University of South Carolina Sport Science Lab

Join the Arnold School for a week of events dedicated to health and community for this year's National Public Health Week at USC. Come connect, learn and celebrate with us all week long: https://ow.ly/MecB50YzICP

Collegiate and professional track star Abby Steiner is pursuing an M.S. in Exercise Science so she can use strength and conditioning to help others improve their own health. Learn more with this month's I Am Public Health feature: https://ow.ly/61cE50YnZZ0

Maintaining military readiness often requires training in environments where a full weight room is unavailable.

This study compared the effects of 6 weeks of minimal-equipment resistance training (using bodyweight, sandbags, and bands), with and without blood flow restriction (BFR), to traditional gym-based training on Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) performance and body composition in ROTC cadets.

Key Takeaway: All groups significantly improved their overall ACFT scores and increased muscle mass. While traditional heavy lifting remains superior for maximizing raw strength, portable, “field-expedient” gear is a highly effective alternative for improving composite tactical performance and body composition.

This study was led by Dr. Harry Cintineo,
who is currently the Human Performance Optimization Fellow at the United States Air Force Academy. He is continuing to build upon his work with cadets to enhance human performance outcomes and education for future military officers.

Understanding an athlete’s current physical capabilities and how they change over time is crucial for coaches to build and implement effective training plans.

This study followed female NCAA DI soccer players over their 4-year tenure and examined their preseason body composition and select performance metrics each year.

Of note: Underclassmen frequently exhibit lower physical capabilities than their more senior counterparts. This should be a key consideration for coaches as they expose these athletes to training loads they’ve likely not previously encountered. With this in mind, they can mitigate injury risks and bring about more significant improvements over time for these athletes.

This study was led by , a doctoral and post-doctoral fellow with Dr. Arent. She completed this study when they were still at Rutgers. Dr.McFadden is now a professor at Queens College, New York, and is still publishing with the SSL.

Read the full study online:
PMID: 36727935

The University of South Carolina Sport Science Lab is back in action and ready for a wonderful spring semester! Stay tuned for some awesome sport science content!

Tactical performance is not only physical but about cognitive performance as well.

This study examined whether caffeine alone or a caffeine + Theacrine combination could enhance cognitive performance after intense exercise in tactically trained individuals.

Key Takeaway: Both caffeine and caffeine + Theacrine improved cognition compared to placebo, but the combination showed additional benefits for reaction time and response consistency under fatigue.

This study was led by Dr. , a former Navy SEAL, in his final year with the SSL, expanding the knowledge surrounding support of tactical populations such as Special Forces Operators like him.

Read the full study online:
PMID: 40693646

Women are not small men USC researchers are tackling the issues that underlie the women’s health care gap. In the Arnold School of Public Health, assistant professor Katie Hirsch is working to address the research shortage. Traditionally, scientific research took findings based on the ‘typical’ male body and extrapol...

⚡️ Velocity-Based Training Study! ⚡️

The Sport Science Lab at the University of South Carolina is looking for participants to take part in a Velocity-Based Training (VBT) research study! 💪

We’re comparing Perch, FLEX, Tendo, and Metric VBT App to see how reliably they track performance during squats, bench press, and deadlifts.

Who can join:
🔹 Healthy males & females (ages 18–25)
🔹 UofSC club athletes with ≥2 years of barbell training

What’s involved:
🏋️ 1-Rep Max + VBT load testing
🕒 2 sessions over 1 week

Why join?
🚀 Discover your velocity profiles & max loads
📈 Train with state-of-the-art VBT tech
🎓 Contribute to real sport science research!

📍 Prisma Health Apex Athletics, Columbia, SC
📧 Email: [email protected]
Subject Line: ICF-FLEX VBT