Sports Sciences Commons^™

Comparison Of Dual- And Tri-Axial Accelerometer Accuracy, Lindsay Powell Toth

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of the Omron HJ-720ITC and the Fitbit Zip activity monitors with regard to step count, energy expenditure, and distance traveled measurements. The importance of this research rests in the success rates of pedometer-based physical activity interventions which have been shown to increase physical activity while also enabling weight loss and lowering blood pressure in the adult population. Activity monitors available for retail sale must be found accurate for proper participation in exercise interventions especially low-cost devices as used in this study.

In order to test the accuracy of the Omron …

Coach And Athlete Perceptions Of An Athlete Monitoring And Strength And Conditioning Program, Jacob P. Reed

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to assess athlete perceptions of an athlete monitoring program throughout an academic year and coach perceptions throughout a competitive season. The secondary purpose was to develop a questionnaire designed to assess coach and athlete perceptions of the monitoring program. Methods: Athletes and coaches participating in the athlete monitoring program at East Tennessee State University’s (ETSU) Sport Performance Enhancement Consortium (SPEC) were invited to participate. Reliability for the coach and athlete questionnaires and principle components analysis (PCA) of the athlete questionnaire was completed after initial development of the questionnaire (11 questions for athletes and …

Physical And Performance Characteristics May Influence Successful Completion Of Military Tasks On The Sandhurst Competition, Keith A. Leiting

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Identification and development of physical characteristics that lead to efficient performance of military skills or tasks has been a consistently difficult task for the United States military for decades. The literature suggests certain physical characteristics may be more important, although this information is conflicting. Furthermore, the military physical fitness training program that is intended to prepare soldiers for combat is commonly evaluated with the Army Physical Fitness Test (PFT), a test that is more suited for evaluating health and wellness rather than task-specific fitness. All of this testing and training of soldiers focuses on the individual soldiers and their abilities …

Lower Body Strength And Power Characteristics Influencing Change Of Direction And Straight-Line Sprinting Performance In Division I Soccer Players: An Exploratory Study, Chieh-Ying Chiang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the influence of lower body strength characteristics on change of direction (COD) performance in NCAA Division I soccer athletes. Specifically, this dissertation served to examine: 1) whether the lower body strength and power were related to COD performance, 2) whether stronger athletes had superior COD performance than weaker athletes, 3) whether the force production asymmetry and strength dominant (SD) associated with COD performance, and 4) weather sex differences existed in kinetic variables during the stand phase of cutting.

The major findings of this dissertation include: 1) strength and power characteristics were moderately …

Fluorine Containing Uv-Curable Materials For Advanced Transport Applications, James Thomas Goetz

Dissertations

The characterization of structure, thermal, gas transport, and free volume properties of two unique UV cured polymeric systems are studied and reported. In the initial pursuit of waterproof high water vapor transport membranes, it became apparent that the UV curing of fluorinated materials yielded routes to develop unique materials that fundamentally challenge conventional models for free volume and light gas transport behavior. UV-curing provides a means to rapidly “lock-in” morphologies that are accessible in the small molecule, monomer phase but rapidly become kinetically inaccessible when constraints such as covalent bonding and cross linking limit motion in the polymer system. This …

An Evaluation Of Kinematic Variables During Stance Phase Of A Training Endurance Run, Joshua Paul Bailey

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of the study was to evaluate kinematics of the lower extremity during the stance phase of an endurance training run. Fifteen participants (8 male, 7 female; 30.5 ± 8.4 years; 71.8 ± 11 kg; 1.73 ± 0.07 m) reported that they were currently signed up for, or planned on signing up for, an endurance race within the next six months of participation in the study (9 half marathon, 3 marathon, 1 triathlon, 2 21k trail run). All had a weekly running mileage greater than 20 miles (23.8 ±4.6 miles). Participants were required to complete the 15–kilometer training run …

Stride Length-Speed Relationship During Body Weight Supported Running, Carmen Chona

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to determine if body weight support influences the stride length-speed relationship. Additionally, the purpose was to determine if impact characteristics of running are influenced by body weight support and speed. Subjects (n=10; 6 female, 4 male) volunteered to participate in this study. All subjects were injury free and were comfortable running on a treadmill for 30 minutes. Subjects ran on a lower body positive (LBPP, Alter-G, G-Trainer) treadmill for 4 conditions of body weight (100, 40, 30 and 20% of body weight) and 4 running speeds (100, 110, 120 and 130% of the preferred …

