Kinesiology Commons^™

Investigating Mechanisms And Day-Level Factors That Influence Children’S 24-Hour Movement Behaviors, Hannah Parker

Theses and Dissertations

Twenty-four hour movement behaviors (i.e., physical activity (PA), screen time (ST), and sleep) are associated with health outcomes, chronic disease (obesity, type 2 diabetes), and mortality. Most literature evaluating children’s 24-hour movement behaviors has focused on static person-level demographic information such as age or biological sex. Relatively less work has examined the variable factors that change day to day, such as environment or context. The Structured Days Hypothesis (SDH) suggests that when children are in structured environments, they have healthier movement behaviors compared to less structured environments where children have more discretionary time to engage in obesogenic behaviors. Besides school/childcare, …

Modeling The Interaction Between Pain And Movement: Insights From Brain Activation Patterns And Context-Dependent Emotion In Chronic Low Back Pain, Pradeep Kumar Sahu

Theses and Dissertations

In persons with chronic pain, fear or anxiety related to movement is a well-established model under the biopsychosocial framework that explains in part, the chronicity of symptoms commonly reported by individuals with chronic low back pain (cLBP). This dissertation aimed to further understand the link between the context-dependent emotion network in the brain and movement in two separate studies using brain functional MRI and autonomic nervous system indices. Aim 1sought to investigate the brain functional connectivity linking brain regions involved in context-dependent emotion and movement while cLBP participants moved their back inside the scanner by performing a modified trunk bridging …

Academic Wellness In Health Professional Students: The Intersection Between Dietary Attitudes And Behaviors, Sleep Quality, And Mental Health, Kenya Shereece Moore

Theses and Dissertations

Academic success is strongly influenced by student well-being, with nutrition, sleep, and mental health emerging as critical and interconnected components. Health profession students often face significant mental and physical demands, as they navigate their educational training, which can challenge their ability to maintain healthy behaviors and access necessary support. Although these students are often trained to recognize, treat, and promote wellness in others, they may struggle to prioritize or seek care for themselves. This work aims to explore the health behaviors and care-seeking patterns of health profession students, with a focus on dietary habits, sleep, and barriers to mental health …

Sedentary Behavior Patterns After Acl Reconstruction, David M. Werner, Liubov Arbeeva, Yvonne M. Golightly, Balarinivasa R. Sajja, Michael D. Rosenthal, Matthew Tao, Elizabeth Wellsandt

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(4): 636-658, 2025. Individuals after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are less physically active than their uninjured peers, but little is known about their sedentary behavior (SB). This study aimed to identify patterns of SB in individuals six and 18 months after ACLR. Eighteen individuals after ACLR wore accelerometers for one week during six- and 18-month post-operative assessments (83.3% female, 19.7±5.6 years old, BMI 23.9±kg/m²). The percentage of awake time spent in SB was estimated. A multilevel (two time points – six and 18 months), multidimensional (13 hours) functional principal component analysis generated …

Reliability Of A Linear Position Transducer During The Bench Press Across Three Segments, Jennifer Rivera, Edward Pelka, Ryan Gant, Anthony G. Pinzone, Emily C. Tagesen, Modesto A. Lebron, Adam R. Jajtner

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(2): 622-635, 2025. The purpose of this investigation was to determine inter-set and inter-session reliability of the HUMAC360 measures for duration (DUR), peak velocity (PV) and mean velocity (MV) across three segments of the bench press. Seventeen recreationally active adults participated in this investigation. During visit one, participants completed a bench press one-repetition maximum (1RM). Visits two and three consisted of two sets of three repetitions at 30%-, 50%-, 60%-, and 70 %-1RM. Segments were defined by dividing total displacement into equal thirds at the bottom (BOT), middle (MID) and top (TOP). Intraclass correlation coefficients …

Kinematic Analysis Of Olympic And Traditional Rowing Mechanics At Different Stroke Rates, Alfonso Penichet-Tomas, Sergio Calavia-Carvajal, Basilio Pueo, Lamberto Villalon-Gasch

