Samantha Arroyo
McNair Scholar 2022
Samantha Arroyo is a sports exercise science major in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences at West Texas A&M University. She is a senior anticipating graduation in Fall 2022. After attaining a bachelor’s degree, Samantha intends to continue her studies in exercise physiology and do research while earning her master’s degree. Additionally, she plans to complete observation hours in a physical therapy clinic and eventually enter a DPT program to become a physical therapist.
“My favorite part of McNair was having the opportunity to gain experience in conducting research in my field, and it was inspiring to see my participants become successful in their weight loss journey. I also enjoyed meeting my peers in the program and hearing how passionate everyone is about their research." - Samantha Arroyo.
"Impact of Resting Metabolic Rate and Body Composition Knowledge on Nutrition and Exercise Behavior"
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Gene Farren
Previous research indicates knowledge of resting metabolic rate (RMR) may impact dietary and exercise behavior (Updyke, 2011). The purpose of this research project is to evaluate if knowledge of RMR and body composition (BC) would produce significant positive changes over-and-above daily tracking. Specifically, this study aimed to examine whether being provided their RMR would lead participants to significant positive over-and-above changes in weight, body fat percentage (BF%), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), as well as changes in perceived benefits (BEE) and barriers (BAE) to exercise. Participants were 26 university-affiliated individuals who were asked to complete two brief surveys (4 weeks apart) assessing their perceived benefits and barriers to exercise and dietary habits. Participants also had their RMR and BC measured twice (4 weeks apart) and were asked to complete a daily dietary and exercise journal over the same 4 weeks. Participants were randomly assigned to RMR group (n=7), BC group (n=6), or Control group (n=7). MANOVA results indicated groups were not significantly different statistically among the study’s variables (Wilk’s Lambda = 0.354, F = 1.767, df = (10, 26) p = .118). Although the groups did not differ, paired-sample t-tests indicated participants, on average, significantly improved in weight (t=2.871, p <.05), BF% (t=3.395, p <.05), SMM (t=-2.772, p <.05), BEE (t=-2.781, p <.05), and BAE (t=-2.750, p <.05) over the 4-week study. Results indicated all 3 groups demonstrated significant results. Given the limited sample size per group, additional research on this topic is warranted.