Gao publishes in Games for Health Journal

July 28, 2015

Assistant professor Zan Gao, Ph.D., and director of the Physical Activity Epidemiology Lab (PAEL), published a co-author paper, “Fun, Flow, and Fitness: Opinions for Making More Effective Active Videogames,” in the Games for Health Journal.

Despite active video games’ popularity and ability to increase a player’s energy expenditure, research indicates their use sharply declines over time, which limits their utility in promoting physical activity. A frequent criticism is that a player’s interest is quickly exhausted. A group of video game developers and investigators including Gao discussed and shared lessons learned from using serious video games in health behavior change and offer insight to guide future efforts.

The citation is :

Maloney, A. E., Mellecker, R., Buday, R., Gao, Z., Hinkley, T., Esparza, L., & Alexander, S. (2015). Fun, Flow, and Fitness: Opinions for Making More Effective Active Videogames. Games for Health Journal, 4(1), 53-57.

Holst-Wolf awarded School of Kinesiology Doctoral Dissertation Award

July 16, 2015

Jessica Holst-Wolf, a doctoral student in the Human Sensorimotor Control Laboratory (HSCL), is the recipient of the School of Kinesiology Doctoral Dissertation Award for the academic year 2015-16.

The School of Kinesiology Doctoral Dissertation Award provides the School’s most accomplished Ph.D candidates with an opportunity to devote efforts to an outstanding research project under the mentorship of the student’s primary faculty advisor.

Holst-Wolf is advised by HSCL director and professor Juergen Konczak, Ph.D., and her research concerns patients with peripheral sensory nerve damage (PSN). Individuals with PSN do not feel their affected limb(s) as well as healthy people. As a result, their movement becomes compromised and they will have problems with balance, walking or fine motor tasks. Unfortunately, current neurorehabilitation therapies for this patient group are very limited. Jessica’s project attempts to enhance the current therapeutic treatment arsenal by employing a new robot-guided training program designed to improve sensorimotor function in these patients. If successful, there would be an alternative treatment avenue for patients with PSN.

Stoffregen and Wade organizing ICPA XVIII conference

July 16, 2015

Hosted by School of Kinesiology professors Dr. Thomas Stoffregen and Dr. Michael Wade, the XVIII International Conference on Perception and Action welcomes participants from multidisciplinary backgrounds discussing issues broadly related to perception and action. The conference runs July 14-18 at the Continuing Education and Conference Center on the Saint Paul campus of the University of Minnesota.

ICPA18-1 — On opening day, Kinesiology students Zachary Pohlkamp, Frank Koslucher, Justin Munafo, and Meg Diedrick (left to right), among others, modeled conference t-shirts and worked at the registration desk.

Stoffregen interviewed by Wired on self-driving cars and motion sickness

July 8, 2015

Now that the concept of self-driving cars has evolved from quirky idea to interesting possibility to “it’s only a matter of time,” questions arise–such as, will people experience motion sickness more frequently in a self-driving car? Dr. Thomas Stoffregen, movement science professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Affordance Perception-Action Laboratory , was asked by Wired magazine for his thoughts on the issue. He shares his knowledge in the article, “A Bit of Barf Can Tell Us a Lot About Self-Driving Cars.”

“Drivers hardly ever get carsick,” says Stoffregen. “It’s the passengers who sometimes suffer. Turning the driver into a passenger puts more people at risk.”

Buysse presents at Women’s Expo in Milan

July 7, 2015

BuysseJoann-2014 Dr. Jo Ann Buysse, senior lecturer in the School of Kinesiology, was invited to present at the Women’s Expo, part of Oxfam Italia World Expo 2015, in Milan on July 2.

The session, “Feeding the Brain: Challenging Role Models Through Sport,” addressed stereotypes of women in the sports world. Featured speakers were Dr. Buysse and Dr. Gertrud Pfister from the University of Copenhagen, followed by a sport journalist, who led a question/answer session with a group of national team athletes and sport executives who shared their experiences. “It was a great honor to be invited,” says Dr. Buysse.

