Dr. Zan Gao, assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Physical Activity Epidemiology Lab (PAEL), recently published a review article and a response to letter in exergaming as the first author in Obesity Review. The purpose of the review article was to systematically review the impact of field-based exergames on children’s physical and psychosocial outcomes. The response to letter was to defend the criticisms to the review from another research group in Canada. Obesity Review is a monthly journal publishing reviews on all disciplines related to obesity and its comorbidities. It has an impact Factor of 7.859 and ranks 7 out of 123 journals in Endocrinology & Metabolism.
School of Kinesiology is well-represented at 2014 NASPEM
The University of Minnesota School of Kinesiology hosted this years Biennial North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine Scientific Meeting (NASPEM) August 20-23, 2014. Drs. George Biltz and Donald Dengel served as co-chairmen.
The presentations were as follows:
- Hanan Zavala, masters student in the School of Kinesiology, presented on a paper titled “Impacts of Age and Sex on Flow-Mediated Dilation.” Other authors on the paper were Drs. Aaron Kelly and Julia Steinberger from the Department of Pediatrics and Dr. Donald Dengel and Kara Marlatt, MS from the School of Kinsiology.
- Zachary Pope, doctoral student and graduate research assistant in the Physical Activity Epidemiology Lab (PAEL), presented on a study examining physical activity levels of young children (ages 6-8 years) during a school-based exergaming program via accelerometers and pedometers.
- Nicholas Evanoff (M.S. ’14) presented on a paper titled “Peak Shear and Peak Flow Mediated Dilation: A Time Course Relationship.” Other authors on the paper were Drs. Aaron Kelly and Julia Steinberger from the Department of Pediatrics and Dr. Donald Dengel from the School of Kinsiology.
- Joe Ostrem, a doctoral student, presented on a paper titled “Presence and Implication of a Bernoulli Effect During Flow-Mediated Dilation in Children.” Other authors on the paper were Drs. Aaron Kelly from the Department of Pediatrics and Dr. Donald Dengel from the School of Kinsiology.
- Kara Marlatt, doctoral student, presented on a paper titled “Effect of Television Time and Physical Activity on the Metabolic Syndrome.” Other authors on the paper were Drs. Leslie Lytle and Kian Farbakhsh from the School of Public Health and Dr. Donald Dengel from the School of Kinesiology.
Stoffregen suggests tips to deal with car sickness
Professor of kinesiology 
and director of the Affordance Perception-Action Laboratory (APAL), Dr. Thomas A. Stoffregen was interviewed on Warrantywise.co.uk regarding car sickness. His expert opinion was published in the form of ten recommendations to combat car sickness:
1. Sit in the front seat
2. Close your eyes and sleep
3. Look into the distance
4. Don’t read anything
5. Use your headrest
6. Listen to music
7. Keep yourself hydrated
8. Eat light before you travel
9. Take over as driver
10. Chew gum or ginger biscuits
Click here to read more.
Gao co-authored a paper on youth fitness and motor skills
Dr. Zan Gao, assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Physical Activity Epidemiology Lab (PAEL), recently published a research article on fitness and motor skills as the second author in journal, Pediatrics Exercise Science.
The purpose of this study was to examine the associations among motor skill competence and health-related fitness in youth. The findings suggest that the development of object control skills in childhood may be important for the development and maintenance of health-related fitness across childhood and into adolescence.
Kane quoted in The New York Times
Mary Jo Kane, director of the Tucker Center and professor in the School of Kinesiology, was quoted in The New York Times in an article titled, “Pioneer of a Crossover Move.” The article discusses how Becky Hammon became N.B.A’s first full-time female assistant coach.
Kane commented on whether or not she thought that Hammon being hired as the first female assistant coach would be a barrier breaker for all women coaches in the N.B.A. She said “It could be a game changer, but time will tell if, like so many other unprecedented moments, it becomes a one-off.”
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Dengel and Marlatt publish chapter in recently printed book
Donald Dengel, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology, and director of the Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology and doctoral student Kara Marlatt, M.S., are co-authors of a chapter, “Effects of cancer therapies on vascular structure and function in childhood cancer survivors,” in the recently printed, Endothelial Dysfunction: Risk factors, role in cardiovascular diseases and therapeutic approaches. The book was published by Nova Science Publishers, Inc.. Hauppauge, NY.
