Kinesiology Commons^™

The Effect Of Hypertonicity On Glucose Regulation In Healthy Adults, Alison L. Schroeder

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Impaired glucose tolerance is the key defining characteristic of diabetes, a condition which affects nearly 30% of Americans. Hydration status and the physiological effects of poor hydration have been linked to compromised glucose tolerance in animal models, but have not been thoroughly investigated in humans. PURPOSE: The purpose of this investigation was to observe the effect of altered hydration status on a healthy male adult’s response to an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). METHODS: Four healthy adult men (28.4±1 y, 23.6±1.2 kg/m2, HbA1C 5.6±0.2%, non-smoking, non-athletes) participated. Subjects took OGTT’s in both a hypohydrated and euhydrated state. The euhydrated state …

Independent Effect Of Heat Stress During Exercise On Arterial Stiffness, Cash Arcement

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Context: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of mortality in the United States, accounting for about 1 in every 3 deaths annually. While studies have shown that arterial stiffness, a leading precursor to CVD, improves with passive heat stress not much is known about the independent effect of heat stress during exercise on arterial stiffness. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the independent effect of heat stress during exercise on arterial stiffness. Design: Participants visited the lab three times; one familiarization and two experimental trials. Experimental trials were randomized and counter-balanced. Setting: All trials …

Examining Different Exercise Types On Falls Efficacy In Older Adults, Hadley Lewis

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Context: Around 30% of older adults over the age of 65 fall once a year. These falls can result in hospitalization and permanent injury. Falls efficacy, or the confidence level that one will not fall, has been shown to have a direct correlation to the fear of falling and falls. It has been found that 29-92% of older adults who have fallen have a fear of falling and 12-65% of older adults who have not fallen experience a fear of falling. This fear of falling acts as a hindrance on older adult’s ability to complete daily activities and leads …

Autophagy Regulation After Diet And Exercise In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease, Megan Elizabeth Rosa

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Along with the rise in obesity, rates of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have also increased. NAFLD may begin with fat accumulation in the liver, but can progress to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, and eventual cirrhosis. With no pharmacological treatment for NASH, lifestyle interventions appear vital to maintaining liver health. Previous work has shown aberrant mitochondrial content/quality and autophagy in models of NAFLD. Exercise is known to improve mitochondrial health and possibly autophagy, thus autophagy may be a key regulatory factor for treatment of obesity induced-NAFLD. PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to examine how weight loss from diet …

Sensitivity Of The Vasoactive Range In Determining Aerobic Fitness, Preston L. Bell

Honors Theses

Previous work has demonstrated a direct relationship between aerobic fitness and indices of vasodilatory function (i.e., Flow-mediated Dilation; FMD). Importantly, recent evidence suggests that vasoconstrictor function to reductions in blood flow (i.e., Low-Flow Mediated Constriction; L-FMC), as well as during sympatho-excitation (i.e., Cold Pressor Test), may compliment the FMD measure, thus, providing an overall range of vascular responsiveness. The purpose of this thesis project was to test the hypothesis that vasoactive range indices (peak vasodilation + nadir vasoconstriction) are sensitive to aerobic fitness levels in healthy young men. Fourteen males (age: 22±4 yrs) were recruited, and divided evenly into a …

Elementary Educators' Perspective Of Physical Education And The Physical Education Teacher, Jennifer M. Garcia

Theses and Dissertations

Physical education continues to have the reputation it has had for years of being a subject of marginalization and of least importance in the school curriculum. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of the perceptions of educators of physical education and the physical education teacher in the Rio Grande Valley. The researcher attempts to find, understand, and describe the perceptions of the educator’s view of this subject matter. Statistical significance was set at the .05 level for both tests of analyses. The researcher offers the null hypothesis of no difference between educator’s perception of PE …

Interlimb Differences In Movement Accuracy In Darkness Vary With Handedness Laterality Scores In Right-Handers, Taylor Amedee

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Levodopa On The Performance Of Fine Motor Tasks In Individuals With Parkinson's Disease, Collette Maria Tilly

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Influence Of Prior Motor Actions On Motor Planning In Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Daisha Lynn Cummins

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Studies have found children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have a rigidity of motor plans and difficulties planning and executing movements. Children with ASD also exhibit repetitive behaviors such as nail biting and rocking back and forth. When planning for movements, repetitive behaviors might manifest as difficulty in formulating new or switching between different motor plans. In typically developing individuals, actions are often influence by recently performed motor actions. We sought to determine if this influence was stronger in children with ASD.