Zachary Pope, Kinesiology doctoral student, awarded SHAPE America Graduate Student Research Grant

July 7, 2015

Zachary Pope, Ph.D. student in the School of Kinesiology, has been awarded a 2015-2016 SHAPE America Graduate Student Research Grant. The $2500 grant will be used to conduct a 10-week study examining how the use of two free, commercially available smartphone apps (MapMyFitness app syncing to the Facebook app) may improve self-regulation of physical activity and promote weight loss in overweight or obese college students. The study will use Facebook to provide bi-weekly health tips to determine if these reminders may also result in increased physical activity and greater weight loss.

Zachary is advised by Dr. Zan Gao, assistant professor of behavioral aspects of physical activity and director of the School’s Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory, where Zachary is conducting the study.

The SHAPE America Graduate Student Grant Program, sponsored by the Society of Health and Physical Educators, has awarded over $600,000 in funding since its inception in 1997. Last year, grants were awarded to just four graduate students across the county.

Richardson’s Green Team takes its message to 2015 All-Star Game

July 6, 2015

Dr. Tiffany Richardson, lecturer in Sport Management at the School of Kinesiology, and her Green Team are hitting the road again July 10 to boost Major League Baseball’s sustainability message at the 2015 All-Star Game at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on July 14.

Dr. Richardson’s Green Team (at right, several members shown working a Twins game earlier this season) is composed of 32 Sport Management undergraduates who enrolled last spring in her course, KIN 4520 Current Topics in Kinesiology. They will join another group of students from the University of Cincinnati and Gannon College to educate and promote awareness around environmental issues and sustainability—the MLB Greening Program—for five event-filled days.

It’s the second year Dr. Richardson has taken a Green Team to an All-Star Game. “My students were rock stars last year, so MLB said, ‘come to Cincinnati and run your Green Team again’” she says.

Last year Dr. Richardson had the idea for a pilot course that would connect her students with MLB’s efforts to reduce waste, increase energy efficiency, and drive home the practice of recycle/reuse to all teams in the leagues. At the 2014 All-Star Game, her students were involved in events such as the Color Run 5K, the Home Run Derby and, of course, the All-Star Game, wearing their Green Team hats, t-shirts, and gloves and working the aisles to show fans how to manage their recyclable and compostable waste.

“The students have been preparing by working Twins games and promoting the message of composting and recycling and they are ready to take it on the road,” says Dr. Richardson. “They have studied, they have bonded and want to do this not only for themselves but for the University of Minnesota and their future careers! So let’s go get it!”

Angela Ruggiero, School of Kinesiology alum, elected to Hockey Hall of Fame

June 30, 2015

Star athlete Angela Ruggiero, School of Kinesiology alumna (M.Ed.,
2011, Sport Management emphasis), has been voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Ruggiero, who played defense until her retirement in 2011, is a four-time Olympic medalist and two-time World Championship medalist, and is one of the most prominent women ice-hockey players in the world. She is the fourth woman to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Ruggiero was named a CEHD Rising Alumni in 2013.

Ji, Hoffman travel to Chinese universities to help promote physical activity programs

June 29, 2015

A delegation of physical activity directors led by Dr. Li Li Ji, director of the School of Group panel Kinesiology, visited four universities in China this month to share strategies for promoting physical fitness among university students. The American Culture Center (ACC) in Sports delegation included Ms. Brandi Hoffman from Kinesiology, director of the Physical Activity Program at the U of M; Ms. Carrie Sampson of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Dr. Bridget Melton of Georgia Southern University. The delegation visited campus sport facilities and physical education classes at Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), Zhejiang University, Shanxi Normal University, and Tianjin University of Sport. The group presented lectures on their programs, sharing successful strategies as well as challenges, and learned how their Chinese colleagues conducted their programs.

“Declines in student health and fitness is a major concern among Chinese universities due to increased academic pressure,” said Vice-president Xu Xueming of SJTU at the USA-China Physical Education Forum. “We should learn from the U.S. and others to strengthen physical education classes to reverse the trend.”