Smith is lead author in forthcoming text; Wade serves as co-author
Thomas Smith, lecturer in the School of Kinesiology, is the lead author in a new book to be published this month by CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, titled, “Variability in Human Performance.”
The book is the latest in the CRC Press Human Factors/Ergonomics book series. Co-authors are School of Kinesiology faculty Michael Wade, Tom Fisher (Dean, University of Minnesota College of Design), and Robert Henning (Psychology, University of Connecticut). The chapters within the book deal with performance variability in motor, cognitive, and affective performance, in learning in K-12 classrooms, as a consequence of displaced sensory feedback, in human error, in social and team performance, in macroergonomic, economic and nation-state performance, as a consequence of fracture-critical design, and from an evolutionary perspective.
Stoffregen comments on Yahoo health article
Professor of kinesiology and director of the Affordance Perception-Action Laboratory (APAL) Thomas A. Stoffregen, Ph.D., commented on a Yahoo health article discussing motion sickness. The article explores the fact that with modern technology, a person does not necessarily have to be moving to experience motion sickness.
According to Stoffregen, “motion sickness is a slippery eel because it’s so profoundly subjective.” He comments in the article that “the perceived wisdom on this head-mounted display [Oculus Rift] is that it’s going to revolutionize our interaction with the Internet” but “the problem with Oculus Rift [virtual reality headset for 3D gaming] is that it induces motion sickness in a disturbingly large number of people who use it.”
Konczak featured in the Minnesota Daily
Jürgen Konczak, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology and director of the Human Sensorimotor Control Lab, was used as a point of reference in a Minnesota Daily sports article, Lineman tackles hacking. The article touched on the lasting effects of concussions by exploring the history of a past gopher football player.
Konczak provided his expertise on concussions by suggesting that “rest is the best way to alleviate concussion symptoms.”
Gao published by Nova Publishers
Dr. Zan Gao, assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Physical Activity Epidemiology Lab (PAEL), recently published one chapter as the first author in Video Games: Parents’ Perceptions, Role of Social Media and Effects on Behavior edited by Jeffery Graham.
The findings of this chapter reveal that children who are intrinsically motivated tend to report high exertion, which may in turn promote greater physical activity levels in exergaming. Additionally, girls seemed to be more physically active than boys when playing dance-based exergaming.
Konczak featured in the news
Jürgen Konczak, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology and director of the Human Sensorimotor Control Lab, was interviewed by the Minnesota Daily to be featured in an article revolving around brain disease. He was also featured in a similar article in the Washington Times.
Lais named Social Entrepreneur of the Year
Greg Lais, Founder and Executive Director of Wilderness Inquiry (WI) and instructor in the Recreation, Park, and Leisure Studies program (RPLS), was named the 2014 St. John’s University Social Entrepreneur of the Year. This award recognizes Lais for his achievements and altruistic values in both his work and his personal life.
Wilderness Inquiry was founded in 1978 with the goal to provide outdoor experiences around the world for people of all backgrounds, social class, and abilities. Over the years, Lais has created adaptive outdoor recreation equipment such as one-armed paddles in order to make the company’s goal possible.
Click here to read more about Lais’ astounding accomplishments.
Stoffregen’s research mentioned in the New York Times
The research of Tho
mas Stoffregen, Ph.D., director of the APAL, and professor of kinesiology, was featured in the July 14, 2014 issue of the New York Times. The article discusses widespread concerns that current and future virtual reality technologies, such as head mounted displays, may give rise to motion sickness in a large percentage of users. The technology, often used for video gaming, transports the user’s mind into a world where it can be hard to tell reality from computer imagery. The Times article reviews reports that the technology can make people sick after just a few minutes of use. A 2007 research article by Merhi, Faugloire, Flanagan, & Stoffregen is the sole behavioral science study discussed in the article.
Click on the here to read more.
Leon featured in recent textbook
Arthur Leon, MD, professor of kinesiology, and director emeritus of the Laboratory of Pysiological Hygiene and Exercise Science (LPHES), had his lifetime of exercise science research included in the newly published textbook, History of Exercise Physiology, edited by Charles M. Tipton and published by Human Kinetics (2014).
