Margaret Jones

Send email to Dr. Jones

Phone: (703) 993-3247
Email: mjones15 (@gmu.edu)

Dr. Jones earned a BA from the University of Tennessee (English), an MEd from the University of Houston (Exercise Science), a PhD from the University of Georgia (Exercise Physiology), and completed an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow at Cornell University (Physiology). In addition to being a Professor in Sport Management at George Mason University, she is an Affiliate of the Department of Bioengineering. Dr. Jones holds Fellow status in the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and is an NSCA-Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. She served on the NSCA Board of Directors from 2017-2020, and was honored as the 2008 NSCA Educator of the Year. In 2014, Dr. Jones was awarded a George Mason University OSCAR Mentoring Excellence Award. The 2023 William J. Kraemer Outstanding Sports Scientist, she has authored many publications in the area of human performance and athlete health in peer-reviewed academic journals, and has presented regionally, nationally, and internationally. Dr. Jones participates in editorial and review activities for several journals, including serving as a Senior Associate Editor, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. She was awarded the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research Editorial Excellence Award in 2022. A Beck Foundation Faculty Fellow, Dr. Jones serves as the Director of the Patriot Performance Laboratory of the Frank Pettrone Center for Sports Performance at George Mason University.

Human Performance and Athlete Health

• Athlete Load Monitoring
• Musculoskeletal Strength and Power
• Nutrition Practices and Dietary Habits

Peer-reviewed Published Articles (2021-present):

1.     Fields, J.F., Jones, M.T., Kitts, S.E., King, E.L., and Jagim, A.R., (2026) Relationships between disordered eating, body dissatisfaction and low energy availability in women collegiate athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research  40(2):e164-e171. PMID: 41359924

2.     Jagim, A.R., Fields, J.B., and Jones, M.T. (2026) Weight loss trends in women’s wrestling and potential implications of menstrual cycle: A narrative review. Nutrients 18:182 PMID: 41599796

3.     Skalitzky, B., Fields, J.B., Jones, M.T., Kerksick, C.M., and Jagim, A.R. (2025) Differences in total daily energy expenditure across field sports: A narrative review. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology 10:474. PMID: 41440795

4.     Luedke, J., Hinman, J., Clark, T., Zapp, A., Jones, M.T., Fields, J.B., Erickson, J.L., and Jagim, A.R. (2025) Differences in total sleep time and heart rate variability between shift types in firefighters. Occupational and Environmental Medicine  Oct 17(82):363-369. PMID:41033799

5.     Twohey, E., Dobbs, W.C., Malone, C.M, Fields, J.B., Jones, M.T., and Jagim, A.R. (2025) Use of a consumer-grade bioelectrical impedance analysis device for weight certification in collegiate wrestling: Implications for minimal wrestling weight determination. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research 39(12):1321-1326.

6.     Browning, T., Headley, S., Mullin, E., Jones, M.T., Jagim, A., and Fields, J. (2025) Incidence and risk factors of metabolic syndrome in track and field throwing athletes. International Journal of Exercise Science 18(6): 1199-1211. PMID: 41209036

7.     Korpinen, M., Magee, M., Dulak-Sigler, C., Fields, J.B., Jagim, A.R., King, E., Burke, A., and Jones, M.T. (2025) Seasonal changes in neuromuscular performance across a training year in women collegiate lacrosse athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 39(11): 1186-1193. PMID:40961285

8.     Fields, J.B., Hahn, J., Jagim, A.R., King, E.L., Allen, L., Horlock, C., and Jones, M.T. (2025) Relationships between smart ring-measured sleep variables and next-day basketball game performance: A case series. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching 20(4): 1726-1730. PMID: 41209036

9.     Magee, M.K., Fields, J.B., Jagim, A.R., Lockard, B., Miller, A., Stroiney, D., and Jones, M.T. (2025) Estimation of whole-body bone mineral density through air displacement plethysmography in a large sample of elite athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research  39(4): 427-432. PMID: 39590917

10.  Magee, M.K., Fields, J.B., Miller, A., Jagim, A.R., Stroiney, D., Lockard, B., and Jones, M.T. (2025) A new estimation equation to assess body composition in an athletic population. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition  22(1): 2504578 PMID: 40434031

11.  Jagim, A.R., Horswill, C.A., Tinsley, G.M., Dobbs, W.C., Oppliger, R.A., Fields, J.B., and Jones, M.T. (2025) Minimum wrestling weight for high school girls wrestling: Time to revisit minimal body fat percent. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 39(3): 332-339. PMID: 39787037

12.  Korpinen, M.M., Trieschock, D., Fields, J.B., Jagim, A.R., Almonroeder, T.G., and Jones, M.T. (2025) Hamstring-to-Quadriceps strength ratios in women team sport athletes: A systematic review. Strength and Conditioning Journal 47(1):95-108.