A rotation motor task was created to evaluate the rigidity of motor planning of five children with ASD …

Effect Of Passive Heating On Males And Females With Elevated Arterial Stiffness, Forrest Blake Robinson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Context: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the leading causes of mortality in the United States, accounting for about 1 in every 4 deaths annually. Studies have shown that passive heating does have some degree of effect on arterial stiffness, but not much is known about populations with higher stiffness. Objective: To examine the independent effect of core temperature increase during passive heating on arterial stiffness. Methods: Participants visited the lab three times; one familiarization and two experimental trials. The experimental trials consisted of subjects being passively heated in an environment of 40°C / 40% relative humidity (HEAT) or normal …

The Effect Of Fluid Balance On Exercise Performance In The Heat, Yasuki Sekiguchi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: In dehydrated individuals thirst seems to disappear after ingestion of small amount of water before full rehydration. This phenomenon has been linked to oropharyngeal receptors. However, some researchers suggest that drinking to satisfy thirst is enough for optimal performance. It is well established that water deficit greater than 2% of body weight decreases exercise performance in the heat. No study has ever examined the effect hydration on exercise performance in the absence of thirst via oropharyngeal stimulation. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of dehydration on exercise performance and thermoregulation during exercise in the …

The Acute Effects Of Aerobic Exercise With Blood Flow Restriction Cuffs On Arterial Compliance In Males And Females, Maria M. Gonzalez

Theses and Dissertations

RESULTS: Significant condition*gender interactions found in in SBP (p<.05), PR (p<.01), SVR (p<.01), SpO2 (p<.05), PWV carotid to femoral (p<.03), and PWV femoral to distal (p<.02). Significant condition*time interactions were found in SBP (p<.01), DBP (p<.01), MAP (p<.01), SV (p<.01), CO (p<.01), SVR (p<.01), TVI (p<.01), HR (p<.01), and SAE (p<.01). Significant condition main effects were found in SBP (p<.02), DBP (p<.03), PR (p<.03), SV (p<.01), CO (p=.01), SVR (p<.01), TVI (p<.01), HR (p<.01), and SAE (p<.03) as well as a condition trend in PWV femoral to distal (p=.06). Significant time main effects were found in SBP (p<.01), MAP (p<.04), PP (p<.01), PR (p<.01), CO (p<.01), SVR (p<.01), TVI (p<.01), HR (p<.01), SpO2 (p<.01), LAE (p<.03), and PWV femoral to distal (p<.01).

CONCLUSION: The 60 min session at a moderate aerobic intensity might have the potential to improve arterial elasticity more than a 20 min BFR session.

Turning Performance In Squid And Cuttlefish: Unique Dual-Mode, Muscular Hydrostatic Systems, Rachel A. Jastrebsky, Ian K. Bartol, Paul S. Krueger

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Although steady swimming has received considerable attention in prior studies, unsteady swimming movements represent a larger portion of many aquatic animals' locomotive repertoire and have not been examined extensively. Squids and cuttlefishes are cephalopods with unique muscular hydrostat-driven, dual-mode propulsive systems involving paired fins and a pulsed jet. These animals exhibit a wide range of swimming behavior, but turning performance has not been examined quantitatively. Brief squid, Lolliguncula brevis, and dwarf cuttlefish, Sepia bandensis, were filmed during turns using high-speed cameras. Kinematic features were tracked, including the length-specific radius of the turn (R/L), a measure of maneuverability, and …

