Exercise provides individuals with various physical benefits, improving cardiovascular health, strengthening bones and muscles, and increasing flexibility and mobility. Additionally, exercise promotes numerous mental benefits, reducing stress, improving mood, and enhancing cognitive function. Unfortunately, with various types of exercise, ranging from strength training to interval training, it's difficult for individuals to choose the one that will provide the best results. In this study, we decided to examine the cognitive effects of interval training compared to a prescribed fitness plan amongst UWEC's Community Fitness Program (CFP) members. To do this, participants of the interval training and the control group were asked to commit to 2-3 workouts a week and took a baseline test, examining their cognitive abilities. After 4 weeks, the two groups were retested, took a week-long break, and resumed training. Through this experiment, our group hoped to discover if interval training, compared to a prescribed fitness plan, had a greater impact on cognitive function, providing more insight into the vast world of exercise, potentially directing new exercising individuals looking to seek higher cognitive function or redirecting veteran exercisers to help them realign their goals.
Different events in gymnastics have various physiological demands, therefore, impacting the way gymnasts train. This study aims to measure common physiological characteristics and performance abilities seen in Division III gymnasts throughout the course of a season. Despite the sports’ demanding nature, having an impact on its athlete’s physiology and performance, gymnastics has little research. Through this project we are hoping to increase the knowledge we have of gymnastics. Our participants will be volunteers from the UWEC Gymnastics Team. We will be recording body composition, bone density, strength, power, nutrition, menstrual cycle, and injuries during the season. Body composition and bone density will be measured using a DEXA machine, power will be measured using the Wingate Test, nutrition will be tracked using an app, and a questionnaire will be used to assess sleep, menstrual cycle, and injuries. We expect there to be differences in physiological characteristics for gymnasts who train beam and bars compared to those who train floor and vault, and for those characteristics to be maintained throughout the season.
Fall risk is a growing concern for older adults as balance abilities decrease with age which can lead to injuries, impaired functioning, and a decreased quality of life. Increasing range of motion through stretching can improve balance although the type of stretching that is most effective is inconsistent in previous research. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the acute effects of static, dynamic, and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching protocols on balance in active older adults. Older adults will gain insight into which type of stretching will positively affect balance, while also learning how to perform self- PNF stretching. This process involved an initial recruitment presentation at the Community Fitness Program, email contact to assign identification numbers, informed consent, balance baseline assessment, and stretching sessions. Participants performed static, dynamic, and PNF stretching on three different days that were randomly assigned. After each stretching protocol sway velocity index was measured using the Biodex Balance System to determine balance changes. This project is currently in progress and the results will be finalized in the near future. It is expected dynamic stretching will promote greater improvements in balance compared to static and PNF stretching protocols which would have no effect.
This study aims to examine the impact of footwear on the running economy of division three female distance runners. Recent advancements in running footwear, particularly the introduction of carbon-plated shoes, have been shown to enhance running economy. However, women athletes are often underrepresented in sports performance research, leading to a lack of understanding about how such technology affects their performance. This research seeks to fill this gap by investigating the effects of carbon-plated shoes on female runners. Our study will involve 15-20 female long-distance runners from the UWEC cross-country team, who will run at various intensities based on their maximum oxygen consumption (VO2 max), testing their running economy in both carbon-plated and non-carbon-plated shoes. Energy expenditure will be measured at different time periods during each trial, allowing for a direct comparison of the two shoe types. The expected outcome is to support or challenge the current understanding of the effectiveness of this technology for women, providing valuable insights for athletes and coaches. The findings may also encourage future research focused on underrepresented groups in sports science, helping to optimize footwear choices for female athletes.
