Kinesiology Commons^™

Biomechanical Effects Of Exercise-Based Interventions In Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Lara De Vecchi Machado

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP) is the leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide and represents a complex, multifactorial, and heterogeneous condition. It is characterized by substantial interindividual variability in muscle activation patterns, lumbo-pelvic coordination, and movement strategies. Although exercise is widely recommended as a first-line intervention and its clinical benefits are well established, the biomechanical mechanisms underlying functional improvement remain fragmented in the literature and are rarely synthesized quantitatively.

This dissertation conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to investigate the biomechanical effects of exercise-based interventions in individuals with CNLBP. A total of 39 studies were included and …

Perceived Barriers To Physical Activity And Campus Recreation Facility Usage In College Students Referred Or Not Referred To An Exercise Is Medicine® On Campus Program, Benjamin M. Colbert

Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 36-50% of college students are inactive and report numerous barriers to being physically active. Physical activity (PA) barriers are any obstacle an individual believes affects their PA participation. Individuals who perceive more barriers are less likely to participate in PA and as such, interventions that target barriers may increase PA participation. Exercise is Medicine^® on Campus (EIM-OC) is one intervention that may improve PA levels on college campuses by reducing barriers. The purpose of this study was to document PA and campus recreation facility barriers in university students and examine the influence of an individualized EIM-OC intervention …

Prevalence Of Grip And Leg Strength Asymmetries In U.S. Youth, Elyse M. Deschryver

Theses and Dissertations

Early-life physical activity is important for building muscular strength, supporting healthy growth and disease prevention, and for establishing physical activity and strength habits that often track into adulthood. Although grip strength asymmetry is a well-documented risk factor in older adults, evidence in children and adolescents is limited and largely based on small, sport-specific samples. PURPOSE: To describe grip and leg extension strength asymmetries in a nationally representative sample of U.S. youth aged 6–15 years using the National Youth Fitness Survey (NNYFS). METHODS: The analysis included 1,214 participants (606 boys, 608 girls) with valid grip or leg extension data. Age, sex, …

Predicting Tilt In Esports: A Psychophysiological Approach To Understanding Player Emotional Regulation, Nathan Rhea

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Emotional regulation and stress management are important to both casual and competitive esports players. When players become dysregulated, they experience a phenomenon known as “tilt” within the gaming community, where they often lose control of their emotions and their performance declines. This study aimed to investigate whether a psychophysiological variable in heart rate variability could predict tilt in college-age esports players. Additionally, the relationship between heart rate variability and emotions predicted by the Tiltometer system with gameplay performance and winning or losing was tested.

This study used a quantitative correlational research design. Participants for this study were college-age players (N=23) …

From Fit To At-Risk: Latent Profiles Of Health And Behavior Among First-Year Mexican American College Students, Soyoung Kwon, Shannon Shen, Jieming Chen, Soojin Yoo, Boram Lim, Sukho Lee

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications

The first year of college is pivotal for establishing lifelong health habits, yet many Mexican American students experience challenges during this transition. Using data from 285 first-year students at three Hispanic-Serving Institutions in Texas, we performed latent profile analysis (LPA) to explore groups of behavioral and physical health indicators. Four profiles were identified: (1) Moderate Risk Behavior—healthy body composition but high intake of alcohol and fast-food; (2) Multidimensional High Risk—poor sleep, high body fat, and high substance use; (3) Health-Optimal Active—active lifestyle, low-risk behaviors, and good sleep quality; and (4) Physically Inactive but Lean —low activity with lean body composition …

Dietary Intake And Predictors Of Healthy Eating In Midwestern American College Students: An Observational Study †, Anna Peluso Simonson, Jacquelyn N. Zera, Gregory S. Farnell

2026 Faculty Bibliography

College students often maintain poor dietary habits, notably low fruit and vegetable intake. Commonbarriers include limited time, cost, and lack of nutritional knowledge. This study examined dietary behaviors, barriers, and factors influencing Healthy Eating Scores (HES) amongcollege students. Participants (N = 224; age = 20.3 ± 2.5 years, BMI = 23.9 ± 4.1 kg/m2, 78.9% female, and 91.3% white) completed an online survey. Results indicate meat overconsumption with underconsumption of water, fruits, and vegetables. Limited time and healthy options were the primary perceived barriers. Tests of between-subject effects identified gender (F = 4.38, p = 0.04) and living situation (F …

An Exploratory Analysis Of The Role Of Sex In Load Carriage, Rachel E. Perez, Dustin R. Slivka, Brent C. Ruby

