Exercise Science Commons^™

Effect Of An Exercise And Dietary Intervention On Cognitive Function In Obese Older Women, Kathleen Mae Uy

Senior Honors Projects

Background: Cognitive decline in older adults is a public health problem and prior research shows that higher levels of physical activity and dietary factors are associated with higher cognitive function. However, it is unclear how an exercise and diet intervention affects cognitive function in obese older women.

Purpose: To examine the effect of a combined Tai Chi (TC), resistance training (RT), and diet intervention on cognitive function and to evaluate the relationship between cognitive function and physical function in older obese women.

Methods: This was a non-randomized study where 31 obese (BMI= 37.6 ± 4.5 kg/m²) older (age= …

Validation And Reliability Of The Hexoskin And Fitbit Flex Wearable Bio Collection Devices, Jeffrey Montes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the Hexoskin shirt and the wrist worn Fitbit Flex activity monitor were both valid and reliable for the physiological functions they were designed to monitor. Heart rate (beats·min-1), respiratory rate (breaths·min-1), step count, and energy expenditure results were collected for the Hexoskin. Step count and energy expenditure were collected for the Fitbit Flex. 49 adolescent participants performed a walking treadmill protocol at 1.5 mph, 2.5 mph, and 3.5 mph for 3 minutes at each speed. 46 subjects returned to perform the same protocol a second time. 31 of the participants were …

The Status Of Small Group Training As Perceived By Program Administrators, Jade Alexis Dworkin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This descriptive study was obtain program components and administrative perceptions of collegiate recreation small group training programs. Through an extensive review of literature and valued input from key campus recreation professionals, a preliminary survey with 30 items was created. The preliminary survey, Administrative Effectiveness of Small Group Training Programs Survey (AESGTPS), was administered electronically to collegiate recreation small group training program directors. Research questions investigated were identifying ways in which various program components may vary from institution to institution, identifying program components that were perceived to be contributing to perceived program effectiveness, and defining ways in which program administrators perceived …

Outline Plan For A Student-Involved Fitness Assessment Program At Western Michigan University, Joanna Gangwisch

Honors Theses

This research was aimed at developing a fitness assessment program that would provide undergraduate exercise science students at Western Michigan University (WMU) with hands on experience that would successfully prepare them for their internships and future careers as well as benefiting the campus community at large. Data for this research was obtained by examining the student recreation center websites and sending out an email/phone questionnaire to WMU’s 10 peer institutions. Direct comparisons were made and evaluated. On the basis of the results of this research, it can be concluded that WMU’s exercise science department and student recreation center together could …

Fueling Performance: Determining The Efficacy Of Low-Carbohydrate Diet Models For Athletic Populations, Chelsea Jackle

Honors Theses

Advocates of low-carbohydrate (LC) diets assert that these diets help lessen dependence on sugar while aiding in the metabolism of fat tissue. Additionally, it is believed that lipolysis helps dieters feel more energetic, lose weight, and improve physical performance. For these reasons, many athletes and active people are drawn to diets such as the Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, the Paleo Diet, and the Zone Diet. According to current evidence, excessive weight loss, ketosis, reduced glycogen availability, dehydration, and increased stress hormone levels make LC diets that severely limit carbohydrates disadvantageous for athletes. Although LC diets are widely followed, …

Mobile Application Use And Healthy Eating Behaviors In Young Adult Women, Callie S. Neumann

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE: To assess the differential effects of a mobile phone-based application (app) versus phone-based memo use on anthropometric measures, healthy eating, and physical activity behaviors in college-age women. METHODS: Participants (n=43) were randomly enrolled in a mobile app or phone-based memo group during a 6 week study. Participants in the app group were trained on proper usage of the free app, MyNetDiary, and the memo group received directions on how to journal their food and exercise activity on their phone. Participants were asked to complete pre-and post-questionnaires at baseline and at the conclusion of the study. Physical activity and …

The Relationship Between Competitive Trait Anxiety And Optimism In College Aged Individuals, Allison M. Heiskell

Honors College Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between competitive trait-anxiety and optimism in college students. A sample of 112 undergraduate students from a university in the Southeast completed three questionnaires: a demographics survey, a Life Orientation Test and a Sport Competition Anxiety Test. The data werethen analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to determine if a relationship exists. The hypothesis was that there would be a negative correlation between competitive trait anxiety and optimism levels in college students. This meant that as trait-anxiety in an individual increased, the optimism level decreased. It was found that a statistically …

A Qualitative Examination Of Optimal Professional Traits Of Physical Therapists. – An Exploratory Investigation, Nicholas G. Wood