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(7): 610-621, 2025. Rowing requires strength, endurance, and technique, where stroke efficiency depends on body mechanics, movement sequencing, and stroke rate, which impact speed transfer. This cross-sectional study investigates the role of kinematic differences in stroke mechanics as a key component of performance analysis in Olympic and Traditional rowing. Thirteen elite national-level female rowers (age: 26.9 ± 5.1 years; body mass: 60.6 ± 6.9 kg; height: 166.7 ± 6.7 cm) performed three stroke-rate conditions on two ergometer setups: an Olympic rowing ergometer and a modified ergometer with a static seat replicating Traditional rowing. The stroke …

The Effect Of Breakfast On A Resistance Training Session And Response In Female Collegiate Athletes, Haley Roberts, Yvette Figueroa, Jennifer Bunn, Patrick Davis

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(6): 591-609, 2025. Breakfast consumption has been shown to be an essential component to a healthy lifestyle in various populations, yet research in this area is limited among female athletes. This study aimed to examine the effect of breakfast consumption on collegiate female athletes during a resistance training session and their nutritional habits throughout the remainder of the day. Twenty-three female collegiate Division I athletes (basketball, volleyball, bowling, and soccer) during the offseason participated in this cross-over study. The study included three visits: baseline measures for heart rate (HR), blood glucose (BG), salivary cortisol (SC), …

The Myth Of The Bayesian Brain, Madhur Mangalam

Journal Articles

The Bayesian brain hypothesis—the idea that neural systems implement or approximate Bayesian inference—has become a dominant framework in cognitive neuroscience over the past two decades. While mathematically elegant and conceptually unifying, this paper argues that the hypothesis occupies an ambiguous territory between useful metaphor and testable, biologically plausible mechanistic explanation. We critically examine the key claims of the Bayesian brain hypothesis, highlighting issues of unfalsifiability, biological implausibility, and inconsistent empirical support. The framework’s remarkable flexibility in accommodating diverse findings raises concerns about its explanatory power, as models can often be adjusted post hoc to fit virtually any data pattern. We …

Establishing A Novel Neurofunctional Pre-Season Baseline For Sports-Related Concussion In Men And Women Collegiate Athletics, Jonathan C. Vincent, Jon G. Divine Md Ms, Aaron Kuehn-Himmler At Ms, Robert E. Mangine Pt Med Atc, Jim K. Ellis Od, Frederick R. Carrick Dc, Phd, Ms-Hped, Kimberly A. Hasselfeld, Blake M. Bacevich, Daniel Fosselman Do Mba, Joseph F. Clark Phd, Atc

Journal for Sports Neuroscience

Objective: To develop and validate a multi-domain neurofunctional baseline incorporating ocular, vestibular, proprioceptive, and cognitive assessments for collegiate athletes, thereby providing a more comprehensive approach to detecting and managing sports-related concussions.

Design: Retrospective chart review of pre-season baseline data.

Setting: Collegiate athletic training facility.

Participants: A total of 194 Division I collegiate athletes aged 18–24 years, stratified by sport, sex, and self-reported concussion history.

Interventions: A comprehensive battery of clinical and instrument-based neurological assessments, including Dynavision D2 tests (visual-motor coordination and reaction time), stereopsis, convergence, proprioception, peripheral vision, and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness measurements.

Main Outcome Measures: Normative …

Evolution Of Match Technical-Tactical Performance Indicators According To Age Category In Men's National Football Teams (World Cups 2003-2019), Sergio A. Caicedo-Parada, Enrique Ortega, Jose M. Palao

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(3): 575-590, 2025. Performance in football depends on different dynamic interactions between players that occur at technical, tactical, physical, psychological, or sociological levels. The objective of this study was to analyze the evolution of match technical-tactical performance indicators according to age category in men's national football teams (U-17, U-20 and senior). A non-experimental retrospective observational design was used. Variables studied were ball possession, goal chances, shots off target, shots on target, corner kicks, effectiveness; goals, offsides, fouls committed, yellow cards, red cards, and second yellow cards. Data were drawn from 917 matches (195 senior, 369 …

Sensory Integration Processes Characterize Concussed Athletes With Balance Deficits, Bhagyashree Singh, Ingo Helmich

