Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint condition characterized by progressive joint pain, swelling, and loss of muscle and joint function for which there is no known cure. Current research indicates that the most important modifiable risk factor for the development and progression of knee OA is obesity, a condition that is increasingly common in older adults. Established treatment guidelines for knee OA recommend regular exercise for disease management. However, for obese patients weight-bearing exercise elicits large joint forces that can exacerbate symptoms and influence disease progression. Using a new anti-gravity treadmill capable of generating a lifting force called lower body positive pressure (LBPP), obese patients with knee OA can engage in regular physical activity while minimizing joint loading. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a 12-week, anti-gravity treadmill walking (AGTW) program on knee pain and function in obese older adults with knee OA. The alternate hypothesis was that there would be a difference between Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) results before and after the anti-gravity treadmill walking program. A group of 25 participants with a mean (SD) age of 64.2 (6.1) years and BMI of 33.0 (6.8) kg/m2 completed AGTW twice per week for 12 weeks at a body weight percentage that minimized knee pain. Knee symptoms and function (KOOS), knee pain during full weight-bearing treadmill walking (FTW), isokinetic quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness (YMCA submaximal cycle ergometer test), general health status (SF-12), and activity level (average daily pedometer readings) were assessed at baseline and following the completion of the 12-week program using paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed rank sum tests (α = 0.05). Improvements between baseline and outtake were found in all KOOS subscales, as well as hamstring and quadriceps thigh muscle strength. Knee pain during full FWB and AGTW decreased following the 12-week program. No significant differences were found in cardiovascular fitness, SF-12 scores, or average daily pedometer readings. The results of this study suggest that anti-gravity treadmill walking increases thigh muscle strength, reduces knee pain, and increases functional capacity during daily activities, including FTW in older, obese individuals with knee OA. Anti-gravity treadmill technology has the potential to improve the health and functional capacity of at-risk knee OA individuals, and advance current methods of rehabilitation and long-term management of chronic symptomatic knee OA.

The purpose of this study was to develop a prediction equation for peak oxygen uptake using the Modified BSU Ramp protocol. Thirty-four subjects (14 men and 20 women, age 32-83 years) completed the standard Ball State University Adult Physical Fitness Program quiet and exercise testing sessions, with the maximal exercise test conducted with the Modified BSU Ramp protocol. The modified ramp protocol increases speed and grade every 20 seconds, and it increases by - 0.15 METs every increment for the first 6 minutes and --0.3 METs per increment thereafter. The Modified BSU ramp protocol was developed to allow for reasonable exercise test times from a standardized ramp protocol with individuals with low functional capacities < 10 METs. Pre-test procedures included height and weight measurements, resting blood pressure, resting heart rate, body fat measures, a blood lipid profile, and resting electrocardiogram (ECG). Exercise testing included ECG, heart rate, and blood pressure that were recorded prior to, during, and in the recovery phase of exercise. Subjects were instructed to continue exercise until fatigue, and respiratory gases were collected to determine V02 . Data was then analyzed using multiple regression techniques. Gender, age, body weight, and treadmill test time were the significant predictors, which were used in the regression equation (R2 = 0.586, SEE = 3.54 ml-kg-'.min'). An equation was developed from the lone predictor, treadmill test time with R2 = .37 and SEE = 4.1 ml•kg'•min'. The equation is as follows: VOA = 4.932 + 1.934 (test time (min)). Of the tests conducted on the Modified BSU ramp protocol, 82% were within an "ideal" test time window of 812 minutes, and 97% were within an "acceptable" test time window of 6-15 minutes. In conclusion, VOA can be estimated with acceptable accuracy (i.e. SEE - ± I MET) from the Modified BSU Ramp protocol, and for clinical purposes it is a suitable protocol to use when testing low fit individuals. / School of Physical Education