Honors College Theses

Physical therapists are constantly searching for aspects of their professional practice to improve, in order to enhance interactions with patients, eventually leading to a more successful practice (Resnek & Jensen, 2003). Although this is the case, limited research has been found which has examined optimal qualities of physical therapists from neither a qualitative perspective, nor based upon their location. Thus, the purpose of this study is to use a qualitative approach to describe optimal qualities necessary for a successful physical therapy practice. In addition, this study aims to determine if therapists practicing in a rural community describe different qualities than …

Cognitive And Typing Outcomes Measured Simultaneously With Slow Treadmill Walking Or Sitting: Implications For Treadmill Desks, James D. Lecheminant, Michael D. Larson, Kyle Hill, Kaylie Carbine, Travis Masterson, Ed Christenson

Faculty Publications

Purpose

This study compared cognitive (attention, learning, and memory) and typing outcomes during slow treadmill walking or sitting. Seventy-five healthy individuals were randomly assigned to a treadmill walking group (n=37; 23 female) or sitting group (n=38; 17 female).

Methods

The treadmill walking group completed a series of tests while walking at 1.5 mph. The sitting group performed the same tests while sitting at a standard desk. Tests performed by both groups included: the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and a modified version of the Paced Auditory Serial Attention Test. In addition, typing performance was evaluated.

Results

Participants in the treadmill …

A Six-Week Home Exercise Program Improves Endothelial Function And Cd34+ Circulating Progenitor Cells In Patients With Pre-Diabetes, Sabyasachi Sen, Sarah Witkowski, Ann Lagoy, Ashequl Islam

Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Pre-diabetes is associated with endothelial dysfunction and affects endothelium-associated stem cells. Lifestyle modification has been shown to prevent the progression from pre-diabetes to overt type 2 diabetes; however, the effect of such interventions on CD34⁺ progenitor cells in pre-diabetes participants has not been tested. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a home-based 6-week exercise intervention improved vascular function, circulating number, function, and gene expression of circulating CD34⁺progenitor cells in patients with pre-diabetes.

Methods: Patients (40 - 70 years, BMI of 25 - 39.9, n = 11) were enrolled in a 16-week randomized crossover …

Brain Oxygenation Patterns During The Execution Of Tool Use Demonstration, Tool Use Pantomime, And Body-Part-As-Object Tool Use, Ingo Helmich, Henning Holle, Robert Rein, Hedda Lausberg

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

Divergent findings exist whether left and right hemispheric pre- and postcentral cortices contribute to the production of tool use related hand movements. In order to clarify the neural substrates of tool use demonstrations with tool in hand, tool use pantomimes without tool in hand, and body-part-as-object presentations of tool use (BPO) in a naturalistic mode of execution, we applied functional Near InfraRed Spectroscopy (fNIRS) in twenty-three right-handed participants. Functional NIRS techniques allow for the investigation of brain oxygenation during the execution of complex hand movements with an unlimited movement range. Brain oxygenation patterns were retrieved from 16 channels of measurement …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Athletic Apparel And Equipment Sponsorship And Student-Athlete Recruitment At The Football Championship, Melissa J. Davies, Katharine A. Burakowski

College of the Pacific Faculty Articles

The purpose of this study was to extend previous literature on student-athlete college choice by examining part of the recruitment process as a precursor to student-athlete decision-making. More specifically, this exploratory study aimed to empirically examine the extent to which apparel sponsorships affect student-athlete recruitment. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten football players at a state-supported NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) institution in the Rocky Mountain region. An inductive approach was used in identifying three emergent themes. These themes suggest that football players at this institution did not hold the apparel and equipment sponsorship as a deciding factor for the …

Sex Differences In Whole Body Gait Kinematics At Preferred Speeds, Dustin A. Bruening, R. Frimenko, C. Goodyear, A. Fullenkamp

Faculty Publications

Studies on human perception have identified pelvis and torso motion as key discriminators between male and female gaits. However, while most observers would advocate that men and women walk differently, consistent findings and explanations of sex differences in gait kinematics across modern empirical studies are rare. In the present study we evaluated sex differences in whole body gait kinematics from a large sample of subjects (55 men, 36 women) walking at self selected speeds. We analyzed the data through comparisons of discrete metrics and whole curve analyses. Results showed that in the frontal plane, women walked with greater pelvic obliquity …

Dairy Consumption And Insulin Resistance: The Role Of Body Fat, Physical Activity, And Energy Intake, Larry A. Tucker, Andrea Erickson, James D. Lecheminant, Bruce W. Bailey

