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Last updated on Wednesday, March 25, 2015
(INDIANAPOLIS) - The Indiana University School of Physical Education and Tourism Management at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the National Institute for Fitness and Sport have created a new $10,000 fund to support undergraduate and graduate student research into exercise, fitness and sports performance.
The school and NIFS each contributed $5,000 to fund small pilot research projects by the school's students that will answer questions about the effectiveness of popular exercise products or equipment, the best way to exercise and long-held beliefs about fitness for which there is little or no evidence, said Alan Mikesky, a professor in the Department of Kinesiology and director of the school's Human Performance and Biomechanics Laboratory.
Initial research projects supported by the fund are examining the accuracy and reliability of two popular devices weightlifters use to measure power output during their lifts and to determine the comparable risk for back injuries to athletes who use weighted barbells to perform squats to strengthen their leg muscles.
"We have a long-standing relationship with IUPUI School of Physical Education and Tourism Management and have worked on several research projects with them over the years," said Jerry Taylor, CEO of the National Institute for Fitness and Sports. "As a team, each party brings certain unique assets in the way of knowledge, staff, facility and equipment that, when combined, create a great opportunity for research. We look forward to this next level of our relationship and the results that will follow."
Jay Gladden, dean of the School of Physical Education and Tourism Management, agreed. "This unique partnership with NIFS provides students with an opportunity to put research into action as they determine the value of new sport and fitness products. We are thrilled to be able to work with NIFS to provide these one-of-a-kind opportunities to our students."
The lab has engaged in research in the past, testing such things as magnetic therapy that was peddled as a way to treat joint pain and prevent muscles from becoming sore after a workout, as well as the amount of energy it took to use a scooter powered by a rocking motion that was billed as a great way to exercise.
However, even small projects often need some funding to get started, and that can cause delays or even prevent the project from being done, Mikesky said. "With the new fund, there is no waiting. The money is there."
Removing the funding barrier for these small projects creates more opportunity for student research and encourages more faculty involvement. Less time spent searching for funding means more time spent designing and finishing the research project in a timely fashion -- a win-win for both the student and faculty member. As a result, the new research fund is expected to increase the number of small projects being done each year.
That's important because the research projects augment what students are learning in the classroom, Mikesky said. "Research puts you into an environment where you have to review what's been studied, formulate the question to be answered and, based on all the variables, design a study to answer that question as best you can, using critical-thinking and problem-solving skills that have been learned in the classroom.
"These projects follow a research design that is rigorous enough to say 'there is something there' that can be examined more fully in an expanded study. The results will be informative," Mikesky said.
The fund also makes a statement about the school and NIFS, Mikesky said. "They're not just about classroom training and providing a place to work out; they're dedicated to training students through experiential learning and research inquiry and, in turn, supplying information that makes exercise better."
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