The visits generated renewed interest and publicity at the Chinese universities, said Dr. Ji. ACC is a program supported by a U.S. State Department grant to promote public diplomacy in China. During the trip, Dr. Ji also attended the annual ACC Exchange Conference held in Xian, where all ACC representatives in China met with the new Ambassador to China to share information about their activities during the past year.

Gao is organizer, presenter at 2015 International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity annual conference

June 16, 2015

Dr. Zan Gao, assistant professor in Kinesiology and director of the Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory, organized a research symposium, “Promoting Physical Activity and Health through Exergaming in Children,” at the 2015 International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity annual conference held June 2-6 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The purpose of Dr. Gao’s symposium was to investigate the effects of different exergaming programs on children’s health outcomes.

Dr. Gao presented two research papers and two posters at the symposium, and co-presented a project with colleagues from France. After the conference he traveled to Brest, France, to deliver a guest lecture, “Promoting children’s health through exergaming interventions,” at the European University of Britney. The lecture was well-received by faculty and graduate students from kinesiology and computer science.

Below are the citations from Dr. Gao’s presentations.

Gao, Z., Huang, C., Stodden, D., Roncesvalles, N., & Pope, Z. (2015). Trajectory changes of children’s daily physical activity and sedentary behaviors over two years: Effects of exergaming and physical education. Paper presented at International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity annual meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, 2015.

Pope, Z., & Gao, Z., (2015). Kindergartner’s accelerometer-determined physical activity and sedentary behaviors in exergaming. Paper presented at International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity annual meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, 2015.

Gao, Z., Hannah, P., Barr-Anderson, D., Larson, N., Thul C., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2015). Growth trajectories of individuals’ physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and BMI from childhood through young adulthood. Paper presented at International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity annual meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, 2015.

Pope, Z., Lee, J., Zhang, D., & Gao, Z., (2015). Validation of physical activity survey for during school activities in urban children. Paper presented at International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity annual meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, 2015.

Roure, C., Pasco, D., Kermarrec, G., & Gao, Z. (2015). High school students’ situational interest predicting physical activity levels in exergaming. Paper presented to International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity annual meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, 2015.

Allison comments on U.S. Bank naming rights for Vikings stadium

June 16, 2015

It was recently announced that the new Vikings stadium under construction in downtown Minneapolis will be known as “U.S. Bank Stadium.” U.S. Bank reportedly paid the Vikings $220 over 20 years for the rights. Are naming rights worth the cost to a corporation? Rayla Allison, J.D., associate director and sport management lecturer in the School of Kinesiology, weighed in on the question posed by WCCO News in last night’s 10 p.m. broadcast. Allison said that the marketing benefits of naming rights are generally worth the price. Read the story and see Allison’s taped interview here.

Lupinek presents at North American Society for Sport Management Annual Conference

June 16, 2015

Lupinek Headshot Joshua Lupinek, a doctoral candidate in the School of Kinesiology, presented two projects at the 2015 North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) annual conference, which took place June 3 – 6 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Lupinek facilitated
a graduate student symposium entitled, “Publish or Perish: Engaging with the Process of Publishing as a Graduate Student.” This symposium featured a panel of industry leading researchers, journal editors, and reviewers who addressed topics such as finding research partners, journal selection, revise & resubmit, after the reject, and after the accept. This symposium was co-authored by Natalie L. Smith (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), Patti Millar (Western University), and Rebecca Achen (The University of Kansas).

He also presented at the NASSM Teaching and Learning Fair: “Flipping the Grid Within Online Course Development and Instruction” with former Sport Management Ph.D. graduate Dr. Lana Huberty from the Concordia University – St. Paul. This presentation
showcased the integration of “Flipgrid” technology within online course development. Student enrichment was displayed from syllabus outcomes to student course evaluations, with the purpose of enriching through video and spoken words rather than text responses.

Lupinek is working towards his Ph.D., with an emphasis in sport management. He is advised by Dr. Stephen Ross.

Inoue to publish a review article on spectator sport and health

June 12, 2015

A paper led by assistant professor Yuhei Inoue, Ph.D., has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Sport Management. This paper, “Spectator Sport and Population Health: A Scoping Study,” analyzes 135 studies empirically examining the effect of spectator sport on population health and classifies these studies into distinctive research themes. It further provides implications for integrating spectator sport into the population health agenda.

