Sports Sciences Commons^™

Uri Athletics Fueling Station, Caitlin O'Leary

Senior Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Exploration Of Salivary-Omics Analyses For Stress Biomarker Monitoring, Ashanthi Snell

Honors Scholar Theses

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: To support long-term study into the salivary -omics responses to stress that may be used in biomonitoring during exercise and environmental stress, we pursued a focused study to establish optimized protocols and demonstrate that stress-specific markers are expressed to sufficient detectable limits and responsive to rest, exercise-heat stress, and to multi-day acclimation. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles, >150 nm in diameter secreted by multiple cell types and contain potentially stress-, disease-, or cell-damage-specific proteins, mRNAs, and miRNAs. Exosomes can be fractionated by their solubility and density from a variety of biofluids and probed for vesicular biomarkers (vs. freely circulating or …

Salivary Microrna As A Concussion Biomarker And The Implications For Athletic Trainers' Practices, Thomas Richard Campbell

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Many concussions are sustained globally each year; however, research suggests that a large number may go undiagnosed due to a reliance on subjective information from patients and limitations of current objective measures. Recently, efforts have been focused on identifying clinical biomarkers of concussions, including salivary microRNA (miRNA), to improve healthcare professionals’ concussion management practices. Even if salivary miRNA were shown to be a valid and reliable measure for managing concussions, healthcare professionals, such as athletic trainers (ATs), must be familiar with the tool and have positive attitudes toward the implementation into clinical practice. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was …

Assessing The Applicability Of A Three-Minute All-Out Swimming Test In Collegiate Swimmers, Luis Rodriguez-Castellano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Performance tests are used to gauge swimmer fitness and guide training prescription. While some traditional protocols, such as, best average swimming (Bavg) lack scientific support, the three-minute all-out test (3MT) is validated to measure critical speed (CS) and distance capacity above CS (D’) from a single maximal swimming bout. In collegiate swimming, a 3MT could be convenient and time efficient. Yet, issues arise with calculating 3MT parameters. Moreover, anthropometry, resistance training, and stroke technique may influence swimming performance and physiological thresholds including 3MT parameters. Hence, this dissertation focused on evaluating the 3MT parameter calculation methods using the interval and lap …

Innovations In Football Protective Headgear, Henry Bethel

Civil Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Adding impact reduction to football protective headgear decreases the reactionary acceleration experienced by the cranium. Utilizing an iteration of the National Operating Committee for Standards in Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) method of testing per ASTM F429, a drop tower was fabricated, and 27 drop tests were conducted upon a standard helmet (control) and the Summerlin model helmet (test), measuring the maximum acceleration experienced by each drop. Drop tests involved variable heights and test angles with three drops being made per combination. The Summerlin model drops were conducted until failure, occurring at the third 3” drop at the “front” location at an …

Impact Of Physical Activity Levels On College Student Depression, Anxiety, And Stress, Sophia R. Sullivan Almquist

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

A moderate to high prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress have been found in undergraduate students. Physical activity has been shown to decrease anxiety, depression, and stress. Examining the impacts of physical activity on the mental health of college students might show to be beneficial. PURPOSE: To assess if self-reported physical activity levels impact depression, anxiety, and stress levels in college students. METHODS: A total of 92 college students from private institutions in central Minnesota completed an online survey. The survey collected demographics including age, gender, height, weight, and year in school. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used …

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 …

Meeting, Moving, Mastering - A Text Analysis Of The Aesthetic Attractions Of 'Wild Swimming', Dagmar Dahl, Åsa I. Bäckström

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Why are people fascinated by swimming in nature? This article addresses the aesthetic experiences of wild swimming as expressed by five wild swimming authors in their books. Drawing from aesthetic philosophy, we analyze the ways in which the appeal of wild swimming is described on three levels: the allure of water in the environment, the sensory encounter between water and the body, and the experience of moving in water. Furthermore, with reference to Seel’s concept of nature aesthetics (1996), the experience of wild swimming is analyzed in terms of contemplation, correspondence, and imagination. We can conclude that the special intensity …

In This Issue (14:1), Stephen J. Langendorfer Ph.D.

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

In This Issue 14:1 introduces and overviews the research and education articles and position statement associated with the first issue of the fourteenth volume of the International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education.

