Carl M Maresh

University of Connecticut | UConn · Department of Kinesiology

Kraemer, WJ, Caldwell, LK, Post, EM, Volek, JS, Hagen, JM, Newton, RU, Häkkinen, K, Omonije, O, and Maresh, CM. Endogenous opioid peptides after floatation therapy in resistance trained men. J Strength Cond Res 38(10): 1808–1812, 2024. Floatation-restricted environmental stimulation therapy (Float-REST) has shown improvements in muscle soreness and...

Abstract Comstock, BA, Flanagan, SD, Denegar, CR, Newton, RU, Häkkinen, K, Volek, JS, Maresh, CM, Kraemer, WJ. Structural and functional properties of lower extremity tendons in men. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000–000, 2024—The purpose of this study was to understand further patellar and Achilles tendon structure and function, body composition, and...

The purpose of this review is to delineate aspects of energy metabolism at rest and during exercise that may be subject to sex differences and the potential underlying mechanisms involved. It focuses on distinct aspects of female physiology with an oriented discussion following the reproductive life stages of healthy, eumenorrheic females, includin...

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a complex physiological and psychological condition that affects a significant number of women during their reproductive years. Although the exact etiology of PMS remains unclear, its symptoms, including mood swings, bloating, irritability, and fatigue, can significantly impair the quality of life for affected individ...

Kraemer, WJ, Caldwell, LK, Post, EM, Beeler, MK, Emerson, A, Volek, JS, Maresh, CM, Fogt, JS, Fogt, N, Häkkinen, K, Newton, RU, Lopez, P, Sanchez, BN, and Onate, JA. Arousal/stress effects of "Overwatch" eSports game competition in collegiate gamers. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2022-To date, no physical response data are available for one o...

Adults with Down syndrome are an underserved population at high risk for a host of different pathologies from aging and lack of activity. Purpose To examine the effects of a 10-week resistance training program on measures of motor behavior, cognitive function, mood, and physical fitness. Methods Participants ( n = 11) were men and women clinicall...

This investigation examined the influence of twelve-week ballistic resistance training programs on the IGF-I system in circulation, interstitial fluid and skeletal muscle, at rest and in response to acute exercise. Seventeen college-aged subjects (11 women/6 men; 21.7 ± 3.7 yr) completed an acute ballistic exercise bout before and after the trainin...

Purpose: The aim of the present investigation was to determine whether a one-hour floatation-REST session could augment recovery from high-intensity resistance exercise (6 x10 back squats, 2 minutes rest) known to induce significant metabolic, adrenergic, and mechanical stress. Methods: Eleven healthy resistance-trained males (age: 22.5 ± 2.3 ye...

Mobile technologies provide a unique opportunity to improve menstrual health awareness, management, and care. Nurses should consider incorporating a mobile tracking component into patient-care settings to promote menstrual health awareness and advocacy and to help create individualized healthcare plans.

The purpose of this study was to examine the responses of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGFI) to intense heavy resistance exercise in highly trained men and women to determine what sex-dependent responses may exist. Subjects were highly resistance trained men (N = 8, Mean ± SD; age, yrs., 21 ± 1, height, cm, 175.3 ± 6.7, bod...

The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of an acute bout of high-intensity resistance exercise on measures of cognitive function. Ten men (Mean ± SD: age = 24.4 ± 3.2 yrs; body mass = 85.7 ± 11.8 kg; height = 1.78 ± 0.08 m; 1 repetition maximum (1RM) = 139.0 ± 24.1 kg) gave informed consent and performed a high-intensity 6 set...

Objectives Determine whether five days of heat acclimation reduces cardiovascular and thermoregulatory strain during consecutive exercise-heat exposures on the sixth day in the heat. Design Pair-matched randomized control trial. Methods Twenty-four males completed two, 120 min exercise sessions (Session 1, Session 2) in a single day before (Day 1...

Traumatic musculoskeletal injuries may involve adaptive changes in the brain that contribute to loss of function. Our combination of neuroimaging and theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (iTBS) revealed distinct patterns of iTBS-induced plasticity that normalized differences in muscle and brain function evident years after unilateral knee...

