Courses

All courses carry 3 credits unless otherwise specified.

530 Mechanical Analysis of Human Motion
Topics include 2-D and 3-D kinematics and kinetics, joint power, energetics of locomotion and mechanical modeling. Open to Graduate Students and Undergraduate Seniors in Kinesiology.

535 Muscle Mechanics and Modelling
The study of mechanical properties of human muscle and models which represent various aspects of muscle function. Topics include basic muscle structure and function, elasticity in muscle function, contractile mechanics, the Hill model, the Huxley model, and applications of muscle modelling in biomechanics. Prerequisites: KIN 430 or Graduate Student Status.

540 Health Behavior Change
Designed to provide useful tools for changing health-related behaviors. Opportunities to apply this information for changing a personal health behavior and the behavior of another individual. Topics include benefits of physical activity, current levels of exercise adherence, dimensions of wellness, the stages of change model, behavior modification in applied settings, and basic self-evaluation strategies. Prerequisite: KIN 340.

560 Exercise Neuroscience
The neural control of movement. Selected topics include gradation of muscular force, motor unit control principles, neuromuscular aspects of strength, segmental motor control, the organization of ballistic movements, adaptations and plasticity in the control of movement, and aging and human motor control. Prerequisites: KIN 270, 272 and 460.

565 Movement Coordination and Perception
Mechanisms of coordination and perception in human movement. Topics include reflexes, central patterns generators, motor programs, dynamical and complex systems; computational and ecological approaches to perception; perspectives on the control of posture and locomotion; applications to motor learning, development and movement disorders. Prerequisite: KIN 460 or equivalent.

570 Pediatric Exercise Physiology
The physiological principles underlying the child’s response to exercise and the associated clinical implications. Topics include: pediatric exercise physiology; determinants of aerobic power; exercise testing in children; fitness and activity; exercise, growth and maturation; aerobic trainability of children; body composition for youth; activity and health; and childhood obesity. Prerequisite: KIN 470 or equivalent.

571 Physical Activity and Women’s Health
The relationship between physical activity and health outcomes in women. Topics include assessment of physical activity, epidemiologic methods, biology and epidemiology of cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, pregnancy, and osteoporosis.

580 Muscle Structure and Function
The effects of exercise on skeletal muscle structure and function. Topics include neuromuscular junction, muscle tendon junction, mitochondria, capillaries, sarcoplasmic reticulum, and sarcolemma in response to use and disuse. Laboratory section deals with skeletal muscle histology, histochemistry and serum markers of muscle function. Prerequisites: histology or cell physiology or BIOCHEM 523, exercise physiology.

585 Energy Metabolism
How humans store, deliver, and use the fuel required for energy transduction. The pathways by which nutrients are stored, accessed, and oxidized to provide ATP; hormonal regulation of energy balance and substrate utilization; what factors determine the trafficking of metabolic fuels to various fates; the impact of diet composition and/or physical activity on regulation of body weight, pathophysiology of obesity, insulin resistance, and other disorders related to perturbation of energy balance and other factors. Prerequisite: KIN 470 or KIN graduate student status or consent of instructor.

596 Independent Study
Credit, 1-6.

597 Special Topics

C: Cardiovascular Physiology
In this course we will 1) review cardiovascular structure and function, 2) evaluate the cardiovascular system under various stresses (i.e. thermal, orthostatic, disease, exercise) and 3) apply concepts such as maintenance or homeostasis, redundancy, and regulated systems to understand cardiovascular system integration.  The course is designed for graduate students with an interest in cardiovascular physiology and senior undergraduates (with permission) including those interested in medical school or cardiac rehabilitation.

J: Clinical Biomechanics
The study of forces acting on the human body in relation to clinical treatment and injury prevention. Topics include neuromuscular motor patterns; biomechanics of normal gait and posture; causes of musculoskeletal disorders; magnitude, consistency and variability of pathological gait patterns. Prerequisite: KIN 430.

V: Survey Research in Athletic Training
Preparation for conducting questionnaire-based research projects for M.S. athletic trainer students only. Credit, 1.

600 Introduction to Research in Human Movement
The nature of research; methods of acquiring knowledge; the role of research in human performance and exercise science with emphasis on the scientific method. Credit, 1.

670 Cardio-Respiratory Exercise Physiology
Advanced study of cardiovascular and respiratory responses during exercise. Acute and chronic responses to exercise thoroughly examined and mechanisms underlying these responses critically evaluated. Prerequisite: exercise physiology with lab.

675 Exercise Physiology Seminar
Presentation and discussion of current research literature in exercise physiology. Critical evaluation of research questions, experimental design, data analysis, and interpretation emphasized. Prerequisite: undergraduate exercise physiology. Credit, 1.

