Kennesaw

Many college students do not meet recommended daily fluid intake, which can lead to health problems like obesity, diabetes, and kidney disease. Technologies like "Smart Water Bottles" have been developed to help increase fluid consumption by tracking intake and providing reminders. This research evaluates how effective a Smart Water Bottle intervention is in encouraging college students to drink more fluids, using simple daily hydration markers like urine color, thirst levels, and body mass to monitor changes.

Researchers are studying how imagining fast versus slow muscle contractions affects nervous system excitability and muscle function in healthy young adults aged 18 to 30. The trial compares a control condition of rest with two intervention conditions where participants imagine either fast or slow muscle contractions without actual movement. The study aims to understand if imagining fast contractions leads to greater nervous system responses and improved muscle function than imagining slow contractions or resting. Participants will attend four laboratory visits in random order, including a familiarization session, a control session, and two sessions involving imagined muscle contractions. During the imagined contraction sessions, participants perform 50 repetitions split into two sets of 25, imagining either fast contractions (less than 1 second to peak torque) or slow contractions (3 seconds to peak torque) of the elbow flexor muscles. Before and after each session, non-invasive brain stimulation using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) will be applied to measure changes in brain and muscle responses. Muscle function will be assessed through rapid maximal voluntary contractions. Throughout the study, researchers will measure changes in the rate at which muscle torque develops and nervous system excitability by recording electromyographic signals and motor-evoked potentials. Participants’ muscle activation and inhibition responses will be monitored before and after each condition. The entire process involves repeated assessments across four visits, focusing on both nervous system and muscle function outcomes, with safety considerations related to TMS screening.

Researchers are investigating the relationship between daily step counts and body composition as well as cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight and obese adults aged 20 years and older. The study aims to develop a model that prescribes physical activity targets based on body fat mass to achieve specific weight loss and health improvements while participants eat normally. This research includes adults from young to older age groups, assessing how factors like age and sex influence this relationship. The study has two phases. In the first phase, participants will wear pedometers that record step counts daily for four weeks without seeing the counts, while their body composition and cardiometabolic risk markers are measured at the start and end of this period. In the second phase, participants will be given personalized step count targets to achieve a 7% weight loss over eight months. They will continue wearing pedometers daily, receive step count adjustments after four months based on body composition reassessment, and be encouraged to maintain their usual diet and daily activities. Participants will visit the lab multiple times for consent, screening, body composition measurements using advanced methods including DEXA scans, and blood tests for metabolic factors. Step counts will be monitored continuously, with regular pedometer exchanges and ongoing support through calls or messages to encourage adherence. The study will measure changes in weight, body composition, step counts, and cardiometabolic risk factors to evaluate the accuracy of the step count prescription model and its impact over time.