Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Reaction Time Under Limited Vision With Cognitive Challenge In Individuals With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction, Hsuan Bonny Lu

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

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is a common sports injury. ACL reconstruction (ACLR) is a necessary treatment for individuals to return to competitive sports. However, a high rate of secondary injury occurs when individuals return to sport. Past research has shown that ACLR impairs physical performance, including reduction of force generate against the floor under the injured leg, changes in the gait pattern, and a loss of knee stability. While structural changes following ACL injury can leave the knee joint less stable, neurophysiological changes following ACL injury represent one potentially important mechanism underlying the performance deficits. Healthy individuals rely …

Relationships Between Muscle Characteristics And Step Outcomes In Young And Old Adults, Kareem Abubukker

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

Background: Falls are a primary cause of mortality and morbidity in older adults. In an effort to assess falls, a number of studies have measured neurological, biomechanical, and neuromuscular function in relation to fall risk. Despite efforts, falls continue to affect the older adult population leading to subsequent impaired mobility and function. Multiple factors contribute to fall risk among older adults, however, a factor that has shown a consistent relationship with the prevalence of future falls is reduced muscle characteristics. Moreover, the ability to rapidly accelerate a limb, as captured by rate of power development (RPD), rate of velocity development …

Effects Of Imu Sensor Location And Number On The Validity Of Vertical Acceleration Time-Series Data In Countermovement Jumping, Dianne Althouse

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

Many devices are available for measuring the height of a CMJ. An inertial measurement unit (IMU) measures linear acceleration, orientation, and angular velocity. As an alternative to using IMU estimates of flight time, CMJ height could be estimated by integrating the IMU time-series signal for vertical acceleration to derive CMJ take-off velocity in order to track whole-body center of mass (WBCoM) movement, yet this approach would require valid IMU acceleration data. Thus, the purpose of this study was to quantify the effects of IMU sensor location and number on the validity of vertical acceleration estimation in CMJ. Thirty young adults …

Association Between Visuomotor Skills And The Effects Of Stroboscopic Vision On Depth Jump Performance, Riley Welch

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

The reactive strength index (RSI) is a popularized method of evaluating depth jump performance. Performance in anticipation of ground impact is influenced by the proprioceptive, vestibular, and visuomotor systems through multisensory integration. The contribution of vision to depth jump performance has been studied through use of stroboscopic goggles, but no study has evaluated which visuomotor skills may be a predictor for DJ performance. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the association between visuomotor skills and the effects of stroboscopic vision on DJ performance. Participants consisted of 9 female and 13 male college aged adults. DJ performance was evaluated …

Transfer Effects Of A Multiple-Joint Isokinetic Eccentric Training Intervention To Nontraining-Specific Traditional Muscle Function Measures, Steven Spencer

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

The transfer effects of isokinetic, eccentric-only resistance training programs on non-specific measures of muscle function such as isometric peak force, isokinetic concentric peak force and dynamic constant external resistance 1-repetition maximal strength (DCER 1RM) have been researched extensively in a single joint context, yielding mixed results. However, investigations involving multiple-joint isokinetic eccentric-only training models have been sparse. The purpose of this study was to investigate the transfer effects of a short-term multiple-joint isokinetic eccentric leg press (Eccentron) training program on several measures of lower-body strength and performance. Fifteen participants performed Eccentron training three times/week for four weeks and were evaluated …

Survey Of Ncaa Athletic Trainers’ Administration Of The National Wrestling Coaches Association Weight Certification Program, Samuel Konrath

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

Context: The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) implemented a minimum weight certification program in 1997 to help protect wrestlers from dangerous weight loss practices. Despite nearly a quarter of a century of this program, there is no published research detailing the implementation of it.

Objective: Determine how the NCAA minimum weight certification is being implemented across Division I programs.

Design: Cross-sectional study

Setting: Survey

Patients or Other Participants: A total of 35 (45.5%) of 77 NCAA division I wrestling athletic trainers responded to the survey.

Main Outcome Measure(s): Survey data on how the NCAA minimum weight certification program was implemented …

Mindfulness-Based Practices For The Impaired Performance Athlete, Mackenzie L. Campbell

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

Mindfulness-based programs are becoming commonly considered for the improvement of athlete's mental and physical state. However, their usage in improving performance in impaired athletes is limited and not fully understood. The purpose of this thesis was to review the standing literature on the topic of the application of mindfulness to improving athletic performance in wellbeing-impaired athletes. Seventy-three articles were included as references for this paper describing functional mechanisms, clinical significance and anecdotal evidence that points to the effectiveness of mindfulness in sport for the treatment of pain, injury recovery, prevention of injury, and chronic illness. Ultimately, this review supports the …

Improving The Specificity Of Vertical Stiffness Measurement In Depth Jump Landings, Miles Mercer

