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Full-Text Articles in Sports Sciences

The Benefits And Implementation Of Open Science Practices In Exercise Science Research, Brendan Moore Apr 2023

The Benefits And Implementation Of Open Science Practices In Exercise Science Research, Brendan Moore

Senior Theses

This article has the purpose of addressing the need for open science practices in the field of exercise science research. Open science is best defined as the call for greater accessibility and transparency in research (Chakravorty et al., 2022). With more accessible and transparent research, research can be conducted more thoroughly and efficiently. Additionally, the implementation of these practices would discourage many shady and unethical practices. The idea of open science is not without debate however. There are many concerns over the theft of scientific data and ideas, as well as the increased time and monetary costs associated with many …


The Collegiate Dancer As An Athlete: An Argument For Athletic Strength & Conditioning In Collegiate Dance Programs, Samantha Phillips Apr 2022

The Collegiate Dancer As An Athlete: An Argument For Athletic Strength & Conditioning In Collegiate Dance Programs, Samantha Phillips

Senior Theses

Most collegiate sports athletes participate in compulsory athletic strength and conditioning; however, such requirements are not prevalent in university dance programs. Designed as arts degree programs, most requirements revolve around technique, history, pedagogy, theoretical understandings of composition, rehearsals, dance anatomy, and in certain cognates, education. The growing incorporation and paradigm shift of dance as a sport, as well as an art, supports the inclusion of collegiate dance programs into similar considerations, regulations, and requirements as competitive collegiate sports teams. As such, this is an argument and recommendation for the inclusion of athletic strength and conditioning in collegiate dance programs.


Examination Of Energy Needs In Male And Female Physically Active Individuals, Savanna Griffin Apr 2022

Examination Of Energy Needs In Male And Female Physically Active Individuals, Savanna Griffin

Senior Theses

Content: The Female Athlete Triad refers to three interrelated components: 1) low energy availability (LEA), with or without an eating disorder (ED); 2) harmful and physiologically impactful hormonal changes; and 3) alterations in bone mineral density, which are often experienced by individuals engaged in organized sports or other intense physical activities. This phenomenon is called the Female Athlete Triad because the relationship of components has thus far been observed primarily in females. A new term, the Male Athlete Triad, has been recently developed to describe the same phenomenon in males. LEA occurs when dietary energy intake (EI) is inadequate to …


Female Athlete Triad: Evaluation Of The Cumulative Risk Assessment Tool For Female Collegiate Athletes, Jessica Pia Apr 2021

Female Athlete Triad: Evaluation Of The Cumulative Risk Assessment Tool For Female Collegiate Athletes, Jessica Pia

Senior Theses

Content: As the pressure on collegiate and elite female athletes to perform at their highest possible capabilities has grown, so to have the consequences associated with their high energy expending lifestyles. The Female Athlete Triad (Triad) is a syndrome defined as having one or more of the following conditions: LEA with or without disordered eating, menstrual dysfunction, and/or low BMD. Due to potential long-term, irreversible health consequences of the Triad, the Female Athlete Triad Coalition developed a risk assessment tool known as the Triad CRA to identify at-risk athletes and subsequent return-to-play status. Objective: To determine the risk …


The Psychology Of Dance Medicine: Self-Perception Of Dancers, Karina Desai Apr 2021

The Psychology Of Dance Medicine: Self-Perception Of Dancers, Karina Desai

Senior Theses

Derived from sports medicine, dance medicine is a subcategory that focuses on the health and well-being of dancers on a scientific and medical level. Dancers are considered “elite” athletes and artists, which requires this specific niche of medicine to study the injuries and other health-related issues that develop as a result of dancers’ unique movement. Studies show that in addition to physical injuries, dancers are also susceptible to mental health issues. There are many factors of the dance environment, such as the instructor, peers, and mirrors, that alter the self-perception of dancers. Due to dancers being required to train in …


Examining Prevalence Of Eating Disorder Risk And Body Image Dissatisfaction In Female Adolescent Cheerleaders, Kelsi K. Mariner Apr 2020

Examining Prevalence Of Eating Disorder Risk And Body Image Dissatisfaction In Female Adolescent Cheerleaders, Kelsi K. Mariner

Senior Theses

Content: Cheerleading has evolved into a highly competitive and physically demanding sport where athletes must balance academics, intense training, and pressure to maintain expected aesthetic qualities of the sport. These requirements can cause distress which may lead athletes to suffer from eating disorder (ED) risk and body image dissatisfaction (BID). Objective: To examine the prevalence of risk for ED and determine the presence of body image dissatisfaction within adolescent cheerleaders. Design: This study was conducted as a part of a larger concurrent study with Dr. Torres-McGehee and Allison Smith. It is a cross sectional study. Setting: Online survey. Participants: Female …


Disc Golf As A Public Health Option: Utilizing America's Natural Resources To Offer Low Cost Outdoor Exercise, Victor Martins May 2017

Disc Golf As A Public Health Option: Utilizing America's Natural Resources To Offer Low Cost Outdoor Exercise, Victor Martins

Senior Theses

This paper explores the appeal and growth potential of disc golf as a way to offer a fun and immersive exercise experience. In a time when the United States is a world leader in obesity, understanding issues like appeal, exercise motivation and accessibility are important as the country looks to redirect itself towards a healthier future. In order to understand what brings disc golfers in, a survey of player motivations across demographic groups was completed using a rated average system. In doing so, researchers gained insight and verification of the game’s appeal under the framework of previous public health and …


