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Neurocognitive-Parasympathetic-Active (NPA) Recovery System for Collegiate Athletes
Get PDFCollegiate athletes face demanding schedules that challenge both their physical and cognitive capacities. While traditional recovery strategies emphasize physical rest, hydration, and mobility work, they often neglect mental fatigue and autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation—key factors in athletic performance and injury prevention. This project explores a comprehensive recovery approach that integrates Neurocognitive Training, Parasympathetic Reset, and Cognitive-Based Active Recovery to enhance athlete performance and well-being.
The research examines how cognitive fatigue impairs reaction time, decision-making, and neuromuscular coordination, increasing injury risk. Additionally, chronic stress and travel disrupt ANS balance, delaying recovery by prolonging the body\u27s fight-or-flight response. Strategies such as visual reset training, breathwork, and cognitive-motor dual-task exercises have shown promise in mitigating these effects. Breathwork, for instance, improves heart rate variability (HRV) and accelerates parasympathetic recovery, while cognitive-motor drills enhance reaction time and coordination.
This project will review current research and develop two structured recovery programs: one designed for weight room sessions and another tailored for travel. These programs will be designed for seamless integration into collegiate training environments without increasing workload. By addressing gaps in traditional recovery models, this capstone aims to provide a practical, research-backed framework that enhances athlete recovery, performance, and injury resilience. Findings will contribute to the growing field of cognitive and autonomic recovery strategies in sports, offering strength and conditioning coaches innovative tools to support their athletes effectively.https://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/rcac_2025_posters/1138/thumbnail.jp
Developing a Comprehensive Readiness Assessment for U.S. Soldiers
Get PDFDeveloping a readiness assessment that looks at physical, psychoogical, biopsycho-social factors to determine soldier readiness to help prevent injury.https://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/rcac_2025_posters/1141/thumbnail.jp
Force Profiling for Smarter Training: Identifying Unilateral vs Bilateral Indicators
Get PDFThis project explores how bilateral deficit (BLD) and bilateral facilitation (BLF) influence athletic performance and training prescription. Using a calculated Bilateral Index (BI%), athletes are categorized into four profiles: Bilateral Deficit Dominant, Well-Rounded, Bilateral Facilitation Dominant, or Low Force Producer. Each classification provides insight into how athletes produce and manage force, informing more precise training decisions.
A screening protocol was developed combining strength and plyometric assessments, including IMTP, trap bar deadlifts, countermovement jumps, and drop jumps. A decision-making flowchart was created to guide load prescriptions and plyometric progressions based on the athlete’s force profile.
Training interventions were then tailored to each category. Bilateral deficit dominant athletes emphasized bilateral strength and coordination; well-rounded athletes received a balanced mix; and bilateral facilitation dominant athletes focused on unilateral strength and control. This system enhances training precision, reduces injury risk, and supports individualized return-to-play strategies.https://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/rcac_2025_posters/1142/thumbnail.jp
Power in Motion: A Plyometric Rotational Training Manual for Explosive Athletic Performance
Get PDFThe Power in Motion: A Comprehensive Plyometric Rotational Training Manual for Explosive Athletic Performance addresses a gap in strength and conditioning training by emphasizing the importance of plyometric rotational exercises for softball and baseball players, that demand explosive power, agility, and rotational strength. This capstone project provides sport and strength coaches, and athletes with a structured collection of scientifically backed exercises found to be most effective to help increase swing exit velocity in softball and baseball players. Traditional strength training often overlooks the dynamic rotational movements essential for maximizing force transfer and improving athletic coordination. By focusing on high-velocity training drills, this manual aims to develop the ability to apply maximal force rapidly, a key component for improving performance and reducing injury risk. Beyond physical performance, the manual serves as an educational resource, enabling athletes and coaches to incorporate sport-specific, rotational explosiveness training into their programs. Ultimately, this project contributes to softball and baseball players in sports performance by offering a practical, accessible guide that boosts both athletic development and confidence in competitive settings.https://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/rcac_2025_posters/1143/thumbnail.jp
A Review and Update of Physical Education in the U.S.
Get PDFI will be doing a general review of physical education curriculum. Looking for biases towards certain individuals/ demographics and finding ways to limit/ remove these biases from the curriculum to include a larger population into physical education and promote lifelong enjoyment of physical fitness.https://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/rcac_2025_posters/1150/thumbnail.jp
The Role of Mental Health and Lifestyle Factors on Cognitive Function among Older-Adult People with and without HIV
Get PDFThe of role mental health and lifestyle factors on cognitive function and aging in HIV patientshttps://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/rcac_2025_posters/1151/thumbnail.jp
Measuring the Hidden Vitamin: Folic Acid Quantification in Milk via HPLC and LC-MS-MS
Get PDFQuantification of folic acid in milk samples using analytical methods with HPLC, LC-MS, LC-MS-MS, ELISA. Testing folic acid levels in various dairy and non-dairy milk samples. Conducting analysis of overall levels of folic acid (vitamin B9) among the 20+ types of milk.https://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/rcac_2025_posters/1162/thumbnail.jp
Effectively Advising Students Transitioning (EAST) Majors
Get PDFStudents often feel unprepared for the academic demands of their chosen majors and can experience a lack of sufficient support from advisory practices, in turn feeling overwhelmed in their academic journey (Cody, 2024). Guided by extrinsic and intrinsic motivations alongside their personal orientations, major changes can affect a student’s retention to a school or the higher education institution as a whole (Soria & Stebleton, 2013; Gillis & Ryberg, 2021). To address this challenge, I developed a training program for faculty advisors in Effectively Advising Students Transitioning (EAST) majors. In doing so, I will train faculty to appropriately navigate and effectively support student major transitions as a collaborative unit through a student mentorship program and a toolkit of advising pathways.https://scholarworks.merrimack.edu/rcac_2025_posters/1026/thumbnail.jp
