Sports Sciences Commons^™

Using Virtual Reality To Train Athletes, Brian Christoffersen

Master of Arts in Sport Management

Training athletes is an ever-evolving part of sports that, with the growth of the use of technology in sports, has become increasingly complex. Organizations and teams are constantly looking for new ways to be at the forefront of training development. As the development of virtual reality has moved forward, so has the ability to adopt these new technologies to a wide variety of areas. There are multiple systems already in existence that use virtual reality to train athletes. This proposed study aims to shed light on this promising technology to help athletes learn more efficiently and effectively in a safe …

Cluster Set Loading In The Back Squat: Kinetic And Kinematic Implications, Alexander Wetmore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the kinetic and kinematic implications of cluster loading as a resistance training programming tactic. Cluster loading involves introducing rest during a set which may allow athletes to train at higher absolute intensities. Eleven trained males were recruited for this study. Subjects completed two testing sessions consisting of three sets of five back squats at 80% of their one repetition maximum. Cluster loading included 30s of inter-repetition rest. All testing was done on dualforce plates with four linear position transducers. Paired sample t-tests were used to determine differences between conditions with Cohen’s d …

Assessment Of Competitive Requirements, Repeated Sprint Paddle Ability And Trainability Of Paddling Performance In Surfers, Oliver Farley

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Studies examining the physical demands of surfing, the physiological characteristics of surfers, training techniques and various indices important to surfing performance are limited and characterised by methodological discrepancies. This thesis consists of five studies to assess the competitive requirements, test specific repeat sprint fitness and the trainability of sprint paddling in surfers.

Initially an understanding of surfing movement patterns and a determination of the reliability and validity of custom-made GPS units was established (SurfTraX, Gold Coast, Australia) (Study 1: The validity and inter-unit reliability of custom-made SurfTraX GPS units and use during surfing). Durations, intensities, external loads and velocity …

The Effects Of Training Programs Using Free Weights And Free Motion Machines On Strength In Untrained College-Age Females, Katherine Milton

Graduate Theses

No abstract provided.

Effect Of A 7-Week Rock Climbing Class On Physical Fitness And Performance, Justin Scott Cargo

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to assess changes in physical fitness and performance by rock climbing twice a week over a 7-week time period. Rock climbing is on the rise in popularity as seen in the rise of indoor climbing gyms and the increase in rock climbing competitions (Wall, C. B., Starek, J. E., Fleck, S. J., & Byrnes, W. C., 2004). Notably, the International Federation of Sport Climbing has held the Climbing World Championships biennially since the first event in 1991 (Schoffl, Burtscher, & Coscia, 2013), which emphasizes the importance of this research to apply to training programs. …

Tracking 6 Weeks Of Training/Surfing Sessions Of Adolescent Competitive Surfers: Just What Are These Young Surfers Up To?, Oliver Farley, Josh Secomb, Joanna R. Parsonage, Lina Lundgren, Chris Abbiss, Jeremry Sheppard

ECU Posters

The assessment of weekly and even monthly surf practice/training hours is vital for understanding the loads these up and coming surfers endure. Such information will help understand what kind of training these athletes are undertaking, how long they are surfing, what they consider training, and also areas that should be improved upon in terms of specific training. The purpose of this study was to establish surfers' training hours in terms of strength, balance and conditioning hours, as well as surfing hours, coached hours and competition hours. The monitoring of the athletes will provide insights into the weekly surf hours compared …

The Validity And Inter-Unit Reliability Of Custom-Made Surftrax Gps Units And Use During Surfing, Oliver Farley, M Andrews, Josh Secomb, Tai T. Tran, Lina Lundgren, Chris Abbiss, Jeremry Sheppard

ECU Posters

The purposes of the study were to: i) gain further understanding of the movement patterns during surfing using custom made GPS units which are designed for surfing (SurfTraX, Gold Coast, Australia), and ii) determine the validity and inter-unit reliability of these units.

A Series Of Studies Examining The Development Of Sprint Speed And Momentum Of International Rugby Union Players, Matthew John Barr

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Sprinting speed is a highly valued physical ability in rugby. There is little research examining sprinting biomechanics in rugby players and it is unclear the extent that sprinting speed and sprint momentum can even be improved in highly trained rugby players and how different speed and strength training methods might help improve it. This thesis consists of 6 studies that examine the sprinting biomechanics of elite rugby players, how strength and power training might improve sprinting speed and the potential for elite rugby players to make further improvement in their sprinting speed and sprint momentum.

