Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-76). Also available via the Internet.

The purpose was to investigate time of day on responses to two types of exhaustive cycle ergometer tests. Sixteen males performed six exercise tests: three - constant power protocol and three - incremental protocol. The first test was a learning trial; the other tests were performed one in the morning and one in the afternoon. ANOVA revealed that O2 deficit and lactate were higher in the afternoon than the morning. Regardless of test type, time to exhaustion tended to be higher in the afternoon. VO2max was unaffected by the time of day and test type. These results confirmprevious reports of a time of day effect on anaerobic capacity, and support the contention that V02max is stable about a day.

The goal of the current study was to examine the relationship between muscle magazine consumption and body dissatisfaction. The study also examined the relationship between muscle magazine consumption and the amount of disparity between ideal and real body shape. Participants (N = 108) were recruited via study board, and also on a volunteer basis, from a mid-Western university with a population of 20,674 students. The first hypothesis stated that men with greater exposure to muscle magazines would indicate that their actual body shape falls further away from their ideal body shape, in terms of both muscularity and fat level, than men who read fewer magazines that focus on muscle building. The second hypothesis stated that men with greater exposure to muscle magazines would indicate higher levels of body dissatisfaction than men who read fewer magazines focused on muscle building. To evaluate the first hypothesis, a linear regression analysis was conducted to determine whether magazine consumption would predict the distance between real and ideal body shape, in terms of both fat and muscle content. Results did not support the first hypothesis and are not consistent with prior research that showed higher levels of muscle and fitness magazine consumption correlating positively with a greater drive for thinness and a greater drive for muscularity. Results did not support the second hypothesis: greater exposure to muscle magazines did not lead to greater levels of body dissatisfaction. Regression analysis found that there was no predictive relationship between muscle magazine consumption and body dissatisfaction or muscle magazine consumption and greater distance between ideal and real body shapes. Additional t-test analysis found that men who read muscle magazines actually indicated significantly lower levels of dissatisfaction with their bodies than men who did not read muscle magazines; however, that result is restricted to collegiate athletes only. Results from this study are important in that they indicate, in men, there are other factors involved in determining how individuals end up with increased levels of body dissatisfaction. Prior findings also concluded that men’s concerns with body shape thrive as a combination of multiple constructs involving social, personal, and mass media factors. Although magazine literature has some bearing on body image concern, particularly with women, it is unclear as to whether magazine consumption contributes to its effect on men. One limitation of this study is that participants reported on the degree to which they were dissatisfied with their bodies. Some individuals may not have acknowledged their level of dissatisfaction with their own bodies. Information based upon self-reporting measures may have been inaccurate due to under or over reporting in surveys. Another limitation of this study, particularly when using the results as a comparison tool toward previous studies, is that the measures used to determine levels of body dissatisfaction differ. Researchers abroad have used different measures to arrive at what would be considered similar conclusions regarding body dissatisfaction. There are multiple measures that can be used to determine a person’s level of satisfaction and drive for muscularity. Some measures are better than others at capturing variable characteristics. Another important limitation is that muscle magazines only represent one form of media consumption. A study that incorporated other forms of media may be more fruitful in its findings. Therefore, results should be interpreted with caution. However, with everexpanding information technology capabilities, society is increasingly bombarded with information more so than ever before. This study provides additional insight into the question of whether or not more is better. It also identifies a gender difference in the predicting power of magazine consumption and body dissatisfaction.

The purpose of this study was to compile an account of the growth and development of physical education for men in the colleges and universities in the United States. The plan was to organize the historical literature and the material obtained from the investigation in such a way as to make it of value to the institutions of higher learning in the further development of their physical education programs.

"This comparative study of the required physical education program for men students offered by the North Texas State Teachers college and the physical training program offered to Naval aviation cadets was made to determine the type of additional training necessary for an adequate program at North Texas State Teachers College which will improve the physical condition of the men students."--1.

The purpose of this study was to explore how families would respond to a health-related, home-centered family fitness program designed to improve lifestyle exercise and eating behaviors. This program involved five families (eleven subjects) recruited from Park Road High School in Rural Virginia. The program was based on family systems theory, and social learning principles. The program consisted of a one-week baseline period and five two-week intervention periods. A changing criterion design was utilized; and incentives ($15 toward active sports equipment) were offered during the final two phases if all family members met their food goals for both weeks of the given phase. The entire group was tested regarding personal health measures (flexibility, resting heart rate, resting blood pressure, height, weight, and body composition); strength (bent knee sit-ups, modified pull-ups); knowledge (written test); and cardiovascular endurance (one mile or 1/2 mile run/walk) at baseline at the six week point (interim) of the intervention, and at the ten week point (final). / Master of Science