Physical And Technical Demands Of Women’S Collegiate Soccer, Ryan Alexander

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the physical and technical demands of the women’s college soccer game through a case study approach. With advancements in technology, motion analysis has become commonplace in most professional environments. However, the literature on amateur soccer is quite scarce and warrants more attention. The aims of this dissertation were: 1) to describe the physical demands of each position for a women’s college soccer player as they relate to total distance covered, efforts, and distance covered in high-speed velocity bands, 2) explore the variation in physical performance during a competitive season, and 3) compare …

Blood-Based Biomarkers For Traumatic Brain Injury: Evaluation Of Research Approaches, Available Methods And Potential Utility From The Clinician And Clinical Laboratory Perspectives, Frederick G. Strathmann, Stefanie Podlog (Nee Schulte), Kyle Goerl, David J. Petron

Athletic Training Collection

Blood-based biomarkers for traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been investigated and proposed for decades, yet the current clinical assessment of TBI is largely based on clinical symptoms that can vary widely amongst patients, and have significant overlap with unrelated disease states. A careful review of current treatment guidelines for TBI further highlights the potential utility of a blood-based TBI biomarker panel in augmenting clinical decision making. Numerous expert reviews on blood-based TBI biomarkers have been published but a close look at the methods used and the astonishing paucity of validation and quality control data has not been undertaken from the …

Comparison Of Kinematics And Accuracy Of Overhand American Football Throwing, Cale Anderson, Sarah Breen, Randall L. Jensen

Conference Presentations

No abstract provided.

Changes In Running Gait Parameters During A 161 Km Trail Race, Sarah Breen, Mitchell Stephenson, Randall L. Jensen, Scott Drum

Conference Presentations

No abstract provided.

Diagnostic Problem Solving In Male Collegiate Athletic Trainers, Frederick A. Gardin, James M. Mensch

Department of Exercise Science and Physical Education Scholarship and Creative Works

Context: Knowledge and experience may be important factors for understanding expertise based upon a clinician's ability to select and execute an appropriate response as a clinician during injury evaluation.

Objective: To describe how collegiate male certified athletic trainers represent injury-evaluation domain knowledge during a situational interview using a think-aloud protocol.

Design: Qualitative.

Setting: National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and II colleges in National Athletic Trainers' Association District 3.

Patients or Other Participants: A total of 20 male certified athletic trainers (n = 10 with less than 2 years of experience in the college setting and n = 10 with …

Leg Dynamic Strength Predictors Of A Pre-Planned Change Of Direction Task In Ncaa Division 1 Soccer Players, Chieh-Ying Chiang, Christopher A. Bailey, Christohper J. Sole, Timothy J. Suchomel, Kimitake Sato, Michael H. Stone

ETSU Faculty Works

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the relationships between two types of vertical jumps and change of direction (COD) test in collegiate soccer players (n=24). 5-5 COD test was utilized to measure soccer athletes’ COD ability. 3m acceleration (3mAcc), Total time (TT) and Partial time (PT) were measured by two sets of timing gates. Countermovement jump (CMJ) and static jump (SJ) with 2 different loading conditionings (0kg and 20kg) were employed to evaluate athletes’ leg dynamic strength. Strong statistically significant relationships were found between COD test variables (r =0.71 to 0.90), and between vertical jump variables with PT …

Changes In Peak Acceleration In The Snatch Across Multiple - Attempts In Training: A Case Study, George K. Beckham, Kimitake Sato, Timothy J. Suchomel, William A. Sands, Michael H. Stone

ETSU Faculty Works

Accelerometers are devices that have been recently used to assess the performance of weightlifters in training. This case study used vertical acceleration data to assess multiple snatch attempts in a single lifter during a training session. The lifter exhibited variability in a number of measures, including peak acceleration and peak velocity. The measures calculated from the acceleration-time data did not show consistent trends between made and missed lifts. More work is needed identify variables of interest for snatch performance.

