Kinesiology Commons^™

Evaluation And Treatment Of Baseball Pitchers: There’S More To Assess Than The Arm, Matthew L. Gauthier, Casey A. Unverzagt, George J. Davies

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Injuries are commonplace in the overhead athlete, with many occurring to the shoulder and elbow. The increasing prevalence of injuries to the shoulder and elbow has been discussed at length in recent years, with increased research focus being placed on arm care for rehabilitation and prevention strategies. Even though the pitching motion is well-established as a whole-body kinetic chain movement, most attention in rehabilitation and prevention efforts is often placed on the upper extremity. The purpose of this clinical commentary is to highlight the impact the lower extremity and trunk have on the upper extremity during the throwing motion, better …

International Society Of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Β-Hydroxy-Β-Methylbutyrate (Hmb), John A. Rathmacher, Lisa M. Pitchford, Jeffrey R. Stout, Jeremy R. Townsend, Ralf Jäger, Richard B. Kreider, Bill I. Campbell, Chad M. Kerksick, Patrick S. Harty, Darren G. Candow, Brandon M. Roberts, Shawn M. Arent Ph.D., Cscs*D, Fissn, Facsm, Fnak, Douglas S. Kalman, Jose Antonio

Faculty Publications

Position Statement: The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) bases the following position stand on an analysis of the literature regarding the effects of β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyrate (HMB). The following 12 points have been approved by the Research Committee of the Society: 1. HMB is a metabolite of the amino acid leucine that is naturally produced in both humans and other animals. Two forms of HMB have been studied: Calcium HMB (HMB-Ca) and a free acid form of HMB (HMB-FA). HMB-FA appears to lead to increased appearance of HMB in the bloodstream when compared to HMB-Ca, though recent results are mixed. 2. …

Menstrual Cycle Phase Effects On Exercise Thermoregulation And Performance In The Heat, Kailei J. Eustis

All Master's Theses

Hormone fluctuations across the menstrual cycle (MC) may influence physiological responses. This study examined whether thermoregulatory measures differ across MC phases, and if these changes impact running performance in the heat. Ten eumenorrheic adults completed two treadmill runs in simulated conditions (wet bulb globe temperature 31.7 ± 1.4°C) during early follicular (EF) and midluteal (ML) phases. First 45min was a constant self-selected light pace followed by a 15min performance test for distance. Core temperature (Tc), mean skin temperature (Ts), heart rate (HR), perceived exertion (RPE), thermal perception (THERM), and comfort perception (COMF) were assessed every 5min. Sweat perception (SP), sweat …

Exploratory Analysis Of Gait Mechanics In Farmers, Mariana V. Jacobs, Kate N. Jochimsen, Jody L. Clasey, Michael A. Samaan

Kinesiology and Health Promotion Faculty Publications

Farmers may be at a higher risk of developing hip osteoarthritis (OA) due to the high demands of their occupation. To the authors’ knowledge, the gait patterns of farmers that may be associated with hip joint degeneration have yet to be analyzed. Therefore, this study compares gait mechanics between farmers and non-farmers (controls). It is hypothesized that farmers would exhibit altered lower extremity joint mechanics during walking when compared to matched controls. This exploratory study included five farmers and five sex-, age-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls. A 3D gait analysis was performed while study participants walked at a …

Assessment Of Hip Joint Mechanics During Walking In People With Marfan Syndrome, Mariana V. Jacobs, Justin Melan Pol, Aaron D. Fain, Jody L. Clasey, Brecca M. M. Gaffney, Christopher J. Mclouth, Mary B. Sheppard, Michael A. Samaan

Kinesiology and Health Promotion Faculty Publications

Background: Marfan syndrome (MFS) is an autosomal dominant connective tissue disorder and is associated with muscle dysfunction. Individuals with MFS exhibit quadriceps weakness, hip joint pain, and an increased incidence of hip osteoarthritis (OA) compared to the general population, yet the underlying biomechanical factors associated with these poor hip-related outcomes are not well understood.

Research Question: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of MFS on gait mechanics and to determine the relationship of gait mechanics with hip-related outcomes within the MFS group. Methods: Eighteen people with MFS and 18 healthy, asymptomatic controls underwent 3D gait analysis. …

A Comprehensive Evaluation Of Thigh Mineral-Free Lean Mass Measures Using Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (Dxa) In Young Children, Trey R. Naylor, Mariana V. Jacobs, Michael A. Samaan, Laura C. Murphy, Douglas J. Schneider, Margaret O. Murphy, Hong Huang, John A. Bauer, Jody L. Clasey

Kinesiology and Health Promotion Faculty Publications

This study aimed to (1) demonstrate the intra- and interrater reliability of quadriceps (QUADS) and hamstring (HAMS) mineral-free lean (MFL) mass measures using DXA scanning, (2) determine the association of total thigh MFL mass measures with MFL mass measures of the hamstrings and quadriceps combined and (3) analyze the association between total thigh MFL mass and total body MFL mass measures. A total of 80 young children (aged 5 to 11 yrs) participated and unique regions of interest were created using custom analysis software with manual tracing of the QUADS, HAMS, and total thigh MFL mass measures. Repeated-measure analysis of …