13.  Kuhlman, N.M., Jagim, A.R., Jones, M.T., Feit, M.K., and Fields, J.B. (2025) A comparison of match external load demands across women’s collegiate field sports. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 39(2): 234-241. PMID: 39446720

14.  Jagim, A.R., Merfeld, B.R., Ambrosius, A., Carpenter, M., Fields, J.B., and Jones, M.T. (2024) Nutrition knowledge and perceived dietary requirements in adolescent student-athletes: A pilot study. Nutrients 17:133 PMID: 39796567

15.  Almonroeder, T., Jones, M.T., Fields, J.B., Erickson, J.L., Taylor, W.A., Bittner, M.H., and Jagim, A.R. (2024) Examining changes in ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction surgery patterns among professional baseball players. Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine 00:1-6. PMID: 39718384

16.  Brown, F.S.A., Fields, J.B., Jagim, A.R., King, E.L., Baker, R.E., Miller, A., and Jones, M.T. (2024) Relationship of individual athlete external load, session rating of perceived exertion, and athlete playing status across a collegiate women’s basketball season. Sports 12, 340. PMID: 39728880

17.  Jagim, A.R., Schuler, S., Szymanski, E., Khurelbaatar, C., Carpenter, M., Fields, J.B., and Jones, M.T. (2024) Acute responses of low-load resistance exercise with blood flow restriction. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology 9(4):254. PMID: 39728238

18.  Fields, J.B., Askow, A.T., Jones, M.T. and Jagim, A.R. (2024) Differences in body fat in athletes categorized by resting metabolic rate.  Applied Sciences  14, 9949. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14219949

19.  Kuhlman, N.M., Jones, M.T., Jagim, A.R., Magee, M.K., Wilcox, L., and Fields, J.B. (2024) Dietary intake, energy availability, and power in men collegiate gymnasts. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living Section: Sport and Exercise Nutrition DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1448197 PMID: 39359485

20.  Jagim, A.R., Harty, P.S., Jones, M.T., Fields, J.B., Magee, M., Smith-Ryan, A.E., Luedke, J., and Kerksick, C.M. (2024) Fat-free mass index in sport: Normative profiles and applications for collegiate athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 38(9): 1687-1693. PMID: 39074219

21.  King, E.L., Patwardhan, S., Bashatah, A., Magee, M., Jones, M.T., Qi Wei, Q., Sikdar, S., and Chitnis, P.V. (2024) Distributed wearable ultrasound sensors predict isometric ground reaction force. Sensors 24: 5023. PMID: 26417382

22.  Jagim, A.R., Luedke, J., Erickson, J.L., Fields, J.B., and Jones, M.T. (2024) Validation of bioelectrical impedance devices for the determination of body fat percentage in firefighters. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 38(8): e448-e453. PMID: 39072665

23.  Floersch, S., Vidden, C., Askow, A.T., Jones, M.T., Fields, J.B., Murphy, J., and Jagim, A.R. (2024) Seasonal changes in match demands and workload distribution in collegiate soccer across two seasons. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 38(8): 1440-1446. PMID: 39072657

24.  Marqués-Jiménez, D., Calleja-González, J., Arratibel-Imaz, I, Jones, M.T., and Terrados, N. (2024) Effect of acute and residual match-induced fatigue on repeated sprint ability in soccer players. Science et Sports 39(1): 96-104. doi.org/10.1016/j.scispo.2023.01.007

25.  Merfeld, B., Rowley, M., Almonroeder, T., Luedke, J., Erickson, J.L., Jones, M.T., Fields, J.B., Jagim, A.R., and Szymanski, E. (2024) Examining changes in shoulder strength, lower body power, and body composition among collegiate baseball players after completion of a summer baseball league season. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology 9, 98. PMID: 38921634

26.  Fields, J.B., Jones, M.T., Kuhlman, N.M., Magee, M.K., Feit, A., and Jagim, A.R. (2024) Fat-free mass index in a large sample of collegiate American football athletes. International Journal of Exercise Science 17(4): 129-139. PMID: 38665859

27.  Brown, F.S.A., Fields, J.B., Jagim, A.R., Baker, R.E., and Jones, M.T. (2024) Analysis of in-season external load and sport performance in women’s collegiate basketball. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 38(2): 318-324. PMID: 37820260

