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- Creators: Barrett, The Honors College
Description
There are many parallels between human and equine sports medicine, including the roots of athletics, the development of specialized medicine, and injuries to the athletes. The most remarkable similarities are seen in tendinopathies. Because of the similarities between human and equine tendons, equine athletes serve as one of the best animal models to study tendon physiology and tendon injuries for application to human medicine. Because of this, many therapies have already successfully crossed from one realm of sports medicine to the other, the most notable of which are stem cell therapy, Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist (IRAP), and platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapies. There are also several therapies on the horizon that are very promising to potentially be successful in both human and equine athletes. However, some of these novel therapies are raising ethical questions. There are many regulations in place to protect against or address potential ethical conflicts in human medicine. The same trend is not seen in equine medicine. While there are rules enforced by many equestrian federations regarding ethical concerns and veterinary medicine, the information is not nearly as complete as it should be. Because they lack the autonomy that typical human patient possesses, equine athletes require significantly more advocacy from their veterinarians than human athletes do from their physicians. Additionally, there is a lack of large animal model studies secondary to cost and overall value of equine athletes to their owners, riders, and trainers. Ultimately it becomes an issue of veterinary ethics whether to pursue a novel or conventional treatment for an equine athlete. With biotechnology advancing as quickly as it is, new studies must be done and new regulations must be written in order to keep all fields of sports medicine operating safely and ethically for all athletes involved, regardless of species.
ContributorsWaslewski, Samantha Paige (Author) / Lynch, John (Thesis director) / Foley, James (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
The NCAA recently declared sickle cell trait (SCT) to be a risk factor for sudden illness and death among student athletes. Fetal hemoglobin (HbF) concentration in adults is negatively correlated with disease severity in sickle cell anemia, although its effect on SCT is not fully understood and the concentration is found to have high variability across populations. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the human beta globin gene cluster, rs7482144 and rs10128556, contribute to the heritable variation in HbF levels and are associated with increased HbF concentrations in adults. A sample population of NCAA football student athletes was genotyped for these two polymorphisms, and their allele frequencies were compared to those of other populations. The minor allele of both polymorphisms had allele frequencies of 0.091 in the sample population, which compared closely with other populations of recent African heritage but was significantly different from European populations. The results of this study will be included in a larger study to predict whether these among other polymorphisms can be used as markers to predict susceptibility to heat-related emergencies in NCAA student athletes with SCT, although the small sample size will delay this process until participation in the study increases. Since both rs7482144 and rs10128556 exhibit high levels of linkage disequilibrium, and as their contributions to the heritable variability of HbF concentrations tend to differ greatly between populations of different ancestry, further investigations should be aimed at distinguishing between the effects of each SNP in African American, European, and other populations represented in NCAA football before conclusions can be drawn as to their practical use as genetic markers of heat susceptibility in student athletes with SCT.
ContributorsGrieger, Ryan Wayne (Author) / Stone, Anne C. (Thesis director) / Rosenberg, Michael (Committee member) / Madrigal, Lorena (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
This project is an investigation into the many financial issues professional athletes face. These issues include bad spending habits, poor investments, freeloaders (posses/entourages), and more. Following is an explanation of Financial Planning and Wealth Management, and how the application of these strategies and tactics - specifically the use of Sustainable Withdrawal Rates in a Capital Sufficiency Analysis - can help to avoid such issues. An illustration of these practices "in action" is given through a case study of fictional athletes and portfolios. Lastly, recommendations are given on potential solutions that could help prevent these problems from affecting more athletes.
ContributorsCastellani, Robert Thomas (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Cassidy, Nancy (Committee member) / Judge, Evan (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / WPC Graduate Programs (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Given the importance of arm mechanics in sprinting and the utility of F-V profiles, the purpose of the following study was to determine the effects of forearm WR on the horizontal F-V profile during sprinting. To determine the effect of forearm WR on the horizontal F-V profile during sprinting, a cross-sectional, repeated measure within subjects design was used, with athletes assessed both with and without forearm WR. The WR condition used 2% BM attached to the forearms. In a randomized order, subjects performed a series of maximal effort 30 m sprints; two unloaded sprints and four with WR. Three sprints were executed from a block start: one unloaded, and two with WR. The additional three sprints were executed from a split-stance start: one unloaded and two with WR. From this study, 2%BM WR was found to significantly increase sprint times from both block and standing starts. It also significantly decreased V0 and Fsystem from a block start and Psystem from a standing start. The significance from a block start may imply the arm’s greater role during the start and acceleration phases of sprinting during that position. The overloading of V0 from a block start in the F-V profile points to forearm WR as a possible tool for athletes to use during training who are overly force dominant from a block start and need to shift their profile to V0 dominance or balance in general.