Exercise and Sport Studies: Faculty Publications

Impaired postural control constitutes a major symptom after mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI/sport-related concussions (SRC)). In order to uphold cognition and behavior during pathological situations, individuals may be characterized by neuronal upregulation. Because postural control necessitates the integration of sensory information within somatosensory (/parietal) cortices, we investigated the hypothesis that athletes with ongoing symptoms after SRC are characterized by increased brain activation within these areas in order to compensate for postural deficits. Sixty-six athletes (27 ± 13 years; 50 men, 16 women) participated in the study. Twenty-two concussed athletes reported high post-concussion symptoms (PCS; symptomatic group), and 22 concussed athletes …

The N-Pact Factor, Replication And Power Associated With Quantitative Research In Physical Activity And Health, Angelina Haidar, Jeffrey J. Martin, Adam J. Martin, Sarah Rogers, Fatemeh Dehghan, Eva Prokesova

International Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Physical Activity (PA) and health science researchers often face challenges related to sample size, which can impact the reliability and generalizability of study findings. The purpose of the current paper is to address these issues by discussing key statistical concepts: effect size and Type I and Type II errors, with a specific focus on examining statistical power and sample size using studies from the Disability and Health Journal (DHJ). We examined research articles published in DHJ over a 15-year period (2008–2022), covering 62 issues and analyzing a total of 1,177 articles. Our analysis revealed that the median sample sizes …

Global Mitophagy Inhibition Via Bnip3 Ablation Is Not Sufficient To Alleviate Skeletal Muscle Impairments In Male And Female Tumor-Bearing Mice, Francielly Morena, Ana Regina Cabrera, Toby L. Chambers, Pietier J. Koopmans, Seongkyun Lim, Stavroula Tsitanou, Sabin Khadgi, Calvin Peterson, Eleanor R. Schrems, Ruqaiza Muhyudin, Sepideh Shakeri, Kevin Zhao, Devan Mishra, Tyrone Washington, Kevin A. Murach, Nicholas P. Greene

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cancer cachexia (CC) is marked by severe skeletal muscle loss and dysfunction, associated with mitochondrial degeneration. Our previous studies showed induction of the mitophagy marker BNIP3 3-wk post-Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) induction. We hypothesize that excessive mitophagy contributes to muscle wasting in CC. To test this, we used a Bnip3 knockout (KO) mouse model with LLC-induced CC to assess its impact on muscle outcomes. Eight-wk-old male and female mice were injected with 1 x 10(6) LLC cells or PBS (sham controls). After 4 wk, we assessed muscle function through dorsiflexor electrophysiology, muscle protein synthesis via deuterium oxide labeling, and mitochondrial …

Advances In Bone And Orthopedics 2025 – 5th Edition, Jean-Philippe Berteau, Laurent Pujo-Menjouet, Hélène Follet, Aurélie Levillain

Publications and Research

This volume brings together selected works from the 2025 Bone and Orthopedics Interdisciplinary Symposium (BONITOS), underscoring our community’s ongoing commitment to advancing research in biomechanics, bone health, and orthopedic science. The symposium unites leading experts from around the world, fostering collaboration and the exchange of ideas across disciplines. Organized in partnership with the French-speaking Society of Biomechanics, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), the University of Lyon, the College of Staten Island of the City University of New York (CUNY), and the American Association of Physical Therapists (APTA) – Brooklyn Staten Island Chapter, BONITOS 2025 represents …

Associations Between 24-Hour Movement Compositions And Cardiometabolic Health In Children And Adolescents: A Five-Part Compositional Analysis Using Data From The International Children’S Accelerometery Database (Icad), Zoë A. Marshall, Adam Runacres, Pedro Curi Hallal, Russ Jago, Soyang Kwon, Kate Northstone, Russell R. Pate, Jardena Puder, John J. Reilly, Luis B. Sardinha, Niels Wedderkopp, Ester Van Slujis

Faculty Publications

Objectives The benefits of physical activity (PA) and the negative impacts of sedentary time (SED) on health in youth are well established. However, uncertainty remains surrounding how PA and SED jointly influence cardiometabolic risk (CMR) factors. The aim of this study was to determine the joint influence of SED, light-, moderate- and vigorous-intensity PA (LPA, MPA and VPA), and sleep on CMR factors using five-part compositional analyses.