The purpose of this study was to compare the exercise blood pressure response of subjects with a history of exercise induced hypertension between the submaximal 3-3-3 exercise test and a maximal Bruce treadmill protocol. Seven male and four female subjects with a mean age of 49 ± 2 years were recruited for the study. All subjects were selected based on a previous elevation of exercise diastolic blood pressure >_ 10 mmHg during maximal exercise.The 3-3-3 test is a short, standardized treadmill test protocol that consists of one stage of treadmill walking at a 3% grade, at 3 miles per hour, for 3 minutes. Subjects completed the 3-3-3 test on one day and the Bruce protocol on a different day with 24-48 hours between tests. Test administration order was randomized and all tests were done at the same time of the morning with all blood pressures taken by the same technician with a mercury manometer.The increase in diastolic pressure from rest was significantly lower (p<0.004) during the 3-3-3 protocol compared to the peak of the Bruce protocol. There were no statistical differences between the change in diastolic pressure from rest to peak exercise when the 3-33 protocol was compared to the Bruce Stage I or when the Bruce Stage I was compared to the peak Bruce diastolic measurement. The mean change in diastolic pressure from rest to peak exercise in the3-3-3 protocol was 3.4 ± 2.6 mmHg as compared to 9.9 ± 2.0 mmHg for the Bruce Stage I, and 15.4 ± 2.4 mmHg from rest to peak exercise with the peak Bruce. There were no differences in resting or standing systolic or diastolic blood pressure values between protocols done on separate trial days. The change in systolic response from rest to peak exercise and the peak systolic pressures were significantly different (p<0.001) between the Bruce Stage I and peak Bruce and between the 3-3-3 and peak Bruce. There were no significant differences in the heart rate and rate pressure product between the third minute of the 3-3-3 protocol and the third minute of the Bruce Stage I (p<0.001).The 3-3-3 test was not able to elicit the same rise in diastolic blood pressure as the Bruce treadmill test in this population, although the Bruce Stage I was able to elicit a response that was not statistically different than the response of the peak Bruce protocol. This implies that submaximal treadmill testing may be a feasible method to screen for the presence of an exaggerated diastolic blood pressure response to exercise. / School of Physical Education

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of BWSTT on paretic limb function using the outcome measures of overground walking velocity, paretic leg propulsion, and the mechanical work produced by the hip, knee, and ankle of the paretic limb. Thirteen participants with chronic stroke, ranging in age from 40 to 80 years, completed 24 sessions of BWSTT over eight weeks. Overground walking velocity and bilateral kinematics and kinetics were collected prior to and following completion of the BWSTT intervention. All participants exhibited statistically significant increases in overground walking velocity post BWSTT. Neither the propulsive impulse of the paretic limb, relative to total propulsive impulse, nor the relative contribution of the paretic hip, knee, and ankle to total positive work significantly changed post BWSTT. The results suggest that paretic limb function remains unchanged following BWSTT, despite improvements in overground walking velocity. / School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science

