Problem
Directions for the Introduction:
This is where you try to convince your readers why your experiment is important, how your experiment fits in with other research, and what previously unknown information you are adding to advance science. Begin by stating the problem: People want to know how specific exercises affect the body, because...? Indicate who might be interested in this information, e.g. doctors, nurses, athletic trainers, athletes, etc.
Finish by turning your question into a hypothesis statement (a hypothesis is an educated guess or prediction). The drug is hypothesized to... completely prevent peripheral fatigue? Lessen peripheral fatigue? Allow a person to run further or holds their arms out longer?
Directions for the Methods Section:
This is where you explain exactly how you plan to test your hypothesis using detailed methods. Speak with your TA to find out how much detail to go into. Be sure that EMG is part of your experiment, but you can measure other things too if you wish.
One thing to keep in mind is that you will need both a control group of subjects (participants), and an experimental group of subjects to perform the experiment. In lab we normally collect data from 4-5 people, but remember you have unlimited resources! The control group is the group of participants that serve as a baseline, or "un-treated" condition. You use the control group to help decide if your experimental treatment has any real effect. The experimental group (or groups, you can have several!) is the group of participants that get treated or otherwise altered in some way. This is the group you do something to. Ideally, the experimental treatment (the "thing you do") is the only difference between the control and experimental groups. In every other way, it is best if the control and experimental groups are identical (consider age, sex, level of education, disease state, etc.) as things you can manipulate or focus. This is where creativity and originality can come in. When you write your Methods section, make sure that someone who has worked in a physiology laboratory can understand what you are talking about.
When grading your Methods section, your TA will be looking for the things listed below:
A. A clear description of the experiment. (What is the experiment going to be? Who is in the control group? Who is in the experimental group?) Think big! Remember you aren't actually doing the experiment, just designing it.
B. A description of the how long the overall experiment, and each section within the experiment, will last. (How long will each trial or manipulation last? How often will muscle activity be measured? Will there be multiple trials for each subject?)
C. A brief description of how the subjects' muscle activity will be quantified.
D. Will the method actually test the hypothesis? This is extremely important (if the answer is no, then there is no point to the experiment, and you need to start over).