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Exploring Changes in Body Composition Before and After a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football season of Marching Artists
No full textInternational Journal of Exercise Science 18(8): 727-735, 2025. The purpose of this study was to observe the changes in body composition of collegiate marching band artists after a competitive season NCAA Division I football season. Thirty-seven marching artists (7 females, 31 males; age: 21.5 (1.4) years; height: 177.2 (9.5) cm had body fat percentage (BF%), fat mass (FM), android adiposity, gynoid adiposity, bone mineral content (BMC), and lean soft tissue (LST) measured before and after a competitive season of Division I football. Body composition measures were conducted using single-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis device (Quantum IV, RJL systems, Clinton MI). Pre- and post-season differences in anthropometrics and body composition were evaluated using repeated measures analysis of variance with Cohen’s d statistics to estimate the magnitude of effect. Over the 15 weeks, participants experienced an average body mass loss of -0.4 (2.5) kg (d=0.17). BF% and FM increased on average by 1.4 (1.8)% (d=0.78) and 0.95 (1.8) kg, respectively. There were small increases in both android (0.08 (0.2) kg; d=0.36) and gynoid (0.10 (0.3) kg; d=0.38) fat throughout the season. Additionally, BMC showed a trivial increase of 0.002 (0.1) kg (d=0.02), despite a large decrease in mean LST (-1.40 (1.3) kg; d=1.06). Nutrition and physical activity level may have led to physical changes. Interventions designed to maintain adiposity throughout a season may be necessary. Additionally, resistance training programs may be appropriate to help maintain or increase LST throughout a season. Healthcare providers should be aware of changes in body composition which may lead to higher prevalence of injuries
THE EFFECTS OF LIVE-HIGH, TRAIN-LOW HYPEROXIC TRAINING ON RUNNING AND RECOVERY HEART RATES IN NCAA DISTANCE RUNNERS: A Pilot Study
No full textThe live-high, train-low (LHTL) altitude training model has been widely studied for its hematological and endurance benefits; however, few studies have examined real-time running and recovery heart rate responses within a hyperoxic chamber. PURPOSE: This pilot study investigated changes in running heart rate and recovery heart rate across two high-intensity aerobic interval training protocols performed in a hyperoxic environment in acclimatized NCAA Division I distance runners. METHODS: Five NCAA Division I cross-country athletes (3 males, 2 females; age: 22.4 ± 4.98 years) residing at ~2200m completed twelve supervised training sessions over four weeks inside a hyperoxic chamber simulating ~366m. Athletes performed two high-intensity interval training protocols: Protocol 1 (P1) consisted of four-minute intervals at 90–95% HRmax with three-minute active recovery at 50–60% HRmax. Protocol 2 (P2) included 47 repetitions of 15-second intervals at 90–95% HRmax, with 15-second active recovery at 50–60% HRmax. Heart rate (HR) was recorded every minute, with recovery HR assessed before each interval. RESULTS: In P1, recovery HR significantly decreased across sessions (p = 0.017). Running HR remained stable (p = 0.25). In P2, no significant changes were observed in recovery HR (p = 0.66) or running HR (p = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides preliminary data on running and recovery HR responses within a hyperoxic chamber during LHTL training in acclimatized athletes. While running HR remained stable, improvements in recovery HR in P1 suggest enhanced between-interval cardiac efficiency. The lack of significant changes in P2 recovery HR may indicate a different physiological adaptation pattern or a need for a longer training duration to elicit measurable effects. These findings have practical implications for endurance athletes seeking to optimize training at moderate altitude using LHTL. Future studies should expand sample size and explore the long-term effects of hyperoxic training on physiological adaptation and endurance performance
Fitbit-Measured Activity, Self-Efficacy, and Psychological Health in Diverse Urban Exercise Science College Students