Cold water immersion (CWI) purportedly reduces inflammation and improves muscle recovery after exercise, yet its effectiveness in specific contexts (ultraendurance) remains unclear. Thus, our aim was to study hematological profiles, systemic inflammation, and muscle damage responses to a specific post-race CWI (vs. control) during recovery after th...

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a novel “floatation-restricted environmental stimulation therapy” (floatation-REST) on growth hormone responses to an intense resistance exercise stress. Design Nine resistance trained men (age: 23.4 ± 2.5 yrs.; height: 175.3 ± 5.4 cm; body mass: 85.3 ± 7.9 kg) completed a balance...

Kraemer, WJ, Caldwell, LK, Post, EM, DuPont, WH, Martini, ER, Ratamess, NA, Szivak, TK, Shurley, JP, Beeler, MK, Volek, JS, Maresh, CM, Todd, JS, Walrod, BJ, Hyde, PN, Fairman, C, and Best, TM. Body composition in elite strongman competitors. J Strength Cond Res 34(12): 3326-3330, 2020-The purpose of this descriptive investigation was to characteri...

The effects of mode of rehydration on stress hormone response to subsequent maximal intensity exercise in the heat. Linda M. Yamamoto1,2, Elaine C. Lee1, Brendon P. McDermott1, Kathleen N. Beasley1, Holly Emmanuel1, Jeff S. Volek1, Douglas J. Casa1, FACSM, Lawrence E. Armstrong1, FACSM, William J. Kraemer1, FACSM, and Carl M. Maresh1, FACSM. 1U...

Background: Increased soft-drink consumption has contributed to poor calcium intake with 90% of adolescent girls consuming less than the RDA for calcium. Purpose/objectives: The purpose of this investigation was to determine the independent and additive effects of two interventions (milk and resistance training) on nutrient adequacy, body compositi...

Background: Acute ingestion of ketone supplements alters metabolism and potentially exercise performance. No studies to date have evaluated the impact of co-ingestion of ketone salts with caffeine and amino acids on high intensity exercise performance, and no data exists in Keto-Adapted individuals. Methods: We tested the performance and metabolic...

The combination of hyperthermia, dehydration, and strenuous exercise can result in severe reductions in kidney function, potentially leading to acute kidney injury (AKI). We sought to determine whether six days of heat acclimation (HA) mitigates the rise in clinical biomarkers of AKI during strenuous exercise in the heat. Twenty men completed two c...

Objectives: An exercise session in a hot environment may increase thermal strain during subsequent exercise sessions on the same and consecutive days. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine lasting physiological strain from moderate-high intensity, intermittent exercise in heat on subsequent exercise. Design: Repeated measures laborato...

The effects of mode of rehydration on subsequent exercise-heat challenge performance. Linda M. Yamamoto1,2, Elaine C. Lee1, Brendon P. McDermott1, Kathleen N. Beasley1, Holly Emmanuel1, Jeff S. Volek1, Douglas J. Casa1, FACSM, Lawrence E. Armstrong1, FACSM, William J. Kraemer1, FACSM, and Carl M. Maresh1, FACSM. 1University of Connecticut, 2Central...

Purpose: To evaluate the changes in the state of hydration in elite National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college wrestlers during and after a season. Methods: Ohio State University wrestling team members (N = 6; mean [SD] age = 19.6 [1.1] y; height = 171.6 [2.9] cm; body mass = 69.5 [8.1] kg) gave informed consent to partic...

Introduction Ketogenic diets (KDs) that elevate ketones into a range referred to as nutritional ketosis represent a possible nutrition approach to address the emerging physical readiness and obesity challenge in the military. An emerging body of evidence demonstrates broad-spectrum health benefits attributed to being in nutritional ketosis, but no...

Purpose The ketogenic diet induces a profound shift in energy metabolism from carbohydrate oxidation towards fat oxidation, both at rest and during exercise. We compared endocrine regulators of energy metabolism in keto‐adapted and non‐keto‐adapted ultra‐endurance athletes before, during, and after aerobic exercise to better understand the role of...

Objective A growing number of ultra-endurance athletes have switched to a very low-carbohydrate/high-fat eating pattern. We compared markers of cholesterol and the lipoprotein profile in a group of elite ultra-runners consuming a high-carbohydrate (HC) or low-carbohydrate (LC) diet. Methods Fasting blood was obtained from competitive male ultra-en...

