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Current NISMAT Research Projects
Projects currently underway at NISMAT include:
Balance in Single- and Double-Limb Stance
- We are in the process of developing a valid objective balance test with a wide clinical application, using inexpensive portable instrumentation that yields quick and easily interpretable results.
- The Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Strength Recovery Following ACL Reconstruction
- Most patients experience a dramatic loss of strength following ACL reconstruction. Weakness is evident in the hip, knee and ankle muscles despite aggressive postoperative rehabilitation. Successful return to sport is dependent on a rapid recovery of strength during postoperative rehabilitation. Creatine supplementation following ACL reconstruction may accelerate strength recovery and result in a faster return to sport. Many athletes, involved in various sports, take creatine to increase strength and improve performance. Creatine supplementation is a safe and effective way of boosting strength gains during a weight training program. Creatine supplementation has also been shown to improve strength and function in the elderly and in patients with various musculoskeletal disorders. Therefore we are carrying out a study to test the effect of creatine supplementation on strength recovery following ACL reconstruction.
- The Effect of Increased Fat Diets on Endurance Performance
- Cyclists will follow two diet plans in randomized order. After consuming either a high-carbohydrate or high-fat diet, each cyclist will perform a 100-km time trial. Blood will be drawn and oxygen consumption will be measured, providing insight into the substrates used during each of the dietary treatments.
- Energy Expenditure in Ballet Dancers
- Dancers often report eating far less calories than would be predicted, given their activity levels. It has further been reported that loss of menses in women dancers results as a means of conserving energy during times of caloric restriciton. We have evaluated resting energy expenditure and energy expenditure following ingestion of a 500 kcal liquid supplement [Ensure, Abbott Labs] in 5 amenorrheic female,11 eumenorrheic female, and 10 male professional ballet dancers. Amenorrheic women tended to weigh less than than normally menstruating women, and were less body fat. The 2 groups of women had similar lean mass. Diet records indicated that there was no difference in energy intake, or energy expenditure, when corrected for lean mass. The metabolic responses of AM and EM dancers following a meal was similar. Amenorrheic ballet dancers did not exhibit energy conservation as compared to eumenorrheic dancers via reductions in metabolic rate in this study. We are currently looking for a few more non-menstruating professional dancers to complete data collection for this study.
- Food Intake During 100 Miles of Running
- We measured total intake by runners participating in a 100 mile trail race and assessed the incidence of gastrointestinal symptoms and decrements in mental status. Food intake was not significantly predictive of gastrointestinal distress. However, runners experiencing confusion or lightheadedness consumed nearly twice as much as compared to runners without these symptoms. A manuscript is currently being submitted to the International Journal of Sports Nutrition.
- Intake, Blood Parameters and Symptoms During a 100 Mile Run in Extreme Heat
- Twenty five runners competing in a 100 mile trail race in temperatures which reached 100 F served as subjects. Blood was drawn pre-race, mid-race, and post-race and food intake was monitored throughout. 50% of the runners were forced to drop out due to the extreme conditions. Despite losses of fluid from sweating, blood sodium dropped during the race, indicating an expansion of plasma volume or a depletion of body sodium stores. These results were presented at the 2000 ASCM meeting, and a manuscript is being prepared for submission to the European Journal of Applied Physiology.
- Is Full Weightbearing Safe Following Achilles Tendon Repair?
- Following Achilles tendon repair, immediate weightbearing with immobilization close to neutral plantarflexion may place deleterious stress on the repair. The purpose of this study was to estimate the relative stress on the Achilles tendon during weightbearing with immobilization in varying degrees of plantarflexion.
- Leg Strength in Professional Ballet Dancers
- We are currently evaluating leg strength in groups of amenorrheic, eumenorrheic, and male ballet dancers. Preliminary data indicates that male dancers were stronger than eumenorrheic women, who were stronger than amenorrheic women.
- Magnetic Stimulation of Peripheral Nerves
- We have purchased, in conjunction with the Cooper Union School of Engineering, a magnetic stimulator from the Magstim Company, Ltd. This device creates a large magnetic field, administered via a small coil. This field is strong enough to cause depolarization of peripheral nerves. This allows us to administer high levels of stimulation (near MVC) without causing pain in the subject. Promising results in normal subjects were presented at the 2001 Orthopaedic Research Society Conference. We believe this will have near-unlimited applications in rehabilitation.
- Motion Analysis of Post-ACL Reconstruction Patients
- Much work has been done to analyze the biomechanics of subjects who have undergone ACL reconstruction. This project focuses on hopping tests. The first involves the subject hopping at a fixed rate (2 Hz) on a force plate. Then, using a simple spring model for the lower body we are able to calculate the stiffness of the subject's leg. Second, the subject hops explosively onto and off a force plate, as far as he/she is able. We are examining the force, kinematics, and muscle activity in the leg immediately prior to takeoff and during landing to determine how ACL-reconstucted subjects' legs differ from one another. Preliminary results were presented at the ACSM conferences in 1999 and 2000, with a manuscript currently being prepared for submission.
- Time-Frequency Techniques for EMG Analysis
- This is continuing work to apply modern signal processing techniques (e.g., short-time Fourier tranform, Wavelet transform) to the analysis of EMG signals, especially during fatiguing contractions.