28.  Magee, M.K., Fields, J.B., Jagim, A.R. and Jones, M.T. (2024) Fat-free mass index in a large sample of National Collegiate Athletic Association men and women athletes from a variety of sports. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 38(2): 311-317. PMID: 37815277

29.  Jagim, A.R., Tinsley, G., Opplinger, B., Horswill, C., Dobbs, W.C., Fields, J.B., and Jones, M.T. (2024) Collegiate women’s wrestling body fat percentage and minimum wrestling weight values: time for revisiting minimal body fat percent? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 21(1): 2304561. PMID: 38226601

30.  Fields, J.B., Kuhlman, N.M., Jagim, A.R., Dulak-Sigler, C., and Jones, M.T. (2023) Analysis of accumulated workloads and performance testing across a collegiate women’s lacrosse season. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 37(11): 2213-2221.

PMID: 37639657

31.  Askow, A.A., Jennings, W., Jagim, A.R., Fields, J.B., Beaudoin, R.G., Sanchez, G.M., Weeks, J.E, Oliver, J.M., and Jones, M.T. (2023) Athlete external load measures across a competitive season in high school basketball. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 37(11): 2206-2212. PMID: 37639668

32.  Fields, J.B., Magee, M.K., Jones, M.T., Askow, A.T., Camic, C.L, Luedke, J., and Jagim, A.R. (2023) The accuracy of ten resting metabolic rate prediction equations in men and women collegiate athletes. European Journal of Sport Science 10: 1973-1982. PMID: 36168819

33.  Jagim, A.R., Jones, M.T., Askow, A.T., Luedke, J., Erickson, J.L., Fields, J.B., and Kerksick, C.M. (2023) Sex differences in resting metabolic rate among athletes and association with body composition parameters: A follow-up investigation. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology 8(3),109. PMID: 37606404

34.  Aziz, R., Jones, M.T., Jagim, A.R., Feit, M.K., Kuhlman, N., Crabill, T. and Fields, J.B. (2023) In-season match demands of men’s collegiate soccer: A comparison by half, position, match outcome, match location, and competition phase. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning 3(1). doi.org/10.47206/ijsc.v3i1.154

35.  Fields, J.B., Jagim, A.R., Kuhlman, N.M., Feit, M.K., and Jones, M.T. (2023) Comparison of match external loads across a men’s and women’s lacrosse season. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology 8, (1), 119. PMID: 37606414

36.  Magee, M.K., Jones, M.T., Fields, J.B., Kresta, J., Khurelbaatar, C., Dodge, C., Merfeld, B., Ambrosius, A., Carpenter, M., and Jagim, A.R. (2023) Body composition, energy availability, risk of eating disorder, and sport nutrition knowledge in young athletes. Nutrients 15, (6): 1502. PMID: 36986231

37.  Guthrie, B.M., King, E., Patwardhan, S., Wei, Q., Sikdar, S., Chitnis, P.V., and Jones, M.T. (2023) Relationships between surrogate measures of mechanical and psychophysiological load, patellar tendon adaptations, and neuromuscular performance in NCAA Division I men’s volleyball athletes. Frontiers in Sport and Active Living Section: Elite Sports and Performance Enhancement DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1065470 PMID: 36909358

38.  Lu, T., Jones, M.T., Yom, J. Ai Ishida, A., and White, J.B. (2023) Physiological and biomechanical responses to exercise on two different types of rowing ergometers in NCAA Division I oarswomen. European Journal of Applied Physiology 123(7), 1529-1541. PMID: 36929015

39.  Lust, C.A.C., Burns, J., Jones, M.T., Smith, S.B., Choi, S.H., Kirk, M., Gable, D.A., Oliver, J.M. and Ma, D.W.L. (2023) The dose response effect of docosahexaenoic acid in American football athletes. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 55(5): 865-872. PMID: 36728325

40.  Kuhlman, N.K., Jones, M.T., Jagim, A.R., Feit, M.K., Aziz, R., Crabill, T., and Fields, J.B. (2023) Relationship between external loads, sRPE-Load, and self-reported soreness across a men’s collegiate soccer season. Biology of Sport 40(4), 1141-1150. PMID: 37867741

41.  Fields, J.B., Jones, M.T., Feit, M.K., and Jagim, A.R. (2023) External loads across a collegiate men’s lacrosse season. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 37(8): e455-e461. PMID: 36727683

