Kinesiology Commons^™

Kinesiology Department Chairs’ Perceptions Of Their Training And Preparation, Kason O’Neil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Department chairs are responsible for leading academic departments in higher education.  These individuals regularly make important decisions regarding such things as managing faculty and academic programming, overseeing budgets, and supporting student needs. Despite these responsibilities, many people become department chairs without receiving formal leadership training. This study explored how kinesiology department chairs across the United States viewed their preparation for the role and the importance of leadership training. A total of 111 department chairs completed an online survey about their background, previous training, and the importance of training for different administrative responsibilities. The results showed that most chairs had little …

Evaluating The Pulse Of Exercise Programs: Developing And Validating The Intervention Usability Scale For Exercise (Iuse) To Enhance Implementation And Adherence, Anne Inger Mørtvedt, Eva Ageberg, Steven Elmer, Kevin Trewartha, Erich Petushek

Michigan Tech Publications

Background: Adherence to exercise interventions is often suboptimal, despite numerous studies documenting barriers and facilitators. Usability may be a critical yet underexplored determinant of adherence. This study aimed to develop and assess the psychometric properties of the Intervention Usability Scale for Exercise (IUSE). Methods: Item generation and content validation involved cognitive interviews and feedback from eight exercise intervention stakeholders and ten target users from the general public. Subsequently, 526 target users from University, Qualtrics and Prolific participant panels assessed exercise programs through an online survey. Dimensionality was assessed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), and bifactor models. …

Kinetiscan: Evaluating A Browser-Based Monocular System For 3d Gait Analysis, Thu Tran '29, Stephen Agyemang '28, Rueben Addison

Annual Student Research Poster Session

Gait analysis is a useful tool for early detection, diagnosis of neurological and orthopedic conditions, and rehabilitation support. The gold standard for assessment of gait requires laboratory motion capture systems. The system requires calibrated cameras, reflective markers, specialist software, and professionals to operate. For these reasons, gait analysis is expensive and inaccessible in some clinics, schools, and home settings where continuous or early monitoring would have a significant impact. KinetiScan addresses this gap with just a single ordinary camera. This browser-based system uses transformer architecture to perform 2D-to-3D mapping. When provided with distance and height entries, KinetiScan outputs the 3D …

Differences In Mental Toughness Among Mixed Martial Artists And Physically Active Individuals, Savannah M. Calleja, Soleil Ramos, Victoria Potvin, Anthony A. Ricci, Gabriel J. Sanders, Corey A. Peacock

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a physiological and psychological demanding sport. While the majority of the literature conducted in MMA regards physiological health and risk of injury, researchers are beginning to assess the psychological profiles of MMA athletes. Previous studies have evaluated mental toughness (MT) within MMA; however, no study has examined MT in MMA athletes at the professional division. Therefore, the primary purpose of this research was to evaluate the difference in mental toughness between professional MMA athletes and physically active individuals. Secondary aims are to evaluate potential variations in mental toughness within the professional level between champion and …

The Impact Of Unilateral Versus Bilateral Ankle Bracing On Kinematics, Kinetics, And Performance In Volleyball Players, Stephen M. Boulanger, Derek M. R. Kivi, Carlos Zerpa, Paolo Sanzo

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

This study examined the effect of different types of ankle braces (Ankle Stabilizing Orthosis (ASO) vs. T2 Active Ankle(T2)) when worn unilaterally (UNI), bilaterally (BI), and with no brace worn (UB) on lower extremity kinematics and kinetics during a vertical jump and agility test. Twenty-two competitive volleyball players completed both a vertical jump test and agility T-test under five bracing conditions. Vertical jump height (VJH), ankle dorsiflexion (ADF), ankle plantarflexion (APF), knee flexion (KF), hip flexion (HF), vertical ground reaction force (vGRF), and vertical impulse were measured during the vertical jump test, while time to completion was measured for the …

Females With Urinary Incontinence Demonstrate Impaired Postural Stability, Jean L. Mccrory, Corrie Mancinelli, Kate Harrison, Samantha K. Rondini Monaco, Krystal L. Thomas

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Introduction: Females with urinary incontinence (UI) have an increased risk of falls.  Few studies have quantified postural control, namely center of pressure (COP) movement and vertical ground reaction force in static and dynamic tasks, in females with UI. Purpose: The aim of our study was to examine static and perturbed postural stability in females with UI compared to unaffected females. Methods: The study design was a between-group comparison (UI vs control) on our static outcome variables of anteroposterior and mediolateral COP sway, COP displacement, average and instantaneous maximum COP velocity, and standard deviations of anteroposterior and mediolateral COP movement and …

Co-Speech Gestures Destabilize Posture Via Shared Motor-Cognitive Resources, Sasha Lifton Lewis, Weina Lu, Ingo Helmich

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

Speaking and gesturing are fundamental aspects of human communication that commonly occur while main- taining upright posture. Although speech and postural control are known to compete for shared motor-cognitive resources, it remains unclear how co-speech gestures affect balance control and their underlying neural mecha- nisms. Using combined behavioral and neuroimaging approaches, we investigated whether co-speech gestures interfere with concurrent postural control, whether this interference depends on the spatial reference frame (egocentric vs. allocentric), and whether dual-task costs arise from competing motor demands, overlapping cog- nitive processes, or both. Forty-one right-handed adults (25.9 ± 6.8 years) maintained posture—monitored via a wearable …

