This program recognizes the growing importance of exercise in improving health and life-quality across the lifespan. Investigations are designed to: 1) quantify the musculoskeletal loading and neuromuscular recruitment patterns associated with exercise and functional activities; 2) examine the influence of exercise prescription on muscle dynamics, tissue adaptation, neural control, injury prevention and functional performance, and 3) explore the biomechanical, physiological, and psychosocial effects of elite athletic participation.  Study participants include children, older adults, elite athletes, and persons with movement disorders.

Funding for these projects has come from Federal Institutes (NIH, NIA), National Foundations (APTA, NATA, NCAA), Private Foundations (Strause Sports Medicine Research Foundation, California Physical Therapy Fund, Arthroscopic Association of North America, Kinetics Foundation, Fitness Quest, Alfta Rehabilitation Center), and intramural grants (UCLA, CSULB, and USC).

Research Programs

Resistance-Exercise Dynamics
What are the relations among kinetic and neuromuscular attributes of resistance exercise, including muscle recruitment patterns, joint torque, work, power, and impulse? How are these variables influenced by resistance load, movement velocity, resistance application, fatigue, age, experience, disability, and gender? These are a few of the fundamental questions being addressed in this research area using a variety of research tools and methods (muscle modeling, isokinetic dynamometry, tissue sampling). Participants include trained and untrained subjects, recreational and elite athletes, and older and younger individuals.

Healthy Older Adults
Previous studies have characterized the musculoskeletal loading patterns associated with a variety of exercises and activities performed by older adults. Current and future investigations will examine the effects of resistance level, movement speed, repetition number, program frequency, and anthropometric-specific prescriptions, on the efficacy and safety of biomechanics-based exercise for healthy older adults.

Parkinson’s Disease
Studies in this area are designed to explore the relations among functional performance (chair standing, stair climbing, and walking), neuromuscular dynamics (EMG, strength, power), and muscle physiology (mass, fiber type, substrate utilization) in patients with Parkinson’s disease. This information can then be used to more effectively design exercise programs (e.g. body-weight supported treadmill training) that improve physical function and preserve independence in this ever-increasing population.

Children and Exercise
These investigations are designed to characterize the effects of various exercise interventions in children with disability. Study participants include children with both physical (Cerebral Palsy) and metabolic (obesity) challenges. Interventions are developed which we believe will maximize participation and compliance while improving movement capabilities and health profiles. These studies are being conducted in collaboration with the USC Department of Preventive Medicine.

Competitive Athletics
Recent reports and investigations (e.g. congressional hearings for disabled NFL retirees; NCAA Injury Surveillance Data) have highlighted the potential detrimental effects of high-intensity sports participation, including degenerative osteoarthritic and fibrocartilage changes, body-composition alterations, compromised functional capabilities, and harmful post-competitive psychosocial consequences (e.g. depression and substance abuse).  Many of these consequences parallel changes that occur with normal aging, suggesting that sport participation can act as both an accelerator & inhibitor to normal aging processes.  Studies in this area explore the biomechanical, physiological, and psychosocial effects of elite athletic participation.  Findings from these investigations are being used to develop intervention and educational programs that improve lifetime health and wellness for current and former athletes.