42.  Burke, A.A., Guthrie, B.M., Magee, M.*, Miller, A.D., and Jones, M.T. (2023) Revisiting the assessment of strength, power and change of direction in collegiate American football athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 37(8): 1623-1627. PMID: 36752757

43.  Jagim, A.R., Luedke, J.A., Dobbs, W., Almonroeder, T., Markert, A., Zapp, A., Askow, A.T., Kesler, R.M., Fields, J.B., Jones, M.T., and Erickson, J.L. (2023) Physiological demands of a self-paced firefighter air-management course and determination of work efficiency Journal of Functional Morphology & Kinesiology 8(1), 21. PMID: 36810505

44.  Calleja-Gonzalez, J., Mallo, J., Sampaio, J.E., Jones, M.T., Marques-Jimenez, D., Mielgo-Ayuso, J., Freitas, T.T., Alcaraz, P.E., Vilamitjana, J., Ibanez, S.J., Cuzzolin, F., Terrados, N., Bird, S., Zubillaga, A., Huyghe, T., Jukic, I., Calvo, A.L., Loturco, I., Delextrat, A., Schelling, X., Gomez-Ruano, M.A., Lopez-Laval, I., Cos, F., Vazquez-Guerrero, J., Conte, D., Velarde, A., Bores, A., Ferioli, D., Garcia, F., Peirau, X., Martin-Acero, R., Lago-Penas, C. (2023) A commentary of factors related to player availability and its influence on performance in elite team sports. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living: Elite Sports and Performance Enhancement PMID: 36726395

45.  McKay, A., Jones, M.T., and Gallo, S. (2023) Differences in cardiometabolic biomarkers between elementary school-age Latinx children with obesity vs. healthy weight. Southern Medical Journal 116(2), 188-194. DOI 10.14423/SMJ.0000000000001506

46.  Guthrie, B., Jagim, A.R., and Jones, M.T. (2023) Ready or not, here I come: A scoping review of methods used to assess player readiness via indicators neuromuscular function in football code athletes. Strength and Conditioning Journal 45(1), 93-110.

47.  Jagim, A.R., Tinsley, G.M., Merfeld, B.R., Ambrosius, A., Khurelbaatar, C., Dodge, C., Carpenter, M., Luedke, J., Erickson, J., Fields, J.B., and Jones, M.T. (2022) Validation of skinfold equations and alternative methods for the determination of fat-free mass in young athletes. Frontiers in Sport and Active Living Section: Elite Sports and Performance Enhancement. doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2023.1240252 PMID: 37637224

48.  Merrigan, J.J., Jones, M.T., Malecek, J., Padecky, J., Omcirk, D., Xu, N., Peñailillo, L., and Tufano, J.J. (2022) Comparison of traditional and rest-redistribution sets on indirect markers of muscle damage following eccentric exercise. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 36(7), 1810-1818. PMID: 33021579

49.  Merrigan, J.J., Borth, J., Taber, C.B., Suchomel, T.J., and Jones, M.T. (2022) Application of accentuated eccentric loading to elicit acute and chronic velocity and power improvements: A narrative review. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning 2(1). doi.org/10.47206/ijsc.v2i1.80

50.  Merrigan, J.J., O’Toole, K.B., Wutzke, C.J., and Jones, M.T. (2022) A kinetic and kinematic analysis of various drop jump performances in Army Reserve Officer Training Corps Cadets. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 36(3), 738-746. PMID: 34132221

51.  Jagim, A.R., Fields, J., Magee, M.K., Kerksick, C.M., and Jones, M.T. (2022) Contributing factors to low energy availability in female athletes: A narrative review of energy availability, training demands, nutrition barriers, body image, and disordered eating. Nutrients 14(5), 986. PMID: 35267961

52.  Fields, J.B., Merrigan, J.J., Feit, M.K., and Jones, M.T. (2021) Practice versus game external load measures in starters and non-starters of a men’s collegiate soccer team. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning 1(1). doi.org/10.47206/ijsc.v1i1.76

53.  Jagim, A.R., Wright, G.A., Camic, C.L., Kisiolek, J.N., Luedke, J., Oliver, J.M., Fischer, K.M. and Jones, M.T. (2021) Relationship between training load and recovery in collegiate American football players during pre-season training. Journal of Science and Medicine in Football 5(4), 330-338. PMID: 35077303

54.  Dabbs, N.C., Espericueta, S., Bonilla, S., and Jones, M.T. (2021) The effects of whole-body vibration on fatigue in vertical jump performance and isometric mid-thigh pull measures. Vibration 4(4), 759-767.

