• Assessing Local Parks for their Infrastructure, Issues, and Use

      Shabu, Elizabath; Kinesiology (Augusta University Libraries, 2020-05-04)
      This item presents the abstract for a poster presentation at the 21st Annual Phi Kappa Phi Student Research and Fine Arts Conference.
    • LGBTQ+ College Student’s Well-being and Physical Activity

      Nix, Dalanie; Department of Kinesiology (Augusta University, 2020-05)
      Many college students experience a downswing in mental well-being once beginning college. Studies have shown that the mental well-being of many college students are negatively impacted by alcohol consumption, cigarette use, and lower grades. Along with those factors, poor sleep habits are also linked to poor performance and overall well-being of students. LGBTQ+ college students experience discriminatory stressors, such as bullying, compounded with the stressors of college life which can lead to increased rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Physical activity has been shown to improve well-being and depression symptoms. It has also been proven to be as effective as psychological and drug therapies. Many LGBTQ+ college students are turned away from sports due to LGBTQ+ cultural norms, as well as bullying from peers. This project employed a case study narrative approach of LGBTQ+ college students. 5 participants, ranging from 18-21 years of age and various sexual orientations, were interviewed about how physical activity has affected their well-being. We predict that LGBTQ+ college students who participate in regular physical activity will express lower levels of anxiety and depression along with greater levels of well-being.
    • Assessing Local Parks For Their Infrastructure Availability And Use Along With Physical Activity Levels Of The Local Children

      Shabu, Elizabath; Department of Kinesiology (Augusta University, 2020-05)
      This research project assessed public park physical activity infrastructure use in Richmond and Columbia Counties. Prior research has shown that children not only enjoy outdoor time, but also consider parks as a place for socializing. Furthermore, research has shown that playground time positively impacts children’s imagination. The playground also aids in the physical fitness of children by offering interactive experiences that can add to the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Park assessments were conducted utilizing the Physical Activity Resource Assessment (PARA) Tool and found that overall, parks in both counties were well taken care of. Additionally, there was a wide variety of amenities available to utilize. There were some areas of concern in the parks, however, including cigarette buds, alcohol containers, trash, and cracked sidewalks. In both counties, parks were observed to see how much children utilized the playground equipment. Observations concluded that the majority of children utilized the different variety of equipment, with the swings and slides being the most common. In conclusion, this presentation will describe the diversity of amenities, challenges in maintenance, and the overall use of public parks in both Richmond and Columbia Counties.
    • Physiological Stress Levels on Cognitive Function

      Quon, Jonathan; Department of Kinesiology (Augusta University, 2018-12)
      Regular exercise has been proven to reduce insulin resistance, increase blood flow, release neurotransmitters, and lead to many more health and cognitive benefits. However, studies investigating the immediate effects of a physical stress or on cognitive functioning are limited. In theory, cognitive reactions could speed up immediately following exercise due to enhanced nutrient delivery via increased blood flow, or cognitive reactions could slow down immediately after exercise due to physiological fatigue. These contradicting theories create much interest and concern for those who need to be functioning at their full cognitive potential. For instance, should college students who are studying for large periods of time take breaks to exercise, or would exercise be harmful to their mental functioning? The purpose of my project is to test how cognitive function is affected immediately following exercise. I predict that lower intensity aerobic exercise will boost mental performance, whereas high intensity anaerobic exercise will decrease mental performance.
    • The effects of acute and chronic ketosis on golf accuracy

      Blume, Grant; Department of Kinesiology (Augusta University, 2018-12)
      Exogenous ketones, a synthetic version of the ketones produced by the body as a byproduct of fat breakdown, provide more energy on a molecule by molecule basis than glucose and are produced as a supplement to possibly help neurological diseases and improve motor learning. In this study, Pruvit ketone supplement were used. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of acute ketosis and of chronic ketosis with golf practice on putting accuracy. The hypothesis is that acute ketosis would not improve putting accuracy, but chronic ketosis would improve putting accuracy. Putting accuracy was tested in a fatigued state to increase reliance on the central nervous system. Participants included 8 individuals, aged 35-55, that were recreational golfers. The study was double-blinded; supplements were sealed in white packets with the label “A” or “B” to blind both the investigator collecting data and participants to the supplement in each packet. The grouping of participants for the study was randomized. Thefindings of the study show that neither acute ketosis nor chronic ketosis has a discernible (p >0.05) effect on putting accuracy.
    • The association between fitness, metabolic levels, and cognitive performance in an older population

      Dojack, Amanda; Department of Kinesiology (Augusta University, 2018-05)
    • Iron-Induced Oxidative Stress is Associated with Decreased Brain L-DOPA in Sickle Cell Disease

      Johnson, Dejah; Department of Kinesiology (Augusta University, 2018-05)
      Pain and cognitive decline are characteristic features of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Pain arises from the failure of blood to flow freely through blood vessels, thus creating regions of severe ischemia, the lack of blood perfusion. Pain is both a physiological and psychological event. Reflexive pain response arises in the periphery, but pain is perceived in the brain. Thus changes in the brain can modify the experience of pain. The cognitive impairments are also associated with ischemia, increased prevalence of stroke, and the degree of anemia in the patient – the direct result of hemolysis (bursting) of red blood cells in the blood vessels. This hemolysis releases toxic iron containing molecules which then freely circulate in the blood. Iron is potent oxidative stressor and generates the longest lasting radical, the potent OH radical (OH∙). In fact, OH∙ is perhaps the only radical capable of permanently modifying the amino acid tyrosine via shuffling of the side chain. Thus, proteins incorporating the modified amino acid may exhibit a change in function or altered interaction with binding partners. Importantly, tyrosine is the precursor to a host of neurotransmitters, including dopamine via the action of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Oxidized forms of tyrosine are no longer substrates for tyrosine hydroxylase, thus generation of dopamine is compromised. In this work, we discovered and quantified the presence of iron in the brains of mice with SCD and those without. We found significantly more iron deposited in the frontal lobe of the brain in the mice with SCD. Interrogation of L-DOPA, the precursor of dopamine, was also reduced. The amount of iron deposited was inversely proportional to the amount of L-DOPA detected in these SCD mice. Thus, these data suggest an overall decrease of dopamine in the brain. Emotion regulation, motor coordination, mood, cognition, learning and memory could all be affected. Furthermore, given the role of dopamine in addiction and reinforcement, our data suggest that patients with SCD are at a lower risk of addiction to pain medication – a primary consideration in the treatment of pain in this illness.