A Coach's Guide For Injury Prevention In Youth Football, William Edward Allen Iii May 2016

A Coach's Guide For Injury Prevention In Youth Football, William Edward Allen Iii

Senior Theses

Youth football is a declining sport this day in age, and this decline can be associated with the negative connotations on football portrayed by the media. Parents need a sense of security when it comes to the health of their children, and this can be achieved by creating a safer environment; one in which young athletes correctly learn safe techniques improving the quality of the game, leading to a decrease in injuries. By creating a website that details instructions and provides protocols to educate coaches on proper preventative injury practices, football can take a step forward in injury prevention, resulting …


Association Of Sleep Behavior To Physical Activity And Bmi In 9th And 10th Grade Students, Sonia Lina Davda May 2016

Association Of Sleep Behavior To Physical Activity And Bmi In 9th And 10th Grade Students, Sonia Lina Davda

Senior Theses

Despite the topic’s popularity in research, the relationship between sleep duration and physical activity (PA) remains unclear. Measurement protocol differences, highly specific samples, and incomplete data contribute to varying results suggesting that additional research is needed. The purpose of the TRACK II study was to examine the relationship between PA, BMI, and self-reported sleep in adolescents. 369 9 th and 10 th grade students from 2 diverse school districts participated in the study. Participants completed a self-reported sleep questionnaire and had their height and weight measured. Demographic variables were also reported by participants. Actigraph accelerometers were used to objectively measure …


Bodypump And The Rep Effect: An Instructor's Evaluation Of The Low-Weight, High-Repetition Group Exercise Program, Meredith Pritchett May 2014

Bodypump And The Rep Effect: An Instructor's Evaluation Of The Low-Weight, High-Repetition Group Exercise Program, Meredith Pritchett

Senior Theses

My senior thesis project was to become a certified Les Mills BODYPUMP instructor. In order to obtain my certification I had to go through training, which was paid for by the University of South Carolina. Training was a mentally and physically demanding weekend full of lifting weights and learning everything there is to know about BODYPUMP techniques, choreography, and coaching. Afterwards, I had sixty days to send in a video of myself teaching the class to a group of participants in order for my teaching skills to be evaluated by Les Mills. I passed my evaluation and am now a …


Inactive To Active: A Positive Life Change, William Mclachlan May 2014

Inactive To Active: A Positive Life Change, William Mclachlan

Senior Theses

Not only has research unanimously supported the claim that physical activity is good for you, it is an idea that many people see as wide-spread enough to be considered banal. However, at a time when the United States is facing rising rates of obesity (Haskell et al., 2007), it is important to appreciate the importance of that information. In order to gain a personal understanding of the importance of physical activity, I engaged in resistance training five days per week and an additional four hours and 40 minutes, on average, of other physical activities, including yoga, stretching, and tennis, for …


High School Female Recruiting Guide To College Soccer, Elizabeth Sinclair May 2014

High School Female Recruiting Guide To College Soccer, Elizabeth Sinclair

Senior Theses

Ask any athlete how she got to where she is today. Did she play on an Olympic Development Team (ODP), or did she get recruited from a showcase tournament? There are a variety of paths when trying to play collegiate soccer, and one path is not better than the other. Even the thirty girls on the same college team may experience a vastly different recruiting process, but, somehow, they all end up in the same place. This paper offers mere overall guidance to the recruiting process for female high school soccer players, with helpful tips to use along the way. …


The Regulation Of Skeletal Muscle Mass And Mitochondrial Biogenesis By Gp130/Stat3 Signaling During Cancer Cachexia, Melissa Puppa Jan 2014

The Regulation Of Skeletal Muscle Mass And Mitochondrial Biogenesis By Gp130/Stat3 Signaling During Cancer Cachexia, Melissa Puppa

Theses and Dissertations

Cachexia affects nearly 70% of all cancer patients depending on the cancer, and decreases cancer survival. Cachexia is associated with muscle mass loss that is accompanied by a loss in muscle oxidative capacity, a decrease in protein synthesis and an increase in protein degradation. While progress has been made in understanding some of the mechanisms underlying the cachectic condition, there are currently no approved pharmaceutical interventions to slow or stop cachexia progression. The purpose this study was to determine the role of skeletal muscle gp130 and STAT3 signaling in the regulation of cachexia induced muscle atrophy and mitochondrial loss. Specific …


The Effect Of Radiation On Myofiber Properties In Mouse Skeletal Muscle, Dennis K. Fix Jan 2013

The Effect Of Radiation On Myofiber Properties In Mouse Skeletal Muscle, Dennis K. Fix

Theses and Dissertations

Radiotherapy has been proven as an effective and necessary treatment for cancer. The dose given is dependent on cancer type and location. It has been previously established that skeletal muscle is the most radiation tolerant tissue in the body. With that being said there is a current gap in the literature that is missing the effect of radiation doses on the histological properties of skeletal muscle. The overall purpose of this study is to determine the effect that a single unfractionated dose of 16Gy radiation has on histological properties of myofibers when compared to 4 fractionated doses of 4Gy . …