Aquatics For Individuals With Disabilities: An Analysis Of Publication Trends, Susan J. Grosse

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

This study investigates the published literature in the field of aquatics with disabilities; more specifically, it examines literature published during the most recent two decades, 2000 through 2019. Considerations include the content focus of published articles relating to aquatics with disabilities, distribution of articles over the specified time period, publication opportunities for authors, barriers as well as enhancements to development of literature in the field, and summary recommendations.

Which Stroke Next? All Strokes Next! Part Two: Strokes For Intermediate And Advanced Swimmers, Robert Keig Stallman, Ebbe L. Horneman, Nils O. Vikander, Alexander Mwaipasi, Bente W. H. Laakso, Haakon - Paavo L. Nysted, Toni Ongala

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The primary goal of this two-part project is to answer the rhetorical question of which strokes should be taught first, and which later (Langendorfer, 2013, Stallman, 2014a). As you have seen in Part One, we emphasize (as have many others) the need for a firm foundation before any stroke is introduced. When the learner is ready for propulsive motor competencies, there is no stroke which suits all as their first. In Part One we explored the “beginning strokes” all of which are candidates for any given learner’s first stroke. We also argued that after mastering their very first stroke the …

Towards A Globalised Vision Of Aquatic Competence, Rita F. Pinto, Juan Antonio Moreno Murcia

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

Human interaction with the aquatic environment has always taken different forms to meet the needs of pleasure, survival, therapy or performance. The diversity of existing aquatic spaces presents itself as a challenge, due to their variety, dynamism, unpredictability and unrepeatable conditions. These factors potentiate an infinite number of possibilities for human response in interaction with the aquatic environment, with aquatic competence being the one that will be able to sustain all types of interaction. Thus, the aim of the proposal has been to present a new approach to the contextualisation of aquatic competence. After a literature review on the concept …

Revisiting The Metaphorical Concept Of “No Strokes First - All Strokes First”: Part One - Beginning Strokes, Robert Keig Stallman Ph.D., Alex Mwaipasi, Ebbe Laakso Horneman, Nils Olof Vikander, Bente Wäinösdatter Horneman Laakso, Haakon-Paavo Laakso Nysted, Toni Ongala

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The aim of this article is to address the familiar question “Which swimming stroke should be taught first?” The discussion is usually focused on breaststroke versus crawl. Provoked by these naïve discussions of which stroke should be taught first (as if stroking equals swimming, which it emphatically does NOT), the question was answered metaphorically in an earlier article “No Stroke First – All Strokes First” (Stallman, 2008a). Here in Part I we identify and describe six strokes, all of which might be a candidate for any learners ‘very first’ stroke. We describe them as beginning strokes. Having identified and learned …

The Effect Of Golf Bag Load Carriage On Lower Body Force Expenditure, Ryan Collins-Smith

Honors College Theses

Golf is one of the fastest growing sports worldwide and as one of the most difficult sports to excel at, every area of improvement is important. Load carriage, lower body force production, and perceived exertion are keys to improving. The purpose of this project was to investigate the influence of a variety of golf bag load carriage styles on vertical jump performance and perceived exertion. The different modes of golf bag load carriage were no golf bag (1), single-strap golf bag (2), double-strap golf bag above sacrum height (3), double-strap golf bag below sacrum height (4), and push cart for …

Csb Student-Athlete Mental Health Promotion, Ally Frantzick

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

No abstract provided.

Agreeability Of Actigraph And Activpal 4™ Measures Of Vigorous Activity, Hannah Sandstrom, Barry Francis, Alyssa Thomas, Sthefany Diaz Orduz, Bre Mcdonald, Sophia Ramirez

Symposium of Student Scholars

Key Words: Accelerometry, activPal 4™, ActiGraph, RPE, HR

Introduction: Wearable technologies are consistently used in research to track physical activity and study how it can improve overall health. ActiGraph and activPal are research-grade accelerometers that track activity levels of all intensities in humans. ActivPal has recently improved its technology to measure vigorous activity more accurately to be consistent with the gold standard Actigraph measures. The purpose of this study is to test the agreeability between the vigorous activity measures of the ActiGraph and activPal 4™ devices. Methods: Regular exercisers are being recruited from the KSU Department of Exercise Science and …

Comparison Of Two Reminder Interventions To Achieve Adequate Water Intake And Hydration In Women: A Pilot Study, Brenda Reeves, Ben Carter, Lauren Roberson, D. Gage Jordan

Faculty & Staff Research and Creative Activity

Introduction: This pilot study examined the effectiveness of 2 different 5-week reminder interventions to achieve adequate water intake and hydration in women as well as the effects of body composition and self-efficacy on hydration.

