Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Invisible Brain Injury Crisis, Michael E. Rosenthal

Capstones

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2013 data, over 282,000 hospitalizations and 2.5 million emergency department visits were at least in part attributable to TBI. In the same year, about 56,000 people died.

Emergency departments in 2012 treated about 329,290 kids under 20 for TBI following an injury taking place during physical activity.

This project explores the rise in traumatic brain injuries and examines the difficult path that some of the survivors have to go through during recovery. By telling the story through my own personal experiences, I guide the reader through what the initial trauma and …

The Relationship Of Force-Time Variables Between The Loaded Squat Jump And The Midthigh Block Clean Pull, Hannah Marie Macke

Theses and Dissertations from 2018

Loaded squat jumps and midthigh block clean pulls are exercises that can be used in a strength and conditioning program to increase lower-body power. Lower-body power is critical in jumping, sprinting, and other sport specific movements. Intensities of 45-pound barbell, 20%, 40%, and 60% of a high-force, low-velocity movement were used to assess the force-time variables of the loaded squat jump and midthigh block clean pull. The current study compared peak power output as well as peak barbell velocity to find which exercise and intensity combination would be most beneficial for an athlete to increase lower-body power. A linear position …

Effects Of Blood Flow Restriction Training On Healthy Individuals Using The (B)Strong Training System: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Mallory Rockhill

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine and compare muscular fitness and subjective muscle pain between blood flow restriction (BFR) training using the (B)Strong Training System and traditional resistance training program after a 7-week intervention. Thirty-one healthy male and female young adults volunteered to participate. Participants were randomly selected into three groups: HIRES (high intensity resistance training), LIBFR (low intensity blood flow restriction training) or CON (control). All participants refrained from structured activity outside of this study for the duration of the entire study. Anthropometrics, body composition, muscular strength and endurance were measured prior to and post training. Delayed …

Comparisons Between Movement Onset Identification Methods Used In Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull Test, Junshi Liu

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation aimed to explore the usefulness of using force derivatives for onset detection in the isometric mid-thigh pull test. First, we examined applications of three differential calculus principles, first and second derivative, and curvature using visual detection as a reference under different baseline conditions. Second, we compared the best derivative method to a threshold-based method using visual detection as a reference. Results of our first investigation showed trivial differences between many differential calculus methods and visual detection. However, statistical differences exceeding a trivial effect was observed when instantaneous force and rate of force develop were examined. Through the first …

The Impact Of Coaches' Character On Youth Basketball Players, Natasha Hill

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

If utilized effectively, recreation and sports can serve as major tools for developing youth, improving the educational environment, and increasing the number of productive adults that are healthier physically and mentally to positively impact society. Most research targeting recreation and sports developing youth has the perspective primarily of parents and youth. Evaluating the character strengths of coaches and youth athletes who actively participate in team basketball is vital.

An exploration of the value of basketball and character strengths of (n = 64) youth athletes, between the ages of 12 to 16 years, and the impact of their involvement with coaches …

The Effects Of Stress On American Football Overhand Throw Accuracy, Cale Anderson

All NMU Master's Theses

The American overhand football throw is a highly scrutinized position because of all the different kinds of stress both physical and psychological that are put onto those players. The current study sought to develop a formula using psycho-emotional and physical variables to predict the performance of an American overhand football throw under stressful/non-stress situations. Participants were tested on two days. The stress situation is where tennis balls were thrown, and the subject did not know where they were going to throw. The non-stressed was a 3 step drop without knowing what target they were throwing at and these conditions were …

Biomechanical Adaptations To An Implemented Ramp Angle In Recreational Alpine Skiers, Stephanie R. Moore

All NMU Master's Theses

Most ski boot-binding complexes have a negative ramp angle. This angle is not regulated or reported in the alpine ski industry, but may influence skier balance and pressure control. Thus, joint coordination and center of pressure maintenance in alpine skiers (n = 19) was investigated during simulated ski squat and balance tasks with increasing binding ramp angles (0°, 1°, 2°). Greater sagittal plane center of pressure excursions were observed with ski-booted tasks compared to barefoot conditions during squats and balance simulations. Squat tasks performed on skis resulted in more uncoordinated knee-ankle movement, however, this effect was reduced with the highest …

The Influence Of Patellofemoral Pain On Muscle Coordination, Segment Coordination, And Segment Coordination Variability In Runners, Carl Jewell

