Exercise Science Commons^™

The Effects Of Modifiable Lifestyle Behaviors On Lipoprotein Particle Concentration And Size, Ryan R. Porter

Theses and Dissertations

Lipoprotein concentrations are well established biological markers associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Recent research has placed great importance on the various functions of the different lipoprotein subfractions (small and large low-density lipoprotein particles [LDL-P]; small, medium and large high-density lipoprotein particles [HDL-P]). Modifiable lifestyle behaviors such as exercise, diet, and sleep have been shown to have direct effects on CVD risk, in part by altering blood lipid and lipoprotein profiles. The overall goal of this dissertation was to determine if specific modifiable lifestyle behaviors were associated with the concentration and size of lipoprotein subfractions.

Two studies, both utilizing a …

Cortical Damage And Disconnection Contribute To Post-Stroke Sensorimotor Impairment, Shafagh Yazdani

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND. Stroke is a cerebrovascular event that causes permanent damage to brain regions and decreases in connectivity (disconnection) between brain regions. Most stroke survivors have permanent difficulties performing functional motor tasks, thus research into how damage and disconnection produce difficulties performing motor tasks can help guide post-stroke rehabilitation. Previous studies have examined the extent to which cortical damage produces motor impairments, but the extent to which disconnection produces motor impairments remains unclear. Furthermore, studies have focused on how motor impairments contribute to difficulties performing motor tasks, whereas the role of visuospatial impairments has received little attention. Neuroimaging techniques for quantifying …

Enhancing Dancing: Examining The Potency Of A Combined Action Observation And Brain Stimulation Intervention, Melissa B. Kolar

Theses and Dissertations

Research supports the idea that action observation (AO)-based training can be an effective component of physical training and rehabilitation. While much is known about the benefits of AO for simple movements, less is known about the utility of AO-based training for complex, whole-body sequences of movements. Additionally, positive motor performance and neurophysiological findings are associated with anodal-transcranial direct current stimulation (A-tDCS). Therefore, it may be valuable to investigate the combination of these two approaches to further enhance motor learning. It is unknown how this combination, utilizing an alternative electrode arrangement of t-DCS (bihemispheric anodal corticomotor tDCS [BAC-tDCS]), would affect learning …

The Effects Of Exercise Mode And Intensity On Energy Expenditure During And After Exercise In Resistance Trained Males, George Lewis Grieve

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of exercise mode and intensity on energy expenditure (EE) during and after five time-matched aerobic and resistance exercise protocols in resistance trained males.

Methods: 14 resistance trained males (mean ± SD; age = 24.2 ± 4.0 yr; body mass = 84.7 ± 13.3 kg; height = 181.2 ± 8.8 cm; and body fat = 15.9 ± 4.6%) completed five separate protocols: continuous aerobic (continuous), high intensity interval aerobic (HIIT), strength endurance (2x20), traditional resistance (3x10), and high intensity resistance (4x6). EE was measured before, during, immediately post (0-30 minutes), …

The Effects Of Exercise Training On Cardiovascular-Related Circulating Micrornas, Jacob Luther Barber

Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulatory RNAs that post transcriptionally modify mRNAs and control gene expression. Circulating miRNAs are significantly altered following a single session of exercise, however the effects of exercise training on the circulating miRNA profile is unclear. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of endurance exercise training on the abundance of targeted circulating miRNAs and the association of changes in miRNA levels with concomitant changes in cardiometabolic traits, in a subsample of adults from the HERITAGE Family Study.

METHODS: This exploratory analysis examined 20 previously sedentary adults from the HERITAGE Family …

Calibration Of An Accelerometer For Measurement Of Very Light Intensity Physical Activity In Children, Joseph S. Gorab

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity prevalence is continuing to rise in children in the United States. Decreased physical activity has long been thought to be a cause of this trend. As such, much of the accelerometer study has been focused on moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). More recently, time spent in sedentary behavior has received much attention as well. There is an abundance of time spent in light intensity physical activity, and yet comparatively little focus has been placed on it in the field of accelerometer study. The purpose of this study was to generate an accelerometer count cut-point for the ActiGraph GT3X+ …