Konczak receives research grant from Germany
Juergen Konczak, Ph.D., professor and director of the Human Sensorimotor Control Laboratory, is a co-principal investigator on a €520,000 ($686,000) grant awarded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), a federal agency considered the German equivalent to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the National Science Foundation (NSF). Dr. Dagmar Timmann, a neurologist at the University Medical Center in Essen, Germany, is the other PI. The three-year grant will explore the feasibility of proprioceptive training for patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), a genetic disease that currently is not treatable through medication.
SCA is usually categorized by slowly progressive incoordination of the limbs and associated with poor coordination of hands, speech, and eye movements. Like most diseases, the symptoms very person to person and depend on the specific type of SCA. In many cases the person maintains their mental ability while slowly losing physical control of their body. Proprioceptive training is a behavioral intervention aimed to improve body awareness, which in turn may lead to better motor outcomes in these patients who suffer from SCA.
HSCL conducts industry-sponsored field testing of new elliptical trainer design
In an industry-financed study, the Human Sensorimotor Control Lab tested a new design of elliptical trainers of an international Minnesota-based company that produces high-end fitness equipment for home and commercial recreation and health facilities. Specifically, the lab tested biomechanical differences and differences in muscle activation patterns during running under four conditions: running on ground, on a treadmill, and on two elliptical trainers.
The results will inform the company on how similar their new design is to running over ground and how it compares to other commercially available running devices like treadmills and standard trainers. Continue reading “HSCL conducts industry-sponsored field testing of new elliptical trainer design”
Konczak gives invited senior lecture NASPSPA; HSC lab members presented
Jürgen Konczak, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology and director of the Human Sensorimotor Control Lab, was recognized as a senior lecturer at the recent meeting of the North American Society for Sport Psychology and Physical Activity (NASPSPA). Each year NASPSPA invites scientists in each of the following fields: motor control, motor learning, and exercise psychology to give a lecture. Konczak gave an address titled, “Proprioception and Motor Control in Development and Disease.”
Additionally, four members of the HSCL research team, Joshua Aman, Ph.D., and graduate students Naveen Elangovan, I-ling Yeh and Jessica Holst-Wolf, presented at NASPSPA. They showcased recent work on measuring proprioceptive function in typically developing children and on the efficacy of training the proprioceptive sense in adults.
Physical Activity and Sport Science students present research at NASPSPA
Several current and alumna doctoral students in the School of Kinesiology’s Physical Activity and Sport Science focus area attended or presented research at the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA) conference. The conference was held in downtown Minneapolis on June 12-14.
Hayley Russell and Andrew White (advisor: Diane Wiese-Bjornstal, PhD), Amanda Williams (advisor: Beth Lewis, PhD), and Alison Phillips, Andrea Stark, Nicole Bolter (Ph.D., ’10), and Lindsay Kipp (Ph.D., ’12) (advisor: Maureen Weiss, PhD) represented the PASS research area and lab. Russell presented on her multidisciplinary research with marathoners, while Phillips presented on her collaborative study of a physical activity intervention. Bolter and Kipp presented their research on coaching behaviors and sportspersonship outcomes.
Ingraham quoted in Minnesota Monthly
Stacy Ingraham, PhD., lecturer in the School of Kinesiology, was cited in this month’s issue of Minnesota Monthly. In the article, Still Kicking, Ingraham is used as a point of reference in the debate on whether or not the physical benefits adults experience from participating in team sports outweigh the risks.
“Age generally brings a decline in muscle mass alongside degeneration in the fibers that specialize in explosive force and a drop in overall fitness—all of which increase the risk for injuries,” said Ingraham.
Fitzgerald and HSPL members accepted for publication in ACSM journal
School of Kinesiology alumnus, John Fitzgerald, Ph.D. (’13), recently had his doctoral work and research from the Human and Sport Performance Laboratory (HSPL) accepted for publication by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in the Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise Science.
Fitzgerald’s work is titled, “Vitamin D status is Associated with Adiposity in Male Ice Hockey Players.” The co-authors on the publication are also from the HSPL: Stacy Ingraham, Ph.D., Benjamin Peterson, Ph.D., Patrick Wilson, Ph.D., and doctoral candidate Greg Rhodes. Fitzgerald graduated in 2013 and is currently and assistant professor at University of North Dakota.