Other Kinesiology Commons^™

Sex Comparisons Of External, Anatomical And Methodological Factors On Motor Unit Firing Behavior, Michael James Marsala

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Motor unit (MU) recruitment and firing rate (MUFR) modulation are the primary factors governing force control. Differences in the anatomical distributions of α-motoneurons, muscle properties, and perception of fatigue between males and females may cause sexually dimorphic MU firing behaviors. The purpose of this dissertation was to further examine external, anatomical, and methodological factors that may influence observations of sex-related differences in neuromuscular function. In chapter 2, sex differences in how mental fatigue may influence MU firing behaviors were examined. Mental fatigue did not significantly alter MU firing behavior, maximal force, or force tracing ability in either males or females. …

The Effect Of Central Chemoreceptors On The Peripheral Respiratory Chemoreflex Response To Hypoxia In Humans, Nasimi A. Guluzade

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

We measured the peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity to hypoxia (PChS) at various isocapnic carbon dioxide tensions (PCO₂) to determine the form of the relationship between PChS and central PCO₂. Twenty participants completed three repetitions of modified rebreathing tests with end-tidal PO₂ (P_ETO₂) clamped at 150, 70, 60, and 45 mmHg. PChS was computed at 1-mmHg intervals of P_ETCO₂ as follows: the differences in V̇_E between the three hypoxic profiles and the hyperoxic profile (∆V̇_E) were calculated; three ∆V̇_E values were plotted against corresponding calculated oxyhemoglobin …

The Ventilatory Response To Modified Rebreathing Is Unchanged By Hyperoxic Severity: Implications For The Hyperoxic Hyperventilation Paradox, Joshua D. Huggard

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

We measured the ventilatory response to hyperoxic CO₂ rebreathing with O₂ tension clamped at increasingly higher pressures. We hypothesized that the V̇_E versus PCO₂ relationship is fixed and independent of PO₂. Twenty participants (10 females; mean± SD age: 24±4 years) performed three repetitions of modified rebreathing in 4, randomized, isoxic-hyperoxic conditions: mild: PO₂=150 mmHg; moderate: PO₂=200 mmHg; high: PO₂=300 mmHg; and extreme: PO₂≈700 mmHg. For each rebreathing trial, the P_ETCO₂ at which V̇_E rose was identified as the ventilatory recruitment threshold (VRT, …

An Evaluation Of A Mobile Health-Health Action Process Approach Intervention To Reduce Sedentary Behaviour And Stress In Adult Office Workers - Randomized Controlled Trial, Brett Carter

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Sedentary behaviour (SB) has been linked with a variety of negative health consequences which can be diminished by increasing frequency of breaks. The Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) is an effective behaviour change model for reducing SB in adult office workers. The objective of this study was to evaluate a mobile health HAPA-based sedentary behaviour intervention in office workers. Fifty-three participants (Mean age 40.62, 79.2% women) were randomized into a treatment group or a no-contact control group in a four-week, two-arm parallel randomized controlled trial. All SB outcomes were assessed from Baseline to Week 4, perceived stress was measured at …

Understanding Para Athlete Development: An Examination Of Para Swimming, Darda J. Sales

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Most competitively spirited individuals who engage in sport, we call them athletes, are striving to be the best they can be at their chosen discipline. To help athletes achieve their goals, several athlete development models (Côté, 1999, Gulbin et al., 2013, Higgs et al., 2019) have been produced to help coaches and sport administrators best support, and guide an athlete to achieve their optimum performance. While it has been recognized that there is contextual uniqueness to the para athlete development experience (Huetzler et al., 2016) and that there are nuances to the para athlete development experience that need to be …

Examining The Impact Of Financial Incentive Removal On Physical Activity: A Quasi-Experimental Study Of 584,760 Mobile Health Application Users, Sean Kevin Spilsbury

