Paul C. Miller

The effects of protease supplementation on skeletal muscle function and DOMS following downhill running

Protease supplementation has been shown to attenuate soft tissue injury resulting from intense exercise. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of protease supplementation on muscle soreness and contractile performance after downhill running. Ten matched pairs of male participants ran at a −10% grade for 30 min at 80% of their predicted maximal heart rate. The participants consumed two protease tablets (325 mg pancreatic enzymes, 75 mg trypsin, 50 mg papain, 50 mg bromelain, 10 mg amylase, 10 mg lipase, 10 mg lysozyme, 2 mg chymotrypisn) or a placebo four times a day beginning 1 day before exercise and lasting a total of 4 days. The participants were evaluated for perceived muscle soreness of the front and back of the dominant leg, pressure pain threshold by dolorimetry of the anterior medial, anterior lateral, posterior medial and posterior lateral quadrants of the thigh, and knee extension/flexion torque and power. The experimental group demonstrated superior recovery of contractile function and diminished effects of delayed-onset muscle soreness after downhill running when compared with the placebo group. Our results indicate that protease supplementation may attenuate muscle soreness after downhill running. Protease supplementation may also facilitate muscle healing and allow for faster restoration of contractile function after intense exercise.

The Influence of Muscle Action on Heart Rate, Rpe, and Affective Responses After Upper-body Resistance Exercise

Miller, PC, Hall, EE, Chmelo, EA, Morrison, JM, DeWitt, RE, and Kostura, CM. The influence of muscle action on heart rate, RPE, and affective responses after upper-body resistance exercise. J Strength Cond Res 23(2): 366-372, 2009-Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) are routinely used to monitor, assess, and prescribe aerobic exercise. Heart rate (HR) is another measure used to evaluate exercise intensity. Additionally, affective responses to aerobic exercise have been studied and seem to be influenced by the intensity of the exercise. The perceptual, HR, and affective responses to resistance exercise have not been effectively established. The purpose of this study was to examine whether differences in affect, RPE, and HR exist among college-aged women (n = 31) performing three different modes of resistance training: concentric (CE), eccentric (EE), and traditional concentric/eccentric (TE) performed at varying resistances. The women were asked to complete four sessions of resistance training on variable resistance machines: chest press, seated row, overhead press, and biceps curl. The first session was used to establish the 10-repetition maximum (RM) load for each station. Subsequent sessions involved the execution of training in one of the three test conditions: CE, EE, or TE. The participants performed three sets of each lift at 80% 10-RM, 100% 10-RM, and 120% 10-RM. The data revealed lower RPE during EE than the other test conditions. Similarly, EE elicited more mild HR response than either CE or TE. This finding is potentially important for the establishment of training programs, especially for those individuals recovering from an illness, who had been previously sedentary, and who are involved in rehabilitation of an injury.

Role of self-reported individual differences in preference for and tolerance of exercise intensity in fitness testing performance.

Abstract Hall, EE, Petruzzello, SJ, Ekkekakis, P, Miller, PC, and Bixby, WR. Role of self-reported individual differences in preference for and tolerance of exercise intensity in fitness testing performance. J Strength Cond Res 28(9): 2443–2451, 2014—Performance in fitness tests could depend on factors beyond the bioenergetic and skeletomuscular systems, such as individual differences in preference for and tolerance of different levels of exercise-induced somatosensory stimulation. Although such individual-difference variables could play a role in exercise testing and prescription, they have been understudied. The purpose of these studies was to examine the relationships of self-reported preference for and tolerance of exercise intensity with performance in fitness tests. Participants in study I were 516 men and women volunteers from a campus community, and participants in study II were 42 men recruit firefighters undergoing a 6-week training program. Both the Preference and Tolerance scores exhibited significant relationships with performance in several fitness tests and with body composition and physical activity participation. Preference and Tolerance did not change after the training program in study II, despite improvements in objective and perceived fitness, supporting their conceptualization as dispositional traits. Preference and Tolerance scores could be useful not only in ameliorating the current understanding of the determinants of physical performance, but also in personalizing exercise prescriptions and, thus, delivering exercise experiences that are more pleasant, tolerable, and sustainable.

Viewing television shows containing ideal and neutral body images while exercising: Does type of body image content influence exercise performance and body image in women?:

This study examined how exposure to media containing different body image content while exercising influenced exercise performance and feelings concerning appearance. 41 females completed two sessions of cycling (30 minutes). During exercise, participants viewed a television show that contained either media-portrayed ideal or neutral female body images. There were no differences in exercise performance between conditions. Physical appearance state anxiety (PASA) decreased post-exercise. After viewing ideal bodies, participants scored higher on appearance and comparison processing. The high internalization group scored higher on appearance and comparison processing and PASA increased following ideal body image content while the low internalization group decreased.

Mirrors and resistance exercise, do they influence affective responses?

The purpose of this study was to examine affective responses during and following resistance exercise in a mirrored environment. Thirty-two females completed three sessions. During session one, exercise intensity was determined for the subsequent two sessions. During the next two sessions participants performed eight exercises either with or without mirrors. Affect was measured prior to, during, immediately following and 15 minutes post-exercise. Affect was more pleasant and activated during and following exercise, but did not differ by condition. The inability to find a difference in mirrored condition may be a result of participants using the mirrors for technique as opposed to self-evaluation purposes.