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

Greater lower extremity stiffness has been shown to increase bilateral jump height through stretch-shortening cycle optimization. Currently, there are two established methods for estimating vertical stiffness (K_vert) of the human body, which is a variant of lower extremity stiffness. The validity of these methods for estimating K_vert in non-cyclical human movements has been questioned recently due to the complex physiological and neuromotor factors that support stiffness regulation in the muscle-tendon complex. The purpose of the present study was to improve the specificity of K_vert measurement using direct derivation of vertical ground reaction force (GRF) and center …

The Female Athlete Triad In Adolescent Athletes, Elise Withers, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos, Stacy Bevan, Katie N. Brown

All Current Publications

The number of teenage girls participating in sports has dramatically increased in the last few decades (Brown et al., 2017). With increased sports participation, the positive effects of physical activity have become obvious (Thein-Nissenbaum & Hammer, 2017). However, a set of health-related problems specific to female athletes, known as the female athlete triad (triad), has emerged. This fact sheet will cover what the triad is, why the triad occurs, and triad prevention and treatment.

Case Study: Effect Of Surgical Metal Implant On Single Frequency Bioelectrical Impedance Measures Of An Athlete, Dale R. Wagner

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

This case study examined the influence of a surgical metal implant on the bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) readings of an athlete. Single‐frequency BIA using a tetrapolar electrode configuration was applied to both the right and left sides of a 23‐year‐old female jumper who had an 8 × 345 mm titanium alloy nail implanted in her left tibia. The metal implant reduced BIA resistance and reactance on the implanted side by 27 and 6 ohms, respectively. This reduction in impedance resulted in a 0.4 kg–1.9 kg increase in the estimate of fat‐free mass (FFM) depending on the prediction formula used. There …

"Get Tough!": A Case Study On The Development Of The Sport Ethic In Youth Lacrosse, Ross Budziszewski

Student Research Symposium

While participation in youth sport is often linked with positive psychosocial and physical outcomes (Holt et al., 2017), this context can also cultivate ideals that lead to the development of unethical beliefs and unsafe sport practices (Al-Yaarbi & Kavussanu, 2017). The sport ethic is described as the deviant overconformity by an athlete to fit societal expectations of a sport's high-performance culture (Hughes & Coakley, 1991). Strong beliefs in the sport ethic can lead to moral disengagement, antisocial behavior, and treating sport like warfare (Shields, Funk, & Bredemeier, 2015). Although the sport ethic has been widely studied in competitive adult sport, …

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 …

Comparison Of Land And Aquatic Loaded Countermovement Jump Landings In Female Ncaa Division I Collegiate Athletes, Samantha L. Nielson

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

The purpose of this study was to investigate alterations in lower extremity kinematics during the landing phase of a countermovement jump when performed in different environments and under multiple external loads. Twenty-four NCAA Divison I collegiate female athletes performed 12 countermovement jumps on land and 12 jumps in water, submerged to the xiphoid process, for a total of 24 jumps. Within each environmental condition, four loading conditions of three jumps each were performed using a weighted vest: Unloaded, 10%, 20%, or 30% of body mass. The hip, knee, and ankle angles were measured as the smallest angles between the major …

Identifying And Reducing Risk Of The Female Athlete Triad In Division I Athletes, Jennifer Day

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Physically active females, or female athletes, are at risk for the condition known as the female athlete triad (Triad). The Triad is made up of three components that are distinctly separate, but intertwined: consuming inadequate energy for how much they are exercising, poor bone health, and problems with their menstrual periods. When female athletes don’t consume enough energy for how much they exercise, there can be hormonal imbalances, causing the body to conserve energy from some important functions including menstruation, and increased bone turnover resulting in a higher risk of stress fractures and early osteoporosis. Female athletes at risk for …

The Multifaceted Interaction Of Pain Perception In Collegiate Athletes, Kristen Leigh Bartiss

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

Deepening the present understanding of the multidimensional nature of athlete perceptions of pain requires attention to three specific gaps. First, the field currently lacks fundamental knowledge regarding the relationship between an individual’s athletic identity and the role of the brain in deciphering and responding to painful stimuli. Because athletes view injury as a potential loss of identity and thus a significant part of themselves (International Olympic Committee, n.d.), the severity they ascribe to pain is both conceptually and practically relevant. Second, the field has yet to fully explore the specific areas of the brain associated with subsequent functional connectivity as …

The Relationship Between Confidence And Performance Throughout A Competitive Season, Benjiman R. Skinner

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

The importance of understanding how confidence varies across time has been encouraged by sport confidence researchers (Vealey & Chase, 2008). The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between confidence and performance throughout an entire competitive season. Two levels of confidence consistent to team sports were analyzed. Team and coach confidence were collected through the Collective Efficacy Questionnaire for Sport (CEQS) and Coaching Efficacy Scale (CES) respectively. Two teams, women’s soccer and volleyball (n=48) from a college in the western United States, completed their specific questionnaires five times throughout the season. The CEQS measured collective efficacy (team confidence) …