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

BACKGROUND: Government interest in using financial incentives (FIs) to stimulate physical activity (PA) is increasing. The cost of longer-term incentive interventions may be prohibitive, however. PURPOSE: To examine the impact of FI withdrawal on PA. METHODS: A 25-week retrospective pre-post quasi-experimental study was conducted with users of a FI-based mHealth app. Users from three Canadian provinces were included. Daily FI were removed in Ontario (ON; intervention) but not British Columbia (BC) and Newfoundland and Labrador (NL; control). Simple linear regression models were used to examine weekly mean daily step count after FI withdrawal. RESULTS: The total sample included 584,760 users …

Examining The Feasibility Of Delivering A Multi-Component Virtual Lifestyle Medicine Program For Adults With Type 2 Diabetes, Madison S. Hiemstra

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

BACKGROUND: The virtual delivery of lifestyle medicine programs (e.g., via web-conferencing platforms) can increase program accessibility for adults living with type 2 diabetes (T2D). PURPOSE: To assess the feasibility of virtually delivering a multi-component group-based lifestyle medicine program that uses wearable technologies and exercise prescriptions in an adult population with T2D. METHODS: This was a six-week, single-cohort feasibility study. The virtual lifestyle medicine program included live-video delivery of group education classes, one-on-one exercise counselling phone calls, flash glucose monitors, wearable activity monitors, and exercise prescriptions. Several feasibility outcomes were assessed including recruitment and retention rates, acceptability (e.g., exit survey), and …

“One Of The Most Elaborate Doping Ploys In Sports History”: The Impact Of The 2016 Russian Doping Scandal On Anti-Doping, Wada And Athletes’ Rights, Mikael J. Gonsalves

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation analyzes the impacts of the 2016 Russian doping scandal from a philosophical and historical perspective. This dissertation’s second chapter, the article entitled (1) “The Brave New World of Athletes’ Rights: A Canadian Perspective on Significant Shifts for the World Anti- Doping Agency” in time for the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) 20 th anniversary, puts into words the new investigative reality of contemporary anti-doping. It explains a new attitude of anti-doping authorities in response to the ‘game-changing’ Russian manipulation of samples, what has been described as “one of the most elaborate doping ploys in sports history” 1 (Icarus, 2016) …

Recognizing Parasport Impacts: Ripples, Waves, And Echoes, Adam J. Purdy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Major Games such as the 2015 Parapan American Games in Toronto (TO2015) generate the potential to bring awareness to sport participation opportunities for people with impairment (Chalip et al, 2017). In the post-games era, it is important to examine the ways in which sport program managers recognize the outcomes of games-related leveraging initiatives. Teleconference interviews were conducted with twelve program managers in the Greater Toronto Area. The study followed an interpretive descriptive methodology and employed a theoretical construct of recognition as a novel approach to assess the legacy and social impacts of hosting parasport games. A form of thematic analysis …

Narratives Of Canadian Identity At The Ultimate Fighting Championship, Jared V. Walters

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the use of representations and symbols of Canadian identity within the event coverage produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship Corporation, in the context of its two key events, Ultimate Fighting Championship, and Fight Night, produced in Canada. To establish the historical context in which the sport developed in Canada, a narrative historiography of the political and legal struggles that led to the legalization and increasing popularity of Mixed Martial Arts, and the UFCC’s version of the sport, in particular. This first major part of the dissertation is contained in Study 1. The …

The Grand Experiment: Jerome Dwight Davis And The Young Men’S Christian Association’S War Prisoner Aid Sports Programing For German Pows In Canadian Camps During World War Two, Courtney Hope Van Waas

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Jerome Davis, head of the Young Men’s Christian Association War Prisoner Aid program, was a devout Congregationalist dedicated to providing for the basic sport and recreation endeavours of German Prisoners of War interned in Canadian POW camps during the Second World War. Having worked with German Prisoners of War in Russia during the First World War, Davis firmly believed that WWII Allies the world over needed to change their generally antagonistic point of view towards German POWs, indeed, a point of view that required “moral revisionism.” Davis believed that the vilification and demeaning status of German POWs was not only …

Investigating The Simulated Diving Reflex In Professional Divers, Sydney O. Smith

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: Submergence underwater activates the diving response (DR) in both diving mammals and humans in order to preserve oxygen. Some evidence suggests that the DR can be trained in humans to provide a larger magnitude of bradycardia during submergence.