The full article is available here and full citation is as follows: Inoue, Y., Berg, B.K., & Chelladurai, P. (in press). Spectator sport and population health: A scoping study. Journal of Sport Management.

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APAL researchers to publish in aerospace journal

June 5, 2015

apal Researchers in the Affordance Perception-Action Laboratory (APAL) have had an article, “Sex differences in the incidence of motion sickness induced by linear visual oscillation,” accepted for publication in the journal, Aerospace Medicine & Human Performance.

The authors are Frank C.Koslucher, Eric Haaland, Amy Malsch, Jennifer Webber, and APAL director Dr. Thomas Stoffregen. Koslucher and -Haaland are Ph.D. candidates in the lab while, Malsch and Webber were undergraduate research assistants in APAL.

Alison Phillips, PhD candidate in Kinesiology, awarded NASPSPA Graduate Student Research Grant

June 2, 2015

Kinesiology doctoral candidate Alison Phillips has been awarded a 2015 Graduate Student Research Grant from the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA). The award will be presented at the organization’s annual meeting in Portland, OR, on June 5. Phillips, whose emphasis is in the psychosocial aspects of youth sport and other performance domains, was recognized for her dissertation work titled, “Friendship quality and motivational outcomes in sport and music during early adolescence.” Phillips is one of two students who were awarded the $1195 grant out of a field of nine applicants .

NASPSPA awards the research grants annually to promote and support the scholarly activity of graduate student members of the organization. Submissions are judged based on three criteria: the research question must be original, innovative, and important, and must be consistent with the purpose of NASPSPA ; the student must be the primary investigator on the project; and the student must demonstrate the potential benefits to her or his education and future collaboration prospects.

The Society is a multidisciplinary association of scholars from the behavioral sciences and related professions and functions to (a) develop and advance the scientific study of human behavior when individuals are engaged in sport and physical activity, (b) facilitate the dissemination of information, and (c) improve the quality of research and teaching in the psychology of sport, motor development, and motor learning and control.

Phillips’ major advisor is Dr. Maureen Weiss, a professor of kinesiology with an emphasis in youth development through sport and physical activity.

Dengel and former PhD advisee publish in the Journal of Endocrinology and Diabetes

June 1, 2015

Donald R. Dengel, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology and director of the Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology, is a co-author with Dr. Tyler Bosch (Ph.D., Kineisology,’14) of an article published in the Journal of Endocrinology and Diabetes. The article, “Fitness level is associated with sex-specific regional fat differences in normal weight young adults,” discusses the effect of cardiorespiratory fitness and gender on the disposition o f visceral abdominal fat. Dr. Bosch was advised by Dr. Dengel and is the lead author of the article.

Full citation: Bosch TA, Dengel DR, Ryder JR, Kelly AS, Chow L: Fitness level is associated with sex-specific regional fat differences in normal weight young adults. Journal of Endocrinology and Diabetes 2(2):1-5, 2015.

Christiana Raymond, Kin M.S., receives grant from North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine

May 29, 2015

Ms. Christiana Raymond, M.S. in Kinesiology and graduate assistant in the Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology, was awarded a $1,000 grant from North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine to examine a novel method for segmenting lower extremity body composition in ACL-injured female high school athletes. Dr. Donald Dengel, professor of kinesiology, is her adviser and faculty sponsor on the grant.

Students, faculty, & alumni represent at ACSM conference

May 28, 2015

School of Kinesiology students and faculty have a prominent presence at this year’s American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Conference in San Diego, California. School alumni are also co-presenters in several of the poster presentations.