ContributorsMishra, Megna (Author) / Nolan, Nicole (Thesis director) / Feser, Erin (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Athletes at any level of competition face high-stress environments in which they are still expected to perform at a high level. Because of this, athletes require mental toughness in order to skillfully perform and hopefully outperform their opponents. Mental toughness in sport is a term used to describe a variety of psychological skills that an athlete utilizes that allows them to perform better and more consistently than their competitors. This study was designed to determine whether mental toughness distinguished pole vaulters at three different levels of competition. It was hypothesized that post-collegiate athletes would have higher mental toughness scores than collegiate athletes who would subsequently score higher than high school athletes. Two questionnaires were given to high school, collegiate, and post-collegiate pole vaulters (n = 65) to determine total mental toughness scores as well as scores for eight different subcategories of mental toughness including motivation, self-belief, intensity, focus, control, coping, thriving on pressure, and assertiveness. ANOVA and multiple comparisons demonstrated that mental toughness differentiated post-collegiate pole vaulters from high school pole vaulters, but not between collegiate and post-collegiate. Additionally, collegiate and post-collegiate vaulters scored significantly higher than high school vaulters in the subcategories of motivation and control. Data also showed that male competitors demonstrated significantly higher mental toughness scores than female athletes on both questionnaires. Based on the research, knowing that mental toughness scores differentiate high school pole vaulters from elite pole vaulters (particularly in the areas of control and motivation) could set the foundation for training programs and targeted psychological interventions for younger athletes.
ContributorsWarren, Hannah Victoria (Author) / Hoffner, Kristin (Thesis director) / Broman, Tannah (Committee member) / Feser, Erin (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
Concussions and traumatic brain injuries are mechanical events which can derive from no specific activity or event. However, these injuries occur often during athletic and sporting events but many athletes experiencing these symptoms go undiagnosed and continue playing without proper medical attention. The current gold standard for diagnosing athletes with concussions is to have medical professionals on the sidelines of events to perform qualitative standardized assessments which may not be performed frequently enough and are not specialized for each athlete. The purpose of this report is to discuss a study sanctioned by Arizona State University's Project HoneyBee and additional affiliations to validate a third-party mouth guard device product to recognize and detect force impacts blown to an athlete's head during athletic activity. Current technology in health monitoring medical devices can allow users to apply this device as an additional safety mechanism for early concussion awareness and diagnosis. This report includes the materials and methods used for experimentation, the discussion of its results, and the complications which occurred and areas for improvement during the preliminary efforts of this project. Participants in the study were five non-varsity ASU Wrestling athletes who volunteered to wear a third-party mouth guard device during sparring contact at practice. Following a needed calibration period for the devices, results were recorded both through visual observation and with the mouth guard devices using an accelerometer and gyroscope. This study provided a sound understanding for the operation and functionality of the mouth guard devices. The mouth guard devices have the capability to provide fundamental avenues of research for future investigations.
ContributorsTielke, Austin Wyatt (Author) / Ross, Heather (Thesis director) / LaBelle, Jeffrey (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
The aim of this study was to compare the effects of an intervention involving physical practice combined with motor imagery and physical practice alone on swimming performance for fifty-yard freestyle. Forty-five male and female high school swimmers were participants on two different high school teams. One team was the treatment group, which included the participants partaking in both motor imagery and physical practice. The other team served as the age matched control group, and the swimmers participated in physical practice only. The combined practice group performed motor imagery three times per week and physical practice five times per week. The physical practice only group performed physical practice five times per week. Each group performed their respective tasks for 9-weeks. Pre-, half-point, and post-tests consisted of a timed fifty-yard freestyle. The treatment group produced significantly faster times on the percent change in swim time scores in comparison to the control group for the half-time to post-time and pre-time to post-time score (p=.000). The treatment group also produced better performances on the pre-time to half-time scores, however, the results were not statistically significant (p = .009). Findings, therefore, support the effectiveness of motor imagery in enhancing swim performance, when combined with physical practice.