Hypothesis: Individuals with breath holding experience will have a greater magnitude of bradycardia during the DR than untrained, age-matched controls.

Methods: Participants performed three different protocols: 1) an apnea to volitional end point, or until 30 seconds of involuntary breathing movements were observed (APNEA), 2) one minute of cold pack to the forehead (COLD), and 3) one minute …

The Relations Between Newcomer Integration Processes And Youth Athletes’ Perceptions Of The Group Environment In Competitive Ice Hockey, Jeffrey J. Chamberlain

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Abstract

The ways in which new members are integrated into a particular group environment—also known as organizational socialization processes—have been shown to be a powerful predictor of newcomer adjustment in the workplace. Yet, there is a scarcity of research on how sport teams manage the integration of new team members, and the consequences of different tactics. The current research uses the recently developed Sport Team Socialization Tactics Questionnaire (STSTQ) to evaluate how socialization processes are systematically related to youth athletes’ perceptions of their group environment. Across two time points, 202 competitive adolescent ice hockey players (M_age = 14.47, …

True North Strong Canada 150: Canadian Identity And Its Contribution To Doping Free Sport, Helena A. Hlas

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This thesis, a reflective piece inspired by “Canada 150” events, explores the psychosocial and sociocultural factors surrounding the ongoing evolution of the clean sport movement in Canada. A literature review recounts the critical events in the history of doping, viz. the Ben Johnson scandal, which resulted in a call to overhaul sport culture and realign it with fair play values. Theories in sports philosophy and psychology provide a further understanding of the meaning of sport, and psychosocial factors that are inextricably linked to doping behavior, respectively. The autoethnographic method provides insight into current Canadian values to compare with those in …

Magnetic Field Frequency-Response For Human Magnetophosphene Perception And Associated Eeg Modulations, Cadence M. Baker

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Background: Magnetophosphenes are among the most reliably reported effects resulting from magnetic induction. The frequency dependence of the perception threshold is crucial, as guideline agencies use this information to set exposure limits whose purpose is to protect public and workers.

Objective:Establish the magnetophosphene perception thresholds throughout the extremely low frequency range (0-300 Hz) and evaluate the use of EEG as a biomarker.

Hypothesis:Perception thresholds will be lowest at ~30 Hz. EEG occipital alpha power will decrease upon perception.

Methods:60 participants were exposed to homogenous magnetic fields up to 300 Hz, and 70 mT. EEG alpha power …

Cardiodynamic Associations With Resilience In Undergraduate Students And The Effect Of A Mentorship Intervention, Rachel J. Knetsch

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The National College Health Assessment (NCHA) indicates that a majority of Canadian university students report feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and anxious during their undergraduate studies. Resilience refers to positive adaptation, or the ability to maintain or regain mental health, despite experiencing adversity (Herrman et al., 2011). While autonomic indices have been used to describe chronic physiological stress, the role of heart rate variability (HRV) as an index of resilience remains unclear. This research tested the hypotheses that (1) there is a relationship between HRV and resilience scoresand (2) a mentorship intervention will improve HRV and resilience outcomes. Fifty-seven first year students …

Performance Impact Of Different Lower-Limb Setup Positions In The Backstroke Swimming Start, Gordon E. Barkwell

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The performance impact of different knee extension angles in the setup position for a backstroke start was evaluated using an instrumented starting surface. Ten backstroke swimmers completed maximum-effort starts in each of two setup positions: one with the knees flexed, and one with the knees extended. The start handles and touchpad were instrumented with tri-axial force plates. Activity of major hip and knee extensors was measured using surface electromyography. Body position was recorded throughout the start using two high-speed cameras. There was no difference in time to 10 m between the two conditions, indicating there is likely no advantage in …

Pilot Study: Heart Rate Variability Analysis And Mental Health Outcomes In University Female Hockey Players, Kaitlyn Jacobs