The Capability Of The Functional Movement Screen To Predict Injury In Division I Male And Female Track And Field Athletes, Brent Matthew Appel

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

Track and field, formally know as athletics, formed part of the first Olympics in 776 BC and was included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 (Quercetany, 2000). Ever since the creation of this sport, sport related injury has followed. The inevitability of musculoskeletal injury associated with sports in general is well known amongst its participants, and the people who research it. According to the NCAA Injury Surveillance System, a sixteen year sampling period (1988 through 2004), recorded 182,000 injuries (Hootman, Dick, & Agel, 2007). Despite the risk for injury, people continue to participate in track and field. During …

Effect Of Pseudoephedrine On 800-Meter Run Times Of Ncaa Division I Women Athletes, Caroline Berry

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Pseudoephedrine is an over-the-counter drug commonly used as a decongestant, but also thought to have ergogenic effects. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has prohibited large doses (> 150 μg∙ml^-1) of pseudoephedrine, while the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) does not include it on the banned substance list. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of body weight dosing of pseudoephedrine on 800-m run times of NCAA female runners. Fifteen NCAA female track runners volunteered to participate in the randomized, double blind, crossover design. In trials that were a week apart, participants were given both 2.5 …

Nutrition And Fitness Guide For Graduating Student-Athletes, Anna Fukunaga

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

For the last four years of your life, you have been supported by strength coaches, academic advisors, athletic trainers, tutors, mentors, and coaches. Your life is dedicated to your sport, and your body is molded into the ideal build to compete at the highest level you can achieve. As soon as your competitive days are over, your life dramatically changes and the needs of your body change as well. Because you typically do not sustain the same level of activity, you do not have the same nutritional needs. The demands you place on your body for your sport are higher …

Utah State University Return To Play Criteria Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgery, Benjamin Hamilton

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

An injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee is a very traumatic experience. Most of these injuries will be a complete rupture of that ligament, and because of the nature of the ligament, the repair process will require surgery; however, a small number of athletes have learned how to successfully stabilize the ACL-deficient knee and return to activity (Hartigan et al, 2010). For the thousands of athletes who undergo surgery to repair their ACL, this is in hopes they can return to physical competition and an active lifestyle. The ACL is also repaired in hopes of preventing …

Static Versus Dynamic Stretching Effect On Agility Performance, Patrick Troumbley

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to compare effects of static and dynamic stretching on explosive agility movements, and to examine the effect of the interaction of dynamic and static stretching prior to explosive agility movements. Fourteen men and 10 women performed the different warm-up protocols, including no warm-up (NWU), static stretching (SS), dynamic stretching (DS), and dynamic stretching with static stretching (DS+SS). The T-Drill was used to assess agility. The results indicated no difference between the NWU and SS conditions (effect size = 0.40, p = 0.06), as well as no significant difference between the NWU and DS+SS conditions …

The Effectiveness Of A Specialized Upper Body Stretching Protocol On Ncaa Division I Athletes, Brandon M. Howard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Previous studies with college athletes determined that the shoulder girdle plays a vital role in a variety of athletic activities. The previous research showed that a decrease in shoulder range of motion (ROM) was associated with a higher risk injury. Decreased shoulder ROM was shown to be a primary reason that many athletes were unable to perform many overhead lifting variations within their strength and conditioning programs.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate a group of athletes by means of a postural assessment using the overhead squat test. This study consisted of a pretest-post test control group design. …

The Relationship Between Residency And Socio-Demographics To Academic Performance In Ncaa Division I Freshman Athletes, Eric Matthew Snyder

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Numerous studies have been completed on the academic ability of student athletes. Since the mid 1980s, the NCAA has emphasized the importance of academics and mandated more stringent requirements to be able to participate in intercollegiate athletics. These initial-eligibility standards have been successful in increasing overall graduation rates of student-athletes, but there remain a number of concerns. The purpose of the study was to determine if an NCAA D-I freshman student athlete's place of residency on campus, as opposed to off campus, while attending college during his/her freshman year had a statistically significant relationship to achievement as it relates to …

A History Of The Athletic Career Of E. L. "Dick" Romney, Ray Merrill Boothe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ernest Lowell ("Dick") Romney chose athletics as a career, believing that it was worth-while for himself and for those with whom he would work and teach. He has devoted his entire life to this endeavor and through his many achievements has become one of the most prominent and respected men in his profession. He stands as an example of high ideals and his name is a legend in the Rocky Mountain area.

Placed between Rockne and Roper, in the Football Hall of Fame at Rutgers University in New Jersey, is the name of Romney, E. L. "Dick." Other coaches so …