Biomechanics Commons^™

Post-Activation Potentiation Following Maximal Effort, Multi-Joint, Isokinetic Eccentric Contractions, Tom Dickey

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Post-activation potentiation (PAP) is a phenomenon that can enhance muscle performance following maximal or near-maximal muscle contractions. While the effects of concentric and isometric conditioning contractions on PAP have been studied, less is known about the influence of eccentric muscle actions. This study investigated the effects of a multi-joint eccentric overload (EOL) protocol on PAP expressed through countermovement jump (CMJ) height and isokinetic peak force (PF) outcome measures. Twenty-eight recreationally trained participants (18-30 years) completed three visits in a randomized, counterbalanced design. Following familiarization, participants performed either an EOL protocol involving 2 sets of 6 maximal isokinetic eccentric contractions or …

Balance Inefficiencies In Athletes With Lower Extremity Surgeries, Susannah Arnn, Gannon Connelley, Terrence Murray

Scholars Day Conference

The purpose of this study is to observe the initial difference in the balance of athletes with and without lower extremity surgeries; and determine whether a simple balance intervention is impactful. After four weeks of this program, we will determine if the volunteers’ balance has remained the same, progressed, or declined and if the athlete has overcompensated in the injured extremity.

The Influence Of Strength And Power Training On The Performance Of U.S. Marines, Kristopher J. Klein

Master of Science in Kinesiology

U.S. Marine Infantry conducts a job that requires strength, speed, and endurance; however military fitness training relies mainly on the endurance aspect. With numerous studies showing the correlation between an endurance mainstay within military organizations, and musculoskeletal and joint overuse injuries, this study seeks to understand the performance value in training the anaerobic energy systems. Specifically, we aim to determine whether strength and power training may be more beneficial to the tactical athlete than traditional training. Over a period of 12 weeks, 150 members of the U.S. Marine Infantry will participate in training five days a week with three days …

Reliability Of Popliteal Artery Flow-Mediated Dilation In The Seated Position, Taskina Akhter

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is a noninvasive measurement of endothelial function, which is a useful prognostic tool for cardiovascular disease risk. Despite its widespread use since 1992, the reproducibility of FMD varies widely between studies. This variability in reproducibility is especially significant in the case of the popliteal artery due to different methodological approaches. Studies perform popliteal FMD in various body positions, with the prone and seated positions most common. However, no studies have examined the reproducibility of both the seated and prone positions of the popliteal artery FMD. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine the test-retest and …

Lower Body Gait Variability As A Distinguishing Feature In Humans, Tyler M. Wiles, Seung Kyeom Kim, Nick Stergiou, Aaron D. Likens

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Most humans have a fingerprint that is unique and persists throughout life. The same may be true for gait. Each person is unique physiologically and biomechanically, and has experienced a unique progression of life including injuries, habits, hobbies, or lifestyles that all contribute to navigating the world. Those individualized experiences, whether intended or not, are potentially on display in gait. We hypothesized that there are gait characteristics intrinsic and unique to everyone, so that everyone has a unique “gaitprint”, similar to humans possessing unique fingerprints. To test our hypothesis, we recruited thirty healthy young adults between the ages 19-35 as …

Functional Outcomes Of Noninvasive Sensory Feedback In Upper Limb Prostheses: A Meta-Analysis, Libby Caldwell

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Noninvasive sensory feedback applies vibration or pressure to the residual limb and is thought to improve the functionality of upper limb prostheses. However, the efficacy of this approach has not been sufficiently investigated, particularly regarding actual amputee efficacy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional benefits of noninvasive sensory feedback in upper limb prostheses through a meta-analysis. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, and PubMed) were searched up to October 2022 using the following search terms: (prosthesis OR prosthetic) AND (hand OR arm OR forearm OR transradial OR “upper limb” OR “upper extremity) AND (tactile OR haptic …

Walking With A Load On Wheels: Potential Effects Of Bidirectional Springs On Walking Economy, Hiva Razavi, Philippe Malcolm

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Walking with a Load on Wheels: Potential Effects of Bidirectional Springs on Walking Economy

Have you ever noticed how your arms alternatively flex and extend when pushing a heavy shopping cart? Accelerating and decelerating heavy masses, such as a shopping cart, can require much effort. During walking, we alternatively accelerate and decelerate our Center of Mass (COM) in every gait cycle, which can require even more effort if we accelerate and decelerate a load while walking. Theoretically, this effort can be reduced by timing the acceleration and deceleration of the load's mass opposite to the individual's COM. Previous studies have …