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Exercise improves anxiety and depression, both of which are associated with impaired autonomic regulation of heart rate (HR). In turn, HR variability (HRV) is a reliable physiological indicator of external stressors. The following research tested the hypothesis that HRV is indicative of chronic resilience towards mental stress in female varsity hockey players. Seventeen varsity hockey players (HOCK, age 21 ± 1.5) and fifteen healthy controls (CTRL, age 21 ± 2.2) at Western University participated three times throughout a 7-month season. Participants completed questionnaires (brief resilience scale, BRS; generalized anxiety scale, GAD-7; mental health inventory, MHI; visual analog scale, VAS; short …

Working Memory And Falls Risk In Older Adults: An Event-Related Potential Study, Yee (Michelle) S. Wong

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

BACKGROUND: The aging population is rapidly increasing, where currently in North America, the population of older adults (ages 60+) outnumbers the population of children. Falls are a major concern for older adults and their quality of life. Cognitive impairment has been shown to be declined in older adults at-risk for falls, but working memory has not been thoroughly investigated within this population. PURPOSE: To examine differences in Non-Fallers, Moderate Risk for Falls, and Fallers in a working memory task using electroencephalography (EEG). METHODS: Older adults (n=44, female=27) aged 60 – 80 years (m=68.8, SD=4.7) completed two sessions. The first session …

“And, Needless To Say, I Was Athletic, Too:” Southern Ontario Black Women And Sport (1920s – 1940s), Ornella Nzindukiyimana

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This dissertation presents a two-part study of sporting practices of Southern Ontario Black women, between the 1920s and the 1940s, aimed at developing a socio-cultural history of sport that includes narratives from marginalized groups. Given sport’s traditional position as a masculine domain, as well as Canada’s status as a patriarchal White supremacy, the accounts presented in this work centre Black women’s sport experiences through an intersectional perspective. It is argued that, by virtue of their simultaneously racialized and gendered identities, Black women had distinct sporting experiences from those of White women and men and Black men.

The first study used …

Participatory Action Research Examining The Role Of Physical Activity In Mentoring For Resilience, Francesca Gable

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study examined the use of physical activity-based mentorship programs to positively influence student mental health and resilience in post-secondary institutions. The process of relationship building was observed through regularly implemented physical activity interactions over time. The purpose was to determine the ability of a physical activity-based mentorship relationship to positively influence student resilience. A participatory action research methodology was used to engage with a population of ninety undergraduate Kinesiology students (30 mentors:60 protégés) over an eight-month period. Sixty interviews and thirteen focus groups were conducted, and fifteen-hundred pages of journal reflections were consulted to further understand the relationship building …

Functional Anatomy Of Palmar Musculature, Colin W. Moore

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The palmaris longus (PL) and palmaris brevis (PB) are upper limb muscles considered atavistic remnants of those found in animal species. Despite their use in surgical grafting and tendon transfer procedures, the functional role of the PL and PB have not been investigated comprehensively in vivo. Using a multi-modal experimental approach consisting of indwelling fine wire electromyography (EMG), ultrasonography and immunohistochemical muscle staining techniques, the function of the PL and PB in the hand was evaluated both in in vivo and in situ.

The purpose of Study 1 was to determine whether the PL provides synergistic contributions to …

The Feasibility Of Square-Stepping Exercise As A Universal Intervention For Older Adults With Chronic Disease To Improve Cognitive And Physical Function, Erin M. Shellington

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Square-stepping exercise (SSE) is a cognitive training program with a physical component. An instructor demonstrates a stepping pattern across a gridded mat and participants are required to memorize and repeat the patterns on their own. In community-dwelling older adults, SSE has demonstrated some benefits on global cognitive functioning (GCF), balance, functional fitness, and social interaction.

Aims: to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of SSE in varied populations and settings to improve mobility and cognition. Populations included older adults with: knee osteoarthritis (OA), type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and self-reported cognitive complaints (sCC), and those living in long-term care (LTC) …

Behaviour Change Intervention Strategies To Prevent Excessive Gestational Weight Gain In Pregnant Women Using A Nutrition And Exercise Lifestyle Intervention Program (Nelip), Karishma Hosein

