Research Day

The Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management graduate students (MA, MSc) are invited to participate in a poster competition for Research Day 2024.

Contest Information:

Students are to prepare a 3-5 minute talk about their research. Judges will ask presenters questions, and after their deliberations, they will select the winners based on content, quality of research, originality and presentation. The competition will be held after lunch, and presenters must be present to stand with their posters.

Prize Categories:
•    First, second and third place awards for Master’s winners
•    First, second and third place awards for PhD winners
•    First place award for FKRM Undergraduate winner

Deadline:

Final deadline to submit is April 30 (free poster printing included).

The Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management Master’s and FKRM advised AHS PhD students are invited to participate in a 3MT competition for Research Day 2024.

Contest Information:

Students will have three minutes to present their research and its importance in plain language, using only a single slide to illustrate their topic. The competitors will be judged on comprehension, engagement and ease of communication. Depending on the number of entrants in the 3MT competition, there may be heats with a final round occurring prior to the keynote.

See below for full 3MT standard rules.

Deadline:

Final deadline to submit is April 30.

• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted, to be shown from the beginning of the presentation. No slide transitions, animations or "movement" of any kind are allowed. The slide must have minimum 0.5" margins for key information.
• No additional electronic media (e.g., sound and video files, laser pointers) are permitted
• No note cards or additional props (e.g., costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• Presentations are limited to three minutes maximum, and challengers exceeding three minutes are disqualified.
• Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g., no poems, raps or songs).
• Presentations are to start from and remain on the stage.
• Presentations are considered to have begun when a presenter starts their presentation through movement or speech.
• Presentations must be based on research directly related to the student’s graduate program thesis. Research performed for employment should not be presented.
• A three-minute clock/timer will be made visible for the students during their presentations.
• For any images, photos or diagrams used on the slide, if not created by the presenter, the presenter must ensure the source is credited and the use is allowable by the copyright owner. When in doubt that written permission is needed, contact the UM Copyright Office for guidance.
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

Influence of Post-Activation Performance Enhancement on Lower Limb Muscles After Conditioning Activities Amongst Selected Exercise Participants

Post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) is described as the acute increase of the explosive neuromuscular capacity, that is triggered by different types of conditioning activities (CA) (Blazevich & Babault, 2019; Boullosa et al., 2020). Further, a plethora of studies have found that PAPE is effective however, none of the studies have investigated the phenomenon using different tempos. Consequently, the proposed study shall employ three different tempos (~5 sec - 0 sec - ~5 sec, 2 sec - 0 sec - 2 sec and 0 sec - 0 sec - 0 sec), against a control group.

A repeated measures randomized crossover design shall be employed for the study.‚Äã Following recruitment and enrolment, participants will be familiarised with the exercise protocol, after which they will be randomly allocated to each of the four conditions: 1) control, 2) accentuated muscle contractions, 3) traditional muscle contractions, and 4) dynamic muscle contractions.‚Äã Data will be checked for normality using the Shapiro-Wilks test, as well as the Mauchly's test to check the sphericity of the data. Further, partial eta squared (Œ∑p2) shall be used to determine the effect size.‚Äã 

The results of the study shall be used to better understand the neuromuscular performance-enhancing potential of various durations of CA using similar skeletal muscles with varying tempos of CA. The application of the results shall be extended to a variety of populations including, athletes‚Äã, occupational requirements‚Äã, and older adults/rehabilitation. ‚ÄãOverall, the results of the study may help a variety of populations to improve their neuromuscular function which would in turn improve their performance and health.‚Äã"

Exposure to gestational diabetes and hypertension in offspring: A triangulation approach.

Exposure to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity including adolescent hypertension. Whether this association represents a causal in utero mechanism remains unclear.

Methods: This study leveraged administrative health data from 418,169 singleton born offspring from 224,963 families in Manitoba. We conducted three complimentary analyses. First, we compared rates of hypertension between offspring exposed to GDM and controls that were exact-matched on confounding variables using a Poisson model with person-years of the denominator as an offset. Second, we repeated these analyses using paternal type 2 diabetes status as a negative exposure control. Lastly, a sibling analysis compared the incidence of hypertension between siblings discordant for GDM exposure.