Thesis (MScSportSc)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: For many companies, health care can consume half of corporate profits or more. Some employers look to cost sharing, cost shifting, managed care plans, risk rating and cash based rebates or incentives. These methods merely shift costs. Absenteeism in South Africa claims 3.2% of all scheduled work hours, 43 000 work hours per week, 9 days lost per employee per year and 1 employee in every 15 on a weekly basis. The main objective of this study was to establish the effect of a physical wellness intervention on the chronic absenteeism of a governmental company like Eskom. Fiftyfour males with a mean age of 42.13 years, participated in the program. Morphological and physiological variables included fat percentage; body mass index (BMI), cholesterol, blood pressure (BP), flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, waist circumference and muscle endurance. The participants were divided into four groups consisting of 12-15 individuals. Data was collected over a period of six months (March-August 2001). There were six sessions in which the subjects participated namely: wellness awareness, general body wellness, heart wellness, stress wellness, posture wellness and nutritional wellness. These sessions focussed on education, testing and physical activity, with follow-ups and maintenance at the Biokinetic rehabilitation station. Trends for the group were traced using a statistical analysis for absenteeism tallying the GSAR (gross sickness absentee rate) and AFR (absentee frequency rate) for the participants. The GSAR and AFR were significantly lower during the intervention. The return of investment was calculated based on the amount of hours worked per month on the August 2001 payroll, where the increment figure is based on an average increase of 7.9%. The result of the study concluded that work-site body wellness is health care reform that works, with absenteeism decreasing significantly and an improved employee health status. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Baie maatskappye kan die helfte of meer van hul wins aan gesondheidsorg spandeer. Sommige werkgewers oorweeg kostedeling, verskuiwing van kostes, gesondheidsorgplanne, risikobepaling en kontantkortings of aansporings. Hierdie metodes skuif eerder net koste. In Suid-Afrika word 3.2% van alle geskeduleerde werksure as gevolg van afwesigheid verloor, 43 000 werksure per week, 9 dae per werknemer per jaar en 1 werknemer uit elke 15 op 'n weeklikse basis. Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie was om die effek van 'n fisieke welstand intervensie op die chroniese afwesigheid van 'n parastatale maatskappy soos Eskom daar te stel. Vier en vyftig mans met 'n gemiddelde ouderdom van 42.13 jaar het aan die program deelgeneem. Morfologiese en fisiologiese veranderlikes het vetpersentasie; liggaamsmass-indeks (LMI), cholesterol, bloeddruk (BD), soepelheid, kardiovaskulêre uithouvermoë, abdominale omtrek en spieruithouvermoë ingesluit. Die deelnemers is in vier groepe verdeel wat uit 12-15 persone bestaan het. Data is oor 'n periode van ses maande ingesamel (Maart-Augustus 2001). Die deelnemers het aan die volgende ses sessies deelgeneem: bewustheid van welstand, algemene liggaamlike welstand, hartwelstand, streswelstand, postuurwelstand en dieetwelstand. Hierdie sessies het op die opvoeding, toetsing en fisieke aktiwiteit gefokus met opvolg-ondersoeke en instandhouding by die Biokinetika rehabilitasiestasie. Neigings vir die groep is opgevolg deur statistiese analise vir afwesigheid deur die TSAS (totale siekte afwesigheidsyfer) en AFS (afwesigheidsfrekwensiesyfer) vir die deelnemers aan te teken. Die TSAS en AFS was beduidend laer tydens die intervensie. Die beleggingsopbrengs is bereken op die aantal ure per maand op die Augustus 2001 . betaalstaat met die toenamesyfer gebaseer op die gemiddelde verhoging van 7.9%. Die resultaat van die studie is dat liggaamlike welstand by die werksplek voordelig is vir gesondheidsorgverbetering en dat afwesigheid beduidend afneem terwyl daar ook 'n verbetering in die gesondheidstatus van werknemers was.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This study uses a rhetorical visual analysis to investigate supplement advertisements within the top three fitness magazines, according to circulation, to provide a richer understanding of the message construction within the visual images the advertisements contain. The advertisements were selected at random over a time span of a year and a half within each of the magazines, totaling nine separate advertisements for analysis. The purpose of this study is to determine to what extent, if any, the construction of advertisements in men's fitness magazines operates as ideographic images establishing legitimacy as determined through application of Sonja Foss' rhetorical visual analysis methodology. Previous research has identified various analyses of visual images within the fitness culture, however, rhetorical visual analysis of supplement advertisement does not appear to have been investigated prior to this project which is the primary concern for the initiation of the current research. Employing rhetorical analysis in order to understand visual images provides a perspective that is imperative to identification of elements and functions of visual images. The current findings indicate that images in advertisements in men's fitness magazines do not establish rhetorical legitimacy, as understood from a rhetorical perspective. However, when examined through a traditional aesthetic intentionalist perspective, the construction of the advertisements operates as ideographic images, establishing legitimacy through the image. This information provides us with the understanding that advertisements within current muscle magazines are operating under a traditional viewpoint, and as such, produce traditional perspectives. The advertisement industry within this genre is reliant upon the consumer first knowing what the product is and then realizing how the image fits into that function. The limitation within this perspective of the advertisement industry is the consumer's knowledge base concerning the product, the product being explained through text and the time the consumer is willing to spend on correlating the intent or function with the images presented.