10/27/25 Therapeutic Exercise (Sports Nutrition and Therapeutic Exercise)

What is exercise physiology?

the study of the acute and chronic response of the body to movement

How does this differ from biomechanics?

where biomechanics focuses on the mechanical response a body has, exercise physiology studies the overall effect

What is the focus on therapeutic exercise?

training and detraining and how physical activity participation improves health and lowers disease risk

What are environmental effects on performance?

timing, venue, weather, altitude/ elevation, comfort, air quality

Why do environmental effects on performance matter?

Environmental effects matter because they can significantly influence an athlete's performance, affecting factors such as endurance, strength, and recovery.

What are the two points on improving physical fitness?

exercise recommendations to develop components of physical fitness

adapt programs based on client needs

What are exercise recommendations to develop components of physical fitness?

ACSM recommends adults 18-65 get minimum 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity 5 days a week or vigorous intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes 3 days a week

What are exercise recommendations (for older adults) to develop components of physical fitness?

every adult (older adults) should perform activities that maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance for a min 2 days/ week

Why adapt programs based on client’s needs?

injury, personal goals, different abilities

To ensure exercises are safe, effective, and tailored to individual abilities and goals.

What are promoting health and treating disease with physical activity?

prevent injury and treat disease;

World Health Organization (WHO): Regular physical activity is proven to help prevent and manage noncommunicable diseases such as heart diseases, stroke, diabetes and several cancers.

What do clinical exercise physiologists work with?

physical activity in disease management and rehabilitation

work in clinical setting, not so much in the fitness and health setting

What are functional and structural changes in various body systems?

• metabolism

• responsiveness

• movement

• reproduction

• growth

• differentiation

• respiration

• digestion

• excretion

How to slow down the aging process?

stay consistently healthy and eat well

What are some biochemical changes?

• metabolism decreases

• fertility decreases

• sleep needed decreases

• healing/ recovery rates decrease (amt of time to recover increases)

What are university professors as career in exercise physiology?

teach courses

conduct research

write grant proposals

What are researchers as career in exercise physiology?

military

NASA

other government agencies

What are clinical exercise physiologists as career in exercise physiology?

Work in:

• clinics

• hospitals

  • hospital-based wellness programs

  • Research Centers

• Cardiac rehabilitation programs to conduct exercise testing and supervise patient exercise programs

What are exercise instructors or personal trainers for employees in corporate fitness programs as career in exercise physiology?

• conduct exercise testing

• design and conduct physical activity programs for employees or clients

• not much as hands-on

What are strength and conditioning coaches as career in exercise physiology?

• conduct exercise testing

• develop specific plans for clients based on their goals or needs

What are the four types of research methods/ lab work?

ergometers

oxygen uptake

body composition

biochemical methods

What are ergometers?

• Used to standardize the workload during exercise

• An ergometer is an exercise machine that tests the exertion exhibited by certain muscles or that keeps track of how much of a particular exercise has been done. ex:

  • Treadmill, cycle, and swimming flume

measure time, resistance, and speed of exercise performance.

What is oxygen uptake?

• VO2 max

  • typically measure in mm O2 consumed in a minute per kilogram of body weight (mL/kg/min)

  • Minute is measured while at max heart rate (220- age)

What are exercise zones?

• Give an idea of training zones

• do not want to stay at max heart rate

HIIT- 90%

Hard Core- 80%

Cardio endurance- 70%

Fat burning- 60% (breathing heavy but can still talk)

Warm up- 50%

Exercise zones refer to ranges of intensity during physical activity, usually categorized by heart rate or perceived effort. They help individuals target specific fitness goals such as fat burning, aerobic capacity, or endurance.

What is body composition measurement?

• underwater hydrostatic weighing (gold standard)

• skinfold caliper,

  • error: user error and user differences (7-site test)

• bioelectrical impedance (BIA) (most accessible in today’s society), Bod Pod

What are biochemical methods?

• blood samples

  • RBC count

  • Fat %

  • cholesterol

• Muscle biopsies

  • mostly used to diagnose diseases (not comfortable)

What is field work?

Potentially more challenges because one has less control than in the lab environment with respect to monitoring physiological responses, controlling environmental conditions, and exercise intensity

see results that you can not see in a lab

limits the quality of results 

How to minimize challenges during field work?

• Using tests that require minimal equipment and can be used to screen large numbers of subjects in a short time period, such as a PACER test

• Pedometers and accelerometers