copyright © 2011 american college of sports medicine introduction to exercise science chapter 1

Copyright © 2011 American College of Sports Medicine

Introduction to Exercise ScienceIntroduction to Exercise Science

Chapter 1



• Physical activity and exercise

– Important for promoting good health

• Physical inactivity results in:

– Early morbidity and premature mortality


Introduction to Exercise ScienceIntroduction to Exercise Science• Common causes of mortality in the United States for the

year 2005



• Sport and athletic competition

– Important to culture and society

– All age groups can participate

• Successful performance is based on principles grounded in exercise science



• Participants in high school athletics


Introduction to Exercise ScienceIntroduction to Exercise Science• Individuals participating in NCAA-sponsored

intercollegiate athletics


What is Exercise Science?What is Exercise Science?

• Umbrella term that involves:

– Physical activity

– Exercise

– Sport

– Athletic performance

• Common characteristics include:

– Movement of the body

– Adaptations to movement


What is Exercise Science?What is Exercise Science?

• Relationships of the disciplines, subdisciplines, and specialty areas of exercise science


Important definitionsImportant definitions

• Physical activity – activities of daily living that include all movement that humans perform

• Exercise – structured movement process for the purpose of improving fitness and performance

• Sport and athletic competition – movement in structured and organized activities that involves a competitive aspect


How has Exercise Science evolved?How has Exercise Science evolved?

• Early influences

– Greeks and Romans

– Renaissance period

– Era of Enlightenment

– 19th century


How has Exercise Science evolved?How has Exercise Science evolved?• Diskobolos—more commonly known as Discus Thrower


How has Exercise Science evolved?How has Exercise Science evolved?• Stephen Hales making the first measurement of blood

pressure


How has Exercise Science evolved?How has Exercise Science evolved?

• Recent influences

– Role of physical education

– Harvard Fatigue Laboratory

– Krauss-Weber test results

– Professional associations


How has Exercise Science evolved?How has Exercise Science evolved?• Administration of the Kraus-Weber physical fitness test


Role of ACSM in Exercise ScienceRole of ACSM in Exercise Science

• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

– Developed as a “unique blend of physical education, medicine, and physiology”

– Provides significant public outreach

– Works to shape public policy

– Disseminates scholarly research


Key publications from ACSMKey publications from ACSM


Academic preparation in Exercise ScienceAcademic preparation in Exercise Science

• Broad-based coursework

– Anatomy and physiology

– Biological sciences

– Chemistry and biochemistry

– Human development and psychology

– Mathematics and statistics

– Physics


Academic preparation in Exercise ScienceAcademic preparation in Exercise Science


Preparations for careers in health carePreparations for careers in health care

• Medical school

• Dental school

• Chiropractic school

• Physician assistant programs

• Physical and occupational therapy


What do health care professionals do?What do health care professionals do?

• Physician assistant


What do health care professionals do?What do health care professionals do?

• Physical therapy professional at work


Research in Exercise ScienceResearch in Exercise Science

• Research procedures

• Types of research:

– Basic

– Applied

– Quantitative

– Qualitative


Types of research in Exercise ScienceTypes of research in Exercise Science

• Descriptive

• Experimental

• Longitudinal

• Cross-sectional

• Sequential


Examples of research in Exercise ScienceExamples of research in Exercise Science

copyright © 2011 american college of sports medicine introduction to exercise science chapter 1

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