Kinesiology Research

As kinesiology is a newer field, there are many questions left unasked and unanswered, and students have a chance to fill real gaps in global scientific knowledge. Starting their first semester Drake Kinesiology majors are asking new questions, designing experiments, and collecting data just like scientists in the real world. Many go on to present their findings at scientific meetings or in scholarly publications.

In Drake’s Kinesiology curriculum, labs are spent asking critical questions and figuring out creative solutions to authentic issues faced in today’s active society. At Drake, research is not a prescribed answer in a workbook, but a dynamic process that mirrors the cyclical nature of science: looking at what scientific data exists, asking a question, forming a hypothesis, establishing a method, collecting data, and sharing the results with the global community through posters, presentations, and publications.

The following are examples of research recently published by Drake Kinesiology students:

• Somatosensory perception of running shoe mass is similar for both sexes
• Maximum Vertical Jump Height Improves after Two Miles of Running (PDF)
• The Effects of Footwear On Force Production During Barbell Back Squats (PDF)
• A Field Study of Low-Top vs. Mid-Top vs. High-Top American Football Cleats
• Somatosensory perception of running shoe mass
• Running Shoe Mass: Can Feet Tell Any Difference? 
• Foot Temperature During Thirty Minutes of Treadmill Running in Cotton-Based Versus Olefin-Based Athletic Socks
• Physiological Versus Perceived Foot Temperature, and Perceived Comfort, During Treadmill Running in Shoes and Socks of Various Constructions (PDF)
• Ankle Spatting Compared to Bracing or Taping During Maximal-Effort Sprint Drills

Kinesiology students also have the opportunity to present personal research at the annual Drake University Conference on Undergraduate Research in the Sciences (DUCURS) as well as regional and national meetings.

You will also have the opportunity to participate in the Drake University Science Collaborative Institute (DUSCI), an on-campus network of faculty and research students.