The
study, which involves about 45 UH Hispanic faculty, staff
and students, will assess whether three new muscle function
tests can accurately measure increases in muscle health
and function due to increased exercise levels. The tests
will measure muscle strength, muscle tone and whole-body
muscle function indicated by walking/gait parameters.
“Past research has shown
that Hispanics are more likely to develop hypokinetic (inactivity)
diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure
and high cholesterol,” said Daniel Hughes, the study’s
program coordinator. “Since little research has been
done in this specific area, we felt the Hispanic population
was a good population to study exercise intervention.”
Even after just two weeks,
Mendez said she is already beginning to notice changes in
her muscle tone.
“While vacationing in
New York this summer, I did a lot of walking. I could tell
that I wasn’t as winded as I used to be,” she
said. “Since I joined the study, I’ve also made
more of a concerted effort to go to the Campus Recreation
and Wellness Center at least twice a week. After my first
physical assessment, it made me more aware of how I should
be working out and at what levels I need to be working out.”
Mark Clarke, associate professor
of health and human performance and the study’s principal
investigator, and Hughes are working with participants individually
to develop personalized daily exercise routines. Participants
also are being asked to modify their daily physical activity
levels by walking up or down stairs when possible, by parking
their car in the spot furthest from their work place or
by participating in other physical activities.
“We want people to be
more active more of the time,” Hughes said. “Even
the smallest change in habit can make a difference.”
During weeks one, two, six
and 12, participants wear an electronic physical activity
monitor, which will be downloaded for assessment at the
end of each of those weeks. The data collected from the
monitor includes how many calories participants are burning
and at what times of the day they are burning them.
Participants also undergo three
physical assessments in which six different tests will be
performed —VO2max, skin-fold, myotonometry, isokinetic
strength, isometric strength and gait analysis. The various
tests will measure heart rate, body fatness, muscle stiffness,
leg strength and isometric leg strength, respectively. The
gait analysis will assess stride length, stride time, foot
placement and where on the sole of the feet participants
place their body weight.
“We’ll conduct
these tests three times throughout the study, so we can
monitor each participant’s progress,” Hughes
said. “Because the study is based on their own capacities
and goals, participants have shown an eagerness to succeed,
and we expect they will.”
Hughes said interest in the
study has been high, noting that researchers anticipated
that only about 20 participants would sign up. He’s
hopeful that interest will carry over into the community
as well.
“We’d really like
to reach out to Hispanics who aren’t able to receive
services like physical fitness assessments, like people
who visit the Chicano Family Center or the Rose Clinic,”
Hughes said.
The study was funded with a
$23,000 grant from the UH Office of the Vice President for
Research’s Grants to Enhance and Advance Research
program, which is designed to provide funding for pilot
studies that will lead to external grant funding. Additional
matching support came from the Department of Health and
Human Performance. Researchers plan to publish the study’s
results.
Leticia Vasquez,
Lvasque5@central.uh.edu
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