Doctoral Dissertations

Management of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) remains a significant challenge in clinical practice and there is a need to understand the mechanisms for altered gait and muscular function which may lead to poor patient outcomes. The overall aim of the three studies in this dissertation was to determine if runners with current PFPS adapt their gait and muscle activation as a result of long-term, daily pain and/or in response to an acute pain flare and exertion during a moderate intensity 21-minute treadmill run compared to healthy controls. In addition, a resolved, asymptomatic PFPS group was included to investigate potential mechanisms …

Does A Step Back Approach To The Implementation Of Project Spraoi Affect The Health And Fundamental Movement Skill Proficiency Of Irish Children?, Conor Hemmersley

Masters

Title: Does a step back approach to the implementation of Project Spraoi affect the health and fundamental movement skill proficiency of Irish children? Background: Project Spraoi is an intervention which attempts to positively influence the overall health of Irish primary school children. Previous iterations of Project Spraoi have been labour intensive with an Energiser working with a maximum of two schools to deliver the intervention. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on fundamental movement skills (FMS), and markers of health of Irish primary school children using a step back approach. The step back …

Comparative Analysis Of Body Composition And Reference Values Of Visceral Adipose Tissues In Various American Collegiate Sports, Eshan M. Dandekar

Master's Theses

Background: Currently, body composition (BC) assessment is usually performed to diagnose disease states and accurately estimate certain types of tissues. In athletes, performing BC assessments helps gauge training and nutrition programs to see if they are adequately meeting the athlete’s needs to improve performance. Annual Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scans before the start of an athlete’s season can help identify an athlete’s preparedness or health before training begins.

Objective: To assess the preseason BC of four collegiate sports: Men’s basketball, men’s baseball, women’s volleyball, and women’s soccer, for Fat Mass (FM), bone mineral density BMD), Fat-Free Mass …

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 …

Comparison Of Muscle Physiology And Performance Outcomes From Either Relative Intensity Or Repetition Maximum Training, Kevin Carroll

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main purpose of this dissertation was to compare performance and physiological outcomes of between a repetition maximum (RM) and a relative intensity using sets-and-repetitions (RI_SR) resistance training (RT) program in well-trained lifters. Fifteen subjects underwent RT 3 d·wk^-1 for 10-weeks in either a RM group (n=8) or RI_SR group (n=7). The RM group achieved a relative maximum each day while the RI_SR group trained based on percentages. Testing included percutaneous needle biopsies of the vastus lateralis, ultrasonography, unweighted (g to assess within and between-group alterations. RI_SR from pre-to-post yielded statistically significant increases in …

Preparing For A National Weightlifting Championship: A Case Series, Spencer K. Travis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to observe psychological, physiological, and performance changes to determine when two high-level weightlifters were peaked for a major competition. We addressed this purpose by conducting a two-part case study series with one USA international level female and one USA national level male weightlifter. Both athletes were considered to be peaked on competition day. The results support our hypothesis that jumping performance would be peaked on competition day corresponding with an increased recovery and decreased stress state. However, contrary to our hypothesis, each athlete exhibited small decreases in muscle size leading into the competition relative …

Fascicle Arrangement In College-Aged Athletes, Jacob Goodin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To compare muscle architecture variables between sport and sex in competitive athletes, and to compare muscle architecture with performance variables in strong versus weak athletes, and good versus poor jumpers. Methods: The vastus lateralis (VL) and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) muscles of 139 collegiate athletes were collected using ultrasonography to determine muscle thickness (MT), pennation angle (PA), fascicle length (FL), and relative fascicle length (FL_rel). Absolute and relative peak power, absolute and relative isometric peak force, and jump height were measured in a subset of baseball and soccer athletes. A 5x2 factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used …

Cluster Set Loading In The Back Squat: Kinetic And Kinematic Implications, Alexander Wetmore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the kinetic and kinematic implications of cluster loading as a resistance training programming tactic. Cluster loading involves introducing rest during a set which may allow athletes to train at higher absolute intensities. Eleven trained males were recruited for this study. Subjects completed two testing sessions consisting of three sets of five back squats at 80% of their one repetition maximum. Cluster loading included 30s of inter-repetition rest. All testing was done on dualforce plates with four linear position transducers. Paired sample t-tests were used to determine differences between conditions with Cohen’s d …

Relationship Of The Srss Questionnaire With Physiological And Performance Measures, Alec Perkins

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The overall purpose of this thesis was to validate the SRSS questionnaire. This was accomplished by conducting a single investigation using eleven well-trained weightlifters with at least one year of competition experience. These weightlifters completed five testing sessions over the course of five microcycles leading up to a competition. Every testing session took place on Monday morning prior to regular training and included: hydration testing, SRSS questionnaire, blood draws followed by a standardized warm-up protocol and squat jumps (SJ) with 0kg and 20kg. While the majority of SRSS recovery and stress items did not change with changes in VL or …

Laterality In The Power Five And Group Of Five Conferences In Women's College Softball, Jon C. Nachtigal

Health, Exercise, and Sports Sciences ETDs

Females in sport are under-represented in data and analysis when compared to their male counterparts. This disparity also applies to women’s softball in comparison to men’s baseball. To help fill this gap, this study evaluated the extent and impact of laterality in women’s college softball’s Power Five and Group of Five conferences from 2015-2017.

