Graduate Student Update: Trevor Curry

STRIDE is proud to provide not only undergraduate Learn by Doing experiences but also opportunities for graduate students to learn and gain experience as well. Kinesiology student Trevor Curry, in collaboration with STRIDE’s Assessment Team (A-Team), is in the midst of completing his thesis project. Curry gave STRIDE a description of his research:

“I'm investigating the effects of a novel exercise suit on cardiorespiratory fitness. The exercise suit is uniformly weighted and is made of a thin and flexible fabric that covers the entire body. During the recruitment phase of this project, a group of participants were screened, selected, and randomly allocated to one of two groups — control or suit — after a series of assessments in which body composition, current cardiorespiratory fitness, and leg strength were evaluated.

“These participants are now undergoing a six-week aerobic exercise program at the Cal Poly Recreation Center. The program consists of three nonconsecutive, 40-minute aerobic training sessions on a treadmill at a relative intensity. The STRIDE A-Team is helping me evaluate various physiological parameters during each exercise session for the six weeks. At the end of the exercise program, participants will complete another series of assessments.

"The results will give a better understanding of how a weighted exercise suit influences cardiorespiratory fitness, body composition, and strength over six weeks. We may find that these results could address broader public health issues.”