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Axially loaded weight may impose a metabolic demand equivalent to that of fat mass (FM) during load carriage. Males (M) typically have a lower body fat percentage than females (F), resulting in metabolic demand differences during load carriage that may be mitigated by accounting for FM in pack loads. PURPOSE: To determine whether normalizing pack load to FM equalizes metabolic cost across sexes during load carriage. METHODS: Twenty-eight participants (14M, 23 ± 5 y, 1.81 ± 0.07 m, 78.7 ± 10.0 kg, 12.7 ± 5.4% body fat, VO₂peak 4.18 ± 0.54 L·min^-1; 14F, 22 ± 4 …

Velocity Based Training In Athletic Development, Ross Martin Sangalang

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The foundation of high-level sport performance is the ability to produce and express force rapidly across the task-specific temporal demands of sport. Traditional percentage-based prescription methods have long been used to develop hypertrophy, maximal strength, and power; however, fixed %1RM prescriptions fail to account for daily undulations in athlete readiness, accumulated fatigue, and changes in neuromuscular capacity. Velocity based training (VBT) offers a practical framework to regulate training through measurement of concentric velocity, allowing coaches to more accurately prescribe loads, stringently monitor repetition quality, and precisely regulate fatigue. This review discusses the neuromuscular qualities underpinning success in athletic endeavors, limitations …

Independent And Interactive Effects Of Stack Height And Heel Width On Spatiotemporal Parameters, Knee Joint Kinetics, And Ground Reaction Forces During Running, Hao Cai

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study investigated the independent and interactive effects of stack height (SH) and heel width (HW) on lower-extremity biomechanics during running. Specifically, the study examined how variations in midsole geometry influenced spatiotemporal parameters, knee joint kinetics, and ground reaction forces (GRF). Twelve recreational runners (8 males, 4 females) completed treadmill running trials at 16 km/h under nine shoe conditions that systematically varied in SH (25, 45, and 65 mm) and HW (81, 93, and 105 mm). Lower-extremity kinematics were collected using a Theia3D markerless motion capture system, and GRF data were recorded using an instrumented treadmill. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA …

Influence Of Footwear Geometry On Lower Limb Stiffness During Running, Hongjiao Duan

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study examined how footwear geometry, specifically stack height and heel width, influences lower-limb stiffness during treadmill running. Twelve recreationally active runners completed treadmill running trials at 4.44 m/s in nine prototype shoe conditions that differed in stack height (25, 45, and 65 mm) and heel width (81, 93, and 105 mm). Vertical stiffness, leg stiffness, and sagittal-plane hip, knee, and ankle joint stiffness were calculated from synchronized markerless motion capture and force data. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA (stack height X heel width) was used to test footwear effects. Leg stiffness was not significantly affected by stack height or heel …

Examining Firefighter Perceptions Of Stress And Recovery Across A Shift And Engagement In Recovery Activities, Nathan T. Ebersole

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The occupational demands of firefighting, such as fire suppression and rescue tasks, working in hazardous conditions, inconsistent sleep patterns, and exposure to traumatic events, can lead to work-related injuries, burnout, and feelings of isolation. To date, there is limited research on the impact of a single work-shift on firefighter perceptions of stress and recovery and the recovery activities that may influence these perceptions. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a single work-shift on firefighter perceptions of stress and recovery status as well as the recovery activities firefighters choose to engage in. Forty-three firefighters across …

Female Athletes’ Mental Health Help-Seeking Experiences: Understanding The Impact Of The Coach-Athlete Relationship And Coach Sex, Verena Zaisberger

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Mental health help-seeking remains stigmatized in the world of sports (Cosh et al., 2024). Evidence suggests that female athletes may prefer to disclose vulnerable topics to individuals of the same sex (Keil et al., 2023), including help-seeking (O’Keeffe et al., 2022). However, no investigations have explored how coach sex or the coach-athlete relationship may influence female athletes help-seeking experiences. This is despite the importance of coaches in promoting and facilitating mental health services utilization (Bissett et al., 2020). To further understand this topic, the aim of this study was to explore what female athletes’ mental health help-seeking experiences are under …

Mechanical Improvements And Control Implementation On A Biomimetic Quadruped Model, Matthew Jack Lutz

Dissertations and Theses

Robotic development started billions of years after earth first began biological prototyping. While the evolutionary process in animals is quite different from robotic prototyping, it still remains no surprise that animals remain more agile, more efficient, and more adaptable than even the most advanced engineered robots to date, simply due to the sheer length of their improvement process. While bridging this improvement gap between deficits in robots and the abilities of animals is difficult, a specific subfield of robotics engineering has attempted to do so using biomimetic robotics. At Portland State, the Agile and Adaptive Robotics Lab (AARL) studies these …