This study focused on the extent of a left-sided lateral preference in women’s college softball, possible interactions between throwing hand and batting preference, to what extent the platoon effect exists in the sport, and the extent of positional bias in the sport. As one of the …

An Examination Of Optimism Between Gender, Race, And School Classification Of Millennial Students – An Exploratory Study, Abigail C. Johnson

Honors College Theses

Optimism is defined as an individual’s approach to the expectation that good things will happen in the future and bad things are a rarity. Along with the general definition of what optimism is, many researchers have found that optimism depends on culturally embedded values and beliefs (Singh & Shukla, 2014; Lee & Mason, 2013). In addition, the relationship between optimism and positive health outcomes and well-being is well established (Coll, J.E. & Draves, P. R., 2008; Bastianello, M. R., Pacico, J. C., & Hutz, C. S., 2014). Although this is the case, little research has been found examining the differences …

Performing 30 Second Weight Training Bouts For Five Weeks Decreases 2000 M Ergometer Times In Collegiate Rowers, Andre Beven Pelletier

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study investigated the effects of performing 30 second weight training bouts (30 s) on peak aerobic power, 2000 m time and peak and mean 1 min power output, compared to those of a low repetition strength training program (LoRep), in pre-conditioned well-trained male and female collegiate rowers while concurrently performing a high volume of endurance training over an identical five week period. The 30 s group mean 2000 m time was significantly reduced pre-to-post training by 1.0% (±1.3) (30 s: pre = 6:45.3 (±35.3), post = 6:41.2 (±32.7), P ≤ 0.05) while LoRep group mean 2000 m time was …

Effects Of Heart Rate Variability-Guided Prescription On The Physiological Outcomes Of Crossfit Training, Nicholas B. Drake

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation is to determine the effectiveness of heart-rate variability as a monitoring and intensity-prescription tool for CrossFit.

Methods:Twenty-five recreational trained males and females were randomized into two groups, experimental (EXP) and control (CON) prior to the intervention. Prior to any assessments, all participants established a 14-day baseline period for their morning heart-rate variability. Both groups underwent pre-training assessment for work capacity, whole body strength, maximal oxygen consumption and body composition. All participants followed a 21-day training program followed by another week of testing, repeated twice. During the training, a rolling seven-day average of …

An Athletic Training Portfolio: 3 Case Studies, Kristen Dawson

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The purpose of this portfolio is to convey the mechanism, evaluation process, and rehabilitation plan for three orthopedic injuries occurring over the course of the past two years. Each case presents patients with whom I played a role in their care, progressively increasing my involvement as I grew and learned professionally. The cases include background information and case descriptions of three individual patients, their evaluation and rehabilitation plans are included. The first case discusses an athlete with a lumbar disc herniation that underwent a microdiscectomy. This case study was revised from it’s original version and submitted to the National Athletic …

Validity And Reliability Of The Ymca Submaximal Cycle Test Using An Electrically Braked Ergometer, Justin Kidd

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Purpose: To test the effect of using an electrically braked ergometer on the validity and reliability of the YMCA submaximal cycle test.

Methods: 22 male and 13 female subjects ages 19 to 31 completed one maximal treadmill test and four submaximal cycle tests to measure and estimate VO_2max, respectively. The maximal tests involved recording heart rate and VO₂ during graded exercise until volitional fatigue; an actual max was verified when two out of the following criteria: respiratory Exchange Ratio > 1.1, VO₂ plateau (< 150 ml/min increase in VO₂ during final stage), and achievement of 90% age-predicted HR max (or completed …

Non-Linear Analysis Of Visual-Motor Tracking Pre- And Post-Heading In Collegiate Female Soccer Athletes, Sonia Delbusso

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Context: There has been minimal examination of the long-term effects of sub-concussive events, particularly related to non-linear aspects of motor performance. Examining the structure of performance, using nonlinear techniques, following sub-concussive events may lend insight into subtle, but significant changes in motor behavior.

