Kinesiology Commons^™

Addressing Athletes Coexisting Conditions Of Autism And Depression: Participants Self-Report Decreased Feelings Of Depression Post Exercise, Joshua Sutton, Saundra Shillingstad, Jessica Baldwin

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

The goal of this study was to evaluate if exercise would decrease depressive symptoms of participants who reported having coexisting conditions of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and depression. Research has reported that autistic people have increased rates of depression, in comparison to general populations (Unruh et al., 2020). The purpose of this research was to evaluate if exercise would decrease depressive symptoms of the Unified Fitness athlete participants who self-identified as having depressive symptoms and ASD. This research was conducted during the Fall 2023 semester as an extension of the class Kinesiology Practicum, using the University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) …

Ncaa Di Student-Athletes’ Understanding Of And Attitudes Toward Mental Performance Services, Allison Rudisill

Honors Theses

Mental performance services are designed to assist student-athletes with psychological challenges affiliated with performance (McHenry et al., 2022). Currently, only 65 NCAA DI athletic institutions employ a psychological provider, with only 23.2% of those being mental performance consultants (MPCs; Jones et al., 2022). As student athletes are aware of the mental demand of sport (Bemiller & Wrisberg, 2011) and the NCAA begins to bring awareness to the importance of the mental well-being of the athlete (NCAA Transformational Committee, 2023), it is important to understand student athletes’ attitudes toward these services. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to learn about …

The Impact Of Differing Instability Devices On Postural Sway Parameters, Kacey Wallace

Honors Theses

Single-limb balance training is an integral part of preventing and rehabilitating lower extremity injuries. Practitioners use instability devices to provide a progressive overload to an individual during single-limb balance training sessions. Previous investigations have shown that when using instability devices, differences may or may not exist in postural sway parameters during use depending on the specific devices being assessed. Thus, this investigation sought to examine differences between a commonly used foam pad and a novel instability device (block) in measures of postural sway.

This experiment consisted of 22 healthy individuals with no history of lower extremity injury and neurological disorders. …

Dexterous Manipulation Capabilities Are Associated With Change In Discharge Rate Properties Of Motor Neurons With Age, Mukta N. Joshi

Theses and Dissertations

Aging is accompanied by declines in manual dexterity and fine motor control. The purpose of this research was to compare hand motor control in young and older adults and examine the neuromuscular mechanisms responsible for enabling these interactions. We test force variability during isometric and dynamic contractions, manual dexterity and track motor unit activity to identify the neuromuscular mechanisms responsible for changes in dexterity with age. 26 older adults (66-86 years) and 28 young adults (19 – 38 years) participated in the study. Research participants performed force matching tasks during index finger abduction, precision pinch, static pressing and hybrid force/ …

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 …

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, …

Athletic Trainers’ Stress, Support, And External Pressures When Making Clinical Decisions, Stephanie Carr, Meredith Madden, Meredith Kneavel, Tom Bowman

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

Context: Athletic trainers (ATs) work in various settings with very different work environments and patient populations. How stress, social and organizational support, and external pressures alter athletic training decision-making remains unknown. Objective: Determine the relationship between workplace stress, social support, and organizational support for ATs who are providing healthcare. Design: Concurrent mixed methods. Setting: Online survey. Patients or Other Participants: 275 (7% response rate; 76 females, 44 males, 1 third gender/self-identify, 154 wished not to disclose; age=36.80±11.9 years, experience =13.65±12.55 years) athletic trainers. Interventions: The size (SSQ-N) and quality (SSQ-Q) components of the social support scale (SSQ) and the …

Dimensionality Reduction: Principal Component Analysis Of Workload Of An Nba Game, Brian Audelio Serrano