Longitudinal Monitoring Of Countermovement Jump Mechanical Variables: A Preliminary Investigation, Christopher J. Sole, Satoshi Mizuguchi, Timothy J. Suchomel, William A. Sands, Michael H. Stone

ETSU Faculty Works

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of accumulated volume load on countermovement jump (CMJ) mechanical variables. Eight athletes underwent weekly CMJ testing using a force plate. Statistical changes were observed in certain CMJ variables over the observation period. Jump height (0.42±0.05 m) and allometrically scaled peak power (88.86±7.49 W·kg-0.67) exhibited multiple statistical changes. These changes appeared to exhibit a delayed effect in response to accumulated volume load. Specifically, following several weeks of large accumulated volume loads these variables declined. In addition subsequently decreasing accumulated volume loads resulted in an increase in both variables. The findings of …

Effectiveness Of A Football Over Helmet Padding System In Reducing Peak Acceleration Of The Head And Severity Index 2014, Nicole Cuccurullo

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if: (a) a football helmet equipped with the Guardian Cap meets the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) football helmet standards and (b) if the Severity Indexes and peak accelerations produced during the NOCSAE impact tests were smaller for a football helmet equipped with the Guardian Cap over-helmet padding system than for the same helmet without the Guardian Cap. A total of 54 drop impact tests were completed, 27 on the football helmet alone and 27 on the football helmet equipped with the Guardian Cap. Tests were completed on …

Research Brief: "The Impact Of Sport And Physical Activity On The Well-Being Of Combat Veterans: A Systematic Review", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about the influence that sports and exercise have on veterans' well-being and therapies that impact the well-being of combat veterans. In policy and practice, healthcare practitioners should prepare comprehensive treatment models that encompass physical activity and sports where appropriate, and support groups should encourage veterans to participate in competitive sports or other recreational activities; the DoD could expand programs to provide sports to more disabled combat veterans and the VA should re-evaluate its programs to ensure there are no barriers to participation. Suggestions for future research include studying the effects of sports and exercise on the well-being …

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. …

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 …

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 …

Thermoregulatory Responses Of Runners Following A Warm-Weather Road Race, Luke N. Belval

University Scholar Projects

Purpose: To quantify the skin temperature changes following intense exercise in warm-weather. Methods: Anterior thermal images and gastrointestinal temperature (TGI) from 20 male runners (mean±SD; 73.5 ± 10.9 kg) participating in a 11.2 km road race were collected before and immediately after the race. Wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and wind speed were recorded at the finish line. Infrared thermal images were divided into 11 distinct regions, superior torso (ST), inferior torso (IT), face (F), right forearm (RF), left forearm (LF), right upper arm (RUA), left upper arm (LUA), right thigh (RT), left thigh (LT), right lower leg (RLL) and left …

Lower Body Kinematic Comparisons Between Front And Back Squats In Response To Loads, Joosung Kim

Master’s Theses and Projects

The squat is considered as one of the most popular exercises prescribed by therapists, athletic trainers, researchers, coaches, and athletes for injury prevention and strength and conditioning. People commonly associate the squat exercise as the back squat. However, the front squat has been advocated to reduce the stress to the lower back while increasing the leg strength. The proper front squat technique and the changes in the spine and lower extremity joints in response to load mass are still unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the lower body kinematic comparisons between front and back squat exercises …

The Quadmill: Effects Of Eccentric Training Vs. Concentric Training On Lower Extremity Power And Anaerobic Capacity 2014., John Crosby

Master's Theses

Training focuses on the concentric action of muscle during exercise for most exercise programs, but eccentric training may yield greater results. The Quadmill^TM is a unique piece of training equipment that focuses on training the quadriceps muscle eccentrically. Purpose: to determine if using the Quadmill^TM could increase power and anaerobic capacity to the same level, if not greater, than a standard concentric focused lower body training protocol. Participants were 44 undergraduate college students (24 Male 20 Female) Design: participants placed into three equal groups (Quadmill^TM, Lifting, Control). The two experimental groups (Quadmill^TM and Lifting) underwent …

Factors Affecting The Coefficient Of Friction Of Soccer Goalie Gloves 2014, Candice Hofmann