Objective: This study examined the effect of performing a bout of headers on visual motor control in a group of female soccer athletes. We specifically examined the amount of error during visual-motor tracking (root mean squared error; RMSE), the regularity of the movement structure (sample entropy; SampEn), and the lag present between the target signal and the …

The Effect Of Duration Of Foam Rolling On Muscle Recovery, Vincent Lam Ting Luk

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

PURPOSE: Foam rollers are commonly used by athletes, trainers, and therapists to accelerate muscle recovery. The current research suggests foam rolling (FR) may be beneficial in reducing muscle soreness. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of foam rolling duration on muscle soreness and muscle function (isokinetic leg strength and muscle fatigability). METHODS: Sixteen males (age: 21.8 ± 2.5 yrs, height: 180.8 ± 8.3cm, weight: 82.5 ± 9.6kg) performed 10 sets of 10 reps at 60% 1-RM on a seated leg press machine to induce muscle soreness. For each participant, one leg received no foam rolling treatment; …

The Effects Of Surface Pace In Baseball, Jason Farlow

Senior Theses

A baseball travels across different surfaces at different paces. The goal of this experiment is to find a percentage difference in speeds the ball will reflect off a given surface. The energy lost on the turf surface was far more significant than on dirt surface as the turf lost an average of 26% of its energy as compared to just 16% of the energy on dirt. In the Northwest conference, teams play on four turf-based infields and five dirt-based infields. The results of this study suggest that kinetic friction forces are more significant in reducing ball rebound speed than in …

Do People Who Are More Aggressive Sustain More Injuries Than Their Less Aggressive Counterparts: A Study Of Participants Of Medieval Combat Games In The United States?, Christopher Sanchez

Honors Theses

Today people are being encouraged to be more active for the sake of their health, but in becoming more active people are getting more sports related injuries. There are many risk factors that may increase the likelihood of a sports related injury. Aggression in particular may be contributing factor to a higher likelihood of injury. The goal of this study is to look at the relationship between aggressive personalities and injury occurrence.

The Relationship Between Stryd Power And Running Economy In Well-Trained Distance Runners 2018, Casey Austin

Master's Theses

A novel running wearable called the Stryd Summit footpod attaches to a runner’s right or left shoe and measures running power output. The developers of the product purport that the footpod’s power and form power measures may correlate with metabolic data gathered in a lab. PURPOSE: Explore the relationship between power output and running economy at threshold pace. METHODS: Seventeen well-trained distance runners, 9 males and 8 females, completed a running protocol at threshold pace. Participants ran two discontinuous four-minute stages: one with their self-selected cadence (SS), and one with cadence lowered by 10% (LC). Metabolic data, power, and form …

Effects Of Competition Variables And Prior Attempts On Approach Run Velocity During A Pole Vaulter's Final Clearance 2018, Nathaniel S. Ashton

Master's Theses

Approach run velocity of a vaulter is strongly correlated to the highest height a vaulter clears in pole vault competition and the number of attempts taken throughout a competition influences pole vault strategy. Since approach run velocity greatly affects the crossbar height cleared and number of attempts affects time spent in the competition, perhaps a better approach to determine optimal competition strategy is to first identify how competition variables influence approach run velocity. The purpose of this study was to determine if the approach run velocity during a pole vaulter’s last clearance can be predicted by: (1) the number of …

Transformational Leadership In Club Sports: An Instrument For Evaluation And Assessment, Nathan Shelby Hutchens

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Campus Recreation and its programs can be used as a way to combat the national trends of decreasing enrollment and retention (Weaver, Forte, & McFadden, 2017; Kampf & Teske, 2013). In fact, 62% of students indicate that Campus Recreation programs are a factor when choosing an institution and 67% indicate that recreation programs were a factor when deciding to stay at a particular institution (Forrester, 2014). As a program within Campus Recreation, Club Sports specifically is perceived to have the greatest health and wellbeing benefits out of all Campus Recreation programming (Lower, Turner, & Petersen, 2013). Due to the voluntary …

The Effects Of Mild Dehydration On Cycling Performance In The Heat, Elika Hamer

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Introduction: Hypohydration exceeding 2% of body mass (bm), affected by heat and thirst level, leads to decreased athletic performance. Both physiological and psychological factors of dehydration have an impact on an athlete’s perceived performance. However, it is unclear whether the effects of psychological, physiological, or both have a negative impact on athletic performance caused by mild hypohydration. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if mild hypohydration affects exercise performance in trained cyclists while blinding their hydration state. Methodology: Eleven competitive male cyclists participated in two blinded experimental trials, hypohydrated and euhydrated states by intra-venous infusions. The …