The purpose of this study was to investigate the makeup and use of concentration routines among male college volleyball passers. In addition, this study served to increase awareness of qualitative inquiry as a legitimate, scientific method of research for concentration routines. The research question addressed by this study was: What is the makeup of a concentration routine and how does a routine influence volleyball passing performance as perceived by the passer in men's collegiate volleyball?

PURPOSE: To examine differences in the forearms of rock climbers using ultrasound to measure the muscle thickness of the finger flexors. METHODS: A total of 33 participants were recruited, 22 climbers (22.23 years; 68% male) and 11 controls (21.8; 55% male). Climbers provided self-reported ratings of their climbing ability, skill level, and preferred mode of climbing (e.g. sport climbing vs. bouldering). Anthropometric measures, including body fat percentage, were measured in all participants. Ultrasound measurements were taken with the participant lying on their back on a padded table with their dominant hand supinated. Muscle thickness measurements were taken at the forearm where a peak of the forearm flexors was identified on the medial aspect of the forearm after a circumference measurement and small mark was made. The distance from the ulna and radius to the muscle-skin interface was measured, as well as echo intensity surrounding the median nerve using a third party program. RESULTS: Approximately 50% of climbers rated themselves as "intermediate", and the other 50% rated themselves as "advanced" climbers, while 77% of the 22 climbers classified themselves as primarily "sport climbers", and 23% classified themselves as "boulderers". Body fat percentages were significantly different at 19.14±6.99 and 30.02±7.6 for climbers and controls. Ulnar and radial muscle thickness values were significantly higher in climbers, 4.23±.39and 2.32±.39, respectively, and 3.61±.6 and 1.84±.31 in controls (p < .001). No differences in echo intensity were observed between climbers and non-climbers. DISCUSSION: The findings suggests that there are differences in flexor muscle thickness observed in earlier stages of rock climbing. Echo intensity of the flexor muscles were also measured, however significant variance in results warrants further investigation. Future studies should consider larger samples to better determine differences among muscle thickness and echo intensity across climbing abilities and mode of climbing, thus allowing for more specific training programs to be developed at each phase of training.

Commercially available fitness trackers have been found to accurately measure steps and caloric expenditure during walking and running activities. Circuit-style, highintensity functional training (HIFT) has become increasingly popular because it is inexpensive and effective in improving muscular strength and cardiovascular fitness. PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of five accelerometers (ActiGraph GT3X, Nike Fuelband, Fitbit One, Fitbit Charge HR, and Jawbone UP Move) in estimating energy expenditure while performing an acute bout of HIFT. METHODS: Participants (n = 47) underwent baseline testing and at least 48 hours later, each participant completed the main test: a 15-minute workout consisting of 12 repetitions each of 7 different exercises; performed circuit-style by completing as many rounds as possible. During the main test, each participant wore the Cosmed K4b2 portable metabolic analyzer (PMA) and five different accelerometers. RESULTS: Four of the five fitness trackers reported lower (p <0.01) total caloric expenditure values compared to the PMA during the acute bout of HIFT. The waist-mounted device (ActiGraph, 182.55 ± 37.93 kcals) most closely mimicked caloric expenditure compared to the PMA (Cosmed, 144.99 ± 37.13 kcals) as indicated by an insignificant p value (0.056). Systematic differences between the activity monitors were calculated using an Intraclass Correlation (ICC) with an ICC = -0.032. The ICC of F (46,235) = 0.812 (p = 0.799) was not significant at the predetermined 0.05 alpha level. A Repeated Measures ANOVA showed that when compared to the Cosmed, all activity monitors were significantly different at the 0.05 alpha level. The Fitbit One and the Fitbit Charge HR were the only two activity monitors that are not significantly different from one another (p = 0.985). The range of error based on mean absolute percentage errors (MAPE) was lowest for the ActiGraph (15.1%) and highest for the Fitbit Charge HR (22.1%). CONCLUSION: The wrist- and hip-mounted fitness trackers do not accurately assess energy expenditure during HIFT exercise. Supported by: WKU Graduate School, NIGMS 2P20 GM103436-14; Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from National Institute of General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 5P20GM103436 and the WKU RCAP Grant 14-8007.

INTRODUCTION: Tightness of the hip flexor muscle group may contribute to altered sagittal plane kinematics of the lumbo-pelvic-hip (LPH) complex during dynamic movements. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of a three-week home-based stretching program on passive hip extension (PHE), as well as on active hip extension (AHE), anterior pelvic tilt (APT), and lumbar spine extension (LSE) when running. METHODS: Twenty healthy subjects with limited PHE underwent a 3D gait analysis both prior (PRE) and following (POST) a three-week static hip flexor stretching program. RESULTS: Following the stretching program, peak PHE increased significantly (P < 0.001), while no significant improvements were reported in AHE, APT, or LSE. In addition, no relationship was found between the change in PHE with either the change in AHE, APT, or LSE. Finally, a high relationship was observed between AHE and APT during running (r = 0.83, p < 0.001), and low relationships were observed between APT and LSE (r = -0.41, p = 0.08) and AHE and LSE (r = -0.34, p = 0.15). CONCLUSION: A three-week static stretching program of the hip flexor musculature resulted in an increase in PHE, but the sagittal plane kinematics of the LPH complex during running remained unchanged. The correlations observed between AHE, APT, and LSE suggest there is a kinematic relationship between the hip, pelvis, and spine.