Purpose: Prior research has illustrated that high volumes of aerobic exercise result in a reduction in basal concentrations of testosterone in men. These prior studies have mostly been conducted on recreational runners and identified reduced testosterone, but not concentrations low enough to be considered pathological. Therefore, the purpose of th...

Objectives To determine if intermittent exercise-heat exposures (IHE) every fifth day sustain heat acclimation (HA) adaptations 25 days after initial HA. Design Randomized control trial. Methods Sixteen non-heat acclimatized men heat acclimated during 10–11 days of exercise in the heat (40 °C, 40% RH). A heat stress test (120 min, 45% V˙O2peak) b...

Objectives Cold water immersion (CWI) has been widely used for enhancing athlete recovery though its use following an Ironman triathlon has never been examined. The purpose of this paper is to determine the influence of CWI immediately following an Ironman triathlon on markers of muscle damage, inflammation and muscle soreness. Design prospective...

IntroductionPrevious research established significant relationships between total fluid intake (TFI) and urinary biomarkers of the hydration process in free-living males and females; however, the nature of this relationship is not known for pregnant (PREG) and lactating (LACT) women. PurposeTo determine the relationship between urinary and hematolo...

Chronic increases in testosterone levels can significantly increase hypertrophy and strength, as has been demonstrated by pharmacological intervention. However, decreases in basal testosterone levels can have the opposite result, as has been seen in hypogonadal populations. Because of these profound effects on hypertrophy and strength, testosterone...

The magnetic resonance (MRI) environment imposes substantial constraints on the execution of behaviorally-relevant movements, especially when the lower limb(s) are involved. Using first person action-imagery, we developed a novel attention switching test (AST) to examine functional activity in leg-specific motor representations of healthy college-a...

Due to the important interactions of proenkephalin fragments (e.g., proenkephalin [107–140] Peptide F) to enhance activation of immune cells and potentially combat pain associated with exercise-induced muscle tissue damage, we examined the differential plasma responses of Peptide F to different exercise training programs. Participants were tested p...

Purpose: Athletes and military service members are known to undergo strenuous exercise and sometimes have to take long haul flights soon afterwards; however, its combined effect on many physiological functions is relatively unknown. Therefore, we examined the combined effects of a full-body muscle-damaging workout and transcontinental flight on co...

Heat exposure and hypohydration induce physiological and psychological strain during exercise; however, it is unknown if the separate effects of heat exposure and hypohydration are synergistic when co-occurring during loaded exercise. This study compared separate and combined effects of heat exposure and hypohydration on physiological strain, mood...

Background Heat acclimation (HA) reduces the risk of exertional heat illnesses (EHI). However, HA adaptations are temporary and must be sustained to safely perform physical activity in hot environments. Objective To determine if intermittent exercise-heat exposures every fifth day mitigates HA decay, 25 days after initial HA (+25 d). Design Rando...

The purpose was to examine a round trip trans-American jet travel on performance, hormonal alterations, and recovery. Ten matched pairs of recreationally trained men were randomized to either a compression group (COMP) (n= 10, age: 23.1 ± 2.4 years, height: 174.8 ± 5.3cm, body mass: 84.96 ± 10.16 kg, body fat: 15.3 ± 6.0%) or control group (CONT) (...

The purpose of this investigation was to compare run-prescription by HR versus RPE during six weeks to determine which is superior for consistent achievement of target intensities and improved performance. 40 untrained males participated in this laboratory and field controlled trial. Participants were divided into heart rate (HRTG) and rating of pe...

Background: Surprisingly little is known about the physiological and perceptual differences of women who consume different volumes of water each day. The purposes of this investigation were to (a) analyze blood osmolality, arginine vasopressin (AVP), and aldosterone; (b) assess the responses of physiological, thirst, and hydration indices; and (c)...

Exercise and environmental stressors shift genome‐wide, transcript‐level expression in a tissue‐specific manner to upregulate stress‐specific protective genes and downregulate genes required for normal growth and function. The dynamic transcriptional landscape can inform us of the effect that whole body stress (e.g., exercise, environmental heat/hu...