Knee Health Is A Major Determinant Of Mobility Across The Healthspan, Brandon M. Peoples, Kenneth Harrison, Michael A. Samaan, Christopher B. Mobley, David T. Redden, Jaimie A. Roper

Kinesiology and Health Promotion Faculty Publications

Knee health constitutes a pivotal determinant of locomotor function and overall mobility throughout the healthspan. Impairments in knee function lead to a series of biomechanical and physiological alterations that pose substantial public health challenges and economic burdens worldwide. This review synthesizes evidence that delineates the complex and multifaceted relationship between knee health and mobility, emphasizing the interplay across various domains in adult populations. Knee health is conceptualized as a dynamic, interconnected system whereby structural integrity, neuromuscular mechanisms, biomechanical adaptations, and functional mobility are intricately interrelated through cascades of mechanistic processes operating across different temporal stages. A comprehensive understanding of these …

Canine Agility On The A-Frame Obstacle, Derek Wheeler

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Agility dogs rely on speed, strength, and precision to safely complete obstacles, such as the A-frame. These athletes can experience injuries in training or competition and the variability in multiple repetitions is undocumented. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether canine mass and trained contact behavior affected performance variables, including number of footfalls, obstacle completion time, and velocity between repetitions. Twenty-one actively competing dogs, at the masters level in American Kennel Club agility, were recorded completing two repetitions of the A-frame under standardized conditions. Paw placements were tracked manually frame by frame in XMALab and statistical analyses including …

Hip Strengthening In Female Collegiate Soccer Players: Effects Of Gluteus Medius Strengthening On Biodex Balance Scores, Caitlin Bruni, Morgan Shansky

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of gluteus medius (Gmed) strengthening program on single leg stability in collegiate female soccer players. Given the role of Gmed in stabilizing the hip, improving its strength may reduce lower extremity injury risk. Weakness in Gmed has been linked to conditions such as Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tears and Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). This study investigates whether an 8-week strength program improves single-leg stability, measured using the Biodex Balance System. Thirty-three female soccer players (18-23 years) from The University of Akron were recruited, with 22 completing the study. Participants underwent …

Perceived Shoulder Discomfort In Adolescent Swimmers, Abigail Daniel

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Competitive swimming is a sport that athletes traditionally start at a young age, training for many years to build up an aerobic base, learn the best techniques of the sport, and gain experience racing. While this increases the ability to perform and adapt to training in the sport, it also can lead to shoulder tightness, soreness, and even injury. PURPOSE: To investigate any correlation between the perceived shoulder discomfort of adolescents to flexion and extension measurements. METHODS: Participants (N=25) were recruited in person from a swimming club. Swimmers were between 13-18 years old and varied in participation level from recreational …

Review Of Research On Relative Energy Deficiency In Sport (Red-S), Paige Mcmaster

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The following research article review serves to summarize and evaluate peer-reviewed research articles on the topic of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). The paper will cover RED-S's effect on males versus females, endurance athletes versus non-endurance athletes, recreational athletes versus competitive athletes, and different age groups. Methodology includes strategically reviewing current literature and providing common themes or key points. The goal is to effectively summarize the subject of RED-S, provide in-depth understanding of the condition, and establish the need for education to prevent or reduce the incidence of RED-S.

Enhancing Health And Wellness In Female University Students: A Study On The Impact Of Self-Monitoring, Goal Setting, And Feedback, Halle Landies

Masters Essays

Incorporating exercise into daily routines helps female university students navigate the challenges of university life, promotes long-term health, and fosters a balanced and productive lifestyle (Kohl, 2013). This study aims to expand the research on applied behavior analysis by examining the effectiveness of self-monitoring, goal setting, and feedback in helping female students achieve daily goals related to step count, exercise, distance walked, etc.. Using a changing criterion design, participants recorded data via an Apple Watch, with the intervention's effectiveness evaluated weekly over a six-week period.