Methods: Twenty-two apparently healthy adult women were randomly assigned to the 64 oz. motivational water bottle group (n = 11), or the water reminder – daily tracker app group (n = 11). Body composition, predicted VO_2max, and self-efficacy were assessed at baseline, post 5-week intervention, and after a 30-day follow-up period. Urine markers (color, specific gravity, and pH) were reported at baseline, weekly …

Adaptive Sports Equipment: A Resource For Clinicians, Coaches, & Athletes, Allison Chown

Student Capstone Papers

Background: About 61 million adults who live in the United States (US) have a disability, which equates to about one in four adults in the US (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2020). Unfortunately, only one out of every ten people who need assistive technology (AT) have access to the proper equipment, with lack of awareness of the devices being one of the causes (World Health Organization [WHO], 2018). It has been noted in literature that a lack of awareness exists amongst clinicians, coaches, & athletes regarding available adaptive equipment (AE) to support participation in adaptive sports ([AS] Bergem, …

Adaptive Sports Equipment: A Resource For Clinicians, Coaches, & Athletes, Allison Chown, Steven M. Gerardi, Christopher Ebner

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

About 61 million adults who live in the United States (US) have a disability, which equates to about one in four adults in the US (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2020). Unfortunately, only one out of every ten people who need assistive technology (AT) have access to the proper equipment, with lack of awareness of the devices being one of the causes (World Health Organization [WHO], 2018). It has been noted in literature that a lack of awareness exists amongst clinicians, coaches, & athletes regarding available adaptive equipment (AE) to support participation in adaptive sports ([AS] Bergem, 2020). …

Moderate To Vigorous-Intensity Continuous Training Versus High-Intensity Interval Training For Improving Vo2max In Women: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Robert Lindner, Isaac Selva Raj, Angela W. H. Yang, Shadman Zaman, Brianna Larsen, Joshua Denham

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Traditional continuous training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can increase maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). However, there is conflicting evidence regarding which form of training demonstrates the greatest improvements to VO2max, and data in women is sparse. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses to assess whether moderate to vigorous-intensity continuous training (MVICT) or HIIT was superior at improving VO2max in women. Randomised controlled and parallel studies examined the influence of MVICT and/or HIIT on VO2max in women. There was no statistical difference in VO2max improvements after training between women in the MVICT and HIIT cohorts (mean difference [MD]: −0.42, 95%CI: …

Correlation Between Quadriceps And Hamstring Isokinetic Strength To Ball Velocity During A Soccer Kick, Maggie L. Plouff, Miah L. Busse, Mikayla J. Pieper, Brady Ferguson, Aaron M. Baker

Research & Creative Achievement Day

When kicking a soccer ball, large forces are generated by the quadriceps and hamstring muscles that extend and flex the knee. The angular acceleration[GJR1] at this joint and the torques produced are[GJR2] related.

PURPOSE: The goal of this pilot study was to explore the relationship between isokinetic strength[GJR3] of the quadriceps and hamstring muscles to velocity of a kicked soccer ball and determine if isokinetic testing of quadriceps and hamstring strength can predict soccer ball velocity during a kick.

Methods: Four female NCAA Division II soccer athletes completed maximal effort knee flexion and extension at three isokinetic speeds, 60°/second, …

Influence Of Ground Reaction Forces And Joint Velocities On Kicking Velocity, Miah L. Busse, Maggie L. Plouff, Brady Ferguson

Research & Creative Achievement Day

Introduction: Kicking is a vital component in the game of soccer. One major factor that influences the success of a scoring attempt is ball velocity. Ground reaction force (GRF) and joint velocities of the lower extremities are variables of interest for increasing kicking velocity. Previous studies have shown exercise programs used to strengthen the muscles used in kicking have been successful in increasing kicking velocity (Manolopoulos, et al., 2013).[GJR1] To date, no known studies have analyzed the specific relationship between GRF, joint velocity and kicking velocity.

