Positions

Research Areas research areas

Overview

  • Dr. LaRoche has a passion for Exercise Science that stems from his love of physiology, biomechanics and optimizing human performance. He is intrigued by how the exercise stimulus can confer health and functional benefits to everyone from elite athletes to older adults and has extensively studied both ends of the human performance spectrum. Dr. LaRoche is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, is a Past-President of the New England Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine, is a member of the Gait & Posture journal editorial board, regularly publishes his research in high-impact journals, and received the College of Health and Human Services Teaching Excellence Award in 2012.

    Dr. LaRoche's Research Aims to:
    • Understand the interplay of neuromuscular, metabolic, and biomechanical function in the limitation of mobility of older adults
    • Evaluate neuromuscular responses to exercise, strength and power asymmetry, and passive-elastic muscle-tendon unit properties
    • Develop technology for tracking physical activity and movement quality, exercise program delivery, and assistance for independent living

    • Selected Publications

    Academic Article

    Year Title
    2024 Smart home automation technology to support caring of individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia: an early intervention framework..  Disability and Rehabilitation Assistive Technology.  19:779-789. 2024
    2024 Acute Effect of Dynamic and Gluteal Resistance Exercise Warm-up Protocols on Jump Landing Mechanics in College-Aged Females..  Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.  38:259-265. 2024
    2023 Comparison of the H:Q Ratio Between the Dominant and Nondominant Legs of Soccer Players: A Meta-analysis..  Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach.  15:486-496. 2023
    2022 Acute Effects of Static and Ballistic Stretching on Muscle-Tendon Unit Stiffness, Work Absorption, Strength, Power, and Vertical Jump Performance..  Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.  36:2147-2155. 2022
    2022 Validation of Smartphone Accelerometry for the Evaluation of Sit-To-Stand Performance and Lower-Extremity Function in Older Adults..  Journal of Aging and Physical Activity.  30:3-11. 2022
    2021 Step Frequency Training Improves Running Economy in Well-Trained Female Runners..  Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.  35:2511-2517. 2021
    2020 Handgrip Strength Asymmetry and Weakness May Accelerate Time to Mortality in Aging Americans..  Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (JAMDA): long-term care: management, applied research and clinical issues.  21:2003-2007.e1. 2020
    2020 Caregiver perspectives on a smart home-based socially assistive robot for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia..  Disability and Rehabilitation Assistive Technology.  15:789-798. 2020
    2020 Influence of excess weight on lower-extremity vertical stiffness and metabolic cost of walking..  European Journal of Sport Science.  20:477-485. 2020
    2019 Hip extension power and abduction power asymmetry as independent predictors of walking speed in individuals with unilateral lower-limb amputation..  Gait and Posture.  70:383-388. 2019
    2019 Hip, Knee, and Ankle Functional Demand During Habitual and Fast-Pace Walking in Younger and Older Women..  Journal of Aging and Physical Activity.  27:242-251. 2019
    2018 Discriminatory Ability of Lower-Extremity Peak Torque and Rate of Torque Development in the Identification of Older Women With Slow Gait Speed..  Journal of Applied Biomechanics.  34:270-277. 2018
    2018 Physiological determinants of walking effort in older adults: should they be targets for physical activity intervention?.  GeroScience.  40:305-315. 2018
    2017 Blood flow restricted resistance training in older adults at risk of mobility limitations..  Experimental Gerontology.  99:138-145. 2017
    2017 Knee extensor power asymmetry is unrelated to functional mobility of older adults..  Experimental Gerontology.  98:54-61. 2017
    2017 Asymmetry of lower extremity force and muscle activation during knee extension and functional tasks..  Muscle and Nerve.  56:495-504. 2017
    2017 Plantarflexor passive-elastic properties related to BMI and walking performance in older women..  Gait and Posture.  53:55-60. 2017
    2016 Neuromuscular performance in the hip joint of elderly fallers and non-fallers..  Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.  28:443-450. 2016
    2016 Augmenting strength-to-weight ratio by body weight unloading affects walking performance equally in obese and nonobese older adults..  Age.  38:21. 2016
    2015 Utility of electromyographic fatigue threshold during treadmill running..  Muscle and Nerve.  52:1030-1039. 2015
    2015 Excess body weight and gait influence energy cost of walking in older adults..  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.  47:1017-1025. 2015
    2014 A novel sensorimotor movement and walking intervention to improve balance and gait in women..  Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice.  20:311-316. 2014
    2014 Antagonist coactivation of trunk stabilizer muscles during Pilates exercises..  Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies.  18:34-41. 2014
    2014 Hip muscles strength and activation in older fallers and non-fallers.  Isokinetics and Exercise Science.  22:191-196. 2014
    2014 Interaction of age, cognitive function, and gait performance in 50-80-year-olds..  Age.  36:9693. 2014
    2013 Effect of cryotherapy on muscle recovery and inflammation following a bout of damaging exercise..  European Journal of Applied Physiology.  113:2577-2586. 2013
    2013 Relationship between running intensity, muscle activation, and stride kinematics during an incremental protocol.  Science and Sports.  28:e85-e92. 2013
    2013 Sex differences in blood flow restricted isotonic knee extensions to fatigue..  The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.  53:444-452. 2013
    2013 Association between energy cost of walking, muscle activation, and biomechanical parameters in older female fallers and non-fallers..  Clinical Biomechanics.  28:330-336. 2013
    2012 3 Different types of strength training in older women..  International Journal of Sports Medicine.  33:962-969. 2012
    2012 Strength asymmetry increases gait asymmetry and variability in older women..  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.  44:2172-2181. 2012
    2011 Fat mass limits lower-extremity relative strength and maximal walking performance in older women..  Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology.  21:754-761. 2011
    2011 Low strength is related to diminished ground reaction forces and walking performance in older women..  Gait and Posture.  33:668-672. 2011
    2010 Defining intensity domains from the end power of a 3-min all-out cycling test..  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.  42:1769-1775. 2010
    2010 Rapid torque development in older female fallers and nonfallers: a comparison across lower-extremity muscles..  Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology.  20:482-488. 2010
    2010 Grade influences blood lactate kinetics during cross-country skiing..  Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.  24:120-127. 2010
    2009 Initial neuromuscular performance in older women influences response to explosive resistance training..  Isokinetics and Exercise Science.  17:197. 2009
    2008 Elderly women have blunted response to resistance training despite reduced antagonist coactivation..  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.  40:1660-1668. 2008
    2008 Chronic stretching and voluntary muscle force..  Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.  22:589-596. 2008
    2007 Explosive force and fractionated reaction time in elderly low- and high-active women..  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.  39:1659-1665. 2007
    2006 Effects of stretching on passive muscle tension and response to eccentric exercise..  American Journal of Sports Medicine.  34:1000-1007. 2006