Key biomechanical factors were that …

Activity Profiles And Demands Of Seasonal And Tournament Basketball Competition, Markus J. Klusemann, David B. Pyne, Will G. Hopkins, Eric J. Drinkwater

Research outputs 2013

Competition-specific conditioning for tournament basketball games is challenging, as the demands of tournament formats are not well characterized.

Purpose: To compare the physical, physiological, and tactical demands of seasonal and tournament basketball competition and determine the pattern of changes within an international tournament.

Methods: Eight elite junior male basketball players (age 17.8 ± 0.2 y, height 1.93 ± 0.07 m, mass 85 ± 3 kg; mean ± SD) were monitored in 6 seasonal games played over 4 mo in an Australian second-division national league and in 7 games of an international under-18 tournament played over 8 days. Movement patterns and …

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 …

Examination Of Preseason Hydration Strategy Of Ncaa Division I Men's Soccer Athletes, Lesley Willis

Master's Theses

Context: Dehydration can have negative effects on performance and mood during intense exercise.

Objective: To examine a soccer program to determine the effectiveness of their hydration protocol during preseason training.

Design: 9-day mixed methods study of preseason training sessions (97.3±21.3 min) and scrimmages (123±14.1 min) for men’s soccer athletes on an NCAA division I soccer team with post-hoc interviews of staff members.

Setting: Outdoor soccer field and indoor training facility.

Participants:21 male NCAA division I soccer athletes (age 20±1 years, height 187.5±2 cm).

Main Outcome Measures: Hydration (BML ,U_col­, USG, U_osmo), Mood (thirst, thermal, ESQ, POMS), …

Effects Of Short-Term Training With Uncoupled Cranks In Trained Cyclists, Jack Burns, Jeremiah Peiffer, Chris Abbiss, Greig Watson, Angus Burnett, Paul Laursen

Research outputs 2012

Purpose: Manufacturers of uncoupled cycling cranks claim that their use will increase economy of motion and gross efficiency. Purportedly, this occurs by altering the muscle-recruitment patterns contributing to the resistive forces occurring during the recovery phase of the pedal stroke. Uncoupled cranks use an independentclutch design by which each leg cycles independently of the other (ie, the cranks are not fixed together). However, research examining the efficacy of training with uncoupled cranks is equivocal. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of short-term training with uncoupled cranks on the performance-related variables economy of motion, gross efficiency, maximal …

Practical Precooling Strategies And Cycling Time Trial Performance, Megan L. Ross

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Whole-body precooling can improve endurance exercise performance, especially in the heat; however there are logistical considerations that restrict the use of various precooling strategies prior to actual competition. Precooling is proposed to collectively reduce deep skin and body temperature and in effect, increase the heat storage capacity of an athlete, thereby allowing a greater amount of work to be completed prior to attainment of a critical core temperature. While there is a sound theoretical basis for implementing precooling to improve cycling time trial performance in the heat, the practicalities of employing effective precooling strategies in the field warrant further investigation. …

Long-Term Training Adaptations In Elite Male Volleyball Players, Jeremy Sheppard, Robert Newton

Research outputs 2011

Abstract: Sheppard, JM, and Newton, RU. Long-term training adaptations in elite male volleyball players. J Strength Cond Res 26(8): 2180–2184, 2012—Several investigations have demonstrated differences in anthropometry, jump performance, and strength variables between developmental and elite-level volleyball players. However, within the elite level of play, the magnitude of change that can occur with training is unclear. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the anthropometric, vertical jump, and strength quality changes over 2 years in a group of national team volleyball players. Fourteen national team volleyball players (age, 23.0 ± 4.1 years; height, 1.98 ± 0.07 m; weight, 91.7 …

A Phenomenological Investigation Of Women's Experiences With Personal Training, Cherilyn N. Hultquist, Melissa N. Madeson, Amy Church, Leslee A. Fisher

Faculty Articles

Personal training is a rapidly growing industry in a country that is in dire need of physical fitness and health improvements. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to better understand women's experiences with personal training. To address the research question, eight female participants ages 24 to 54 years were interviewed using the following phenomenological question: "When you think about your current experience with personal training what stands out for you?" The interviews were conducted, transcribed, and qualitatively analyzed to identify themes in participants' responses. The ground that emerged was positive experience within which existed four figural themes: Relationships, trainer …

The Influence Of Professional Development On Teachers' Psychosocial Perceptions Of Teaching A Health-Related Physical Education Curriculum, Pamela Hodges Kulinna, Nate Mccaughtry, Jeffrey J. Martin, Donetta Cothran, Roberta Faust

Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

The impact of a yearlong professional development intervention on physical education teachers' psychosocial perceptions was investigated. Experienced mentor teachers (n = 15) were paired with inexperienced protégé teachers (n = 15) who helped them learn how to teach a health-related physical education curriculum (i.e., the Exemplary Physical Education Curriculum). Using the theory of planned behavior as the guiding theory, it was hypothesized that teachers would experience favorable increases in various psychological constructs (e.g., attitude) and variables reflecting the social culture of their schools (e.g., administrator's perceptions) as compared with control teachers (n = 17). A variety of …

Does Training With Powercranks™ Affect Economy Of Motion, Cycling Efficiency, Oxygen Uptake And Muscle Activation Patterns In Trained Cyclists?, Jack Burns

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

PowerCranks™ are claimed to increase economy of motion and cycling efficiency by reducing the muscular recruitment patterns that contribute to the resistive forces occurring during the recovery phase of the pedal stroke. However, scientific research examining the efficacy of training with PowerCranks™ is lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if five weeks of training with PowerCranks™ improves economy of motion (EOM), gross efficiency (GE), oxygen uptake (V.O2) and muscle activation patterns in trained cyclists. Sixteen trained cyclists were matched and paired into either a PowerCranks™ (PC) or Normal Cranks (NC) training group. Prior to training, all …

A Series Of Studies On Professional Rugby League Players, Daniel G. Baker

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Rugby league football is a popular game in Australia, which appears to rely heavily upon strength, power, speed and endurance due to the nature of the phyiscal contacts. In an effort to discern the importance of upper body strength, power speed and endurance to rugby league players a retrospective data analysis was performed. Three areas of investigation were: 1) the testing of upper body physical qualities of strength, power, speed and strength-endurance and their significance to playing status in the elite national first-division (NRL), second-division (SRL) and third-division (CRL), 2) the effect of acute training variable manipulations upon power output …

Alteration Of Immune Function In Women Collegiate Soccer Players And College Students, Praveen Putlur, Carl Foster, Jennifer A. Miskowski, Melissa K. Kane, Sara E. Burton, Timothy P. Scheett, Michael R. Mcguigan

Research outputs pre 2011

The purpose of this study was to monitor the stress-induced alteration in concentrations of salivary immunoglobulin (S-IgA) and cortisol and the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) over the course of a 9-week competitive season in college student-athletes and college students. The subjects consisted of 14 NCAA Division III collegiate female soccer athletes (19.8 ± 1.0 years, mean ± SD) and 14 female college students (22.5 ± 2.6 years). Salivary samples were collected for 9 weeks during a competitive soccer season. S-IgA and cortisol concentrations were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). A training and performance questionnaire was …

The Effect Of Strength Training On 3km Performance In Recreational Female Endurance Runners, Cherina M. Rice

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a strength training program, as an additive to endurance training, would cause significant improvements in 3km run time in a group of recreational female endurance runners when compared to endurance training only. Subjects were 16 active women, randomly assigned to either a running only group (control group, n=9) or a combined strength and endurance training group (experimental group, n=7). The ten-week training program for both groups consisted of an endurance running program three times per week, which included steady-state endurance running, tempo runs and interval training. The experimental group however, participated …

Effect Of Added Mass On Human Unipedal Hopping, Gary P. Austin, Gladys E. Garrett, David Tiberio

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

Although hopping is considered a children's activity, it can be used to provide insight into the neuromuscular and biomechanical performance of adults. This study investigated whether mass added during unipedal hopping altered the vertical stiffness, hopping period, and angular kinematics of the lower exteremity of adults. Measures of two-dimensional kinematics and vertical force were made from 10 healthy men during hopping at a preferred period under three conditions: Body Mass, Body Mass +10%, and Body Mass +20%. Adding mass significantly increased hopping period and hip flexion without significantly affecting vertical stiffness, ankle dorsiflexion, or knee flexion. Overall, the findings agreed …

Protecting Your Back: Weight Room Management, Peter J. Titlebaum, Gordon Rackley

Health and Sport Science Faculty Publications

Weight room supervision can be a formidable undertaking without the necessary preparations and precautions. Weight room supervisors are much like the Secret Service; that is, no matter what happens, if bad, it is the supervisor's fault. Risk management is more important now than at any point in history. The keys to preventing problems and creating an efficient weight room facility include a highly trained staff and a thoroughly detailed employee manual designed specifically for the weight room.