Author: Kristin Garner | Major: Exercise Science

My name is Kristin Garner, and I have recently graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from the College of Education and Health Professions. I was an honors student working on my thesis under Dr. Brendon McDermott in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation. This spring 2022 semester was my third semester of research, and I was able to make conclusions based on the data.

The study I worked on was titled “Self-Rated Function and Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) Responses to Six-Week Supplementation with Waters with Anti-Inflammatory Supplementation (WAC).” This research examined the effect of WAC beverages on subjective measurements of DOMS. DOMS is the sensation of pain and a noticeable decrease in muscle function 24 to 48 hours following a bout of exercise. For individuals who are not accustomed to exercising and begin an exercise program, DOMS can be greatly disheartening and prevent adherence to their program. Countless studies have supported the notion that exercise is beneficial to health in a variety of ways, but DOMS can become a limiting factor for the first few sessions. As a result, researchers have examined how substances with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capabilities can reduce DOMS from exercise; however, the WAC beverage used in this study contained berry essences with expectations to greatly reduce DOMS following exercise.

I met Dr. McDermott in the fall of 2020 when I was beginning my honors thesis. Earlier that semester, I was informed that I would be graduating a year early, and I needed to promptly find a mentor for my honors thesis. Although I was in a pinch to find a mentor and begin research, Dr. McDermott was willing to guide me through research and welcomed me onto his team for the spring 2021 semester. Dr. McDermott is a leading researcher in the athletic training industry, so he had several studies lined up that I could work with him on. Because I was very interested in exercise physiology and the health implications of exercise, the WAC study was the most intriguing option for me.

Throughout the exercise science program, I learned about how muscles and other body systems respond to various forms of exercise. However, I realized that humans do not always follow a textbook. There is so much more to exercise beyond muscle fibers or glycogen stores, especially when dealing with human participants. In completing the literature review portion of my thesis, I found myself eager to read more about what researchers are finding. It especially reinforced what I learned in my classes, but in a new way that also made me question my prior thoughts on exercise. I also appreciated that I was able to examine the subjective measures of DOMS for the WAC study. Talking to participants about how and what they felt and leading them through the exercise protocols showed me that what a person perceives can sometimes be more valuable than unseen or unnoticeable values, like inflammatory cell counts. Although there is a correlation between high inflammatory cell counts and perceived soreness, individuals are more likely to adhere to exercise if they experience less DOMS and will likely not track their inflammation levels. To me, this is why research is so important because it can ultimately improve the quality of life of many people and potentially help them improve their health.

Overall, partaking in research has grown my curiosity. I learned how scientific studies are done behind the scenes by reading current research, meeting with participants, and analyzing data. I was excited to be in the lab, no matter if we were screwing on bottle caps for the water bottles, passing the bottles out to participants, or organizing the collected data. Dr. McDermott was a great mentor because he guided me through every step and constantly encouraged me to think critically. As he helped me evaluate the statistical data, he pushed me to draw my own conclusions based on the data we found. Since we had several obstacles to overcome to get the study started – COVID, berry essence shortage, snow days – and participants in the lab, I was only able to examine eight participants. Although the data I found concluded that there was no difference in self-rated muscle function nor DOMS before and after supplementation, Dr. McDermott questioned me about why we found these results. After all, the WAC beverage should have worked because of its high anti-inflammatory capacity, but was it due to the design of the study, the level of participant compliance, the length of the supplementation period, or simply the small number of participants?

Along with defending my thesis, I presented my data at the Honors College Research Symposium. It was very exciting to have the opportunity to share my findings and what I learned with the UofA community. I am sad that my time with Dr. McDermott and his Ph.D. student Aidan has come to an end, but I could not be more grateful to have been introduced to the world of research with them. As this chapter closes, I will be returning to the UofA this fall to start graduate school. Because of my experience with Dr. McDermott in research, I decided to further my education in exercise science by completing the master’s program. Thank you to the Honors College for supporting me through my honors thesis and allowing me to find my new love of research.