Sports Sciences Commons^™

Comparison Of Psychological States Of Runners Within Urban And Rural Environments, Christian Demastus

Honors Theses

With the research on persons health and well being increasing within the past years, new questions have emerged on if certain environments can also benefit along with exercise. This study looked at the different psychological states of endurance runners as they run in urban environments and transition into rural settings. The results of this study showed significant differences between urban and rural environments. Also showed increased focus going downhill in nature and greater inward attention while moving uphill in nature. With the findings from this study, it explains why runners choose to run or train where they do.

Health Policy Responses And Infrastructure Re-Use In Host Cities Of Mega-Sporting Events In Non-Traditional Host Countries, Andrew Kramer

Honors Theses

The IOC has increased their focus on long-term effects for hosts of the Olympic Games, coinciding with increased academic interest in studying the positive and negative legacies of mega-sporting events in the host city. Recently, cities in relatively underdeveloped countries have won bids for mega-sporting events. City officials and the IOC have begun marketing mega-sporting events as transformational events for underdeveloped cities’ economies, urban infrastructure, social landscape, and health. The thesis investigates the impact of hosting mega-sporting events for public health and infrastructure in three case studies: the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the 2014 Winter Olympics …

Interference Of The Inflammasome Via Interferonβ, Madeline Sauer

Honors Theses

Metabolic disorders such as type two diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and obesity are known to have a chronic low grade inflammatory tissue environment as well as an increase in excess lipids. Current research suggests that a tightly regulated oligoprotein complex known as the NLRP3 inflammasome is highly activated in T2DM and obesity. However, it is not well understood the interplay between excess lipids, which was previously shown in our lab to cause lysosome damage, and inflammation. A key transcription factor that is known to have both an inflammatory effect as well as an effect on lipid metabolism is PPARγ. For this …

The Effect Of Oral Rehydration Solutions (Sports Drinks) On Strength, Speed, And Endurance: A Field Study, Andrea Wisniewski

Honors Theses

Research Objective: The specific objective of this study is to contrast three different oral rehydration solutions (sports drinks) during a prolonged exercise trial on muscular strength, speed, and endurance in healthy young adult males.

Methodology: Thirteen (13) healthy male subjects will participate in a 5-mile walk on an outdoor track carrying a 40-pound rucksack on three separate occasions while drinking one of three (3) oral rehydration solutions (sports drinks) at a rate of 250 mL every 15 minutes as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine. All three trails will be performed outdoors and differences in environmental conditions accounted …

Winning Off The Field: How Social Media Analytics Measure The Sports Industry, Ryan Mcgarvey

Honors Theses

Since Facebook became available to the public, social media (SM) has become the most popular online activity. Currently, 91% of adults are active SM users. Of this 91% of adults on SM, more than 20% of their time online is spent on networking sites like Facebook and Twitter (Weiguo and Gordon, 2014). These powerful tools connect people around the world and show no signs of slowing down.

SM has become a popular online activity for individuals, especially for those involved in business. SM is seen as a tool to aid businesses in spreading their own message, at little to no …

Effects Of Combination Ice And Compression Socks On Resting Calf Blood Flow In Trained Male Athletes, Michael John Hudock Jr.

Honors Theses

Compression socks are common tools that are utilized in the realm of athletics. The purpose of the compression is to increase blood flow to the lower extremities, thereby increasing oxygen and energy sources needed for increased skeletal muscle function and/or recovery. Recently, a product has been marketed that combines the compression element with cryotherapy, the goal being increased blood flow to the lower extremities while reducing inflammation post-workout to quicken recovery. However, to our knowledge, direct measures of blood flow using this type of product have not been performed. Thus, this study looks at the effects of compression with and …

Fall Risk Assessment Of Older Adults With Dementia Attending Goodwill Easter Seals Adult Day Services Programs, Jamie Wynk

Honors Theses

Background and Purpose: Elderly individuals, especially those with dementia, are at an increased risk for falls. These falls can result in extremely serious injuries. However, little is known as to what factors put an Alzheimer’s patient most at risk for falls. This study seeks to determine which known fall risk factors are experienced by adults with dementia who attend adult day services. By understanding what risk factors put an individual at an increased likelihood for falls, a specific intervention can be designed to prevent falls in this population.

Participants: To be included in this study, participants had to …

Acl Injuries In Female Athletes: Are Prevention Programs The Answer?, Brooke Chandor

Honors Theses

Around 400,000 people tear their anterior cruciate ligaments (ACLs) every year in the United States. The majority of these injuries occur during athletics, and most commonly to females. Their neuromuscular abilities, anatomies, and hormones put female athletes at a much higher risk of ACL injury than male athletes. The current gold standard of treatment, ACL reconstruction, is an imperfect technique at best. It leaves patients with much higher risk of both ACL reinjury and early onset of osteoarthritis. Prevention programs, aimed at reducing the neuromuscular risk factors in female athletes, have proved to effectively reduce the number of noncontact ACL …

The Effects Of Cooling On Collegiate Basketball Player’S Core Temperature, Heart Rate, Rating Of Perceived Recovery And Rating Of Perceived Exertion, Taylor Phelps

Honors Theses

Cryotherapy is commonly used in sport and performance applications however primarily as a means for improved recovery. Intermittent cooling during competition may contribute to improved performance by modifying perceptual or physiological stress. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of intermittent cooling (IC) versus no cooling (NC) through the course of a collegiate basketball game in a thermoneutral environment. METHODS: Eight healthy, (age, 22 ± 1 year, height, 186.7 ± 7.1 cm, weight 93.4 ± 10.1 kg) competitively-trained collegiate basketball players participated in a randomized and counterbalanced repeated measures protocol. Participants performed in 3 simulated games. …

