Preface

Over the past several years, curricula in exercise science programs have been moving toward a more applied direction, integrating science with practice. Much of this movement has been triggered by growth in the job market in the fitness industry and students’ desire to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to compete for those jobs. Current textbooks and training materials tend toward a theoretical and scientific approach, often leaving students confused about the relevancy of this education to their future careers. Therefore, the burden has fallen on educators to connect knowledge with application.

The partnership of F.A. Davis with the American Council on Exercise (ACE) has provided the opportunity to create a textbook package that is application based and geared toward today’s students and future exercise science professionals. This text marries a robust group of features with technologically driven ancillaries to provide students and educators with a complete teaching and learning package endorsed by one of the most credible organizations in the health and fitness industry.

Founded in 1985, ACE is a nonprofit organization that is committed to America’s health and well-being. Over the past 30 years, ACE has become an established resource for both fitness professionals and consumers, providing comprehensive, unbiased, scientific research impacting the fitness industry and proving to be a trusted authority on fitness.

Today, ACE educates, certifies, and represents more than 55,000 fitness professionals, health coaches, and other allied health professionals. ACE advocates for a new intersection of fitness and health care, bringing the highly qualified professionals that ACE represents into the healthcare continuum so they can contribute to the national solution to physical inactivity and obesity. ACE is the largest certifier in its space; all four of its primary certification programs are accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the gold standard in the U.S. for assessing professional competence. ACE also plays an important public-service role, conducting research and making available science-based information and resources on safe and effective physical activity and sustainable behavior change.

ACE’s leadership on this endeavor has resulted in a relevant, timely, and comprehensive primary course textbook on exercise physiology. This text meets the needs of exercise science students who take an exercise physiology course as part of their coursework toward a degree in exercise science, athletic training, coaching, exercise physiology, fitness, health and human performance, physical education, nutrition, physical therapy, or sports medicine. It will also benefit individuals who already are members of the fitness industry, including personal trainers, medical or clinical exercise specialists, group fitness instructors, and health coaches, who are preparing for examinations or simply strengthening their knowledge base.

As an edited text, Exercise Physiology utilizes experts from diverse areas within the field to author chapters on their specialty topics. Combined with a rigorous review and development process, the text has benefited from the guidance and expertise of many of the brightest and most active minds in the field.

Several philosophical principles guide the tone and content of this textbook:

• Application—The main distinguishing feature of this textbook is its applied approach: a hands-on, application-based manual that is practical and relevant. This approach is evident through in-text examples, special features, and the art program.

• Focus on Diverse Populations—This textbook focuses on exercise physiology principles that are applied to a wide variety of populations, not just athletes.

• Affective Domain—This textbook includes the emotional/affective aspect of exercise physiology practice, such as interpersonal communication and exercise as an experience, in translating the science into practical knowledge.

• Forward Looking—This textbook looks forward, focusing on current trends and research, without extensive historical coverage.

Exercise Physiology is organized for an intuitive, logical flow of content in the following manner:

• Part I: Introduction to Exercise Physiology gives students an appreciation of the field of exercise physiology as a discipline and an understanding of how it fits into the “real world.” It clarifies the differences and interrelationships among physical activity, fitness, and health.

• Part II: Fueling Physical Activity explains the relationship between energy and physical activity and exercise, beginning with the macronutrients and micronutrients in the diet and their specific roles within the body, and continuing with the energy pathways that make it possible to perform physical work.

• Part III: Physiological Systems describes the many physiological systems that must work in a coordinated fashion to allow the body to maintain sustained physical exertion: the respiratory system, cardiovascular system, muscular and nervous system, endocrine system, and thermoregulatory system, including both acute and chronic (adaptive) responses of these systems to exercise.

• Part IV: Physiology of Training focuses on the practical application and incorporation of many of the principles presented in earlier chapters. General principles of exercise training are followed by chapters covering specific topics such as stability and mobility, cardiorespiratory training, resistance training, flexibility training, skill-related training, and mind–body exercise.

• Part V: Nutritional Strategies outlines the latest information relative to nutrition, hydration, and ergogenic aids for exercise and sports.

• Part VI: Obesity and Weight Management covers an area of major concern for many of the clients with whom health and fitness professionals work on a daily basis.

• Part VII: Fitness Across the Life Span addresses information relative to exercising during all decades of life—from the growth and maturation process in young exercisers to specific programming guidelines for older adults.

• Part VIII: Special Considerations explains common medical conditions and environmental challenges that are likely to be encountered by health and fitness professionals as they work with clients. This part also provides the latest guidelines for programming exercise for special populations. Exercise-related injuries are described, followed by guidelines for safely progressing individuals during the recovery process.

Educators and students alike find special features to be useful in helping the learner comprehend and retain new information, as well as envision how it will apply to practice. Exercise Physiology offers several unique pedagogical features:

• Vignettes open each chapter and pose a thought-provoking question or concept to grab the reader’s interest and showcase the relevance of content. Vignettes progress through the chapter and are resolved in a Vignette Conclusion at the end. Importantly, they are extremely diverse in terms of individuals (i.e., age, ethnicity, and sex), types of professionals/careers (i.e., athletic trainers, physical therapists, and exercise physiologists), and settings (i.e., gym, field, or laboratory), so students from all fields will see themselves in the “story.”

• In Your Own Words entries provide students with opportunities to focus on and practice essential affective skills that will help to make them successful professionals. For example, students are presented with a situation and then asked to articulate, in their own words, how they would respond. This feature encourages professional behavior in students and future professionals.

• Research Highlight features emphasize evidence-based practice by presenting key research and how it applies to practice today.

• From Theory to Practice features showcase real-world examples of how an exercise physiology principle affects fitness and sports performance, and how it can be manipulated by health and fitness professionals to improve performance.

• Doing the Math examples give an applications perspective to math calculations, giving the students the context for how the numbers are used in practice and why they matter.

• Sex Differences features highlight significant differences in male and female responses to activity and other exercise physiology concepts.

• Critical Thinking Questions wrap up each chapter to give students problem-solving experience. Answer prompts are provided in the Instructor Resources.

• Additional Resources lists supplemental content available to readers to support understanding of chapter content.

• Practice What You Know features are the laboratory component of the text, presenting step-by-step experiential exercises to expand the student’s knowledge base and practical experience.

The editors of Exercise Physiology have worked with the contributors to ensure an open, accessible tone and consistent writing level that will engage students—it is not overly theoretical. Students and educators can also be assured of a sound evidence base supporting all content, evidenced by current references for all statistics, exercise guidelines, and other sensitive information. Rigorous development and review processes were followed to ensure the most timely, clearly organized and written, and fully accurate and relevant content.

A completely new, full-color art program including photographs and illustrations has been created to bring the words to life and clarify what can be complex topics for students.

Go beyond the book to DavisPlus for additional resources that support and reinforce content. Learners can see concepts from the book come to life via 18 animated videos that describe physiological processes within the context of body movement and exercise. Online quizzes for each chapter help learners assess their understanding of chapter concepts. To keep learners up to date on the latest news and career trends related to exercise physiology, podcasts featuring ACE experts will be posted quarterly. Finally, learners will be able to access links to nutrition calculators to aid their study and practice.

For educators, DavisPlus features a test bank with optional ExamView Pro software, which makes it easy to customize tests. PowerPoint presentations for each chapter support lectures, and an instructor’s guide and an image bank help in planning and pacing courses. To access these valuable online student and instructor resources, go to DavisPlus at: http://davisplus.fadavis.com.