Symposiums

Mitochondrial Remodeling Resulting from Muscle Contraction and Disuse: Role of PGC-1 and Sirt3 – Dr. Li Li Ji

Thematic Poster Presentations

Competitive Marathon Runners Exhibit Greater Running Economy than Recreation Runners – Dr. Stacy Ingraham, Dr. Christopher Lundstrom & graduate assistant Morgan Betker
Preschool Pilot (PSP) Study: Targeting Teachers and Engaging Parents to Improve Weight-Related Outcomes for African-American Preschoolers – Dr. Daheia Barr-Anderson

Poster Presentations

The Mitochondrial E3 Ubiquitin Protein Ligase 1 (Mul1) is Down-Regulated by PGC-1a Over-Expression in Disuse Induced Atrophied Muscle – Dr. Li Li Ji, Post-doctoral associate Chounghun Kang and graduate students Dongwook Yeo and Tiano Zhang
The Short-term Effect of Sit-Stand Workstations on Blood Glucose in Obese Women with Impaired Fasting Glucose – Dr. Beth Lewis
Association Between Urban Children’s Psychosocial Beliefs and their Outside School Physical Activity – Dr. Zan Gao and graduate assistants Zachary Pope and Jung Eun Lee
Foam Rolling Decreases Muscle Soreness but has no Effect on Running Performance – Dr. Eric Snyder, Dr. Erik Van Iterson and graduate assistants Emma Lee and Alexander Kasak
Effect of Two Physical Activity Interventions on Preschool Children’s Cognitive Functions and Perceived Competence – Dr. Zan Gao and graduate assistants Zachary Pope and Jung Eun Lee
Youth Sport Specialization and Injury Status in Intercollegiate Sports – Dr. Stacy Ingraham and graduate assistants Zachary Rourk and Matthew Carlson
Associations Between Children’s Health-related Fitness and Physical Activity in Exergaming – Dr. Zan Gao and graduate assistant Zachary Pope
Comparison of Children’s Recess and After-school Physical Activity: Effects of School Days and Weight Status – Dr. Zan Gao and graduate assistant Zachary Pope
Effects of Plyometric Training on Lower-Body Muscle Function in Novice Marathon Runners – Dr. Chris Lundstrom and graduate assistant Morgan Betker
The Acute Effect of Exergaming on Elementary School Children’s Mood Changes – Dr. Zan Gao and graduate assistant Jung Eun Lee
The Effects of Glucose-Fructose Versus Glucose-Only on Stride Characteristics during Prolonged Running – Dr. Stacy Ingraham
Alveolar to Arterial Gas Exchange during Constant-Load Exercise in Healthy Active Men and Women – Dr. Eric Snyder
Effect of Spark on Physical Activity, Cardiorespiratory Endurance, and Motivation in Middle-School Students – Dr. Zan Gao
Intervening in Adolescents’ Knowledge and Motivation about Energy Balance – Dr. Zan Gao
Plyometrics & Sprint Training Versus Core Training on Power Outcomes in Novice Marathoners – Graduate assistant Morgan Betker

Inoue publishes chapter in new book

May 27, 2015

Assistant professor Yuhei Inoue, Ph.D., published a chapter in a new book, Sport Management and the Natural Environment: Theory and Practice.

Dr. Inoue’s chapter, “Theoretical Foundations for Understanding Pro-environmental Behavior in Sport,” reviews key theoretical frameworks explaining the pro-environmental behavior of individuals involved in sport. These individuals include employees of sport organizations, athletes, and consumers. It also offers insight into how pro-environmental behavior can be promoted.

The full citation is as follows:

Inoue, Y. (2015). Theoretical foundations for understanding pro-environmental behavior in sport. In J. Casper & M. Pfahl (eds.) Sport management and the natural environment: Theory and practice (pp. 14-28). Oxon, OX: Routledge.

SMGT undergrad profiled by the U’s Legacy magazine

May 20, 2015

legacy-sp15-backpack-00 — Photo courtesy of *Legacy Magazine*

Barflaan Tedoe is a junior majoring in journalism and sport management. Profiled in the University of Minnesota’s Spring 2015 Legacy magazine, the aspiring broadcast journalist is working to “bring a voice to the voiceless”.

Involved in numerous student groups and organizations, Tedoe is passionate about taking advantage of the many opportunities available at the University of Minnesota. More than simply being involved, Tedoe is heavily influenced by his brother with hopes to “leave a legacy here” by creating a positive impact on this school.

CEHD News Kinesiology

CEHD News Kinesiology