The Acute Effects Of Aerobic And Resistance Exercise On Cardiovascular Function And Arterial Stiffness, Hayleigh Elizabeth Raiff

Honors Theses

The cardiovascular system changes acutely to the stresses of exercise to support the increased metabolic demand of the working tissues. This is accomplished through the augmentation of several parameters including heart rate, blood pressure, and vascular tone such as arterial stiffness. Exercise training has been shown to elicit changes in arterial stiffness but the acute effects of exercise on arterial stiffness have not been thoroughly studied. The current study examined the acute effects of no (control), aerobic (30 minutes of cycling at ~70% maximum heart rate), and resistance exercise (30 minutes, 3 sets of 10 repetitions for 6 exercises) on …

Female Division I Cross Country Runners: Is Balance An Issue?, Stephanie Taylor

Honors Theses

Injuries, including those resulting from falls, are virtually unavoidable in the sport of cross country. Due to the constantly changing terrains that cross country runners face, falls and injuries may be a more common aspect of the sport than previously thought. The strenuous nature of the sport and increased injury risk faced by runners are things that make being successful very difficult. Researchers have made connections between joint stability, muscle fatigue, proprioception, and muscle strength and injury/fall rate. Studies have found that balance abilities are lower in fatigued muscles. The frequent injury trends in distance runners show that many of …

Assessment Of Balance In Collegiate Cheerleaders: Is Implementing A Balance Training Program A Good Idea?, Caitlin Carroll

Honors Theses

Cheerleading has evolved immensely over the years. Gone are the days of simply shaking pom poms and yelling "GO TEAM!" Flips, twists, and prime athletic ability are what can be seen on the sidelines of any collegiate football or basketball game. Cheerleaders in general are assumed to have an above average level of balance, due to the nature of their training and sport. However, with these new skills comes the increasing risk for injury, and this risk may differ according to a cheerleader's position. As with any sport, cheerleading has specific positions. The cheerleaders that are put into the air …

The Effect Of The Female Athlete Triad On Performance: Both Physiologically And Psychologically, Constance Darlington

Honors Theses

The female athlete triad is a condition that is composed of an interaction of three separate disorders: low energy intake due to the presence of an eating disorder or disordered eating, menstrual dysfunction, such as, oligomenorrhea or amenorrhea, and osteoporosis. Separately, each disorder can affect performance; however, when the disorders are combined, the consequences are magnified. The female triad has a profound effect on an athlete's performance both physiologically and psychologically. The female athlete triad can affect any female athlete; however, it is more prevalent among the athletes that specialize in aesthetic sports or sports that emphasize leanness, for example, …

Golf: An Alternative Form Of Physical Activity For An Aging Population, Lisa Richardson

Honors Theses

It has been found that breaking an exercise into multiple ten minute bouts can provide the same results as a lump bout of the same time (American College of Sports Medicine, 2010). Though little research has been done on its effectiveness as a modality of physical activity, golf, due to the considerable amounts of walking involved and the social and leisure nature of the game, could be used as an option of physical activity for older adults. In this literature review, the primary goal is to investigate the literature regarding how much energy an older adult could predictably expend while …

Rpe And Mode Of Exercise, Victoria Helmus

Honors Theses

The American College of Sports Medicine currently recommends that all individuals age 18-65 perform vigorous aerobic activity for at least 20 minutes 3 days a week, or moderate intensity aerobic activity for at least 30 minutes 5 days a week. Activities that fall under this category include, but are not limited to walking, running, cycling, swimming and elliptical machines. When an individual exercises, they have a sense of what their intensity level is based on how they 'feel'. Ratings of Perceived Exertion charts serve as a guide for this subjective thought process. There are wide ranges of intensities associated with …

Nutrition Knowledge Of Division I Tennis And Cross-Country Collegiate Athletes At Coastal Carolina University, Kate Dowling

Honors Theses

As competition increases, athletes continue to look for ways to gain a competitive edge. A review of the sources reveals that athletes lack nutritional knowledge; this could impair their performance. If athletes were more educated in nutritional knowledge, they would understand the importance of food in fueling one's body. This may dissuade athletes from using unnecessary supplements or ergogenic aids. The purpose of this study is to add to the existing research to determine if Division I collegiate athletes lack nutritional knowledge. To determine this, a dietary behavior and nutritional knowledge questionnaire was conducted with 28 Division I collegiate athletes …

Age Predicted Heart Rate Max Equations In College-Aged Students, Jessica Benchley

Honors Theses

Many clinicians use heart rate to tell how fit an individual is and how healthy they are. They can prescribe exercise based on heart rate and other medical conditions to help clients get better through exercise. Instead of running a client through a graded exercise test each time there is a problem, it would be much more effective to find an accurate equation to predict a max heart rate value and prescribe exercise using that value. The purpose of this experiment is to see which equation tends to predict the most accurate max heart after.

An Analysis Of The Dietary Behaviors Of Coastal Carolina University's Ncaa Division I Student-Athletes, Alyssa Markowitz

Honors Theses

It is common knowledge that practice is the key to becoming better at something. This theory holds true with almost anything, from tying shoelaces to becoming a professional athlete. Elite athletes say that what has made them reach the top in their sports today is an incredible amount of dedication to repeatedly practicing their skills. As competition in sports becomes fiercer and starts at an increasingly younger age, practicing gains emphasis, but this is not the only aspect of achieving optimal performance that is extremely important. There is another factor that plays into how well one performs that is not …