). Hamstring muscle strains are prevalent in sports that involve sprinting (Ekstrand & Quillist, 1985; Orchard, 2001; Croisier et al., 2008) with a high reinjury ratio (Orchard, 1993; Orchard, 1997). Recent studies have linked an increase of muscle injury rate in the lower limbs to strength muscle imbalance between legs and the relation between the hamstring and quadriceps strength (Croisier et al., 2002; Yamamoto, 2008; Sugiura et al, 2008). In order to determine if there is an imbalance in women's artistic gymnastics, forty-three …

The Effect Of Maturation On Hip And Knee Kinetics And Kinematics During An Unanticipated Sidestep Cutting Task In Male Youth Lacrosse Players, Crystal M. Sullivan

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Theses & Dissertations

The incidence of noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injuries has been studied extensively and has been reported as one of the highest injuries amongst high school and collegiate athletes. Little research has been focused on maturational changes in relation to the risk factors of such an injury. The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a difference between pre-pubescent (PRE), pubescent (MID) and postpubescent (POST) male lacrosse athletes indicated by knee and hip kinetics and kinematics during an unanticipated sidestep cutting task (SS). Thirty-one male participants between the ages of nine and fourteen were recruited and …