Inter-Joint Variability And Age-Related Changes In Human Walking, Mehrnoush Haghighatnejad, Tyler Wiles, Seung Kyeom Kim, Aaron Likens, Nicholas Stergiou

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Inter-Joint Variability and Age-Related Changes in Human Walking

Mehrnoush Haghighatnejad¹*, Tyler M. Wiles¹, Seung Kyeom Kim¹, Nick Stergiou^1,2, Aaron D. Likens¹

¹Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha

²Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece

*Corresponding author’s email: mhaghighatnejad@unomaha.edu

Presentation Preference: Poster

Humans routinely perform a variety of activities such as walking, running, driving, and typing, all of which require coordination among different body joints. For instance, walking and running involve rhythmic movements of the arms and legs. The involvement of the upper …

Negative Impact Of Aging On Gait Autocorrelation: A Mixed-Effects Analysis Of Stride Interval Dynamics, Theodore Deligiannis, Tyler M. Wiles, Seung Kyeom Kim, Nikolaos Stergiou, Aaron Likens

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

NEGATIVE IMPACT OF AGING ON GAIT AUTOCORRELATION: A MIXED-EFFECTS ANALYSIS OF STRIDE INTERVAL DYNAMICS

Theodore A. Deligiannis^1*, Tyler M. Wiles¹, Seung Kyeom Kim¹, Nick Stergiou^1,2, Aaron D. Likens¹

¹Department of Biomechanics, University of Nebraska at Omaha

*Corresponding author’s email: tdeligiannis@unomaha.edu

Presentation preference: Podium

Traditional gait metrics, like speed, cadence, coordination, as well as non-linear measures, appear related to Timed Up and Go (TUG). Timed Up and Go is a clinical measurement related to physical, socioeconomic, and psychological parameters, as well as overall health. TUG can be used as a health …

Determining The Barriers To The Use Of Post-Match Fatigue Monitoring In The Rugby Codes: A Concept Mapping Study., Mitch Naughton, Tannath Scott, Dan Weaving, Scott Mclean, Colin Solomon

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 5: Issue 1, Article 3, 2024. The rugby codes (i.e., rugby union, rugby league, rugby sevens [termed ‘rugby’]) are team-sports that impose complex physical demands upon players which in-turn, leads to domain-specific fatigue (e.g., neuromuscular, cardio-autonomic). Quantifying post-match fatigue through various methods and metrics is important to monitor player fatigue status, which influences training readiness. The specific and general barriers limiting the use of post-match fatigue monitoring in rugby are not presently known. Therefore, the aims of this study were to identify specific and general barriers (clusters of specific barriers) to the use …

Integrating Cannabis Education Into The Athletic Training Curriculum, Jeff G. Konin, Jimmy Onate

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

Context. Cannabis has become more prevalent in society and requires greater knowledge on the part of the athletic trainer. Objective. The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for recognizing how cannabis education can be integrated into the athletic training curriculum utilizing the existing accreditation standards. Background. For decades the use of cannabis has been illegal. Athletes who were caught with cannabis in their system were penalized by their respective e sport organization body. During the past decade in the United States the federal government has moved toward decriminalization and expungement for those found with and …

Breaking Barriers And Building Confidence: Interprofessional Education's Impact On Allied Health Students' Competence And Self-Efficacy In Addressing Exercise Accessibility For People With Disabilities, Elizabeth A. Starns, Rebecca Wehler, Lindsay A. Church, Stephanie Kubiak

Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences: Official Journal of the Ohio Athletic Trainers Association

Purpose: The researchers’ objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of an interprofessional educational (IPE) program on student learning while addressing exercise accessibility barriers experienced by people living with disabilities (PLWD), including allied health professionals’ lack of practical experience, knowledge, and perceived competence and comfort working with PLWD in a fitness setting. Method: A qualitative explanatory single case study approach utilizing individual interviews was used. The individual interviews that explored how a collaboration between allied health students influenced learning, perceived comfort, and perceived competence working with PLWD were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. Results: Four major themes emerged: collaboration, comfort, …

Running Biomechanics Differ During And After Pregnancy Compared To Females Who Have Never Been Pregnant, Jennifer J. Bagwell, Elizabeth Avila, Nicholas Reynolds, Jo Armour Smith, Kevin Valenzuela, Dimitrios Katsavelis

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Perinatal running participation has increased recently; however, pregnancy related symptoms can limit activity. Perinatal running biomechanics could inform interventions to help perinatal individuals maintain an active lifestyle.

