Willamette University

Exercise Science

Recent Student Research Projects

Several ExSci students participate in research projects, either for their senior thesis, as part of the Science Collaborative Research Program, or as independent research. 

  • Maya Velez '10 and Abe Moland '11 studied the effects of body vibration on the shoulder (adviser: Professor Junggi Hong).   
  • Greg Dixon '09 conducted research on gender differences and the effects of pole use during hiking (adviser: Prof. Abendroth-Smith).
  • Jena Winger '09 and Kristi Murphy '09 investigated the effects of cadiovascular drift on energy consumption in trained college-age runners (adviser: Prof. Stavrianeas).
  • Jonathon Woodland '09 studied the effects of a training program on 2K times and oxygen consumption in rowers (adviser: Prof. Lockard).

  • Erica Soma '11 and Leslie Schultz '11 completed a project on a two-test protocol to identify the lactate threshold in rowers (advisers: Prof. Lockard and Stavrianeas).

Published Student Research

Over the past few years the Department of Exercise Science has made a strong effort to encourage student involvement and participation in research projects. Student-faculty collaborations have resulted in peer-reviewed publications. The partial list below reveals the breadth and quality of these collaborations.

2008 Learn to Live: Simple and practical activities to promote health, nutrition, and physical fitness in the K-8 curriculum. *Dirga, A.A., Stavrianeas, S. Accepted for publication, Journal of Youth Development.
2008 The external nasal dilator does not alter aerobic performance in college-age women. *Boggs, G.W., *Ward, J.R., and Stavrianeas, S. Journal of Sport and Conditioning Research 22(1): 269-275.
2008
 Raising doubts about the use of Dmax to estimate lactate threshold. Janeba, M., *Yaeger D., *White R., Stavrianeas, S. Under Review, submitted to the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.
2008 Determination of Blood Lactate Concentration: Reliability and
Validity of a Lactate Oxidase-based Method		 *White R., *Yaeger D., Stavrianeas, S. Under Review, submitted to the International Journal of Exercise Science.

In addition, students have presented their work through poster presentations in regional and national conferences.

Poster Presentations (refereed) (* indicates Willamette student collaborator)

  •   *Murphy, K., *Winger, J., Stavrianeas, S. (2009). The onset and magnitude of cardiovascular drift depend on exercise intensity in competitive cyclists. ACSM Northwest Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA and Experimental Biology Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
  • *Winger, J., *Murphy, K., Stavrianeas, S. (2009). The onset and magnitude of cardiovascular drift depend on exercise intensity in recreational runners. ACSM Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA. Aspects of this work were presented at ACSM Northwest Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA and Experimental Biology Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
  • *Soma, E.A., *Schultz, L., Lockard, M.M., Stavrianeas, S. (2009). A new protocol to estimate lactate threshold in collegiate rowers. ACSM Northwest Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
  • Stavrianeas, S., *Yaeger, D.B. (2008). Exercise Intensity Influences the Onset and Magnitude of Cardiovascular Drift. ACSM National Meeting, Indianapolis, IN.
  • *Yaeger, D.B., Stavrianeas, S. (2008). A Second Incremental Test Is Needed to Estimate Maximal Lactate Steady State. ACSM National Meeting, Indianapolis, IN.
  • *Yaeger D. B., Stavrianeas, S. (2008). Determination of MLSS: two tests are better than one. Experimental Biology Meeting, San Diego, CA.
  • Stavrianeas, S., *Yaeger, D.B. (2008). Exercise intensity influences the onset and magnitude of cardiovascular drift. ACSM Northwest Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
  • *YaegerD. B., Stavrianeas, S. (2008). Zeroing in on MLSS: Two tests are better than one. ACSM Northwest Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
  • Del Pozzi, A.T., Papadopoulos, C., Stavrianeas, S. (2008) Ventilatory threshold and lactate threshold coincide using the Dmax method. ACSM Northwest Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
  • *Yaeger,D. B., *White, R.F., Stavrianeas, S. (2007). Determination of Maximal Lactate Steady State: Convenience over Accuracy? ACSM National Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
  • *White, R.F., *Yaeger, D.B., and Stavrianeas, S. (2007). Comparing Three Experimental Protocols for the Determination of Blood Lactate Values. ACSM National Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
  • *Yaeger, D.B., *White, R.F., Stavrianeas, S. (2007). Determination of maximal lactate steady state: one test is not enough. Sigma Xi Columbia-Willamette Annual Meeting,Portland, OR.
  • *White, R.F., *Yaeger, D.B., Stavrianeas, S. (2007). Comparing three experimental protocols for the determination of blood lactate values. Sigma Xi Columbia-Willamette Annual Meeting, Portland, OR.
  • *Yaeger, D.B., *White, R.F., Stavrianeas, S. (2007). Determination of maximal lactate steady state: convenience over accuracy? ACSM Northwest Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
  • Stavrianeas, S., *Yaeger, D.B., *White, R.F. (2007). Is cardiovascular drift linked to oxygen drift? ACSM Northwest Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
  • Janeba, M.R., *White, R.F., *Yaeger, D.B., Stavrianeas, S. (2007). Raising Doubts About The Use Of Dmax To Estimate Lactate Threshold. ACSM Northwest Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.

  • *Boggs, G.W., *Ward, J.R., and Stavrianeas, S. (2003). The external nasal dilator does not alter aerobic performance in college-age women. ACSM National Meeting, San Francisco, CA.

Conference Presentations

Kristi Murphy '09 delivered an oral presentation of her research on cardiovascular drift at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, in Seattle, WA.