The Effects Of Hypohydration On Neurocognitive, Balance, Vestibular Ocular Motor Functions And Mood State, Satoshi Iida

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Inconsistent findings have been observed on the impact of hydration state on cognitive functions. The isolated effect of hypohydration on neurocognitive performance, balance, vestibular ocular motor function and mood outcomes in widely used concussion assessment tools has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate how hypohydration affected the results in concussion testing batteries. A single-blind randomized crossover design was used. Thirteen healthy males (22 ± 4y, 180.9 ± 5.7cm) without history of concussion within the past six months or any condition or disease that could influence outcome measurements participated in this study. Each subject completed concussion …

A Prediction Model For Acute Core And Lower Extremity Injuries In Division 1 Collegiate Football Players, Alexandra Aline Mcdonald

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Context: Various intrinsic factors such as high exposure, poor endurance of core muscles, previous injury, strength deficits, suboptimal neurocognitive function, and orthopedic abnormalities have been found as predictors for sprains and strains among collegiate football players. Objective: Assess the applicability of pre-participation assessments as predictors of core or lower extremity injury. Design: Cohort Study. Setting: National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football program. Patients or Other Participants: Athletes who underwent mandatory pre-participation examinations before preseason football training over two consecutive seasons (n=225). Main Outcome Measure(s): Associations between preseason protocols and injury incidence for core and lower extremity injuries were established …

Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation For Motor Skill Acquisition In A Throwing Task, Austuny Jackson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique in which a very weak electrical current is applied to the scalp to either increase (anodal stimulation) or decrease (cathodal stimulation) the excitability of a selected brain region, most commonly the motor cortex. tDCS is a promising intervention that can modulate cortical excitability, enhance motor learning, and improve motor function in healthy subjects, older adults, stroke patients, Parkinson’s disease, and in other cognitive and motor disorders. Recently, cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (c-tDCS) has started to be examined using similar protocols as existing ones used in studies of tDCS …

Post-Concussion Symptom Reporting: Is Gender A Factor In The Adolescent Population? A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Jessica Dunne

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The participation in high school athletics among the adolescent population has continued to rise over the past few years. Concussion research has grown and evolved due to an increase in awareness of the seriousness of this injury based on the increase in quantity studies being produced. The research conducted to determine if differences occur between high school athletes and collegiate athletes and if a difference is observed between the genders, has being to grow. Although there has been an increase in research for this injury, the understanding of how this injury affects the adolescent population and how this injury differs …

Investigation Of Sequential Intermittent Pneumatic Compression Effect On Run Performance, Max Evan Jones

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The main aim of this study was to determine if IPC after a 5000 m run influences maximal effort 1600 m run performance. A secondary purpose was to determine if the level of IPC pressure used influences run performance. Nine subjects (6 male and 3 female were included in the study; 30 years±5.19 years; Height 173.72cm±8.25; Weight; 72.54±9.97 kg). These subjects were recruited to be in this study via word of mouth or social media advertisement in the Las Vegas area. Participant inclusion criteria was 18- 50 year old apparently healthy, had been running a minimum of 20 miles a …

Neural Activation In Blood-Flow-Restricted Versus Non-Blood-Flow-Restricted Exercise: An Fmri Study, Tiffany Dawn Devries

Theses and Dissertations

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can be used to track neural activation in the brain during functional activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate brain neural responses to blood flow restricted (BFR) versus control handgrip exercise. Using a randomized crossover design, 25 subjects (12 males, 13 females) completed handgrip exercises during two conditions: BFR vs. control. To familiarize participants with the exercise conditions, one week prior to MRI scanning participants completed each exercise condition once on separate days, with 72 hours between days. The following week fMRI scans were performed at the same time of day, separated by …

Aging Affects Postural Tracking Of Complex Visual Motion Cues, Haralampos Sotirakis, Anastasia Kyvelidou, L. Mademli, Nicholas Stergiou, Vassilia Hatzitaki

