Lesson 6 – Exercise Physiology

Let’s think about this

Going back to the words of Dr. Robert H Butler, “if exercise can be purchased as a pill, it could be the single most widely
prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation”. These words of Butler can lead us to think that, exercise may be a very
complex idea, and until this time, the leading fitness gurus, researchers have not prescribed the most effective exercise
routine.
In 2015, Dr. Jordan Mitzl a recognized sports medicine physician in New York, was invited to teach medical students how to
counsel their patients to exercise, as one of the most effective forms of preventive medicine. In this event he said, exercise is
available to every single person, has zero side effects and works in some capacity for everybody who takes it and no drug fits
that safety profile with that efficacy.
Exercise Physiology
Exercise physiology is both a basic and an applied science that describes, explains, and uses the body’s response to exercise
and adaptation to exercise training to maximize human physical potential, (Plowman and Smith, 2011). Understanding how the
basic physiological functioning of human body is modified by short- and long term exercise as well as mechanism causing these
changes is important. Unless one knows what responses are normal, one cannot recognize or adjust to abnormal response.
The Exercise Response
From a physiological standpoint, exercise is both involves the process of muscle action/energy expenditure that brings about
the changes in the body. It is therefore understandable that exercise and physical activity are sometimes used interchangeably.
Exercise disrupts homeostasis the body’s state of dynamic equilibrium or balance, causing changes that represent the body
response to exercise such as the increased heart rate during exercise. The increased heart rate is the changes in the body
responding upon physical exertion. However, not everybody responds the same increase of heart rate upon physical exertion.
To determine the factors of the body’s response, exercise modality, intensity and duration must be understood.
 Exercise Modality means the type of activity or the particular exercise, physical activity or sport. Modalities are often
classified by the type of energy demand , the major muscle action or a combination of energy system and muscle
action. To determine the effects of exercise, you must first know what type of exercise being performed.
 Exercise intensity simply refers to the highest intensity, greatest load or the longest duration an individual is capable
of doing. This is clearly manifested when an exercise task begins at a level where the individual is comfortable with and
gradually increases until he or she can do no more.
 Exercise duration is simply a description of the length of time the muscular action continues. In general the higher the
intensity, the lower is the duration used. Conversely, the longer is the duration the lower the intensity that can be
sustained. Thus the amount of homeostasis disruption depends on both the duration and the intensity of the exercise.
These three concepts are actually what the FITT principle in lesson 3 is all about. Basically, exercise creates disruption inside
the body. The only disruption that benefits the entire body system is if the body’s response to exercise is well understood.
Biological Response of the Body to Exercise
Clear skin, improved mood and improved sleep are few of the benefits that a person gets when he exercises. Countless
researches are backing these claims. But there is more than just clear skin, good mood and rejuvenating sleep. In the following
section, you will discover what else is happening inside your body when you engage in exercise, Mercole, (2017)
When you exercise, biological effects occur from head to toe. Here are brief descriptions of these effects. If these effects spark
your curiosity, you can visit fitness.mercola.com for more articles highlighting wonderful effects of exercise to your body.
 Muscles
When you exercise your muscles increase its strength, making it more resistant to muscle fatigue. It also increases the delivery
of the oxygen and nutrients and eliminates wastes inside your body.
 Lungs
In the lungs, exchanges of carbon dioxide and oxygen happen. As your breathing rate increases, it also increases the amount of
oxygen pumped into the rest of the body to supply energy. Its ability to pick up and deliver oxygen is critical for the function of
the body.
  Heart
As your breathing rate increases, your body gets enough oxygen pumped by the heart. As a side effect, this increased efficiency
will also reduce your resting heart rate. Your blood pressure will also decrease as a result of new blood vessels forming,
(Mercola, 2013).
 Brain
The immediate reaction of the brain when there is an increase of blood flow due to exercise is the release of neurotransmitter
that controls the mood such as serotonin or the happy hormones, endorphin known as pain reliever, and dopamine or the
mediator for pleasure, (Mandal, 2017).
Researches to prove the delightful effect of exercise to the brain are on the rise, from increasing cognitive abilities, preventing
diseases, growth of new neurons to over-all increase in productivity and happiness.
 Joints and Bones
Bones become stronger as you exercise along with the muscles, as it pushes and tugs along during physical activity, (National
Institute of Health, n.d).