Zeno Presents Groundbreaking Research at ACSM Conference
November 20, 2023 | Women's Lacrosse, Academic Services
Marissa Zeno, a sophomore on the lacrosse team and student in UofL's Department of Health & Sport Sciences, made a significant impact at the prestigious Greater New York American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Regional Chapter Fall 2023 conference. The event, held on November 11, at NYU Langone Health in New York City, was a gathering of top minds in the field of sports medicine and health sciences.
Zeno, a research assistant for Dr. Andreas Stamatis, presented her research titled "Exploring the Role of Mental Toughness in Bone Mineral Content: A Preliminary Study." This pioneering study is the result of an interinstitutional collaboration involving UofL, UofL Health, Baylor University, and Texas Tech University.
The research delves into the relationship between mental toughness and bone mineral content, a key parameter in assessing bone health. Using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and the Mental Toughness Index, the study controlled for variables such as sex, age, race, and BMI to isolate the effect of mental toughness on bone mineral content. Results from the study indicate that mental toughness significantly predicts bone mineral content, highlighting its importance in bone health.
The findings of this study are particularly noteworthy as they establish for the first time a statistically and practically significant link between mental toughness and bone mineral content, suggesting that individuals with higher levels of mental toughness may exhibit greater bone mineral content. This insight is invaluable for the sports science community and could pave the way for future interventions focusing on enhancing mental toughness to improve bone health. Her work was published in the International Journal of Exercise Science.
View the publication here.