ContributorsSears, Mychaela Leduc (Author) / Hoffner, Kristin (Thesis director) / Broman, Tannah (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
I use Arizona State University's rebranding initiative with Nike as a starting point for examining how partnerships between elite brands and universities affect different types of students. I draw from literature on self-completion theory and identity salience to suggest that there are differences between athletes and non-athletes in how they believe elite sportswear products may affect their athletic performance. I propose that athletes feel more "complete" than non-athletes because they are more proficient in their respective sport. As such, non-athletes are more likely to use sportswear products (Nike) to become more proficient in athletics and have stronger beliefs that elite sportswear products will help them arrive at their goals. I also propose and find that students who feel that ASU plays an important part of their life perceive even greater performance boosts from using Nike products. These findings suggest that particular attention should be paid to the athletes and non-athletes in initiatives that link specific institutions and organizations to performance brands.
ContributorsGoldman, Alexa (Author) / Eaton, John (Thesis director) / Samper, Adriana (Committee member) / Kohler, Michael (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / W. P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2012-12
Description
Link to documentary: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxFCDFfMBwpoNVdybDZOaGhaUWc/view?usp=sharing For my thesis project, I decided to do a documentary on Special Olympic Athletes in Arizona. These individuals have always inspired me because they have faced many challenges and yet they still go through life with a smile on their face. I believe they all deserve recognition for what they have accomplished during the games and outside of them. I wanted to give them this recognition. In my documentary, I interviewed five athletes, three of which are siblings. The first athlete I interviewed was Jesse McGirl, who is a star track and field athlete. In his part of the video, I talk about his strategy as well as his involvement in the games. I also talk about him being a Global Messenger and how he travels the world in order to spread the message of the Special Olympics. The next athlete was David Fromh, who started competing in the games in 1978. In his section, I talk to him about his relationships with his coaches and teammates as well as the strategy he uses while running. He is one of the most positive athletes out there, and I really emphasize on his positivity. The last set of interviews I did was with the Meagan, Emily, and Quincy Jones, three siblings who all suffer from intellectual disabilities. David and Gena Jones adopted them when they were young and their story is a true inspiration. The family is the main focus of my documentary, so they have three parts: Early Life, Special Olympics, and Future. The Early Life focuses on how David and Gena raised their kids and their high school life. The Special Olympics section focuses on their success at the games and the Future section is about the siblings' interests outside of the games. Along with my athlete stories, I have an introduction and conclusion as well as a brief history section describing the founding of the Special Olympics. I had a great time making this project, and I am very fortunate to be able to tell such inspirational stories.
ContributorsEurich, Danielle Nikole (Author) / Dunn, Heather (Thesis director) / Kurland, Brett (Committee member) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2015-12
Description
This thesis project will discuss how the three macronutrients, protein, carbohydrate and fat, benefit the body and what happens when the body is lacking in any of them. It also delves into micronutrients and supplements and how those can aid in the recovery process following an injury. Inflammation and sleep as well as mood disturbances are also explained. Meal options are available in the second half of this paper displaying pictures of nutritional meals along with their ingredients, instructions and calories. This project displays how a lack of protein can decrease muscle protein synthesis, how carbohydrate deficiency can lead to fatigue and more injury and how Omega-3 fatty acids are more beneficial than Omega-6 fatty acids. In addition, the paper discusses how vitamins, such as vitamin D and C, are important in providing bone strength and preventing excess inflammation. Supplements are reported to be beneficial, however, a disadvantage of consuming nutrients from a synthetic source can rob the athlete of a healthy mixture of nutrients and minerals. Overall, consumption of proper nutrients can aid in the recovery process following an injury and sleep is an important factor that should also be considered while the body heals.
ContributorsGorke, Haley Nicole (Author) / Levinson, Simin (Thesis director) / Hoffner, Kristin (Committee member) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05