The purposes of this dissertation were to investigate the response of salivary alpha-amylase to a single resistance training session and to a week-long resistance training over-reaching protocol. The major findings of this dissertation are as follows: Study 1 – A single resistance training session consisting of 5 sets of 10 repetitions of squat and bench press at 95 percent of repetition maximum creates a statistically significant increase in salivary alpha-amylase concentrations. Study 2 – Two resistance training sessions consisting of 5 sets of 10 repetitions of squat and bench press at 95 percent of repetition maximum within 5 days does not create a statistically significant change in resting baseline salivary alpha-amylase concentrations. These results are corroborated by not causing statistically significant change in perceived stress, as measured by Total Mood Disturbance, calculated from the Profile Of Mood States questionnaire, nor causing a change in perceived stress calculated from the Daily Analysis of Life Demands for Athletes survey.

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to assess athlete perceptions of an athlete monitoring program throughout an academic year and coach perceptions throughout a competitive season. The secondary purpose was to develop a questionnaire designed to assess coach and athlete perceptions of the monitoring program. Methods: Athletes and coaches participating in the athlete monitoring program at East Tennessee State University’s (ETSU) Sport Performance Enhancement Consortium (SPEC) were invited to participate. Reliability for the coach and athlete questionnaires and principle components analysis (PCA) of the athlete questionnaire was completed after initial development of the questionnaire (11 questions for athletes and 20 for coaches) in the spring of 2013. To analyze changes throughout the academic year, 4 additional questionnaires were administered at the beginning and end of the fall 2013 and spring 2014 semesters. Results: Both athlete and coach questionnaires were considered reliable (athletes = 0.842, coaches = 0.919). PCA revealed a 3 component model (KMO = 0.798, Bartlett’s test of Sphericity = p < 0.001) with eigenvalues over one explaining 68.88% of total variance. Statistical differences between the pre and all other time points were noted for athlete’s perceptions of the SPEC programs influence on overall performance, skill, strength, speed, power, and understanding of the SPEC monitoring protocols. Coachs’ perceptions were statistically different from pre-to postseason only for skill. Conclusion: The questionnaire was shown reliable and can be considered for future use. The first component of the PCA revealed that perceptions of overall performance are influenced by perceptions of strength, skill, and power and agreement that testing data reflects performance, while the second showed that aerobic and anaerobic endurance as well as speed are all highly correlated and, finally, the third revealed that athletes’ understanding of the SPEC program monitoring increased with return of data. Overall, perceptions of the SPEC programs ability to influence the components assessed by the questionnaire were positive ranging from no different to much better for coaches and athletes. In conclusion, the SPEC athlete monitoring program seems to be a beneficial model for enhancing athletes’ and coaches’ perceptions of certain aspects of performance.

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the Minimal Velocity Threshold (MVT) of 1RM and repetitions until failure testing conditions using the back squat exercise. Fourteen injury-free males with experience in the back squat volunteered to perform a 1RM and a submaximal (70% 1RM) repetitions until failure test, each during different testing sessions. Mean Concentric Velocity (MCV) was collected using a wireless inertia-measuring device. The last successful repetition in either condition was considered the MVT. A very small relationship between 1RM and repetitions until failure MVT was found (r=-0.135). There were no significant differences between testing sessions and the effect size was small (Cohen’s d=0.468) between each testing session. The small relationship and the non-significant p-value might suggest there is individual variance with MVT. In conclusion, the results of this study do not support a general MVT for the back squat comparing 1RM and submaximal repetitions until failure.

Fifteen well-trained males, mid-thigh pull peak force (IPF 4403.61 ± 664.69N) and isometric peak force allometrically scaled (IPFa 226.04 ± 25.81) were assigned to two groups: repetition maximum training (RM) and relative intensity training (RI) for a twelve-week training intervention. The main effect of time showed a statistically significant difference in mean sprint performance and IPFa at the different time points (p < 0.001). There was a larger magnitude of within-subject effect with respect to sprint performance pre – post with the RI group (ES = 1.06, 7.19%) as compared to the RM group (ES = 0.567, 4.23%, p < 0.001), as well as a larger magnitude of within-subject effect with respect to IPFa pre – post with the RI group (ES = 0.426, 7.51%) as compared to the RM group (ES = 0.270, 13.29%). Furthermore, there was a non-statistically significant, moderate between-group difference in the change in IPFa from pre-post in favor of the RI group (ES=.75), and a large between-group difference in the change in sprint performance pre-post in favor of the RI group (ES=1.50). Results lead investigators to suggest the utilization of RI training tactics for the development of sprint performance when minimal sprint skill training is available.

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