Reliability Of Popliteal Artery Flow-Mediated Dilation In The Seated Position, Taskina Akhter, Patrick B. Wilson, J. David Branch, Leryn J. Reynolds

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Flow-mediated dilation (FMD), a noninvasive measure of endothelial function, is commonly measured in the popliteal artery in the supine and upright body positions. However, reliability studies of the measurement in these positions are not well studied. This study aimed to examine the trial-retrial and visit-to-visit reliability of popliteal artery FMD in the seated position. Popliteal artery FMD was measured in 20 healthy adults across two visits in the seated and prone positions to assess visit-to-visit reliability. Two measurements were taken for each body position at each visit to assess trial-retrial reliability. %FMD was calculated as the percent change from baseline …

Effects Of Mental Fatigue On Gait Performance And Variability, Ali Zardosht

Dissertations and Theses

Mental fatigue has been shown to negatively impact physical performance, including motor skills and neuromuscular function. This study aimed to investigate the effects of mental fatigue on gait performance and variability in healthy young male adults. Eighteen participants walked over-ground at their preferred speed before and after completing a mentally fatiguing Stroop task. Kinematic data were recorded to assess gait variables such as speed, step length, step time, and step width, along with their coefficients of variation (CV). While subjective ratings of mental fatigue significantly increased following the Stroop task, no significant changes were observed in gait performance or CV …

Examining Exercise Self- Efficacy And Functional Mobility In Urban Law Enforcement Officers, Margo F. Jenkins

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Law enforcement officers perform various physically demanding tasks, but much of their daily activities are sedentary or light intensity. Quality movement patterns are vital for fitness, reducing the risk of injuries, and contributing to motivation for physical activity. PURPOSE: This study examined the relationship between exercise self-efficacy (ESES) and functional mobility (FMS) among law enforcement officers. METHODS: 55 officers participated, with exercise self-efficacy measured using the ESES scale and movement patterns assessed with the Functional Movement Screening (FMS). Correlational analysis and linear regression were used to explore the relationships between FMS and ESES, years of service (YoS) and FMS, …

Variations Of Hex Bar Deadlifts On Post-Activation Performance Enhancement In Collegiate Baseball Athletes, Samuel Sanders

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Single-session resistance priming protocols are used by strength and conditioning coaches to acutely improve neuromuscular mechanisms that are beneficial to athletic performance. This study aimed to examine if a concentric-only hex bar deadlift (CHBDL) would produce a similar post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) effect as a full-range-of-motion hex bar deadlift (THBDL) and mitigate perceived measures of fatigue and soreness in collegiate athletes. 19 NCAA Division I baseball athletes completed the study. A repeated measures design with randomized assignment and counterbalanced order was utilized. Over two weeks, the CHBDL and THBDL were added into a typical priming protocol used by the team’s …

Racial-Ethnic Differences In The Associations Between Functional Disabilities And Subsequent Depression Among Community-Dwelling Midlife And Older Adults In The Us, Debasree Das Gupta, Uma Kelekar, Kallol Kumar Bhattacharyya, Sidney Carl Turner

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

Background: The intersection of race/ethnicity with disability is a critical dimension of mental health outcomes in later ages that remains under-investigated.

Objective: We examined the role of race-ethnicity in moderating the associations between functional disabilities and subsequent depression among Americans 51 and older and stratified into the two age-groups of midlife (51-64) and older adults (≥65).

Methods: Using a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling Americans (≥51; n=7,475) in the 2016-2018 Health and Retirement Study, we conducted bivariate and multivariable regression analyses. Racial-ethnic groups included non-Hispanic (NH) Black, Hispanic, and NH White and a binary (0/1) outcome defined subsequent depression in …

Mental Fatigue Effect On Joint Repositioning, Collin Kehrwald

Dissertations and Theses

Mental fatigue influences both cognitive and physical performance, but its specific effects on proprioception have not been widely explored. This study aimed to examine how mental fatigue affects shoulder and knee joint repositioning senses. A joint repositioning task was used to assess proprioception in 18 college-aged males, with measurements taken for both shoulder and knee joint angles before and after a mental fatigue-inducing intervention. The Stroop task was employed to induce mental fatigue between the conditions. Results showed a significant increase in shoulder flexion variable error (p = 0.01, pre-Stroop = 2.79 ± 1.31 degrees, post-Stroop = 4.97 ± 3.20 …

"On The Mat They Will Get Treated The Same": Male High School Wrestlers' Attitudes Towards Female Opponents, Emily Ann Kaht

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Wrestling has historically been considered a male sport. Until recently, so few girls wrestled that those who did had no choice but to take on male opponents. Media reports and the literature indicate that those girls faced a wide range of attitudes from their opponents. While some women reported feeling supported by their male teammates, others reported hostility. Some stakeholders have, in the past, argued that wrestling is inherently unsuitable for girls, and some girls had trouble securing matches due to widespread refusal of boys to wrestle against them. Reasons given for boys forfeiting against girls have included a fear …

Barriers To Leisure-Time Physical Activity Among College Students, Ben Andrew Winfield

Masters Theses

Obesity is an increasing problem worldwide. In general, people eat more and exercise less, with a lot of individuals not meeting World Health Organization recommendation of 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity weekly. At times, individuals may face barriers which prevent or inhibit their ability to participate in leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), exercise completed in one’s free time. These barriers are known as leisure constraints and are comprised of three categories: intrapersonal, feelings and psychological aspects; interpersonal, relationship aspects; and structural, physical aspects. Body image, the perception individuals have about their bodies and …