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The worlds of sports science, data analytics, and sports performance are at a crossroads. Each field is accustomed to functioning in relative silos; however, this approach is quickly becoming outdated. Sporting organizations are adopting high-performance models that integrate all departments and their subsequent data pipelines. This has led to a wealth of information not available before to a team’s performance health staff in guiding optimal athletic performance. Within the sport of basketball, these silos can be split further into video coaching, basketball analytics, sports science, player development, and performance health. Specifically, basketball sports science can be categorized into internal and …

Maximal Resistance Training In The Treatment Of Anorexia Nervosa – A Case Report Series, Darren R. Healy, Nicole Mansson, Mia Furu, Solfrid Bratland-Sanda, Jan Magnus Sjögren

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(3): 308-326, 2024. Objective: Anorexia Nervosa (AN) has one of the highest mortality rates of all mental health disorders, low recovery rate and is associated with widespread endocrine dysfunction. Resistance training (RT) has been consistently shown to provide beneficial effects on health outcomes that are often negatively affected by AN, however participation in exercise is controversial for individuals with AN. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of maximal RT as an add-on to standard of care in patients with AN. Methods: Originally, a controlled clinical trial was planned but due to …

Strengthening First Responders’ Coaching Proficiency Through A Peer Fitness Leader Workshop: A Preliminary Efficacy Trial, Sarah N. Lanham, Thomas R. Nagel, Haresh Rochani, Bridget F. Melton, Richard E. Cleveland

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(3): 298-307, 2024. First responders require physical fitness to perform dangerous tasks in unpredictable environments. To promote physical fitness among first responders, many agencies use a peer fitness leader (PFL) approach; however, resources for the fitness, wellness, and health of PFLs are often minimal. This study’s purpose was to investigate the effectiveness of a training workshop to increase PFL’s training knowledge and coaching comfort (CC). Thirty-six PFLs (Experience: 14.6 ± 9.1 yrs; Age: 41.0 ± 9.8 yrs; BMI: 28.9 ± 7.0 kg·m^-2) attended a one-day workshop. Paired samples t-tests assessed for differences …

A Longitudinal Look At Student Attitude, Perceived Competence, And Fitness Test Performance Of Elementary Students, Risto Marttinen, Kevin Mercier, Jung Yeon Park, Kelly L. Simonton, Erin Centeio, Kevin Andrew Richards, Kathleen Wilson

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

The purpose of this study was to assess relationships between students’ attitudes toward physical education (PE), their perceived competence toward PE, and their fitness test performance, as well as how these relationships change over time. Measurements were conducted with validated instruments across five time points during two school years with fourth and fifth grade students across ten schools (n = 636, 48% = female). This study was developed to address a need for examining how attitudes and perceived competence change over time. Descriptive statistics and latent growth models were run with the variables of interest to investigate four research …

Using A Walking Test To Assess Firefighter Fitness, Stephanie Donahue, Bilal Chaudhry, Carly Mcmorrow, Morgan Daly, Summer B. Cook, Michael Brian, Deborah L. Feairheller

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(4): 285-297, 2024. Tactical populations face increased risk on the job, and it is known that firefighters have high levels of cardiac-related death. Aerobic fitness is a modifiable cardiac risk factor, but many fire stations lack the proper equipment to easily assess aerobic fitness levels of their firefighters. Additionally, many fire stations lack wellness programs to hold firefighters accountable for maintaining their fitness levels. Purpose: We assessed the validity of the submaximal 6-minute walk test (6MWT) as a measure of aerobic capacity compared to a maximal treadmill test and the submaximal Gerkin protocol. Methods: Twenty-four …

Influence Of The International Journal Of Exercise Science, Duane V. Knudson, Gracie K. Burson

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(2): 265-273, 2024. The International Journal of Exercise Science (IJES) publishes research from numerous subdisciplines of exercise science and health. This study documented the scholarly influence of the initial 15-year history (2008-2022) of the IJES. Publication, indexing, from the IJES website and four database services: Dimensions, Google Scholar (GS), PubMed, and SCImago Journal & Rank. The IJES has published 1055 articles in 79 issues in the first 15 years. The top 106 (10%) cited articles received a total of 7,195 citations according to GS. Top-cited IJES articles …

