Undergraduate Research

Caffeine increases maximal oxygen consumption in female college-aged recreational athletes.  ASHLEY DAVENPORT and LAURIE VERANT (Dr. Mani Campos, Biology, and Dr. Amy Olson, RD, LD, Nutrition).

Caffeine is used by athletes to enhance performance.  Most research on caffeine uses time to exhaustion tests in male athletes. We examined the effects of caffeine in female athletes by using a maximal oxygen consumption (VO₂ max) test.  Average VO₂ max increased 4.8 percent, runtime increased 4.7 percent, but maximal heart rate did not change with caffeine. Furthermore, with caffeine there was a significant decrease in RPE at the end of the last completed test stage.  A low dose of caffeine significantly increases VO₂ max and allows runners to work harder at the same peak heart rates.

Iron deficiency in division III male cross country runners.  SARAH GERVAIS and JESSICA WALKER (Dr. Amy Olson, RD, LD, Nutrition, and Dr. Manuel Campos, Biology).

Iron deficiency in males is rare; however, male runners have increased iron losses that may result in decreased athletic performance.  Our purpose was to assess the iron status of the runners and identify subjects who are iron deficient.  Mean iron intake was 25.07±9.17mg (RDA for males is 8 mg/day).  Initial mean serum ferritin was 99.03±70.43 ng/mL; values <20 ng/mL may impair performance. Final mean serum ferritin was 126.78±80.86 ng/mL.  After 12 weeks, only two (5 percent) of the original eight subjects with low serum ferritin values remained <40 ng/mL.  The incidence was 21.0 percent, which is high enough to warrant routine screenings for iron status.

Significant risk of dehydration in young soccer players.  ABBY MILTON (Dr. Amy Olson, RD, LD, Nutrition, and Dr. Manuel Campos, Biology).

Soccer is played in a continuous manner with limited opportunities for athletes to rest and rehydrate. Young athletes are more prone to heat-related illnesses.  Our purpose was to assess the risk of dehydration in youth soccer players recruited from two local youth soccer associations. Most players (82 percent) started their games dehydrated and failed to drink sufficient fluids to improve their status during the game.  On average players should consume between 1200-1800 mL during competition, but some subjects consumed less than 500 mL.  The tendency for these young athletes to start their games dehydrated places them at risk to develop heat-related illnesses.

Vitamin D status and stress fractures in division III male cross-country athletes.  JESSICA WALKER and SARAH GERVAIS (Dr. Manuel Campos, Biology, and Dr. Amy Olson, RD LD, Nutrition)

Stress fracture occurrence is high among runners and one of the risk factors is poor vitamin D status.  Our purpose was to evaluate vitamin D status in cross-country male runners through the year. Vitamin D declined significantly by December since the UVB rays are not sufficiently direct to maintain vitamin D synthesis during the winter months despite adequate dietary intake on average.  These results support the need to consume dietary sources of vitamin D above the current dietary recommendations or obtain controlled UVB exposure during the winter months.

College of Saint Benedict women’s basketball teams’ physiological data assessment:  the story it tells.  ALISON M. GRESBACK (Don Fischer, Physical Education).

Physiological data were collected on the College of Saint Benedict Women’s Basketball team from 2001-02 to 2008-09 (n = 100; 189 data sets).  Through data analysis by position, normative ranges were established.  Position-specific relationships were identified between specific test scores and the coach’s perception of the individual’s basketball performance.  Lastly, it was determined that not all of the agility tests contributed uniquely to understanding the athlete’s physiological abilities therefore indicating some redundancy in the testing procedures.

Variations in perceived vs. measured aerobic capacity in division III female collegiate soccer players.  ALISON M. PAGLIACCETTI (Don Fischer, Physical Education).

Twenty-one division III female collegiate soccer players were tested in the fall of 2008 to determine their individual level of aerobic fitness.  Each athlete performed a VO₂ max test and intermittent endurance test to quantify their respective aerobic capacities.  The results were compared to the coach’s subjective rating of the athlete’s aerobic fitness level to determine if the coach’s perception of the athlete’s aerobic capacity differed from that which was measured.  The results of this study will help determine the value of laboratory and field tests in determining the aerobic fitness of division III female collegiate soccer players.

The relationship between dance training background and a dancer’s ability to perform a double pirouette with ideal technique. ALLISON M. SEIFERT (Don Fischer, Physical Education).

Ten members of the College of Saint Benedict Dance Team (five with primarily a ballet background, five with primarily a jazz background) performed double pirouette turns while being videotaped from the front, side, and above.  Biomechanical analysis was performed using Dartfish video analysis software and a checklist of key elements that define ideal technique.  Statistical methods were used to determine the relationship between turn technique and dance training backgrounds.  This information can be used to more effectively teach double pirouette turn technique.

The efficacy of the Inspiring Leaders Certificate Program (ILCP) in facilitating leadership development .  LAURA E. ADAMS (Don Fischer, Physical Education).

CSB/SJU students were surveyed using the LABS-III survey tool, created by Richard Wielkiewicz (2001), in order to explore their attitudes and beliefs pertaining to hierarchical versus systemic leadership styles.  Hierarchical leadership emphasizes task-oriented, top to bottom leadership orientation, whereas systemic leadership promotes inclusive, horizontal orientation. Our preliminary results show that leadership attitudes and beliefs of students who have completed one or more ILCP certificates in their four years have shifted toward a systemic approach to leadership. This shift has led to the exploration of the ILCP’s efficacy in fostering systemic leadership and the modifications that may be necessary to ensure its sustainability on campus.