Access to abstract permanently restricted to Ball State community only. / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only. / School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of Canadian cancer mortality. Inflammation is a fundamental risk factor in the aetiology of sporadic intestinal carcinoma. Reducing the frequency or duration of gastrointestinal inflammation may decrease CRC risk. Over 200 population studies demonstrate reduced odds of developing CRC among physically active persons. Preliminary data suggests that regular exercise may slow CRC pathogenesis by decreasing and increasing intestinal expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, respectively. This research was designed to further our understanding of how exercise influences the colonic cytokine milieu, even in the presence of immunoscenescent changes. Objectives: The objective of the first experiment (Study #1) was to compare cytokine and apoptotic protein expression in intestinal lymphocytes (IL) at baseline and in response to acute exercise-induced oxidant stress in both young and older C57BL/6 female mice. A second objective (Study #2) was to examine the effect of exercise training on the expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins in IL of older C57BL/6 female mice under ???resting??? conditions. The final objective (Study #3) was to compare the effect of acute exercise-induced stress on IL cytokine and apoptotic protein expression in trained versus untrained older C57BL/6 mice. Methods: Immediately following sacrifice, plasma was collected from the mice and stored (-80??C) until corticosterone and 8-iso-PGF2?? assessment by enzyme immunoassay. Soleus and plantaris skeletal muscles were excised and frozen in liquid nitrogen (-80??C) until spectrophotometric assessment of cytochrome c oxidase (CO) activity. Finally, the entire mouse intestinal compartment was removed and IL lysates were prepared for flow cytometric analysis of percent apoptosis (% Annexin V+ IL) and for western blot analysis of pro-inflammatory (TNF-??, IL-1??), pleiotropic (IL-6) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) cytokine, and pro-(caspase-3, -7) and anti-(Bcl-2) apoptotic protein expression. Results: Findings from Study #1 indicate that, in mice, acute exercise increases caspase-3 (IMM and 2Hr groups vs. SED; p<0.05) and TNF-?? (IMM vs. SED and 2Hr groups; p<0.001), and decreases Bcl-2 (IMM and 2Hr groups vs. SED; p<0.01) expression in intestinal lymphocytes. Furthermore, IL expression of Bcl-2 was lower (p<0.001) and % Annexin V+ IL was higher (p<0.05) in the older vs. young mice. The results from Study #2 indicate that trained older mice had lower (p<0.05) expression of TNF-?? and caspase-7 in IL, and lower (p<0.05) concentration of 8-iso-PGF2?? in plasma compared to sedentary untrained controls. Finally, Study #3 shows that older trained mice display increased expression of pro-(TNF-??) and anti-(IL-10) inflammatory cytokines and pro-apoptotic (caspase-3, caspase-7) proteins, and decreased expression of anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) protein in IL after acute exercise challenge compared to older untrained controls. In both Study #1 & #3, the treadmill protocol induced stress: plasma corticosterone and 8-iso-PGF2?? were higher in mice sampled immediately after acute exercise relative to the no acute exercise (sedentary) condition. This exercise effect did not differ by age (Study #1) or by training (Study #3) condition. In addition, Study #2 & Study #3 showed elevations in cytochrome c oxidase activity following long-term training. Conclusion: Collectively, these results suggest that, in C57BL/6 female mice, IL expression of pro-apoptotic proteins and pro-inflammatory cytokines does not differ by age (young vs. older animals) in response to a single intense exercise bout. However, older mice display lower expression of ???protective??? anti-apoptotic proteins and a higher percentage of early apoptotic IL compared to young mice. Additionally, long-term exercise may protect the bowel from inflammation by reducing inflammatory cytokine and apoptotic protein expression under ???resting??? (no stress) conditions. Finally, long-term training preserves the IL cytokine and apoptotic protein responses in older mice to a magnitude similar to that previously described in young mice. Alternatively, older untrained mice display reduced responsiveness to acute treadmill exercise, suggestive of immunosenescence.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint condition characterized by progressive joint pain, swelling, and loss of muscle and joint function for which there is no known cure. Current research indicates that the most important modifiable risk factor for the development and progression of knee OA is obesity, a condition that is increasingly common in older adults. Established treatment guidelines for knee OA recommend regular exercise for disease management. However, for obese patients weight-bearing exercise elicits large joint forces that can exacerbate symptoms and influence disease progression. Using a new anti-gravity treadmill capable of generating a lifting force called lower body positive pressure (LBPP), obese patients with knee OA can engage in regular physical activity while minimizing joint loading. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a 12-week, anti-gravity treadmill walking (AGTW) program on knee pain and function in obese older adults with knee OA. The alternate hypothesis was that there would be a difference between Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) results before and after the anti-gravity treadmill walking program. A group of 25 participants with a mean (SD) age of 64.2 (6.1) years and BMI of 33.0 (6.8) kg/m2 completed AGTW twice per week for 12 weeks at a body weight percentage that minimized knee pain. Knee symptoms and function (KOOS), knee pain during full weight-bearing treadmill walking (FTW), isokinetic quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness (YMCA submaximal cycle ergometer test), general health status (SF-12), and activity level (average daily pedometer readings) were assessed at baseline and following the completion of the 12-week program using paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed rank sum tests (α = 0.05). Improvements between baseline and outtake were found in all KOOS subscales, as well as hamstring and quadriceps thigh muscle strength. Knee pain during full FWB and AGTW decreased following the 12-week program. No significant differences were found in cardiovascular fitness, SF-12 scores, or average daily pedometer readings. The results of this study suggest that anti-gravity treadmill walking increases thigh muscle strength, reduces knee pain, and increases functional capacity during daily activities, including FTW in older, obese individuals with knee OA. Anti-gravity treadmill technology has the potential to improve the health and functional capacity of at-risk knee OA individuals, and advance current methods of rehabilitation and long-term management of chronic symptomatic knee OA.

This study investigated the EMG muscle activation patterns of forward ice hockey skating at three velocities. Seven varsity hockey players from McGill University (age = 22.1 +/- 1.2 years, height = 1.8 +/- 0.1m, weight = 82.1 +/- 8.5 kg) participated. Testing was done using a skating treadmill. Skin was shaved, abraded and cleansed in the area of the electrode placement over the vastus medialis (VM), adductor magnus (AM), biceps femoris (BF), gluteus maximus, tibialis anterior (TA), peroneus longus (PL), and lateral gastrocnemius (GL) of the right lower limb. Subjects skated at 12 km/hr, 18 km/hr, and 24 km/hr. Repeated measures ANOVAs were performed, followed by Tukey post hoc tests. In general, the amplitude at speed 24km/hr was significantly higher than the speed of 12km/hr. There were few significant differences in temporal values. In conclusion, this study has shown that an increase in velocity results in an increase in the amount of muscle activation, but the muscle coordination patterns remain the same.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Delaware, 2008. / Principal faculty advisor: Irene S. Davis, Dept. of Physical Therapy. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2004. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Daniel P. Heil. Includes bibliographical references (p. 124-129).