Faculty Publications

The relationship between dairy consumption and insulin resistance was ascertained in 272 middle-aged, nondiabetic women using a cross-sectional design. Participants kept 7-day, weighed food records to report their diets, including dairy intake. Insulin resistance was assessed using the homeostatic model assessment (HOMA). The Bod Pod was used to measure body fat percentage, and accelerometry for 7 days was used to objectively index physical activity. Regression analysis was used to determine the extent to which mean HOMA levels differed across low, moderate, and high dairy intake categories. Results showed that women in the highest quartile of dairy consumption had significantly greater …

Progressive Resistance Exercise With Eccentric Loading For The Management Of Knee Osteoarthritis., Haniel J. Hernandez, Valerie Mcintosh, Azadeh Leland, Michael O. Harris-Love

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: The patient was a 58-year-old African-American male with radiographic evidence of bilateral knee osteoarthritis (OA). He participated in a standardized 12-week eccentric strengthening program within a Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center.

BACKGROUND: The use of an eccentric training paradigm may prove to be beneficial for older adults with knee OA since eccentric muscle actions are involved in the energy absorption at the knee joint during gait and controlled movement during stair descent. Furthermore, in comparison to standard muscle actions, eccentric muscle actions result in higher torque generation and a lower rate of oxygen consumption at a given level of …

The Impact Of Parents’ Categorization Of Their Own Weight And Their Child’S Weight On Healthy Lifestyle Promoting Beliefs And Practices, Allison C. Sylvetsky-Meni, Scott E. Gillespie, Trisha .. Hardy, Jean A. Welsh

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

Objective. To evaluate parents’ beliefs and practices related to childhood obesity and determine if these are influenced by parent’s perception of their own weight or their child’s weight.

Methods. Parents of obese (𝑛 = 689) or normal weight (𝑛 = 1122) children 4–15 years in Georgia, USA, were randomly selected to complete a telephone survey. Frequency of child obesity-related perceptions, beliefs, and practices were assessed, stratified by parent-perceived self-weight and child weight status, and compared using Chisquared tests and multivariate logistic regression.

Results. Most parents, regardless of perceived child weight, agreed that child overweight/obesity can cause serious illness (95%) …

Increasing Physical Activity Through Non-Weight Bearing Modality, Jacquelyn N. Zera

Exercise Science and Sports Studies

No abstract provided.

Coaches Perspective: Changes In Swim Performance And Perceived Stress And Recovery In Female Collegiate Swimmers Across A Competitive Season, Jacquelyn Zera, James Mcmillan, Barry Munkasy, A. Joyner, Stephen Rossi

Exercise Science and Sports Studies

Optimal sport performance involves balancing the accumulation of training stress with adequate recovery (Budgett, 2000; Hollander & Meyers, 1995). Continuous evaluation of an athlete's performance levels, stress levels, and recovery states during a competitive season is important in determining an athlete's readiness for competition. This study's purpose was to examine effects of training load on performance, perceived stress, and recovery among collegiate female athletes across a competitive season. Nineteen NCAA Division I female swimmers completed monthly testing including six tethered swim tests and seven Recovery-Stress Questionnaires (RESTQ-76), yielding mean force (Fmean) and Total Recovery-Stress Score (TRSS). This study's results indicate …

Changes In Swim Performance And Perceived Stress And Recovery In Female Collegiate Swimmers Across A Competitive Season, Jacquelyn Zera, James Mcmillan, Barry Munkasy, A. Joyner, Stephen Rossi

Exercise Science and Sports Studies

Optimal sport performance involves balancing the accumulation of training stress with adequate recovery (Budgett, 2000; Hollander & Meyers, 1995). Continuous evaluation of an athlete's performance levels, stress levels, and recovery states during a competitive season is important in determining an athlete's readiness for competition. Limited examination of these three factors appears for collegiate athletes; thus this study's purpose was to examine effects of training load on psychological and performance variables among collegiate female athletes across a competitive season. Nineteen NCAA Division I female swimmers completed monthly testing including six tethered swim tests and seven Recovery-Stress Questionnaires (RESTQ-76), yielding mean force …

Church Pew Exercise Integrated With Conventional Physical Therapy Following Total Knee Arthroplasty (Tka): Case Report, Randell Gonzales, Jerome V. Danoff

Exercise and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

Background and Purpose: Physical therapy treatment following Total knee Arthroplasty (TKA) consists of a combination of strengthening and range of motion exercises. The exercise technique, church pew exercise (CPE), has been proposed to enhance quadriceps facilitation and improve function. This is a technique that has the patient standing and rocking forward/back. The backward motion is arrested by engagement of the upper calf against a solid object, creating a sudden flexion torque at the knee and a sudden extension torque at the hip. The combination of CPE with standard physical therapy is claimed to provide better quadriceps control and faster walking …