Pectoral stretching is commonly used to help improve shoulder posture and range of motion (ROM), and to reduce muscle stiffness and injury in the upper limb. Interestingly, little work has defined the effects of pectoral stretching on shoulder range of motion, muscle stiffness and forward shoulder posture (FSP) or the impact of different stretch intensities. A single-blinded, repeated-measures crossover study was conducted with 24 asymptomatic participants aged 18 to 40 (25±5 years). Participants attended two sessions where they received one of two intensities (110 and 120%) of static pectoral stretches for 3 sets of 30s with 30s of rest between each set. FSP, pectoralis minor length (PML), horizontal abduction ROM (HA-ROM), and pectoralis major and minor stiffness were taken PRE-and POST-intervention. There was a significant difference in FSP between the 110 and 120% stretch intensities-over time (p=.02, ηp2=.213). However, no significant interactions observed for FSP, PML, pectoralis major or minor stiffness. Pectoralis minor stiffness decreased generally from PRE- to POST-intervention (p=.049, ηp2=.159); though only 110% approached significantly decreasing pectoralis minor stiffness (p= .078) compared to 120% (p=.255). The study suggests that both intensities reduced forward shoulder posture (FSP), with 120% showing a greater reduction. Additionally, while both decreased pectoralis minor stiffness, the 110% intensity had a more significant effect. These findings highlight the potential for targeted interventions to address posture-related musculoskeletal issues in clinical and athletic settings.

Resistance-exercise training increases resting levels of apelin and IL-15, and irisin in younger but not older males

Cytokines, proteoglycans, and small proteins released from muscle tissue in response to contraction are known as myokines. The acute response of numerous myokines to a bout of endurance or resistance exercise has been investigated, but the impact of a resistance-training program on resting myokine concentrations at different ages is less understood.  The purpose of this study was to determine how a 12-week resistance training program changes a panel of systemic myokines in younger and older males.  Younger (aged 18‚Äì29 years old; n = 8) and older (aged 64‚Äì76 years old; n=7) males completed 12-weeks of progressive resistance-exercise training under the supervision of a certified fitness professional.  Blood samples were collected at rest, both before and after the training program and were evaluated for concentrations of apelin, fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21), interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-7, IL-15, irisin, and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). Results showed apelin increased after training (untrained=423.49¬±144.08 pg/mL vs. trained=525.16¬±134.16 pg/mL; p=0.003) as did IL-15 (untrained=13.17¬±4.38 pg/mL vs. trained=17.58¬±3.96 pg/mL; p<0.001), while resting levels of other myokines did not respond to training (all p>0.05). An interaction effect (age group ÔÇ¥ training status) was identified for IL-6 (p=0.04) and irisin (p=0.014) although only resting irisin concentration was higher in younger than older males post-training (p=0.036). Overall, 12-weeks of resistance training increased resting concentrations of apelin and IL-15 in both age groups, and increased irisin in only younger males. Findings further highlight the complexity of age-related muscle responses to exercise training toward muscle growth.

Alcohol Use and Frailty in Elective Cardiac Surgery Patients: A Secondary Analysis of Retrospective Data. 

The impact of alcohol on health varies with the individual and amount consumed. Moderate alcohol has been linked to reduced coronary artery disease, while abstaining or heavy drinking may lead to frailty. As frailty affects 1 in 4 cardiac surgery patients, the relationship between alcohol and frailty in this population remains unclear. We hypothesize that non-drinking and heavy drinking correlate with increased frailty.

