The Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education hosted the 19th annual Bertha Rosenstadt National Undergraduate Research Conference on March 23 in the newly renovated Clara Benson Building.
The day-long conference featured 74 student presentations on topics including exercise physiology, biomechanics, sports medicine, motor learning and control, exercise and sport psychology, philosophy and history and sport sociology. In addition to the strong attendance from the University of Toronto, other students travelled from eight universities to attend this year’s event including Lakehead, McMaster and Concordia.
Fourth year undergraduate student at KPE Goran Perkic presented his research on the relationship between kinesiology students’ self-perceived physical literacy and their actual physical literacy capabilities.
“Understanding the relationship between perceived PL and actual PL in physical activity, exercise and sport will be crucial for students in the field to better facilitate proper movement and exercise behaviour,” says Perkic, who worked on this project under the supervision of KPE Assistant Professor David Frost.
“I really enjoyed the opportunity to hear other students’ presentations today, especially the ones that are in different areas of study from my own,” says Perkic, who will be starting his Master of Science degree in Exercise Science next year.
Carolyn Adams, a fifth year KPE student and a pentathlon athlete on the Varsity Blues track and field team, presented on the potential of beetroot juice to enhance exercise and recovery in trained athletes.
"Beetroot juice is very high in nitrate, which causes vasodilation, the widening of the blood vessels, allowing more oxygen rich blood to reach your muscles when you are exercising. This means you can be more efficient during exercise and exercise for longer," says Adams, who worked on this project alongside graduate student Mackenzie McLaughlin, under the supervision of Professor Ira Jacobs, dean of KPE.
"What's appealing about beetroot juice is that it's natural and easily available, which makes it a viable option for high performance athletes, but it can also potentially be applied clinically for the treatment of CVD and hypertension," says Adams.
After the research presentations, students were treated to a keynote lecture by Dr. Milos R. Popovic, the Institute Director for Research at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute – University Health Network and a Professor in the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto. Popovic discussed functional electrical stimulation, an exciting new technology that could help brain injury or stroke victims recover movement in their limbs.
After the keynote, four students were commended for their exceptional research and presentations. This year’s award recipients are:
John Hannant-Minchel
Project: Masculinity at Summer Camp: An Ethnofiction
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Michael Atkinson
University of Toronto
Lean Nairn
Project: Do Brief Daily Bouts of Stair Climbing Exercise Improve Cardiorespiratory Fitness?
Collaborator: Madi Jenkins
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Martin Gibala
McMaster University
Michael Wright
Project: Traumatic Lower-Limb Amputees Display Greater Variability in Angular Excursion of the Supporting Foot in a Balance Perturbation Task
Collaborator: Elyse Courville
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Nancy St-Onge
Concordia University
Rachel Pham
Project: Does Mandatory Physical Education Affect Physical Activity, Obesity, and Health-Related Outcomes?
Faculty Advisor: Dr. John Cairney
University of Toronto