Research question

Are perinatal running biomaechanics and muscle activation different compared to nulligravida females?

Methods

Sixteen pregnant participants completed self-selected velocity running during second trimester (2 T), third trimester (3 T), and postpartum (PP) and 16 matched controls completed these procedures once in this case control study. Kinematic, kinetic, and electromyography (EMG) data were collected using a motion capture system, force plates, and EMG electrodes. Peak trunk, pelvis, hip, knee, and ankle …

Tail Stand Supplementary Data, David Kramer, Frank E. Fish

Biology Data Repository

Dataset of flexibility of flukes related to tail stand effort of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)

Acute Ingestion Of Dark Chocolate Fails To Affect Running Economy In Recreational Female Runners, Bianca J. De Lucia, Beau Kjerulf Greer, Christopher B. Taber

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 5: Issue 1, Article 1, 2024. Ingestion of dark chocolate (DC), a dietary source high in flavanols, may increase nitric oxide bioavailability. Elevating blood nitric oxide concentrations may augment metabolic efficiency by reducing the amount of oxygen or energy needed to perform a given task. Utilizing a crossover design, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of acute ingestion of DC on running economy (RE). Nineteen recreationally trained females (age: 20±1 years) volunteered for this investigation, with 16 completing all procedures (n = 16). Two-hours before RE assessment, participants consumed …

Spin Turns, Frank E. Fish

Biology Data Repository

Dataset of spin leaps of cetaceans determined by moment of inertia.

Acute Ingestion Of Dark Chocolate Fails To Affect Running Economy In Recreationally Trained Female Runners, Bianca De Lucia, Beau K. Greer, Christopher B. Taber

PTHMS Graduate Publications

Ingestion of dark chocolate (DC), a dietary source high in flavanols, may increase nitric oxide bioavailability. Elevating blood nitric oxide concentrations may augment metabolic efficiency by reducing the amount of oxygen or energy needed to perform a given task. Utilizing a crossover design, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of acute ingestion of DC on running economy (RE). Nineteen recreationally trained females (age: 20±1 years) volunteered for this investigation, with 16 completing all procedures (n = 16). Two-hours before RE assessment, participants consumed either 42.5 g of DC or an isocaloric amount of white chocolate (WC) …

Influence Of Maximal Strength On Joint-Specific Function And Coordination Across Stretch-Shortening Cycle Task Demands, Michael H. Haischer

Dissertations (1934 -)

Jumping involves the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) and is a familiar movement in many sports. More explosive jumping may provide a competitive advantage, but the biomechanics that relate to optimal SSC utilization for performance are not well understood. Furthermore, while strength relates to better jump performance and may facilitate mechanisms like joint stiffness that benefit SSC utilization, how strength impacts adjustments to biomechanics and locomotor functional roles of the lower extremity joints under different SSC demands has not been established. Therefore, the purpose of this dissertation was to investigate how strength influences biomechanics and functional roles of the ankle, knee, and …

Characterization Of Adipocyte Mechanical Properties And Stretch Control Of Mechanosignaling In Adipocytes, Tasneem Bouzid

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Obesity has reached global epidemic levels in recent decades and is the leading risk factor for type-2 diabetes (T2D). Adipose tissue behaves as a link between obesity and T2D, with dysfunctional extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, adipokine secretion and lipid metabolism leading to insulin resistance. The extracellular mechanophysical milieus is understood to regulate adipocyte differentiation and function through activation of mechanosensory machinery and related pathways. Therefore, exploring the adipocytic response to mechanical loading can provide great pathophysiological insight into obesity and T2D. Adipose tissue is exposed to various compound forces due to weight-bearing and movement, and adipocyte stiffness influences stress distribution …

The Effect Of Step Rate Training On Running Economy And Biomechanics, Nahir Negron-Fernandez

All NMU Master's Theses

It is known that running economy is a determinant of running performance. Increased step rate has been correlated with improved running economy, but it is unknown whether these improvements can be maintained with chronic training. The purpose of this study was to determine if a step rate training intervention improves running economy and improves lower body kinetic factors in distance runners. Nine participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n = 7) undergoing a 6-week supplemental training program, or a non-training control group (n = 2). The intervention group trained three times a week, running at a higher …