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Kaylee Pobocik ’16, an Athletic Training major, and Stephanie Ostrowski (’17), an Applied Exercise Science major, represented the ɫ����Ƶ Westbrook College of Health Professions’ Department of Exercise and Sport Performance at the American College of Sports Medicine conference in Boston, Massachusetts. The students presented research projects that were co-advised by Lara Carlson, DPE., associate professor, and Michael Lawrence, M.S., motion analysis laboratory manager in the Department of Physical Therapy. 

Pobocik received the New England American College of Sports Medicine Undergraduate Research Grant for her examination of the “Influence of Exercise Time of Day on Salivary Melatonin Responses.” Sleep deprivation may elicit changes in cognition, pain, mood, metabolism, and immunity, which can ultimately create negative consequences on athletic performance. The purpose of this study was to observe salivary melatonin (s-Melatonin) responses following exercise performed at different times of day, as understanding the melatonin response may lead to a non-pharmacological intervention for sleep aid. 

Ostrowski’s research, titled, “Effect of an Unstable Load on Primary and Stabilizing Muscles During the Bench Press,” investigated whether or not an unstable load increases muscle activity of stabilizing muscles during a bench press as compared with a standard bench press with a typical load using surface electromyography. Unstable resistance exercises, performed either on an unstable surface or with an unstable load, are performed to increase activity of stabilizing muscles and have become increasingly popular. 

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