Sports Sciences Commons^™

Nutrition, Body Composition And Physical Activity In Malignant Pleural Disease: Associations With Patient Outcomes And Response To An Exercise Intervention, Emily Jeffery

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background: Patients with malignant pleural disease (MPD) have advanced cancer and high symptom burden. Goals of patient care are to optimise health-related quality-of-life (HR-QoL) and participation in daily physical activities. Supportive care interventions such as nutrition and exercise could offer benefit to patients. However, there is a lack of information on the prevalence of low muscle mass (i.e., pre-sarcopenia), malnutrition, inactivity and poor physical functioning in patients with MPD. Additionally, little is known about the factors associated with development of pre-sarcopenia and malnutrition or their associations with patient outcomes.

Purpose: The objectives were to: 1) characterise physical activity levels and …

Gait Entrainment In Coupled Oscillator Systems: Clarifying The Role Of Energy Optimization In Human Walking, Ryan T. Schroeder

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Empirical evidence suggests that parameters of human gait (e.g. step frequency, step length) tend to minimize energy expenditure. However, it is unclear if individuals can adapt to dynamic environments in real time, i.e. continuously optimize energy expenditure, and to what extent. Two coupled oscillator systems were used to test the learned interactions of individuals within dynamic environments: (1) experienced farmworkers carrying oscillating loads on a flexible bamboo pole and (2) individuals walking on a treadmill while strapped to a mechatronics oscillator system providing periodic forces to the body. Reductionist trajectory optimization models predicted energy-minimizing gait interactions within the coupled oscillator …

The Manifestations Of Fatigue In Amateur Boxing Performance, Emily C. Dunn

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A subjective method of judgment, the “Ten Point Must-System” (TPMS), was introduced into amateur boxing in 2013. To be successful, boxers must deliver forceful punches and exert dominance over an opponent. There has been limited research examining the strategies used by boxers to win fights under the TPMS and whether these strategies induce fatigue that is sufficient to significantly affect punch force. The overall objective of the five studies contained in this thesis was to describe, in relation to fatigue, the performance characteristics of male amateur boxers under the TPMS, and improve our understanding of the physical characteristics associated with …

Neuromuscular Fatigue Following A Singles Badminton Match, Zengyuan Lin

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A typical badminton singles match involves numerous intense and high impact movements. Lunges were accounted for approximately 15% of overall movements and were believed to presumably induce significant muscle damage following a match. However, no previous study has investigated changes in knee extensor muscle function after a badminton match.The present study investigated changes in knee extensor neuromuscular function and muscle soreness after a simulated 1-h badminton singles match in relation to the number of lunges performed in the match.

Ten state-level male badminton players were recruited (n=10), with each player played a total of eight simulated 1-h matches under the …

Neuromuscular Factors Affecting Stretch-Induced Torque Loss, Gabriel Siqueira Trajano

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The mechanisms underpinning the immediate torque loss induced by acute, static muscle stretching are still not clear. The current research was designed to examine the neuromuscular factors influencing this torque loss. In Study 1, the contributions of central versus peripheral factors to the stretch-induced torque loss were investigated. Measures of central drive, including the EMG amplitude normalised to the muscle compound action potential amplitude (EMG:M), percent voluntary activation (%VA) and first volitional wave amplitude (V:M), and measures of peripheral function, including the twitch peak torque and 20:80 Hz tetanic torque ratio were made before, and immediately and 15 min after …

Pain Assessment And Possible Mechanism Of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, Wing Yin Lau

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Muscle pain is felt during exercise or daily activities for several days after performing unaccustomed exercise, which is referred to as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Many people experience DOMS, but its underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. One of the challenges in the investigation of DOMS is its subjective nature, which makes the assessment ambiguous, thus establishing a standardised protocol is necessary. The present thesis scrutinised muscle pain assessments (Study 1, Study 2), developed a new assessment of muscle pain focusing on muscle fascia (Study 3), and investigated why DOMS is reduced after the second than the first bout …

Relative Importance And Plasticity Of Anatomical And Neuromuscular Factors Affecting Joint Torque Production, Joanne C. Trezise

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The present research aimed to determine (i) the relative influence anatomical and neuromuscular variables on maximal isometric, concentric and eccentric knee extensor torque (Study 1); (ii) whether the change in strength following a 10-week strength training program is associated with changes in specific anatomical and neuromuscular variables (Study 2a); (iii) whether anatomical and neuromuscular adaptations are dependent on their pre-training magnitudes; and (iv) whether it is possible to ‘predict’ an individual’s adaptation to strength training based on their anatomical and neuromuscular pre-training magnitudes (Study 2b).

The variables assessed throughout the studies include muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), fascicle length and angle …

Changes In Muscle Function And Motorneuron Excitability Of The Triceps Surae Following A Bout Of Fatiguing Eccentric Exercise, Mikala Pougnault

Theses : Honours

A reduction in capacity of the neuromuscular system associated with exercise can occur from a wide range of physiological and psychological factors. Many researchers have investigated neural activation during exercise, or the effects of muscle damage associated with eccentric exercise, but few have studied the prolonged effects of a bout of eccentric exercise on strength and motorneuron excitability. Eleven male and female subjects (aged 20-43 years) were tested to determine the effects of a fatiguing bout of eccentric exercise upon maximal isometric plantarflexion strength, motorneuron excitability, and neural activation of the soleus (SOL) and medial gastrocnemius (MG). The exercise consisted …

Sense Of Effort Associated With Exercise In The Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Karen E. Wallman

Theses : Honours

Investigations into the mediators of effort sensation have indicated that central mechanisms related to corollary discharges may be responsible for an increased sense of effort during fatiguing isometric exercise. The role for central mediators for sense of effort have been objectively demonstrated through use of contralateral limb matching tasks. Subjects diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) often report prevalent fatigue associated with a greater sense of effort when involved in exercise. This study employed a fatiguing contralateral limb-matching task in order to determine if CFS subjects (n == 6) experienced an altered sense of effort associated with the task when …

Is There A Difference In Cortical Representation Between Dominant And Non-Dominant Arm Muscles Of Elite Badminton Players?, Dylan J. Edwards

Theses : Honours

Training for sport involves the development of skill and coordination. The physiological changes associated with skill acquisition are complex and at present poorly understood. One of the areas in the central nervous system thought to be involved with skill acquisition is the cerebral motor cortex where localised areas are responsible for controlling specific muscle groups. Learning or improving a motor skill may require reorganisation of the cortical areas controlling relevant muscles to accommodate the new skill. To test this idea we studied a group of elite badminton players that were highly skilled in their dominant playing arm. Transcranial magnetic stimulation …

Effect Of Exercise Induced Muscle Soreness On The Motor Control Properties Of The Biceps Brachii, Alan J. Pearce

Theses : Honours

The objective of this study was to note the time course changes for up to 28 days on the motor control properties of biceps brachii muscle following a bout of eccentric exercise. Eight subjects (5 male, 25-40 years of age) performed 35 maximal voluntary eccentric contractions with the non-preferred arm of the elbow flexors through 130° of extension of 90°s^-1. Voluntary electromyographic (EMG) activity and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) were recorded via surface electrodes placed over the belly of the biceps brachii muscle. Maximal isometric strength was measured at 90° elbow flexion. …