Muscle Stiffness, Length and Range of Motion are Unchanged in Males and Females in Response to Static Pectoral Stretching

The impact of static stretching on range of motion and muscle stiffness, particularly in the context of pectoral stretching, has been a subject of interest in musculoskeletal rehabilitation and injury prevention. However, the influence of stretch intensity and potential sex differences in the response to stretching remain underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the effects of acute bouts of static pectoral stretching at two different intensities (110% and 120%) on pectoralis minor muscle length, horizontal abduction range of motion (HA-ROM), and pectoralis major and minor stiffness in males and females. Twenty-four participants (N=24, 12 female, 12 male; age: 25¬±5) attended two experimental sessions where they received three sets of a randomized stretch (110 or 120% of baseline) for 30-seconds with 30-seconds rest between.  The results revealed a significant interaction in HA-ROM between intervention and time for females following static pectoral stretching. However, main effects indicated that there was no significant change for 110 or 120%. There were no significant differences observed in pectoralis minor muscle length or pectoral stiffness. These findings suggest that the sexes respond similarly to static pectoral stretching as pectoral stiffness, pectoralis minor muscle length or HA-ROM remain unchanged in females and males. Further research is warranted to comprehensively understand the interplay between sex differences, stretch intensity, and muscle stiffness in response to acute bouts of stretching. 

The effects of menstrual cycle phases on perceived & objectively measured performance in female athletes

Athletic performance research has grown over the last few decades. Most of the research has been focused on males; less focus has been on sex differences in different performance parameters; and very little research has been on female athletic performance alone. There is a need for more sport physiology and performance research in females. Different phases of the menstrual cycle (MC) may influence the sport performance in females. This study aims to assess any differences in anaerobic performance in females during different MC using objective and subjective performance factors. Current research in this area is limited with majority focused on objective performance indicators. To our knowledge, there have been minimal studies evaluating objective and subjective performance indicators concurrently.  Therefore, counter-movement vertical jump (CMVJ) performance will be used as an objective performance measure, while subjective measures will be measured through Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire. We propose analyzing the differences between the early follicular, late follicular, early luteal, mid luteal, and late luteal phases using CMVJ performance and POMS during each phase using a one-way analysis of variance. We will also analyze the correlation coefficient between CMVJ performance and POMS within each phase of the MC. The P-value for these statistical tests will be set at ≤ 0.05. The primary hypothesis of this study is that differences in CMVJ performance and POMS will exist between the different phases of the MC. It is further hypothesized that correlations will exist in each phase of the MC between CMVJ performance and POMS. 

The sexes exhibited similar patterns of upper trapezius excitation distribution at rest and with fatigue during repeated arm elevation.

Asymmetrical muscle excitation and altered kinematics increase the risk of shoulder pathology, with the upper trapezius (UT) playing a crucial role in scapular motion. Work-related shoulder musculoskeletal pathology, more prevalent in females, is associated with muscle fatigue and higher excitation amplitude. Females exhibit lower fatigability than males during isometric contractions, with limited research on sex differences during dynamic tasks. Purpose:Thus, we determined whether UT excitation differed between the sexes during three different sections of arm elevation before and after performing fatiguing arm elevation using SPM. Methods: 28 individuals (females=14) performed a repeated arm elevation task to volitional fatigue (RAET) while holding a load relative to ~30% of their maximum isometric shoulder flexion (MISF) with their dominant shoulder. HD-sEMG was collected from the UT during the RAET. The raising phase of arm elevation was divided into 3 tertiles (tertile 1, 2, and 3). The mean was calculated for the first three arm elevations to signify rested, and the mean of the last three arm elevation signified fatigue. Results: There were no differences between sex at rest in tertiles 1 and 3 and there was no difference between sexes in any tertile at fatigue. However, at rest in tertile 1 there were 168 (~43% of the map) that were significantly different between females and males. Conclusion: This research adds to the scarce body of literature investigating dynamic contractions of the shoulder between the sexes and indicates the direction for future research in these inquires.