Journal Articles

Postural tracking of visual motion cues improves perception–action coupling in aging, yet the nature of the visual cues to be tracked is critical for the efficacy of such a paradigm. We investigated how well healthy older (72.45 ± 4.72 years) and young (22.98 ± 2.9 years) adults can follow with their gaze and posture horizontally moving visual target cues of different degree of complexity. Participants tracked continuously for 120 s the motion of a visual target (dot) that oscillated in three different patterns: a simple periodic (simulated by a sine), a more complex (simulated by the Lorenz attractor that is …

Impact Of Aerobic And Anaerobic Exercise Training On Oxidative Stress And Antioxidant Defense In Athletes, Song-Young Park, Yi Sub Kwak

Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Exercise mediates an excessive free radical production leading to oxidative stress (OS). The body has natural antioxidant systems that help decrease OS, and these systems may be enhanced with exercise training. However, only a few studies have investigated the differences in resting OS and antioxidant capacity (AOC) between aerobically trained athletes (ET), anaerobically trained athletes (RT), and untrained individuals (UT). Therefore, this study sought to investigate the resting and postexercise OS and AOC in ET, RT, and UT. Sixty healthy young males (26.6±0.8 yr) participated in this study. Subjects were divided into three groups, ET, RT, and UT by distinct …

Effects Of A Virtual Training Partner On Cycling Time Trial Performance In Recreationally Active Females, Janae L. Myers

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

Introduction. Fatigue is a result of physiological and psychological limits. Associative thoughts (thoughts of physical sensations) and dissociative thoughts (thoughts not regarding physical sensations) compete for attentional focus during exercise and can influence exercise performance and fatigue. Distractions during exercise, such as watching TV or interactive exercise, increase dissociative thoughts and reduce rate of perceived exertion (RPE). Limited research exists regarding the effects of a virtual training partner on exercise performance and fatigue.

Purpose. To examine whether the use of a virtual training partner (ghost) will improve performance by increasing dissociative thoughts. We hypothesized that the use of a ghost …

Concussions, Why They Go Unreported, Drake Matuska

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

Introduction: In the world today, concussions are a major health risk in sports and many other physically demanding activities. Every day, we see former athletes who have experienced multiple concussions complain of cognitive impairment and memory loss. It is the risk every athlete takes when they participate in a sport they love; however, when an individual plays through a concussion that is when a line is crossed. People playing through a concussion lead to the foundation of this study, which is to find out why individuals play through their concussions, why they fail to report, and the core cognitive reasons. …

Hydration Status, Habits, And Knowledge Of Collegiate Cross Country Runners, Laura J. Comee

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

Abstract: Dehydration exceeding 2% loss of body mass can cause decreased cognitive and physical performance in endurance athletes. While many runners carry water bottles with them, most do not know their sweat rate or fluid recommendations, increasing the risk for heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke. Purpose: To assess hydration status, habits, and knowledge of collegiate cross country runners. Methods: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained and subjects completed informed consents. Thirty-three female and twenty-five male Division III collegiate runners participated in the study. Hydration status was assessed measuring the specific gravity of three urine samples one each …

Electromyographic And Mechanomyographic Time And Frequency Responses During Fatiguing, Submaximal, Isokinetic Muscle Actions Of The Biceps Brachii, Ethan C. Hill

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the time-course of changes in electromyographic (EMG) and mechanomyographic (MMG), time and frequency domain responses during repeated, submaximal, concentric, isokinetic, forearm flexion muscle actions. Twelve men (mean age ± SD = 22.6 ± 2.2 yrs; body weight = 84.0 ± 8.3 kg; height = 178.6 ± 8.3 cm) performed 50 repeated, submaximal (65% of concentric peak torque), concentric muscle actions of the dominant forearm flexors on an isokinetic dynamometer at 60°·s^-1. Surface EMG and MMG signals were simultaneously recorded from the biceps brachii muscle. Polynomial regression analyses (first, second, …