Psychological Responses To Interval And Continuous Exercise In People Living With Hiv: A Single-Blind, Counterbalanced, Crossover Study., Phelipe Wilde, Victor S. De Queiros, Jason R. Jaggers, Angelo Sabag, Julio M. Alves, Elaine Fernandes, Robert F.C. Rocha, Paulo F. De Almeida-Neto, Ronaldo Vagner Thomatieli-Santos, Paulo Moreira Silva Dantas

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Abstract
Aim: This study compared acute psychological responses to a single session of low-volume high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE-LV), high-volume highintensity interval exercise (HIIE-HV), and moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE) in people living with HIV, and healthy controls using a randomized, counterbalanced crossover design. Methods: The participants (people living with HIV, and healthy controls) completed three exercise sessions in randomized order: HIIE-HV (4  4 min at 80% of maximal power output [Wmax]), HIIE-LV (10  60 s at 90% Wmax), and MICE (30 min at 60% Wmax). Psychological outcomes included affective response assessed by the Feeling Scale, exercise enjoyment and future exercise intention …

Metal Exposures And Their Interactions With The Dietary Inflammatory Index On Inflammatory Biomarkers In Mexican Adolescents, Yanelli Rodríguez-Carmona, Ana Baylin, Peter X.K. Song, Edward Ruiz-Narvaez, Cindy W. Leung, James Hébert Scd, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., Michael David Wirth Msph, Phd, Face, Aljandra Cantoral, John D. Meeker, Niladri Basu, Martha María Tellez-Rojo, Karen E. Peterson, Sung Kyun Park

Faculty Publications

Background:

Heavy metals, like lead, arsenic, and cadmium, are linked to increased inflammation even in early life; however, anti-inflammatory diets may offset these effects.

Methods:

We evaluated associations between heavy metals and inflammatory biomarkers, and potential effect modification by diet in 399 adolescents aged 10 to 18 at baseline who attended two study visits 2 years apart (773 observations). At baseline, blood lead, urinary arsenic, and cadmium concentrations were measured, and the Children’s Dietary Inflammatory Index (C-DII) was calculated. Fasting serum interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were measured for both visits. Generalized …

Cv: Catherine Bohlin (Exercise Science), Catherine Bohlin

Rehabilitation and Health Sciences Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Cv: Catherine Bohlin (Exercise Science), Catherine Bohlin

Health Sciences Department Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

The Effects Of A Stimulant And Non-Stimulant Pre-Workout Supplement On Sprint Performance, Macie Reagan

Student Scholar Symposium

The aim of this study is to compare the effects of a stimulant pre-workout that contains caffeine and a non-stimulant pre-workout that does not contain caffeine on sprint distance. We anticipate that 10 recreationally active individuals will participate in this study, and each participant will act as their own control. Sprint performance will be measured by the distance covered within 10 seconds of allotted time on an Assault Runner Elite treadmill. On the first day, participants will be familiarized with the experimental protocol, so neither pre-workout supplement will be administered. After completing a five-minute structured warm-up, they will complete three …

Pioneering Insights Into The Complexities Of Salt-Sensitive Hypertension: Central Nervous System Mechanisms And Dietary Bioactive Compound Interventions, Renjun Wang, Bo Xu, Xiping Liu, Qi Guo, Gregory Miodonski, Zhiying Shan, Dongshu Du, Qing Hui Chen

Michigan Tech Publications

Salt-sensitive hypertension (SSH) is an important and common subtype of hypertension, whose pathogenesis involves multi-level regulation, including the central nervous system (CNS), metabolic stress, and epigenetics. Dietary bioactive compounds have emerged as a research hotspot for SSH intervention due to their safety and multi-target effects. Although existing studies have focused on the CNS regulation of SSH or the role of individual dietary components, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis integrating multiple mechanisms, systematically summarizing multiple compounds, and incorporating a clinical translation perspective. This review first outlines the mechanisms of CNS pathways, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and epigenetic …

Validation And Efficacy Of A Novel External Ankle Support Device For The Prevention Of Lateral Ankle Sprains, Sally Kennon Barfield

Theses and Dissertations

Ankle sprains are a common injury in sports and in life and can lead to debilitating consequences if not managed properly. Current prevention methods are limited to bracing or taping of the ankle. While these methods have been shown to help in mitigation of ankle sprains, associated issues such as performance decrements and discomfort have been noted in the currently available literature. The BetterGuards is a novel external ankle support that has been touted as the key to the issues presented by more traditional prevention methods. The purpose of this study was to determine both the effectiveness of the BetterGuards …