“Mentoring is Sharing the Excitement of Discovery”: Faculty Perceptions of Undergraduate Research Mentoring

Although an increasing number of studies have examined students’ participation in undergraduate research (UR), little is known about faculty perceptions of mentoring in this context. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate four aspects of mentoring UR, including how faculty define high-quality UR mentoring and operationalize it in practice; what the perceived benefits and challenges of UR participation are for mentors and students; how mentoring relates to faculty perceptions of their other roles (teachers, advisors, and scholars); and how participation in various communities of practice influences UR mentoring. Sixty faculty respondents at a private, midsized comprehensive institution completed an online survey. In a series of qualitative analyses, responses to open-ended questions were coded as instrumental, psychosocial, or blended. Analyses revealed that faculty perceptions of UR mentoring were impacted by faculty approach to UR mentoring and faculty rank. These findings may be helpful in the development of UR programs and faculty support programming.

Undergraduate Research Mentoring: Obstacles and Opportunities

Researchers and policy-makers in higher education increasingly espouse the view that undergraduate students should have the opportunity to learn about scholarship and research in the context of faculty-mentored research experiences. There is mounting consensus that mentored undergraduate research should be standard pedagogical practice in all undergraduate disciplines. Although high-impact, mentored undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative work (URSCW) requires significant resources, with faculty time and energy foremost among them. This article addresses the current gap between aspiration and effective execution of well-mentored URSCW, including the most prevalent obstacles (e.g. institutional, departmental, individual) to undergraduate mentoring. This article is written for academic leaders and institutional officers. It concludes with several specific recommendations for increasing the frequency of mentored URSCW experiences for undergraduates.

Guest Editors’ Overview: Undergraduate Research Mentoring

The Boyer Commission on Educating Undergraduates concluded that students who participated in undergraduate research were more confident and competent in their ability to conduct research, utilize scientific findings, communicate more effectively, and articulate clearer career goals. Further, the Commission recommended that mentored undergraduate research should be a standard pedagogical practice in all undergraduate disciplines (Boyer Commission, 1998). Soon after, the National Science Foundation advocated for a greater commitment to mentored research experiences as an integral component of the undergraduate experience (National Science Foundation, 2000). Engagement with a faculty mentor through the medium of research, the NSF concluded, can be especially transformative for women, minority group students, and first-generation college students who might not otherwise have considered a career in the sciences. Mentored college students are more inclined to mentor other students themselves, persist to degree completion, report higher educational aspirations, greater academic achievement, and greater engagement with both the institution and ultimately, a profession (Johnson, 2015; Russell, Hancock, & McCullough, 2007). Fifteen years after the Boyer Commission, there is strong consensus within the academy that undergraduate students should have the opportunity to learn through first-hand mentored research experiences (Healey & Jenkins, 2009). Yet, despite years of evidence-based appeals and the evolution of undergraduate research structures on the campuses of most institutions of higher education, high-quality and high-prevalence mentored research experiences remain elusive for most undergraduates. Recently, the inaugural Gallup-Purdue Index survey of college graduates offered a disheartening assessment of undergraduate mentorship on American campuses (Gallup, 2014). This national survey of nearly 30,000 adult college graduates revealed that less than a quarter reported having any undergraduate mentor. A mere 22% affirmed the statement: “I had a mentor in college who encouraged me to pursue my goals and dreams.” Moreover, only 27% agreed with the statement: “My professors at college cared about me as a person.” Overwhelmed by demands for teaching, advising, scholarly productivity, and grant-getting, even well-intended faculty may struggle to offer thoughtful, energetic engagement with undergraduates. It is possible, however, that

The Influence of Various Distraction Stimuli on Affective Responses during Recumbent Cycle Ergometry

(1) Background: Acute bouts of exercise have been associated with affective changes. Exercise supplemented with distraction may divert attention from unpleasant feelings commonly associated with exercise to more pleasant feelings. The purpose of this study was to compare affective responses to exercise with and without distraction. (2) Methods: 25 individuals volunteered for this investigation and completed all three conditions. This study included three 30 min cycle ergometry exercise conditions, a control condition with no stimuli and two test conditions; one supplemented with a self-selected video and the other self-selected music. The Feeling Scale (FS) was administered prior to, every 10 min during, immediately following, and 10 min post exercise. (3) Results: These data demonstrate a significant condition effect for FS during exercise. The condition effect was due to FS being greater in the video and distraction conditions. There was no time by condition interaction seen during exercise. (4) Conclusion: These data indicate that distraction may be effective in supporting a more pleasant exercise experience and could potentially increase exercise adherence.

Insights for academic developers from three international undergraduate research program resources

Characteristics of excellence in undergraduate research (COEUR), edited by Nancy Hensel, Washington, DC, The Council on Undergraduate Research, 2012, 66 pp., http://www.cur.org/ assets/1/23/COEUR_final.pdf Developing research-based curricula in college-based higher education, by Mick Healey, Alan Jenkins, and John Lea, Heslington, UK, The Higher Education Academy, 2014, 87 pp., https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/resources/developing_research-based_curricula_ in_cbhe_14.pdf Undergraduate research in Australia, initiated by Angela Brew, n.d., http://www.mq.edu.au/ lih/altc/ug_research/index.htm