Exploring The Backgrounds, Experiences, Motivations, And Development Of School-Based Wheelchair Sport Coaches, Deborah Shapiro, Scott Douglas, Jp Barfield, Laurie A. Malone

Journal of Coach Development

Coaching in adapted sport is a complex and demanding practice that requires both specialized technical expertise and a deep understanding of disability. This study explored the motivations, backgrounds, and developmental pathways of interscholastic school-based wheelchair sport coaches. We examined how coaches are introduced to wheelchair sport coaching, their initial and ongoing development, and their perspectives on effective coaching and training practices. A total of 17 coaches (10 men, 7 women) with 1 to 17 years of experience in wheelchair sports coaching from 7 interscholastic wheelchair sports teams participated in one 60-minute mini focus group discussion and responded to a set …

Relationships Between Lower Body Anthropometrics And Vertical Force-Velocity Profiles In Collegiate American Football Players, Nicholus Adam Despot

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The study examined the relationships between lower-body anthropometric characteristics and vertical force-velocity profiles in collegiate American football players. Although the use of force-velocity profiling has increased significantly in recent years, there has been limited research on the association between structural features and key mechanical outputs. A sample of 16 NAIA football players was used to examine how skeletal breadths, girths, and derived ratios relate to key force-velocity metrics. Anthropometric variables were collected using ISAK standards, while force-velocity profiles were obtained through a series of loaded squat jumps on a force platform. Mean propulsive force, velocity and power were used to …

Mri-Based Estimation Of The Hip Joint Center In Infants Using Two Sphere-Fitting Methods, Victoria Melendez

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Accurate estimation of the hip joint center (HJC) is critical for biomechanical modeling and clinical assessment. Common methods include predictive methods (e.g., regression equations) and functional methods such as sphere-fitting. In infants, femoral head-based methods are often limited due to incomplete ossification of the anatomy and poor visualization in computed tomography (CT) images. This study evaluates an alternative approach using MRI-based sphere fitting of the ossified acetabular rim, comparing its accuracy to traditional femoral head-based methods. MRI scans of three male infants (ages 10.7- 12.7 months) were used to manually place landmarks on the ossified acetabulum and the cartilaginous boundary …

The Osteocyte-Osteoblast Network Requires Dynamic Mechanical Loading For Key Functions, Kevin Kowalski

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

Spaceflight investigations have demonstrated that reduction in gravity-induced loading regimes is detrimental to maintenance Earth-normal bone and marrow. Mechanistically, however, there are still gaps in knowledge about how the reduction in gravity influences the different niches within the tissue. For example, cortical bone is a stable semi-solid structure that allows for only minor deformations before failure, while marrow is a viscous hydrogel-like material that can resist significant fluidic and compressive forces. We hypothesize that maintenance of different niches within the bone microenvironment are dependent on different loading regimes, and that the collective impact if gravity-induced loading needs to be considered …

Impact Of Inspiratory Muscle Training On Diaphragm Hypertrophy, Exercise Performance, And Immune Response, Riley Dienna, Sabrina Ehrenfort, Joshua Frankenfield, Olivia Hartmann, Ben Kerns, Gianpiero Lara, Meliah Martin, Emma Norris, Louis Pandolfo, Rachel Phillips, Stella Roane, Dominic Sandell, Sabrina I. Santini-Bousson, Madison Stroud, Cecilia Zoutewelle, Erica Bryant

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

The muscles involved in breathing, notably the diaphragm and intercostal muscles, play a role in determining the exercise capability of an individual. These muscles perform the work required for breathing, and as exercise intensity increases these muscles increase their activity to allow the respiratory system to meet the increased metabolic demands of exercise. Fatigue of these muscles reduces exercise tolerance and performance. In addition, the inflammation caused by acute maximal exercise is impacted by the level of training of the individual, and thus, inspiratory muscle training (IMT) may impact the inflammation due to exercise. We will test the hypothesis that …

Exercise Intensity And The Effects On Mood And Wellbeing, Emily Amortegui, Ashley Albert, Riley Ensor, Keyanna Keyanna Jackson

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

With many students dealing with anxiety, sadness, and high levels of stress, mental health issues among college students have grown in intensity. A lot of research has been done on the possible benefits of physical activity for mental health, but most of it focuses on correlations rather than the biological mechanisms. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of varying exercise intensities on physiological stress markers and mood in college students ages 18 to 25. To assure precise intensity levels, participants from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University will work out at low, moderate, and high intensities while wearing heart …

Full-Fat Dairy Milk Vs. Isolated Free Nutrient Blend On Postprandial Protein Metabolism And Inflammatory Markers In Adults With Overweight And Obesity, Takeshi M. Barnes, Zan Zupancic, Max T. Deutz, Andrew T. Askow, Colleen F. Mckenna, Jonathan A. Aguilera, Cassidy T. Tinline-Goodfellow, Alexander V. Ulanov, Jared W. Willard, Daniel W. D. West, Michael De Lisio, Daniel R. Moore, Nicholas A. Burd