Methods Data were pooled from 16 cohort studies comprising 22 474 children and adolescents from the International Children’s Accelerometery Database. PA was measured using hip-mounted accelerometers with sleep self-reported. CMRs included body mass …

The Effect Of Functional Training On Dynamic Knee Valgus Of Youth Soccer Players. A Pilot Study, Ole Tovar, Dóra Molnár, Badis Soussi, Ádám Uhlár, Tamás Horváth, Mira Ambrus

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(7): 561-574, 2025. Knee injuries are very common in soccer players. High loads on the knee during landing or changes of direction can lead to a valgus shift of the knee, known as Dynamic Knee Valgus (DKV). Many studies have shown that a large shift in DKV is a predisposing factor for knee injuries and disease, such as anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL), patellofemoral pain syndrome or osteoarthritis. Functional training could be a great tool to reduce DKV. Thus, in this pilot study, nine male youth soccer players (mean age: 16.4 ± 0.2 years) took …

Assessment Of Walkability Of University Campus And Communities: Associations With Perceived Safety & Student Retention, Wendy Bjerke

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Introduction: Approximately 80% of Americans do not meet minimum guidelines for regular physical activity. Among ways to promote physical activity is to optimize the Built Environment to promote and increase access to walking and cycling. Walkable and accessible university campus environments and proximal communities can promote physical activity and are assessed and compared in this study. Purpose and Methods: Approximately 20 million students attend colleges and universities in the United States with over 100,000 students enrolled in the state of Connecticut. These students can potentially engage in physical activity within a campus or around the surrounding communities for university related …

Voluntary Contractions Underestimate Peak Muscle Activity In Drop Jumps, David Alan Phillips, Skylar Paletta, Michael R. Perlet

Department of Kinesiology Scholarship and Creative Works

Maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) are a common method to normalize electromyographic amplitude into standardized units of %MVIC. However, in 60% of drop jump research using an MVIC in 2018–2023, supramaximal activation or activation greater than 100% MVIC occurred. Therefore, MVICs may not be representative of peak muscle activation, leading to erroneous interpretation of muscle activation. The purpose of this study is to quantify EMG normalization difference in drop jump landings. Sixteen (10 M, 6F) participants were recruited for the study. MVICs were recorded from nine lower extremity muscles and this activation compared to the maximal activation recorded from 10 …

Behavioral And Neural Correlates Of Post-Stroke Fatigue: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol, Kuan-Chun Liao, Isabellle Christian, Jill C. Stewart, Elaine Trudelle-Jackson, Wanyi Wang, Ty Shang, Hui-Ting Goh

Faculty Publications

Introduction

Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) is highly prevalent and lacks of effective management. Recent evidence suggest the use of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to reduce PSF. However, the effect was not lasting and the working mechanisms was unclear. The purpose of this study is to determine the behavioral and neurophysiological effects of five daily sessions of tDCS on PSF.

Methods and analysis

This will be a double-blind randomized controlled trial targeting an enrollment of 32 participants with subacute-chronic stroke and significant fatigue (average Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) > 4). Participants will be equally randomized to either anodal tDCS or sham tDCS …

Effect Of In-Season Potentiation And Priming On Jump Height In Collegiate D1 American Football Players, Benjamin Dagostino, Kody Cooke, Paulette Yamada, Trevor Short

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Neuromuscular priming and post-activation potentiation (PAP) are techniques utilized to increase nervous system excitation, muscle force, and rate of force development during subsequent muscle contractions in sport. PAP is a commonly used approach that has the potential to influence neuromuscular status monitoring and flagging, and optimize power training. Specifically, jump height is an important parameter in athletic performance and assessing inter-limb asymmetries. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to report the effects of different PAP strategies on jump height during a competitive D1 American football season. These findings will inform practitioners on optimal PAP strategies and their implications …