Scoping Review Protocol of Early Mobility in the Intensive Care Unit Following Cardiac Surgery

Mobilization in the intensive care unit (ICU) within the first 24 hours following cardiac surgery (CS) is safe, supports improved health outcomes, and is recommended by ICU and CS guidelines. Despite this, there is a lack of integration of early mobility into CS ICU clinical care.  A previous systematic review explored the modes of mobility used, only randomized controlled trials were included, excluding pilot and quality improvement studies and grey literature. Additionally, no standardized methods were used nor findings disaggregated by sex and gender were reported for exercise programs in clinical trials. This scoping review aims to map the CS ICU early mobility literature from a wider range of study types to understand the extent, range, and nature as well as sex and gender differences of early mobility interventions in the extant literature using a standardized reporting method. Including the lived experience perspective adds value to research, so, in this scoping review, consultation will occur through collaboration with two people who have lived experience with CS as co-authors and will support all review aspects. We will follow Arskey and O‚ÄôMalley‚Äôs six-stage framework with adaptions from Levac and colleagues. Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, and CINAHL databases will be searched for relevant articles, with a grey literature search of (ClinicalTrials.org and Google Scholar). Full-text articles written in English involving adult patients undergoing elective or emergent CS with mobility occurring in the CS ICU will be included. The results of this review will inform the development of two trial early mobility interventions for CS ICUs.

The effect of task fatigue on upper, middle and lower trapezius excitation

Shoulder pain and pathology has been linked to abnormal excitation of the trapezius muscle. This can be worsened by working environments requiring arm elevation. This study aimed to determine if time (baseline and fatigue) and tertile (tertile 1, 2, & 3) affected muscle excitation in the trapezius muscle during the raising phase of arm elevation. The gap in the literature that this study fills is that it investigates the effects of fatigue on the arm during a dynamic task.

Experiences of people with pre-diabetes in a self-compassion and physical activity behaviour change intervention: A participatory qualitative study

A pre-diabetes diagnosis is a call to action for engagement in health behaviours. Physical activity can prevent Type 2 Diabetes, but difficult emotions, stigma, and lack of support can prevent people with pre-diabetes from getting active. Self-compassion is a psychological resource that should help people cope with pre-diabetes and increase their activity. The MOVE IT Study is an 8-week videoconferencing intervention that teaches people with pre-diabetes self-compassion and physical activity self-regulatory strategies.

The goal of this study is to qualitatively explore how participants in the MOVE IT Study used self-compassion to cope with their diabetes risk and increase their physical activity or other health behaviours.

Characterizing Microvascular Dynamics: Harnessing Continuous Wavelet Analysis as a Non-Invasive Method to Discern Frailty and Aging Effects

Frailty poses challenges to physiological systems, yet its specific impact on microvascular dynamics remains unclear. This syndrome is more prevalent in older adults, who also suffer progressive functional decline in multiple physiological systems due to aging. We aim to characterize the influences of aging and frailty on peripheral blood flow regulation. For this preliminary analysis, young and older female adults (18-79 years) were classified as non-frail, pre-frail, or frail using the Frailty Index tool. The dynamic of peripheral blood flow was captured using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), where total hemoglobin (THb) variability was tracked for 15 minutes. The continuous wavelet analysis was implemented to discern macro (cardiac and respiratory) and micro (myogenic, neurogenic, and endothelial) influences on blood flow regulation. Preliminary results indicate increased macro regulatory mechanisms in older individuals, while myogenic activity trends positively with frailty. Conversely, younger and non-frail individuals seem to exhibit higher endothelial regulation. These findings suggest age and frailty-related differences in microvascular dynamics. By advancing this study we will bring insights into microcirculatory adaptations and may identify sources of regional blood flow dysfunction, which can contribute to a better understanding of physiological changes associated with aging and frailty.