Main outcome variables: Time, heart rate (HR), gastrointestinal temperature (TGI), fluid consumed, percent body mass loss (BML), and urine osmolality (Uosm). Race times between groups were similar. There was a significant condition x time interaction (P= 0.048) for HR, but TGI was similar between conditions. Subjects drank 30 ± 14% of their water...

Background: Many successful ultra-endurance athletes have switched from a high-carbohydrate to a low-carbohydrate diet, but they have not previously been studied to determine the extent of metabolic adaptations. Methods: Twenty elite ultra-marathoners and ironman distance triathletes performed a maximal graded exercise test and a 180 min submaxi...

Nucleotide supplementation has been shown to attenuate post-exercise immunosuppression and HPA axis activation in endurance exercise models. These findings indicated that nucleotide supplementation may aid in the recovery from other exercise modalities, such as heavy resistance exercise. Thus, the purpose of this investigation is to investigate the...

This investigation examined peak motor unit activity during sets which differed in resistance (50, 70, or 90% 1-Repetition Maximum (1RM)). Ten resistance trained men (age, 23±3 yr; height, 187±7 cm; body mass, 91.5±6.9 kg; squat 1RM, 141±28 kg) were assessed by electromyography (EMG) on the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis muscles in a randomiz...

Acute negative and positive mood states have been linked with the development of undesirable and desirable health outcomes, respectively. Numerous factors acutely influence mood state including exercise, caffeine ingestion, and macronutrient intake, but the influence of habitual total water intake remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to o...

Low carbohydrate diets (LCD) decrease systemic inflammatory markers in humans with chronic inflammation, such as obesity and metabolic syndrome; however it is unknown whether LCD can mitigate systemic inflammation in acute situations, such as exercise bouts. Purpose To examine exercise‐induced alterations in inflammatory markers in elite ultra‐end...

Background Osmotic stress‐specific transcription factor NFAT5 (Nuclear Factor of Activated T cells) and heat stress‐specific factor HSF1 induce transcription of HSP70 and other protective proteins. Our previous work suggests NFAT5 as a novel cellular marker of whole‐body dehydration. We aimed to further characterize NFAT5, HSF1, and chaperone respo...

This study evaluated whether a combination of whey protein (WP), calcium beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB), and carbohydrate exert additive effects on recovery from highly demanding resistance exercise. Thirteen resistance-trained men (age: 22.6 ± 3.9 years; height: 175.3 ± 12.2 cm; weight: 86.2 ± 9.8 kg) completed a double-blinded, counterbal...

Compression garments have been previously shown to enhance proprioception, however this benefit has not been previously shown to transfer to improved performance in sports skills. The purpose of this study was to assess whether enhanced proprioception and comfort can be manifested in improved sports performance of high level athletes. 11 Division I...

Human daily total water intake (TWI) has a large inter-individual range. Recently, water supplementation has been suggested as a potential preventative and therapeutic modality. Thus, we aimed to measure hydration biomarkers in women with high (HIGH) versus low (LOW) daily TWI to determine baseline differences, and the efficacy of these markers dur...

Recent meta-analyses have found no association between heart disease and dietary saturated fat; however, higher proportions of plasma saturated fatty acids (SFA) predict greater risk for developing type-2 diabetes and heart disease. These observations suggest a disconnect between dietary saturated fat and plasma SFA, but few controlled feeding stud...

Background/objectives: Fat-free mass (FFM) is the major predictor of resting metabolic rate (RMR). As protein supplementation during resistance training may augment gains in FFM, we investigated the effects of resistance training combined with protein supplementation on RMR and whether RMR responses could be estimated by a dual-energy X-ray absorp...

The recovery process from a college football game has been studied, yet the stability of such findings year to year in the same players remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the same players' biochemical recovery process in two consecutive seasons to a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I football game. Ten...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a multinutritional supplement including amino acids, β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB), and carbohydrates on cytokine responses to resistance exercise and training. Methods: Seventeen healthy, college-aged men were randomly assigned to a Muscle Armor™ (MA; Abbott Nutrition, Columb...

Presentation of research describing that: Light, High-Repetition Resistance Training Cannot Sustain Fat-Free Mass Developed using Low Repetitions at Heavier Loads