Nutrition And Exercise: Best Of Both Worlds, Jacob Allen Burns, Lukas Swysgood, Trenton Antonaros

Senior Year Experience Student Projects

To teach the students of the Best of Both Worlds (BOBW) program how to live a healthy lifestyle by introducing simple nutrition and exercise methods that can be done at home. To offer a program that is understandable at all levels of education that introduces effective and easy ways to eat healthier and exercise simply. A PowerPoint that explains nutrition and exercise information. Hands on learning and visuals to help students capture positive health ideas. Interactive demonstration of exercises and introduction of banded exercises. A before and after survey to quiz students on knowledge prior to and after seminar. An …

Assessment Of Anti-Saccades Within 24 To 48 Hours Post-Concussion, Nathan D'Amico

GS4 Student Scholars Symposium

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 90% of concussions involve oculomotor impairment, with saccadic eye movement deficits being the most prominent oculomotor impairment. Saccades are rapid eye movements that bring a fixed point or area of interest into the center of sight and are important for safely navigating through the environment. Anti-saccades are saccadic eye movement deficits that involve a reflexive, involuntary saccade away from a fixed point or area of interest. Assessments of anti-saccades may provide a fast, accurate, and reliable way to screen for concussion. However, little research quantitatively explores anti-saccades post-concussion.

PURPOSE: To investigate anti-saccades between NCAA Division I athletes 24-48 …

Relationship Between The Romberg Test And The Wii Basic Balance Test And Cognition In Athletes With Concussion, Nicholas G. Murray, Anthony P. Salvatore, Arthur Islas, Joseph Tomaka, Rebecca J. Reed-Jones

Health Sciences & Kinesiology: Faculty Publications

Background: Approximately 30% of individuals with a sport-related concussion present with postural instability. Multiple clinical balance tests exist to diagnose postural instability; yet little is known about the potential relationship between these type of postural assessments and cognition post-concussion. Aim: The purpose of the current study was to assess the relationship between the Romberg test, the Wii Fit basic balance test (WBBT), and the composite scores on the Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT) test in a sample of athletes with concussions.

/="/">Methods: 55 post-concussed athletes (40 male) completed the Romberg Test (RT) (−/+), the WBBT, and ImPACT …

Identification Of Kinematic And Kinetic Injury Risk Predictors In Division I Football Athletes, Corbin M. Rasmussen, Guilherme M. Cesar, Shinya Takahashi

UCARE: Research Products

biomechanical patterns and insufficiencies that may influence risk of ligamentous injury, such as an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. One kinematic pattern that has been identified as detrimental to ACL integrity is frontal plane knee collapse (valgus) during jumping and landing tasks.1 Inter-limb differences in force generation have also been connected to the occurrence of lower extremity injury.2 It is not known, however, whether these patterns contribute to the occurrence of lower extremity (LE) non-contact soft-tissue injury. The counter-movement vertical jump (CMVJ) is one way to simultaneously screen for knee collapse and asymmetrical force production patterns. This method was therefore …

Time Course Of Changes In Neuromuscular Parameters During Fatiguing High-Load And Low-Load Concentric Dynamic Constant External Resistance Leg Extension Muscle Actions, Cory M. Smith

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this study was to simultaneously assess electromyographic (EMG) and mechanomyographic (MMG) signals to examine the time course of changes in EMG amplitude, EMG frequency, MMG amplitude, and MMG frequency from the vastus lateralis (VL), vastus medialis (VM), and rectus femoris (RF) muscles during high-load (70%1 repetitions maximum; 1-RM) and low-load (30% 1-RM) concentric, dynamic constant external resistance (DCER) leg extension muscle actions to failure. Twelve men performed two randomized visits consisting of either 30 or 70% 1-RM DCER leg extension muscle actions to failure. Maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) and 1-RM measurements were performed before and after …