Progressive strength training can counteract frailty and improve cardiovascular hemodynamic responses after active standing: a pilot study

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a condition linked to a decline in the physiological system, a hallmark of frailty, indicating that frail populations are more likely to have OH. Recent evidence indicates that exercise can counteract frailty and improve OH, but the evidence is limited, and underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood, requiring further investigations. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the effect of 12 weeks of progressive strength training program on frailty status and cardiovascular hemodynamic responses after active standing. Three pre-frail females (70.3±2.5 years and 59.2±3.9 kg) classified according to the Fried Phenotype underwent to active standing orthostatic stress test (lying to standing) before and after 12 weeks of training. This protocol consisted of 10 minutes in a lying position followed by transitioning to an upright posture and remaining in that position for up to 7 minutes. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and cardiac output (CO) were measured on a beat-by-beat basis. All participants changed their status from pre-frail to non-frail. Hand grip, walking speed test, and physical activity levels seem to improve with no changes in self-reported exhaustion and weight loss. Cardiovascular hemodynamic responses seemed to improve, as shown by the lower drop in blood pressure and higher peak cardiac output after training during the active standing test. In conclusion, this pilot data suggests that a progressive strength training program can counteract frailty and improve cardiovascular hemodynamic responses in frail older adults. There is s strong potential that this training improved OH due to the positive changes in cardiovascular hemodynamics.

Understanding how to Attract, Adapt, IMplement and Sustain evidence-informed fall prevention exercise programs in Community Settings: The AAIMS project.

The AAIMS project is the largest, unified fall prevention exercise initiative to date, connecting a large network of knowledge users to offer and sustain evidence-informed fall prevention exercise programs across Canada. 

By 2029, AAIMS will lead to sustainable fall prevention exercise programs, increase quality of life for about 5000 participants by reducing falls by 7.5%, and potentially translate into $87.5 million in yearly savings for the Canadian healthcare system.

Insights into Age-Related Changes and the One Target Advantage:  Unveiling Multisensory Dynamics in Sequential Motor Control

Investigating the One Target Advantage (OTA) phenomenon offers insights into motor control dynamics influenced by segmental movements and sensory inputs. Henry and Rogers (1960) established that increasing movement segments in rapid sequences lengthens Reaction Times (RT), including Movement Time (MT) for the first segment, termed OTA (Khan et al., 2010). Recent work by Khan et al. (2023) emphasizes the role of sensory inputs, yet the impact of augmented sensory feedback on OTA remains underexplored, particularly regarding vibrotactile and auditory cues.

This study aims to assess whether augmented sensory feedback reduces OTA and MT in a two-target aiming task, and whether auditory cues offer advantages over vibrotactile feedback. Participants include 24 neurotypical adults aged 18-35 and 60-85, with normal sensory abilities and right-handedness. A custom stylus tracked by motion capture facilitates task performance, measuring MT as the primary dependent variable.

Differences in physiological responses to orthostatic stress challenges between long-covid and non-long-covid individuals – A multimodal analysis proposal

Long-COVID is characterized by persistent symptoms that occur after the acute phase of the COVID-19 infection, and its associated symptoms (e.g., shortness of breath, fatigue, orthostatic intolerance) hinder peoples‚Äô ability to perform daily activities. It can be severely debilitating, affecting quick and complex cardiovascular, respiratory and autonomic functions. Even during simple tasks (e.g., getting up from bed), these dysfunctions can lead to dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, and even fainting upon standing, compromising well-being and quality of life. Unfortunately, for individuals with Long-COVID, the underlying mechanisms of these symptoms are poorly understood. This cross-sectional observational study will use a multimodal analysis to compare the physiological responses to orthostatic stress (postural transitions) between people experiencing Long-COVID and age-sex-matched healthy controls. We hypothesized that Long-COVID participants would exhibit significant alterations in blood pressure, heart rate, and cardiac output stabilization compared to healthy controls. Participants (18+ years) will undergo moderate (sit-to-stand) and high (lie-to-stand) orthostatic stress tests. Protocols will consist of a 10-minute lying posture (condition b) and a 5-minute sitting posture (condition a), followed by up to 7 minutes of standing, with a 10-minute break between tests. Beat-by-beat blood pressure and heart rate will be monitored using the Finometer and electrocardiogram (ECG). Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) will assess brain oxygenation. This multimodal analysis will contribute to our understanding of the physiological regulation and compensatory dynamics in this understudied population. Findings will aid in understanding the impact of Long-COVID on the autonomic and cardiovascular systems, which may also inform rehabilitation programs. 