Acute Effects In Postural Sway As A Result Of Self-Myofascial Release On The Lower Extremities In Collegiate Female Athletes., Mackenzie Melton, Andrew Shim, Monica Dial, Guilherme M. Cesar

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 17(1): 274-284, 2024. Myofascial release is a popular therapy technique used to manipulate connective muscle tissue to become more pliable. The maintenance of body posture relies on mechanoreceptors located in connective tissue, thus manipulation of connective tissue should affect postural control. The effects of this phenomenon have not been well studied, leaving room for this investigation. PURPOSE: To observe if postural sway scores changed before and after foam rolling proximal (quadriceps and hamstrings) in comparison to distal (calves) muscles. METHODS: Thirty-six, college-aged female athletes (age 20.39 ± 0.25 years, mass 68.70 ± 1.97 kg, height …

A04: A Pilot Study On The Persistence Of Children's Online Sports Games, Haoye Shen, Xiaozan Wan, Meiyuan Chen, Mengke Kang, Hao Li, Yiang Yuan

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Purpose: In the post-epidemic era, children's physical activity has decreased sharply, and smart sports at home have gradually emerged, making online sports games an important path for children's sports participation. This pilot study was to explore the persistence of children's online sports game participation through exercise frequency recording and provided guidance for online sports game intervention programs. Methods: A total of 29 primary school children were enrolled, including 24 boys and 5 girls. Participants exercise autonomously through motion software. In this study, the movement of each participant was recorded through the background of the software system and exported to Excel. …

A08: Effects Of Participation In Sports Clubs Activity On College Students’ Perceived Stress And Well-Being, Zhonghui He, Hui Xie, Xiaoyuan Zhang

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Purpose: Mandated social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic has brought more anxiety and stress to college students. The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether college students' participation in sports club activities can reduce anxiety and stress. The secondary purpose was to compare the effects of different types of sport clubs. Methods: The sample consisted of 242 college students (143 males; mean age=22.63 years old) in an academically prestigious university. They were voluntarily enrolled in either team sports clubs, such as volleyball, football, baseball, and softball, etc. (n=96), or individual sports clubs, such as squash, …

A155: Research On The Influence Of Kinesthetic Intelligence Courses With Industrialized Education On Children's Physical Fitness, Yanli Luo, Xiaoming Gong, Yanqing Chen, Lianglei Xiana, Jie Luo, Kaidi Wu

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Purpose: Nowadays, the industrialization of education has led to the shortage of teachers and consequently hindered resource allocation and curriculum optimization. These problems are profound for educators when applying Kinesthetic Intelligence (KI) curriculum for children in early childhood. This paper examines the impact of the current KI course delivery on children’s physical fitness to provide reference for researchers and educators. Methods: Forty-six kids were randomly selected from two intermediate Kindergarten classes and were divided into an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG). A pre-test of physical fitness was done on eight indices such as stature, weight, throwing, and …

Inverse Association Between Exercising Blood Pressure Response And Left Ventricular Chamber Size And Mass In Women Who Habitually Resistance Train, Evan L. Matthews, John J. Guers, Meghan G. Ramick, Peter A. Hosick

Kinesiology Faculty Publications

Exercise is a major modifiable lifestyle factor that leads to temporarily increased systolic blood pressure (SBP), which is thought to influence left ventricular mass normalized to body surface area (LVM/BSA). This relationship has never been studied in women who habitually perform resistance exercise. Purpose: To determine if a direct correlation exists between the SBP response to resistance exercise (change from rest; eSBP) and LVM/BSA in young healthy women who habitually resistance train. Methods: Leg extension resistance exercise was performed while continuously monitoring blood pressure using finger plethysmography. LVM was estimated using echocardiography. Data are shown as mean +/- SD. Results: …