    Conference Paper

    Year Title
    2020 Quantifying Kinematic Fidelity Of Demonstrated Therapeutic Shoulder Exercises Between Therapist And Patient.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 273-274. 2020
    2019 Influence of Lower Extremity Strength on Chair Rise Functional Demand in Older Female Cancer Survivors.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 690-690. 2019
    2019 Learning Motion Trajectories from Phase Space Analysis of the Demonstration.  Proceedings - IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. 7055-7061. 2019
    2018 Impact of Lower-Extremity Gait Mechanics on Energy Cost of Walking in Younger and Older Adults.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 10-11. 2018
    2018 Multiple Strength Assessments to Evaluate Adaptations to High-Load and Low-Load Blood Flow Restricted Exercise.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 243-243. 2018
    2017 Effect Of Excess Weight on Lower-Extremity Vertical Stiffness, Muscle Activation, And Metabolic Cost Of Walking.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise Medicine and science in sports. 178-178. 2017
    2017 Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior of Older Adults Related to Physiological Metrics of Walking Effort.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise Medicine and science in sports. 3-3. 2017
    2016 Effects of Resistance Training on Strength, Physical Function and Quality of Life in Older Adults: 442 Board #279 June 1, 9: 30 AM - 11: 00 AM..  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 125. 2016
    2016 Low Knee Extensor Strength Limits Walking Functional Reserve Capacity of Older Adults: 2486 Board #9 June 3, 9: 30 AM - 11: 00 AM..  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 684. 2016
    2015 Does The Weaker Limb Limit Physical Performance In Older Adults?.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 24-24. 2015
    2015 Effect Of Excess Weight on Lower-Extremity Vertical Stiffness, Muscle Activation, And Metabolic Cost Of Walking.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 178-178. 2015
    2015 Short-Term Effects of Blood Flow Restricted Resistance Training in Older Adults at Risk of Mobility Limitations.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 516-516. 2015
    2015 The Effects of Blood Flow Restriction on Neuromuscular Function and Fatigue During Leg Press Exercise.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 442-442. 2015
    2015 The Relationship of Quadriceps Power and Physical Function in Older Adults.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 588-589. 2015
    2014 Increasing Strength-to-Weight Ratio Changes Gait Timing but not Walking Speed in Older Adults.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 830-830. 2014
    2014 The Influence of Strength and Aerobic Capacity on Walk Performance in Older Adults.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 442-442. 2014
    2013 A Novel Comprehensive Somatosensory Training Program To Improve Balance And Gait In Women.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 286-286. 2013
    2013 Excess Body Weight Influences Gait and Energy Cost of Walking in Older Adults.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 309-309. 2013
    2013 Static Balance Testing Predicts Gait Performance in Middle-Aged and Older Women.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 286-286. 2013
    2012 Strength Asymmetry Increases Gait Asymmetry and Variability in Older Women.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 432-432. 2012
    2011 Effects of Seat Tube Angle Manipulation on Cardiorespiratory Response and Frontal Area in Female Cyclists.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 88-89. 2011
    2011 Poor Relative Strength Impairs Maximal Walking Performance in Overweight Older Women.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 932-932. 2011
    2011 The Effect of Increasing Step Frequency on Running Economy in Female Runners.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 105-105. 2011
    2008 Old Have Blunted Response to Power Training Despite Reduced Antagonist Co-activation.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. S87-S87. 2008
    2006 Effects of 4 Weeks of Stretching on Active Torque Development.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. S259-S259. 2006
    2005 Response To Eccentric Exercise Following Four Weeks Of Flexibility Training.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. S466-S466. 2005
    2004 Viscoelastic response of skeletal muscle to four days of flexibility training.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. S345-S345. 2004
    2001 ANTIOXIDANT STATUS OF US HIATHLETES DURING ALTITUDE TRAINING.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. S71-S71. 2001