Purpose: The goal of this pilot study was to analyze the influence of ground …

Biomechanical Analysis Of Collegiate Softball Pitchers’ Spin Rate, Shoulder Range Of Motion, And Grip Strength, Harrison Fite

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation On Anaerobic Performance, Ava G. Swart

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

Multiple studies have been conducted on the effect of creatine monohydrate supplementation on muscular strength. However, evidence of the effect of creatine supplementation on anaerobic performance is less clear. PURPOSE: To determine if creatine supplementation impacts sprint speed and vertical jump height. METHODS: 10 females and 9 males (N=19) aged 21 ± 0 from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University participated in this randomized single blind study. Participants ingested creatine monohydrate or a placebo for 21 days and were tested on days 1, 6, 14, and 21. Day one tests were completed prior to the consumption of …

An Exploratory Study Of Aquatic Walking On Symptoms And Functional Limitations In Persons With Knee Osteoarthritis: Part 1, John M. Coons, Brandon Grubbs, Vaughn W. Barry, Ryan T. Conners, Sandra Stevens

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

This paper represents Part 1 of a study that explored the effects of an underwater treadmill (UT) walking program on pain and function in adults with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). The Western Ontario & McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), numerical rating scale (NRS), timed up-and-go (TUG), and 10-m walk were assessed in 6 adults (62.7 ±14.2 years) who participated in an 8-week (3x/wk) UT walking intervention based on the Arthritis Foundation’s Walk With Ease (WWE) program. Walking pace was self-selected, and walking duration of each session was increased from 10 to 45 minutes throughout the study. Knee pain and function were …

An Exploratory Study Of The Effects Of Aquatic Walking On Function And Muscle Activity In Knee Osteoarthritis: Part 2, John M. Coons, Brandon Grubbs, Conor Theiss, Vaughn W. Barry, Sandra Stevens

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

This paper presents Part 2 of a study that investigated the effects of an 8-week (3x/week) underwater treadmill (UT) walking intervention on knee osteoarthritis (KOA) outcomes in 6 adults with KOA (62.7 ± 14.2 years). The Knee Outcome Survey (KOS) for activities of daily living and muscle activity during a 10-m walk and a 20 cm step down were measured before and after the intervention. The following KOS measures improved after the UT walking program (p < 0.05; g > 0.8): stiffness, swelling, weakness, walking, going up stairs, going downstairs, kneeling on the front of the knee, squatting, and sitting with the …

The Halliwick Concept: Practical Applications, Susan J. Grosse

International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education

The Halliwick Concept has become a very popular method for use by professionals involved in instructional swimming and in therapeutic aquatics. Through a detailed look at the principles of Halliwick, this article expands on Halliwick theory by detailing applications of Halliwick to specific population groups. The practicality of implementing Halliwick methodology with and for individuals experiencing a variety of limiting challenges, both physical and cognitive/sensory, are discussed. Hints for success- oriented implementation are provided. For those unfamiliar with the Halliwick Method background resource material is included.

Freestyle: A Guide To Making Swimming Nutrition Simple, Megan Wills

Undergraduate Theses

Nutrition plays a critical role in the performance of an athlete. Although academic research surrounding the topic has increased, there is a disproportionate increase in materials created for the athletes themselves. Regarding competitive swimming, the scope of athlete-friendly instructional materials is even more limited. Therefore, there is an inherent disconnect between the academic research on the topic of competitive swimming nutrition and the athletes who need the information. The purpose of this project is to bridge the gap between the research and the content accessible for athletes themselves. Using an interpretive and simplistic approach, the available academic research was used …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In A Student Athlete’S Transition From High School To College, Justus Basinger, Keisa Boykin, Mary Shotwell

Spring 2023 Virtual OTD Capstone Symposium

The purpose of the project is to identify the issues facing student-athletes as they transition from high school to college and to determine occupational therapists’ role in the transition for student-athletes. To allow for specialized help in the transition process from high school to college, this research project will provide greater detail about the areas in which student-athletes experience stressors.

Guidelines For “Topics Brief” Submissions, James W. Navalta, Robert Salatto, Donald L. Hoover, Andrea Stevenson

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 4: Issue 1, Article 6, 2023. The “Topics Brief”, a novel submissions format, is introduced with authors guidelines. Within this submissions format, a category describing a target audience should be identified, such as Topics Brief for: Patients, Clinicians, Practitioners, or Students. Authors may also suggest their own category for a target audience. The title should be descriptive and allow for maximum searchability. Authorship criteria include a substantial contribution, assisting with the manuscript draft, and approval of the final version. The format is open, with a focus of presenting work in a clear and …