Kinesiology & Sport Management Scholarship

Excess adiposity is linked to anabolic resistance by blunting the postprandial myofibrillar protein synthetic response to protein ingestion. Full-fat dairy milk may overcome this resistance via a matrix combining high-quality protein with anti-inflammatory lipids. Therefore, we compared the effects of ingesting full-fat dairy milk versus a non-dairy macronutrient match isolated blend on the regulation of postprandial myofibrillar and mitochondrial protein synthesis rates and markers of systemic (i.e., IL-6 and TNF-α) and muscle-related inflammation (i.e., NF-κB, NLRP3, TLR4, and MyD88). Twenty-two obese and overweight adult males and females (BMI = 31.1 ± 3.7 kg m−2; aged 35.3 ± 13.2 y) were …

Pre-Post Changes In Physiological, Cognitive, And Motivational Outcomes Following An Active Video Game Intervention In Adolescents And Adults: A Pilot Study, Ashley Williams, Danielle D. Wadsworth, Thaangiah Geetha

Publications

Active video games (AVG) are emerging as a promising home-based strategy to increase physical activity by integrating movement into interactive gameplay. However, evidence remains limited regarding their effectiveness across physiological, cognitive, and motivational outcomes in adolescents and adults within household settings.

Can Kinematics Specify Tool Use Affordances?, Tyler Duffrin

All Dissertations

Object properties such as length, shape, and heaviness, as well as affordance-based properties such as strike-with-ability and poke-with-ability, can be perceived via dynamic touch as functions of inertia tensor invariants. The primary question addressed here was whether people can perceive these same power and precision properties for purely virtual objects, which lack dynamic physical forces. The Kinematic Specification of Dynamics (KSD) principle asserts that missing dynamics are lawfully specified by kinematic (visual) motion patterns, such that kinematic information alone may support successful interactions with virtual objects. In three experiments, we investigated (1) whether virtual reality (VR) users could calibrate to …

Examining Pain Catastrophizing, Mental Toughness, Self-Efficacy, And Perceived Pain In The Performance Of Female Athletes During Their Menstrual Cycle, Carissa R. Martinez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Pain is a universal unpleasant or negative experience influenced by physiological, psychological, and environmental factors. Disruption in the neural pathways of pain can affect athletic performance and lead to injury risks. Both negative attributes, such as stress, anxiety, and depression, and positive attributes, such as mental toughness and self-efficacy, contribute to pain perception and catastrophic thinking. The menstrual cycle also plays a critical role in pain catastrophizing, as hormonal fluctuations across different phases may hinder pain perception and performance in female athletes. However, research lacks the inclusion of how these factors impact female athletes. Using a non-experimental quantitative analysis, this …

Physiological, Cognitive, Behavioral, And Perceptual Contributors To Falls Risk Across Middle And Older Adulthood, Jacquelyn Moxey

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Falls are multifactorial events influenced by physiological, cognitive, behavioral, and perceptual factors. Although falls prevention research has traditionally focused on older adults and objectively measured physical impairments, less is known about how cognitive performance, physical activity, and perceptions of ability collectively contribute to falls risk vulnerability across middle and older adulthood. This dissertation examined these relationships through three complementary studies.

Study 1 examined associations between cognitive screening performance and physiological falls risk in 315 community-dwelling older adults. Lower global cognitive performance was associated with greater physiological falls risk. Performance on items reflecting attention and visuospatial/executive function demonstrated the strongest domain-level …

Effects Of Beverage Color During Mouth Rinsing On Measures Of Muscular Endurance, Muscular Strength, And Exercise Perceptions During Isometric Handgrip Testing, Sydney Andrews

Exercise Science Theses & Dissertations

Previous research has shown that color can influence psychological responses, physiological responses, and exercise performance. These effects have been previously attributed to learned associations or expectations which may influence exercise-related outcomes. This study aimed to investigate whether beverage color influences muscular performance during intermittent isometric handgrip exercise. This randomized, single-blind, deceptive crossover study consisted of 34 physically active adults (21.9±3.1 years) who completed a handgrip endurance test under three conditions: red beverage rinse, clear beverage rinse, and no-rinse. Participants were informed that the study would examine the effects of mouth rinsing two commercially available carbohydrate containing sport drinks on muscular …

Building Bridges: Connecting Biomechanics And Lived Experience In Bertolotti's Syndrome, Andrea Morgan Muffly

Rehabilitation Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Bertolotti’s Syndrome (BSy), characterized by the presence of a lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV), represents a complex clinical entity that affects not only the physical health of the individual, but the quality of their daily life. Prior research on BSy focused on epidemiology, not lived experience, revealing inconsistencies in diagnostic inconsistencies of LSTV morphology. A three-tiered diagnostic system is proposed to streamline the reporting of LSTV subtypes. We examined how BSy is diagnosed, its symptoms, presentation, and how this impacts individuals’ ability to participate in activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). We conducted a multi …