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Maternal obesity and excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG) are associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. To evaluate the effectiveness of different behaviour change intervention strategies, it was hypothesized that the introduction of a single behaviour change, followed by a second, would be more effective at preventing early and total EGWG in pregnant women compared to the early simultaneous introduction of both behaviour changes. Eighteen pregnant women were block randomized into one of 3 Nutrition and Exercise Lifestyle Intervention Program (NELIP) strategies (full NELIP, Nutrition followed by Exercise N+E, Exercise followed by Nutrition E+N) and were followed at weekly face-to-face …

Participatory Action Research In Rural Community Sport And Recreation Management, Kyle A. Rich

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The research conducted for this dissertation involved a participatory action research (PAR) project with the Municipality of Powassan Recreation Committee. Framed with the literature pertaining to sport and recreation development, community development, and rural community studies, the project sought to explore the perceived significance of sport and recreation, to examine the processes of sport and recreation management, as well as to inform changes to current management and policy making practices within the rural community context. Further, this project sought to identify strengths and challenges of PAR as well as to explore the processes through which researchers can work with community …

Impact Of Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields On Human Postural Control, Alicia N. Allen

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The general public and workers can be exposed to high-levels of power-line frequency magnetic fields (MFs - up to 10 mT). Although such time-varying MFs have the potential to modulate human postural control, no existing studies have explored MF exposure levels that possibly trigger acute sway responses. This work evaluates time-varying MF exposure (up to 100 mT) in the extremely low frequency range (ELF – up to 300 Hz) and its effects on human postural control. Twenty-two healthy participants were each exposed to randomized, 5-second MF and electric stimulations (0, 50 and 100 mT and 1.5 mA respectively) given at …

Indicator Amino Acid Derived Estimates Of Dietary Protein Requirement In Exercise-Trained Individuals, Arash Bandegan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Despite a number of nitrogen balance (NB) studies indicating increased dietary protein needs in Endurance (ET) and strength (ST) trained athletes, the Institute of Medicine (2005) has concluded, based largely on methodological concerns, that “no additional dietary protein is suggested for healthy adults undertaking resistance or endurance exercise”. Indicator amino acid oxidation method (IAAO) has been recently used for determination of protein requirement in humans. This method is based on the concept that when one indispensable amino acid (AA) is deficient for protein synthesis, then all other AA, including the indicator, will be considered excess and oxidized. With increasing intakes …

Inpatient Versus Outpatient Total Hip Arthroplasty, Michael Pollock

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

We conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate patients undergoing a total hip arthroplasty (THA) who were discharged from the hospital either on the day of surgery (outpatient) or were admitted overnight following surgery (inpatient). Our primary outcome was the rate of serious adverse events during the first three months postoperatively. Secondary outcome measures included cost, patient satisfaction, functional outcomes, quality of life and pain. We found no statistically significant difference between the two groups in serious adverse events. We found that outpatient THA was less expensive from the perspectives of the hospital and ministry of health; but the difference …

Reducing Sedentary Behaviour In University Students Using A Text Message-Based Intervention, Emma Cotten

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Sedentary behaviour (SB) has been linked to many health problems (e.g., type 2 diabetes, heart disease). Interventions aimed at office workers, overweight and obese individuals have proven successful in reducing SB; however, no studies have examined university students. Text message-based interventions have succeeded to aid in smoking cessation and increase both physical activity and healthy eating, but have not been shown to reduce SB. Eighty-two university students were randomized into intervention (SB related text messages) or control (text messages unrelated to SB) groups. Participants received daily text messages and reported various SBs (i.e., breaks from sitting, standing, light and moderate …

Test-Retest Reliability Of Mune And Mup Analysis From Decomposition-Based Quantitative Electromyography For The Flexor Carpi Radialis Muscle, Saskia R. Knol

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The purpose of this study was to establish a set of representative data from healthy subjects and determine the intra-rater reliability of decomposition-enhanced spike triggered averaging (DE-STA) motor unit number estimation (MUNE) and quantitative motor unit potential (MUP) analysis from D-QEMG for the flexor carpi radialis (FCR) muscle. Twenty subjects aged 21-51 were studied (9 females, 11 males). Trials A and B assessed test-retest reliability for FCR when the wrist was flexed only. The effects of finger flexion during wrist flexion were assessed in trial C. Results found high reliability for maximum CMAP (ICC = 0.92), moderate reliability for mean …