    Teaching Activities

  • Applied Biomechanics Taught course 2022
  • Independent Study Taught course 2022
  • Independent Study Taught course 2021
  • Physiology of Exercise Taught course 2021
  • Applied Biomechanics Taught course 2021
  • Independent Study Taught course 2021
  • Physiology of Exercise Taught course 2020
  • Adv Research Exercise Science Taught course 2020
  • Applied Biomechanics Taught course 2020
  • Teaching Assistantship Taught course 2020
  • Topics in Applied Physiology Taught course 2020
  • Exercise Metabolism Taught course 2019
  • Physiology of Exercise Taught course 2019
  • Physiology of Exercise Taught course 2019
  • Applied Biomechanics Taught course 2019
  • Topics in Applied Physiology Taught course 2019
  • ExMetab:Acute/Chronic Adapt Taught course 2018
  • Physiology of Exercise Taught course 2018
  • Physiology of Exercise Taught course 2018
  • Applied Biomechanics Taught course 2018
  • ExMetab:Acute/Chronic Adapt Taught course 2017
  • Physiology of Exercise Taught course 2017
  • Physiology of Exercise Taught course 2017
  • Applied Biomechanics Taught course 2017
  • Topics in Applied Physiology Taught course 2017
  • Topics in Applied Physiology Taught course 2017
  • ExMetab:Acute/Chronic Adapt Taught course 2016
  • Physiology of Exercise Taught course 2016
  • Physiology of Exercise Taught course 2016
  • Applied Biomechanics Taught course 2016
  • Topics in Applied Physiology Taught course 2016
  • Topics in Applied Physiology Taught course 2016
  • ExMetab:Acute/Chronic Adapt Taught course 2015
  • Physiology of Exercise Taught course 2015
  • Physiology of Exercise Taught course 2015
  • Topics in Applied Physiology Taught course 2015
  • Topics in Applied Physiology Taught course 2015
  • ExMetab:Acute/Chronic Adapt Taught course 2014
  • Physiology of Exercise Taught course 2014
  • Physiology of Exercise Taught course 2014
  • Colloquium/Exercise Science Taught course 2014
  • Topics in Applied Physiology Taught course 2014
  • Topics in Applied Physiology Taught course 2014

    • Education And Training

  • B.S. Kinesiology: Exercise Science, University of New Hampshire
  • M.S. Exercise Science, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
  • Ph.D. Exercise and Sport Science, University of Utah

    • Full Name

  • Dain LaRoche

    • Mailing Address

  • University of New Hampshire

    Department of Kinesiology

    124 Main St.

    Durham, NEW HAMPSHIRE  03824

    United States