Exercise physiology

From Starting Strength Wiki

Exercise Physiology is a discipline involving the study of how exercise alters the structure and function of the human body. Exercise Physiology requires diverse knowledge and considerable study of various physiologic responses to exercise.

Topics studied in exercise physiology include human energy transfer, human energy expenditure, evaluation of energy-generating capacities, the nervous system, pulmonary system, the cardiovascular system, the musculoskeletal system, endocrine system (including hormones) and the interaction of these, plus training methods, environmental effects on physiology, and ergogenic aids.

Exercise physiologists tend to specialise into clinical areas such as cardiac rehabilitation, research based exercise physiology {such as performance and heat stress, performance and altitude, fluid balance, intracellular lactate mechanisms, motor functions, and plasticity of muscle fibers}, exercise testing and prescription of athletes, and development of physical fitness programs in prevention of disease and disability.

Exercise Physiology in Australia

The term “Exercise Physiologist” describes professionals from within the field of exercise science who have specialised into either health and fitness or exercise rehabilitation streams [1]. As knowledge in the area of physical conditioning and rehabilitation has increased, the evolution of specialists in various fields have become apparent [1].

An Exercise Physiologist is ideally suited to providing professional services in the area of exercise as a treatment strategy in physical rehabilitation, as a preventative strategy for disease prevention, and work hardening as part of establishing and sustaining functional independence [1].