No full textExercise Science students are expected to engage in physical activity (PA) and model healthy behaviors by meeting the recommended total energy expenditure of ≥500–1,000 MET-min·wk⁻¹. York College of the City University of New York serves a diverse undergraduate population, with 52% living below the NYC poverty line, and many students balancing academics with employment. PURPOSE: This pilot study aimed to assess whether Exercise Science students at York College meet recommended PA levels and to examine the effect of PA on psychological health and self-efficacy. METHODS: Twelve students (4 females, 8 males; age = 23.6 ± 2.9) participated in the study. Participants completed pre- and post-assessments including questionnaires on employment status, PA and exercise habits, and psychological health. Pre-assessments also included blood pressure and anthropometric measurements. Psychological health was evaluated using NIH Toolbox and PROMIS self-report scales. Participants wore a Fitbit Charge 6 for seven consecutive days and maintained a daily log of waking hours, sleep times, and non-wear periods. One-way ANOVA was conducted to evaluate the effects of device use on PA, exercise habits, and psychological health. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the relationship between PA levels and psychological health outcomes. RESULTS: Of the 83% of participants who were employed, 40% worked full-time and 60% part-time, averaging 15–20 work hours per week. Wearing the Fitbit device had no significant effect (p \u3e 0.05) on PA levels, exercise habits, or psychological health. No participants met the recommended PA level of ≥500–1,000 MET-min·wk⁻¹. However, higher MET-min·wk⁻¹ scores were significantly correlated with lower depression levels (r = -0.58, p \u3c 0.05) and higher exercise self-efficacy (r = 0.58, p \u3c 0.05). Trends were observed for fatigue (r = -0.54) and self-efficacy (r = 0.55) (p = 0.07). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that Exercise Science students at an urban college do not meet the recommended total energy expenditure. Among participants, greater energy expenditure was associated with lower depression levels and higher exercise self-efficacy scores. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to the pilot nature of the study and small sample size
SINGLE-LEG BACKWARD HOPPING IMPOSES GREATER KNEE DEMANDS COMPARED TO FORWARD HOPPING IN ACLR PATIENTS
No full textPractitioners commonly use single-leg forward hopping distances to evaluate knee function in patients following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. However, symmetric forward hopping distances cannot ensure symmetric bilateral strength and movement patterns. Recently, single-leg backward hopping was found to impose greater mechanical demands on the knee compared to forward hopping, suggesting the potential of using single-leg backward hopping to better assess knee strength and mechanics in patients who underwent ACL reconstructions (ACLR). PURPOSE: To quantify knee mechanics during single-leg forward and backward hopping in ACLR patients in comparison to healthy controls. METHODS: Fifteen female participants were recruited with 8 unilateral ACLR patients (33.8 ± 22.1 months after ACLR, age 20.2 ± 1.5 yr, height 1.6 ± 0.1 m, and mass 69.2 ± 14.3 kg) and 7 healthy controls (age 19.6 ± 1.3 yr, height 1.7 ± 0.0 m, and mass 67.1 ± 16.0 kg). Participants performed single-leg forward and backward hopping for distance on each leg with motion and force data collected. The hopping distance, peak knee flexion angle, knee extension moment, and knee power were calculated during the jumping phase. Results were reported for each leg in ACLR patients and the average of both legs in healthy controls. RESULTS: Single-leg backward hopping demonstrated greater peak knee flexion angle, knee extension moment, and knee power than forward hopping, regardless of legs and groups (Table 1). The decreasing order of knee mechanical variables were healthy controls, uninvolved knee, and involved knee in single-leg backward hopping. The uninvolved knee showed greater knee mechanical variables than the involved knee in both forward and backward hopping. CONCLUSION: Single-leg backward hopping imposes greater knee demands than forward hopping in ACLR patients and healthy controls, indicating a more challenging task to assess knee function in individuals following ACL injuries. Table 1. Mean ± standard deviation of hopping performance, peak knee flexion angle, peak knee extension moment, and peak knee power during single-leg forward and backward hopping in ACLR patients and healthy controls
Relationship of Pitching Mechanics and Fastball Velocity in Collegiate Baseball Pitchers
Full text linkThe Impact of Sodium Phosphate Supplementation in Trained vs Untrained Females: A Pilot Study
Full text linkOpenCap May Reliably determine Knee Position Relative to Foot Position When Performing a Squat
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