696 Independent Study
Credit, 1-6.

697 Special Topics

A: Master’s Research Project
Non-thesis option, independent research project. Oral exam based on the project required.

B: Athletic Trainer Project
Comprehensive literature review and research project for M.S. athletic trainer students only.

MM: Molecular Motors and Cell Motility
A survey of the latest literature on the biophysics of molecular motors and the cytoskeleton.

PA: Theory and Design of Physical Activity Interventions
This course is designed to help students gain knowledge on how to conduct randomized clinical trials (RCT) and develops competence in the planning, designing, and execution of clinical trials involving physical activity interventions.  The course will include lectures; class discussions among students and instructor, and organized small-group activities.  Course readings will focus on primary sources including recent research studies in medical, public health, and psychology journals.

Q: Inquiries in Kinesiology
Required for first-year doctoral students studying and preparing for the Doctoral Qualifying Exam. Designed to test each doctoral student’s general knowledge of kinesiology, including broad content areas encompassing the department’s concentrations in physiology, physical activity, and motor systems.

R: Biomechanics Journal Club
Presentation and discussion of current research literature in biomechanics and motor control. Critical evaluation of all aspects of motor systems research including relevant questions; experimental designs and protocols; modeling approaches; data collection, reduction, and analysis techniques; and intepretation of results. Prerequisite: KIN 430.

S: Pre-Doctoral Research Proposal
Development and formal proposal of research to be undertaken for Pre-Doctoral Research Project.  For Kinesiology graduate students enrolled in MS/PhD program track. Credit, 3.

SM:  Sensorimotor Control
This course reviews the fundamentals of the behavioral neuroscience of action.  Topics include neuromechanical, sensorimotor and visuomotor foundations; reflex and voluntary basis of motor control, posture, and locomotion; and sensorimotor learning.  Prerequisites: Kin 460 or equivalent.

T: Pre-Doctoral Research Project
For Kinesiology graduate students enrolled in MS/PhD program track.  Credit, 3.

698A: Master's Thesis Proposal
Development and formal proposal of research to be undertaken for Master's Thesis.  For Kinesiology graduate students enrolled in MS Thesis program.  Credit, 3.

699 Master’s Thesis
Credit, 3.

730 Biomechanics
Topics include principles of data collection and analysis, high-speed video, force measuring systems, accelerometry, and A/D conversion. Prerequisites: KIN 430 and 530 or equivalent.

735 Advanced Biomechanics Laboratory Techniques
Topics include: biophysical signals, frequency content, Fourier series, Fourier analysis, principles of data collection, data smoothing, electromyography, amplifier response characteristics, software data manipulation. Prerequisites: KIN 430 and 530 or equivalent.

796 Independent Study
Credit, 1-6.

797 Special Topics

F: Mechanisms of Skeletal Muscle Fatigue
Examination of the multifactorial nature of skeletal muscle fatigue, ranging from the role of the central nervous system through the function of the cell’s contractile apparatus. Prerequisite: KIN 580 or consent of instructor.

N: Nonlinear Dynamics of Human Movement
Application of nonlinear dynamical techniques and principles to the understanding of human movement. Topics include introduction to basic concepts in nonlinear dynamics, theory of linear and nonlinear oscillators, assessment of system stability, phase transitions and bifurcations. These concepts used to investigate changes in neural and biophysical mechanisms underlying motor control of posture and locomotion; integration of locomotory, respiratory, and heart dynamics; issues related to disease and exercise. Prerequisite: KIN 735 or equivalent.

U: Computer Simulation of Human Movement
Development and use of physics-based computer simulation models with applications to biomechanics of human movement.  This course will help students develop an understanding of how computer models of the musculoskeletal system are developed and used to study normal and pathological human movement.  Prerequisites: KIN 530 or equivalent.

W: Current Topics in Cardiovascular Physiology
This course is designed for graduate students with an interest in advanced topics in cardiovascular physiology.  Through a collaborative-learning approach, each semester we will explore a novel area or problem in cardiovascular research and its clinical significance.  Students will review current literature, present informally and conduct discussions on investigated topics, and write within topic areas.  In addition, each student will choose an area within the topic that will be the focus of a research project proposal and presentation.  Collaborative writing, peer editing, evaluation, and review are additional important components of this course.

891 Graduate Seminar
Presentation of research topics conducted by master’s and doctoral students and outside speakers. Credit, 1 per semester; maximum credit, 6.

896 Independent Study
Credit, 1-6.

899 Doctoral Dissertation
Credit, 12.