Will lowering the crank axis height during arm crank ergometer exercise improve exercise duration and physiological responses in people living with spinal cord injury

Arm crank ergometry (ACErg) is one of the most commonly used exercise method to manage diverse lifetime risks of persons living with spinal cord injury (SCI). Nonetheless, the exercise capacity of persons with SCI, particularly those with cervical injury, is significantly low, which make it challenging to maximize the benefits of the exercise. Also, the efficiency of the crank axis height at shoulder level (ASL) during the ACErg, which has traditionally been recommended in this population, has not yet been investigated. Thus, this study aims to determine the effects of arm crank height during voluntary exercise using ACErg on exercise performance, physiological responses, and perceived comfort of persons with SCI.

Reliability and Agreement of Heart Rate Variability between Garmin Vivosmart 4 and Electrocardiogram in people living with frailty

The aim of this study is to determine the reliability and agreement between heart rate variability (HRV) parameters and heart rate (HR) derived from Garmin Vivosmart® compared with a standard laboratory electrocardiogram (ECG) in older adults with different frailty levels. Twenty-one older adults (mean ± SD) who volunteered for this study reported to the lab and underwent a Frailty Phenotype assessment and a 10-minute resting supine position. Repeatability and agreement of the HRV parameters and HR were tested using a student T-test, coefficient of variation (CV), intraclass correlation (ICC), and Bland-Altman and correlation plots. Results showed that HRV parameters and HR presented poor CV, moderate ICC, and a moderate agreement between ECG and Garmin considering time and frequency domain variables. In conclusion, some HRV variables provide strong numbers that show a strong agreement between the Garmin Vivosmart® and the ECG, but there are some other variables that demonstrate a poor agreement between these two tools; therefore, further studies are needed in order to establish the Garmin Vivosmart® as a meticulously reliable tool to measure HRV parameters and HR in older adults with different levels of frailty.

Mental imagery and self compassion on chronic low back pain

Low-back pain, a prevalent global cause of disability, has seen limited improvement in patient outcomes despite increased healthcare spending. Treatment strategies encompass various interventions, including pharmacological, psychological, physiotherapy, complementary medicine, and minimally invasive procedures. The challenge lies in managing non-specific chronic low back pain without a clearly identifiable cause. Physiotherapists, while predominantly emphasizing the physical aspects, may fall short in addressing the complexities of chronic conditions. Considering the cognitive and emotional dimensions of pain, adopting a holistic approach becomes crucial. This series of studies, recognizing the need for a comprehensive perspective, specifically focuses on two mental practices—self-compassion and mental imagery—to enhance the management of persistent low-back pain.

Visual Tasks in Dual-Task Gait and Balance Research: A Scoping Review

Dual-task paradigms are popular in gait and balance research given their association with safe mobility, balance instability, falls. These paradigms often are used to study the influence of cognitive and motor tasks on one another. Cognitive tasks requiring visual input may impose additional demands to the sensorimotor system as they may share cognitive and sensory resources with gait/balance tasks. This scoping review mapped the existing literature on the visual tasks utilized in dual-task gait/balance experiments. A total of 1844 articles from five databases (SCOPUS, PubMED, AgeLine, SportDiscus, and PsychInfo) were screened resulting in 205 articles selected for review. Visual Stroop (39), tracking (22), and reaction time tasks (35) were most often used, however they varied in terms of presentation (e.g., phone, screen, virtual environment) and measurements (e.g., reaction time, error rate, task score). Similarly, balance and gait tasks varied in complexity (e.g., quiet standing, single-leg stance, platform perturbations, overground walking, obstacle avoidance, stairs) and reported motor outcome measures (e.g., center of pressure, gait speed, step width). Overall, our final analysis indicated that dependent variables were measured inconsistently with some studies reporting only one side of the dual-task (i.e., either the visual or the motor task). Moreover, only 72 reported both single and dual-task results for both motor and cognitive tasks. These methodological inconstancies make it challenging to draw conclusions on prioritization, trade-offs and dual-task cost between cognitive and motor tasks and highlight the need for careful consideration in planning/comparing dual-task protocols.

