Exercise Science
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Item Validity of Wearable Technology Assessments of Heart Rate and Energy Expenditure Under Exercise Conditions(2023-04-12) Barlowe, LeAna; Black, CarolineApple Watches are just one popular form of tracking fitness metrics including heart rate and caloric expenditure. We tested Apple Watches against gold standard technologies for measuring heart and energy expenditure during light steady-state exercise. We recruited 9 subjects (6F; 3M; Age=20±0.78; Height=171±8.53cm; Weight=184±63.21lbs; Percent body fat=29±8.69%; Predicted VO2max= 38±6.73ml/kg/min) who owned Apple Watches with the most current operating software to participate in this study. Each subject completed 3 5-minute bouts of steady-state exercise on a rower, treadmill, and cycle ergometer in a randomized order. Subjects were allowed to select their own pace with instructions to achieve a “fairly light” intensity. Oxygen consumption was measured via open-circuit spirometry and heart rate was monitored via a three-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). Apple Watch estimates of caloric expenditure and average exercise heart rate were compared with values gathered from oxygen consumption and ECG, respectively. Pearson product-moment correlations were used to compare electrocardiogram and caloric expenditure values between Apple Watch and gold standard measures across the 3 exercise conditions. Correlations for caloric expenditure between the two devices were as follows: treadmill=0.88, bike=0.54, rower=0.87. For heart rate, the correlations were the following: treadmill=0.99, bike=0.96, rower=0.85. These data indicate strong correlations between Apple Watch and ECG with lower correlations between Apple Watch and oxygen consumption, particularly in the cycling condition. Apple Watch appears to accurately measure heart rate; however, it appears to overestimate caloric expenditure.Item The Impact of Self-Myofascial Trigger Point Release on Fatigue Management and Performance in Female College Basketball Players(2022-05) McClung, HannaTravell and Simons (1999) define a trigger point as an irritated band of skeletal muscle that is painful once compressed, stretched, or contracted. Trigger points have been reported to cause increased muscle fatiguability and altered muscular activation patterns (Gerwin, 1999). By implementing trigger point release therapy, the taut muscle band can return to normal length and functionality, reducing the risk of fatigue-related performance hindrances. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of a once-weekly self-myofascial trigger point therapy on the vertical jump performance of female basketball players during regular season.Item Examining the effects of mindful coloring to reduce stress and anxiety in college students(2022-05-03) Hamilton, HelenResearch identifies considerable prevalence of stress among the college-aged population, requiring the need of effective coping strategies. The present research experiment investigated the effect of mindfulness coloring on college-aged students’ blood pressure and heart rate. College-aged participants from a women’s athletic team and sorority (N = 20) were randomly assigned to a control or experimental group. Prior to each intervention blood pressure, heart rate, and STAI scale responses were collected. Following the pre-intervention data collection, each group was instructed to begin their intervention, mindful coloring or talking amongst themselves without devices for 10 minutes. Following the intervention participants’ blood pressure, heart rate, rate of perceived stress, intervention’s effectiveness, and future use of intervention were collected. Each participant was also classified as either a somatic, cognitive, or cognitive somatic stressor. There were strong correlations that those who perceived lower stress levels found their intervention effective and would continue to participate in said intervention. There were no statistically significant findings that mindful coloring was more effective than the control group. Given the small sample size, more research should be conducted on the effectiveness of mindful coloring in relation to the type of stressor a participant is, as this present research was limited by the number of volunteer participants from each organization.Item How does an Exercise Protocol Affect Balance and Functional Mobility in a Person with Mid-Stage Parkinson’s Disease?(2022-04-19) Hilliard, CarolineExercise can treat various symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Balance and functional mobility are often impaired in people with PD, and both aerobic and resistance training have demonstrated potential improvements in these variables. It is hypothesized that 12 weeks of exercise will result in measurable improvements in balance and functional mobility. Purpose: To investigate the effects of an exercise protocol on the physical performance of a mid-stage Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD) subject. Methods: A male YOPD subject (age 68) followed a 12-wk exercise protocol. The protocol consisted of cycling, balance exercises, mobility exercises, stretching, and resistance training. The subject was assessed pre-, mid-, and after the 12 weeks. Assessments included grip strength (GS), Sit to Stand (STS), Timed Up and Go (TUG), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Results: For GS, minor improvements (R hand +2.4%, L hand +5.3%) occurred between baseline and 12 weeks. The subject’s STS test scores decreased by 7.1% from baseline to 12-weeks. From baseline to 12-weeks, TUG improved by 29.5%. From baseline to 12-weeks, the subject improved his BBS score by 20%. Conclusion: The results, apart from the STS test, support the hypothesis that the exercise protocol implemented would show measurable improvement in balance and functional mobility. Improvements may be due to the central nervous system being retrained, muscular hypertrophy, and/or the training relating to the assessments.Item Telemedicine and COVID-19: An Investigation of the Perceived Impact on Medical Professionals in Rural and Urban Areas(2021-05-10) Royster, DrewTelemedicine use has increased substantially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though it has been widely implemented, its accessibility has been a barrier in rural healthcare communities in comparison to urban healthcare. Telemedicine can be defined as the electronic exchange of medical information through a variety of digital mediums. The sudden spike in telemedicine usage in the past year has clearly exposed the weaknesses of this mode of medicine in both rural and urban areas. The main focus of this study is to assess the attitudes and perspective of medical professionals in rural and urban communities as it relates to telemedicine and the COVID-19 pandemic. This will be done through a survey sent out to a variety of medical professionals in a quantitative format. From this study, it was found that the COVID-19 had a major impact on the use of telemedicine in the surveyed communities. Even more so, the majority of participants had a positive attitude toward telemedicine, after experiencing it throughout the pandemic.