One University of Arkansas student brought home an award for her undergraduate research, others gave presentations and displayed posters about their work and a faculty member was chosen to lead the Central States Region of the American College of Sports Medicine next year.

All this took place last week at the annual, regional meeting Oct. 17-18 of the American College of Sports Medicine on the campus of the University of Central Missouri.

The University of Arkansas was well-represented with 16 students and seven faculty members attending. Michelle Gray, an assistant professor of kinesiology in the College of Education and Health Professions, was elected president-elect of the Central States Region and will serve as president of the chapter beginning in the fall of 2014. The Central States Region covers Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma.

Jenna Burchfield won an undergraduate research award for her work with Matthew Ganio, assistant professor of kinesiology, on her honors thesis: "Hydration Biomarkers: Creating a New Hydration Assessment Technique." Burchfield, who is now a master's student in kinesiology, gave a talk on her research. Other co-authors of her research presentation were Stavros Kavouras, assistant professor of exercise science, and students J.D. Adams, Melina Gonzalez and Christian Ridings.

Ashley Binns, a doctoral student, gave a talk titled "Dietary Thermogenesis: A Small Percentage of Energy Expenditure with a Large Impact."

Ganio, Kavouras and Brendon McDermott, assistant professor of kinesiology, presented a mini-symposium called "Hydration and Performance: New Data in an Old Story."

Ganio is director of the Human Performance Laboratory based in the College of Education and Health Professions. He said one of the lab's missions is to support the research of students and faculty in the exercise science program.

"Conferences like the Central States American College of Sports Medicine provide a great atmosphere for our students and faculty to showcase their research from the last year," Ganio said. "Our students particularly benefit because they get to network with other leaders in the field. They get to see what other research is being done in the region and learn necessary professional skills for their future endeavors in research."

Other students and faculty members presented posters about their research:

• Collin K. Cannella, Jordan M. Glenn, Michelle Gray, Jennifer L. Vincenzo and Keyona Smith; "Habitual and Maximum Gait Speeds Among Sedentary, Recreationally Active, and Masters Athlete Older Adults."
• David E. Lee, Lemuel A. Brown, Tyrone A. Washington and Nicholas P. Greene; "Mitochondrial Transcription and Translation Initiation Factor Protein Expression Enhancement Through High-Volume Resistance Training."
• Joshua Ragland, Lemuel Brown, Alyssa Papineau and Tyrone Washington; "The Effects of Hypercholesterolemia on Skeletal Muscle Regeneration: A Look into Protein Synthesis and Cell Cycle Regulation."
• Christian B. Ridings, J.D. Adams, Matthew S. Ganio, Brendon P. McDermott and Stavros A. Kavouras; "Validity of UChek iPhone Application on Assessing Dehydration from Urine Samples."
• Keyona Smith, Jordan M. Glenn, Michelle Gray, Jennifer L. Vincenzo and Collin Cannella; "Comparison of Lower Body Power Between Sedentary, Recreationally Active, and Masters Athlete Older Adults."
• J.D. Adams, Brendon P. McDermott, Christian B. Ridings, Lacey Mainer, Matthew S. Ganio and Stavros A. Kavouras; "Effect of Spacer Garment on Physiological Strain During Exercise in the Heat When Wearing Protective Vests."
• Lemuel A. Brown, Jillian F. Patton, Alyssa M. Papineau and Tyrone A. Washington; "The Effect of Obesity on Cell Cycle Regulation in Skeletal Muscle During Regeneration."
• Jordan M. Glenn, Michelle Gray, Jennifer L. Vincenzo, Keyona Smith and Collin Canella; "The Effect of Exercise Self-Efficacy on Physical Activity, Adiposity, and Bone Mineral Density Among Older Adults."
• Nicole E. Moyen, Andrea M. Du Bois, Anthony B. Ciccone and Daniel A. Judelson; "Effects on Increasing Ambient Humidity During Low-Intensity Exercise in the Heat on Females."
• Alyssa M. Papineau, Lemuel A. Brown and Tyrone A. Washington; "The Effect of Leucine Supplementation on Inflammation During Skeletal Muscle Regeneration."
• Matthew A. Tucker, Matthew S. Ganio, J.D. Adams, Lemuel A. Brown, Christian Ridings, Jenna Burchfield, Blake Robinson, Nicole E. Moyen, Brett Schreiber, Tyrone Washington, Andrea Bermudez and Meredith Bennett; "Hydration Status When Increasing Daily Fluid Intake with Various Beverages."
• Stavros A. Kavouras, J.D. Adams, Matthew S. Ganio, Michelle Gray, Brendon P. McDermott, Nicole Moyen and Ashley Binns; "Prevelance of Gastrointestinal Bleeding Following 160 KM Cycling in the Heat."

Three undergraduate students – Jessica Moix, Weldon Murry and Collin Cannella – competed in a quiz bowl-style competition.