Sex Related Differences in Scapular Muscular Excitation During Loaded Shoulder Flexion 

Participants (N=52; 27 females, 25 males) completed five repetitions of loaded sagittal plane shoulder flexion holding a load equal to ~30% of their maximum isometric force produced at 90° of shoulder flexion. High density surface electromyography (HDsEMG) was collected from the UT during the shoulder flexion task and expressed relative to the maximum from the isometric contractions. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) t-tests determined whether there were differences in UT excitation maps between the sexes at 20-25%, 45-50%, 70-75%, and 95-100% of shoulder flexion task time.

Explaining the self-regulatory role of affect in identity theory: The role of self-compassion

According to Identity Theory, people experience negative affect when their behaviour deviates from their identity standards, which drives identity-relevant behaviour. Contradictory research suggests negative affect thwarts behavioural regulation. Self-compassion may influence responses to negative affect about identity-behaviour inconsistencies. Relative to exercise identity, we examined the associations between (1) negative affect, behavioural intentions, and perceptions of identity-behaviour re-alignment after an identity-inconsistent situation and (2) whether self-compassion moderates the relationship between negative affect and both behavioural intentions and identity-behaviour re-alignment. Design: Prospective, online, quantitative. Methods: N=274 exercisers (Mage = 32.5 years, SDage = 10.8 years, 50.2% women) who engaged in less exercise in the past week than their identity standard were recruited from Prolific.com. At baseline, self-compassion, state and trait guilt and shame, and exercise intentions were measured. One week later, participants reported the extent (0% - 100%) their past week’s exercise aligned with their identity standard (i.e., identity-consistent perceptions). Results: Neither state shame nor guilt related to exercise intentions nor identity-consistent perceptions. Self-compassion moderated the relationship between state guilt and identity-consistent perceptions (b = 2.524, SE = .975, t = 2.588, p = .010); state guilt was related to identity-behaviour consistency when self-compassion was high, but not when it was low. No other moderations were significant. Conclusions: This study adds nuance to Identity Theory’s propositions about negative affect and self-regulation; self-compassion may create the conditions necessary for negative affect to drive identity-relevant behaviour as proposed by Identity Theory.

Metabolomics: Discovering new biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in older females

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Metabolomics, which is the large-scale study of small molecules, is a promising tool to identify new ways to prevent and treat chronic diseases. My research will examine the relationship between metabolomic profiles and cardiovascular disease in older females.

Asymmetrical Specificity of Learning: Auditory feedback neither helps nor hinders implicit sequence retention and transfer

This study investigated if the presence of auditory action-effects changes whether a serial reaction time task (SRTT) is learned as a sequence of visual-spatial locations or as a sequence of motor responses. Results suggest that the nervous system codes SRTT sequences as visual-spatial coordinates, regardless of whether practice is sound-supported.

Exploring barriers and facilitators to authentic engagement in Collective Impact: A comparative case study

The Collective Impact (CI) model has grown in use around the globe, to address a variety of health and social issues. While some studies support its outcomes, others have been critical of CI for not meaningfully engaging people with lived experience. A case-study examines three CI initiatives and authentic engagement. 

Sex and gender-related differences in cardiac rehabilitation

Cardiac rehabilitation helps give people their lives back. However, in Manitoba, we were unaware of who our programs serve or the quality of our data to inform quality improvement. By engaging partners, we identified inequities and are co-developing ways to save you and those you love from premature heartache.

Fringe team sports: The future for an active and healthy Canada

Fringe team sports are growing in legitimacy and require further attention but are less popular than mainstream team sports. My dissertation is a three-phase, mixed method investigation into the existing research and a comparison of the developmental pathways of Canadian dodgeball and volleyball athletes from a quantitative and qualitative lens.