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to compare the coefficients of static friction of five different pairs of soccer goalie gloves with one soccer ball and to compare the effects of four different glove conditions on the coefficients of static friction. Specifically, the coefficients of static friction were determined and compared for one size 5 soccer ball (Select) with five different pairs of goalie gloves (Nike Vapor Grip 3, Select 88, Uhlsport Aqua, Uhlsport Soft and Uhlsport Hard) and four different glove conditions (new, wet, saliva and dirty). Surrogate wooden fingers were inserted into each glove and the glove was …

Effects Of Jump Training On Bone Mineral Density In Young Adult Females, Battogtokh Zagdsuren

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Physical activity is critical to bone health. However, not all physical activity has optimum effect on bone health and metabolism. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a short term progressive jumping protocol on bone mineral density in college age Asian females. Sixteen participants aged18-28 years enrolled in the study. Participants were assigned to exercise (n=9) and control (n=8) groups. The exercise group completed a two-legged depth jump from an approximate 20cm stepbench followed immediately by a maximum vertical jump using arm swings for five days per week for two weeks. Each depth jump and vertical …

Effect Of Weight Support On Tibial Accelerations During A Lower-Body Positive Pressure Treadmill Cadence Controlled Run, Brendan J. Rickert, Matthew F. Moran, Beau K. Greer

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Running in a lower-body positive pressure treadmill (LBPP-TM) is utilized for athletes to maintain fitness while recovering from tibial stress fracture. Previous investigations report that step rate is linearly related to level of body weight (BW) support and tibial accelerations (TA) is not significantly reduced until

Athletic Trainers' Knowledge And Perceptions Of Testicular Cancer And Testicular Cancer Prevention Practices, Christopher Mings

HIM 1990-2015

Context: Collegiate male athletes have a higher risk of testicular cancer due to their age group, an increased risk of testicular contusions, and a lack of secondary prevention education. As the athletic training profession increases emphasis on evidence-based practice, it is important for athletic trainers to understand testicular cancer and testicular-self examination as it is outlined within their scope of practice. A general understanding of testicular cancer and the prevention techniques will be important for athletic trainers to promote awareness and health behavior practices. Objective: To examine the athletic trainers' actual knowledge, concern, perceived responsibility, training, feeling of embarrassment, and …

The Effect Of Winter Versus Summer Running On Lower Extremity Musculoskeletal Injury Rate In Recreational Runners, Elizabeth Frieseke

All NMU Master's Theses

The effects of cryotherapy on body tissues suggest that cold exposure can decrease performance measures, including proprioception, strength, and agility. Since a decrease in proprioception and strength have been linked with an increase of injury rates, this suggests that exposure to cold conditions may increase injury rates. The main purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in musculoskeletal injury rates in the winter compared to the summer months in recreational runners. The participants were surveyed on their injury history for the past year. The results of this study showed that the injury rate for musculoskeletal …

Acute Effects Of Long Distance Running On C-Reactive Protein And Arterial Stiffness, Bridget E. Durocher

All NMU Master's Theses

Abstract

Central arterial stiffness, indicated by pulse wave velocity (PWV), is increased during the hour post ultramarathon (ULT), but it's currently unknown if PWV remains elevated 24 hours after ULT or marathon (MAR). PURPOSE: To determine the effects of ULT and MAR on C-reactive protein (CRP), aortic blood pressure (BP), aortic augmentation index (AIx), PWV, and LF:HF ratio. We hypothesized that CRP, AIx, PWV and LF:HF ratio would be elevated 24 hours post-race. Our secondary hypothesis was that changes in PWV would be inversely correlated to the percentage of moderate activity (3-6 METs) during competition. METHODS: Applanation tonometry was used …

The Effect Of Repeated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury On Ventricular Volume And Microglial Activation, Lillian Rose Talbot

Honors Scholar Theses

As the leading cause of death and disability in individuals under the age of 45-years-old, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a public health crisis that demands the attention of the scientific and medical community [28]. The majority of all TBIs that occur in the United States each year are a non-deadly yet detrimental form of closed brain injury known as mild TBI (mTBI) or concussion [6]. Athletes, young people and military personnel all face a high risk of acquiring mTBI as a result of their environments. In our study we have chosen to model repeated mTBI (rmTBI) in the mouse …