Determining Clinically Relevant Measures for Evaluating Recovery in Collegiate Athletes using Heart Rate Variability and RESTQ-Sport.

Ph.D. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2017

Comparing the Effects of Rest and Massage on Return to Homeostasis Following Submaximal Aerobic Exercise: a Case Study

Introduction: Postexercise massage can be used to help promote recovery from exercise on the cellular level, as well as systemically by increasing parasympathetic activity. No studies to date have been done to assess the effects of massage on postexercise metabolic changes, including excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of massage recovery and resting recovery on a subject’s heart rate variability and selected metabolic effects following a submaximal treadmill exercise session. Methods: One healthy 24-year-old female subject performed 30 minutes of submaximal treadmill exercise prior to resting or massage recovery sessions. Metabolic data were collected throughout the exercise sessions and at three 10 minute intervals postexercise. Heart rate variability was evaluated for 10 minutes after each of two 30-minute recovery sessions, either resting or massage. Results: Heart rate returned to below resting levels (73 bpm) with 30 and 60 minutes of massage recovery (72 bpm and 63 bpm, respectively) compared to 30 and 60 minutes of resting recovery (77 bpm and 74 bpm, respectively).  Heart rate variability data showed a more immediate shift to the parasympathetic state following 30 minutes of massage (1.152 LF/HF ratio) versus the 30-minute resting recovery (6.91 LF/HF ratio). It took 60 minutes of resting recovery to reach similar heart rate variability levels (1.216 LF/HF) found after 30 minutes of massage. Ventilations after 30 minutes of massage recovery averaged 7.1 bpm compared to 17.9 bpm after 30 minutes of resting recovery. Conclusions: No differences in EPOC were observed through either the resting or massage recovery based on the metabolic data collected. Massage was used to help the subject shift into parasympathetic activity more quickly than rest alone following a submaximal exercise session.

An Analysis of Confidence Levels in Athletic Training Students during the Coronavirus Pandemic

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(3): 1284-1292, 2023. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic created a challenge to athletic training students, with many classes converted to online education, and many clinical experiences interrupted. These changes may have negatively affected the confidence level of athletic training students in their athletic training skills. Purpose: To determine if athletic training students’ educational experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted their confidence levels in completing athletic training skills. Procedures: A cross-sectional design using an online survey of 56 athletic training students from 33 CAATE accredited athletic training programs was used. The survey consisted of questions about the percentage of online learning, didactically and clinically, during the pandemic and confidence levels for skills within the five athletic training domains. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and factorial ANOVAs were used to analyze the level of confidence by semester of clinical experience. Main Findings: Factorial ANOVA demonstrated lower perceived confidence levels for students who had more online clinical experience for the following domains: injury and illness prevention and wellness promotion, therapeutic intervention, and healthcare administration and professional responsibility. Confidence was also lower in correctly performing the clinical skills for evaluating spine and torso, developing and implementing a rehabilitation program for the lower extremity, and developing and implementing a rehabilitation program for the back. Principal Conclusion: Athletic training students who had large portion of their clinical and classroom experience online had perceived lower levels of confidence in performing clinical and administrative skills. Online learning may influence athletic training students’ confidence level in performing athletic training skills

Comparing the Effects of Rest and Massage on Return to Homeostasis Following Submaximal Aerobic Exercise: a Case Study

Introduction: Postexercise massage can be used to help promote recovery from exercise on the cellular level, as well as systemically by increasing parasympathetic activity. No studies to date have been done to assess the effects of massage on postexercise metabolic changes, including excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of massage recovery and resting recovery on a subject’s heart rate variability and selected metabolic effects following a submaximal treadmill exercise session. Methods: One healthy 24-year-old female subject performed 30 minutes of submaximal treadmill exercise prior to resting or massage recovery sessions. Metabolic data were collected throughout the exercise sessions and at three 10 minute intervals postexercise. Heart rate variability was evaluated for 10 minutes after each of two 30-minute recovery sessions, either resting or massage. Results: Heart rate returned to below resting levels (73 bpm) with 30 and 60 minutes of massage recovery (72 bpm and 63 bpm, respectively) compared to 30 and 60 minutes of resting recovery (77 bpm and 74 bpm, respectively).  Heart rate variability data showed a more immediate shift to the parasympathetic state following 30 minutes of massage (1.152 LF/HF ratio) versus the 30-minute resting recovery (6.91 LF/HF ratio). It took 60 minutes of resting recovery to reach similar heart rate variability levels (1.216 LF/HF) found after 30 minutes of massage. Ventilations after 30 minutes of massage recovery averaged 7.1 bpm compared to 17.9 bpm after 30 minutes of resting recovery. Conclusions: No differences in EPOC were observed through either the resting or massage recovery based on the metabolic data collected. Massage was used to help the subject shift into parasympathetic activity more quickly than rest alone following a submaximal exercise session.