55.  Fields, J.B., Merrigan, J.J., Gallo, S., White, J.B., and Jones, M.T. (2021) External and internal load measures during pre-season training in men collegiate soccer athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 35(9), 2572-2578. PMID: 34431484

56.  Guthrie, B., Fields, J.B., Thompson, B., and Jones, M.T. (2021) Physical performance assessments of strength and power in women collegiate athletes. International Journal of Exercise Science 14(6), 984-993. PMID: 34567381

57.  Jagim, A.R., Fields, J.B., Magee, M., Kerksick, C., Luedke, J., Erickson, J. and Jones, M.T. (2021) The influence of sport nutrition knowledge on body composition and perceptions of dietary requirements in collegiate athletes. Nutrients 13(7), 2239. PMID: 34209814

58.  Fields, J.B., Lockard, B.L., Magee, M.K., and Jones, M.T. (2021) Morning versus evening short-term whey protein supplementation in collegiate athletes. Journal of Exercise and Nutrition 4(3), 13.

59.  Magee, M.K., White, J.B., Merrigan, J.J., and Jones, M.T. (2021) Does the multistage 20-m shuttle run test accurately predict VO_2max in NCAA Division I women collegiate field hockey athletes? Sports 9(6), 75. PMID: 34073418

60.  Luk, H.Y., Jones, M.T., and Vingren, J.L. (2021) Effect of rest period configurations on systemic inflammatory response in resistance-trained women. Journal of Sports Sciences 39(13), 1504-1511. PMID: 33634732

61.  Merrigan, J.J., Tufano, J., and Jones, M.T. (2021) Potentiating effects of accentuated eccentric loading are dependent upon relative strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 35(5), 1208-1216. PMID: 33651736

62.  Fields, J.B., Lameira, D.M., Short, J.L., Merrigan, J.J., Gallo, S., White, J.B., and Jones, M.T. (2021) Relationship between external load and self-reported wellness measures across a men’s collegiate soccer pre-season. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 35(5), 1182-1186. PMID: 33677459

63.  Merrigan, J.J. and Jones, M.T. (2021) Acute inflammatory, cortisol, and soreness responses to supramaximal accentuated eccentric loading. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 35, (2S), S107-S113. PMID: 33666595

64.  Merrigan, J.J., Volgenau, K.M., McKay, A., Mehlenbeck, R., Jones, M.T., and Gallo, S. (2021) Bidirectional associations between physical activity and sleep in early-elementary age Latino children with obesity. Sports 9, (26), 1-6. PMID:33670086

65.  Merrigan, J.J., Tufano, J.J., Falzone, M., and Jones, M.T. (2021) Effectiveness of accentuated eccentric loading: Contingent on concentric load. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance 16 (1), 66-72. PMID: 33186894

• School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management
• School of Kinesiology
• Sport and Recreation Studies
• Sport Management
• Center for Sport Management

• Independent Study for the Doctor of Philosophy in Education (EDUC - 897)
• Advanced Internship in Education (EDUC - 994)
• Directed Inquiry (KINE - 798)
• Principles of Human Nutrition (KINE - 295)

• Doctoral Dissertation Proposal (EDUC 998)
• Doctoral Dissertation Research (EDUC 999)
• Special Topics (EFHP 598)
• Independent Study EFHP (EFHP 599)
• Advanced Exercise Physiology (EFHP 610)
• Movement and Fitness Assessment (EFHP 611)
• Principles of Strength and Conditioning (EFHP 640)
• Project (EFHP 798)
• Independent Study in Health Education (HEAL 499)
• Principles of Human Nutrition (KINE 320)
• Seminar in Kinesiology (KINE 330)
• Kinesiology Practicum (KINE 341)
• Strength Training: Concepts and Applications (KINE 360)
• Sport and Exercise Nutrition (KINE 420)
• Kinesiology Internship (KINE 490)
• Independent Study in Kinesiology (KINE 499)
• Independent Study (KINE 501)
• Research Experience I (KINE 890)
• Research Experience II (KINE 891)
• Independent Study (KINE 897)
• Strength Training: Concepts and Applications (PHED 364)
• Special Topics in Sport Management (SPMT 480)
• Theoretical Models of Sport Coaching (SPMT 631)
• Research Methods (SRST 450)
• Special Topics (SRST 598)
• Independent Study in Sport and Recreation Studies (SRST 599)
• Master's Project/Internship (SRST 798)
• Master's Thesis (SRST 799)