Biologic Regulation of Physical Activity


Book Description

Biologic Regulation of Physical Activity provides readers with a cutting-edge perspective of underlying issues that may contribute to the obesity epidemic. It offers evidence of a biologic regulator affecting physical activity and explores implications of such biologic control on activity.




Regulation of Coronary Blood Flow


Book Description

Research centering on blood flow in the heart continues to hold an important position, especially since a better understanding of the subject may help reduce the incidence of coronary arterial disease and heart attacks. This book summarizes recent advances in the field; it is the product of fruitful cooperation among international scientists who met in Japan in May, 1990 to discuss the regulation of coronary blood flow.




Educating the Student Body


Book Description

Physical inactivity is a key determinant of health across the lifespan. A lack of activity increases the risk of heart disease, colon and breast cancer, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, osteoporosis, anxiety and depression and others diseases. Emerging literature has suggested that in terms of mortality, the global population health burden of physical inactivity approaches that of cigarette smoking. The prevalence and substantial disease risk associated with physical inactivity has been described as a pandemic. The prevalence, health impact, and evidence of changeability all have resulted in calls for action to increase physical activity across the lifespan. In response to the need to find ways to make physical activity a health priority for youth, the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Physical Activity and Physical Education in the School Environment was formed. Its purpose was to review the current status of physical activity and physical education in the school environment, including before, during, and after school, and examine the influences of physical activity and physical education on the short and long term physical, cognitive and brain, and psychosocial health and development of children and adolescents. Educating the Student Body makes recommendations about approaches for strengthening and improving programs and policies for physical activity and physical education in the school environment. This report lays out a set of guiding principles to guide its work on these tasks. These included: recognizing the benefits of instilling life-long physical activity habits in children; the value of using systems thinking in improving physical activity and physical education in the school environment; the recognition of current disparities in opportunities and the need to achieve equity in physical activity and physical education; the importance of considering all types of school environments; the need to take into consideration the diversity of students as recommendations are developed. This report will be of interest to local and national policymakers, school officials, teachers, and the education community, researchers, professional organizations, and parents interested in physical activity, physical education, and health for school-aged children and adolescents.




The Biology of Exercise


Book Description

Exercise training provokes widespread transformations in the human body, requiring coordinated changes in muscle composition, blood flow, neuronal and hormonal signaling, and metabolism. These changes enhance physical performance, improve mental health, and delay the onset of aging and disease. Understanding the molecular basis of these changes is therefore important for optimizing athletic ability and for developing drugs that elicit therapeutic effects. Written and edited by experts in the field, this collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine examines the biological basis of exercise from the molecular to the systemic levels. Contributors discuss how transcriptional regulation, cytokine and hormonal signaling, glucose metabolism, epigenetic modifications, microRNA profiles, and mitochondrial and ribosomal functions are altered in response to exercise training, leading to improved skeletal muscle, hippocampal, and cardiovascular function. Cross talk among the pathways underlying tissue-specific and systemic responses to exercise is also considered. The authors also discuss how the understanding of such molecular mechanisms may lead to the development of drugs that mitigate aging and disease. This volume will therefore serve as a vital reference for all involved in the fields of sports science and medicine, as well as anyone seeking to understand the molecular mechanisms by which exercise promotes whole-body health.




Rare Diseases and Orphan Products


Book Description

Rare diseases collectively affect millions of Americans of all ages, but developing drugs and medical devices to prevent, diagnose, and treat these conditions is challenging. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends implementing an integrated national strategy to promote rare diseases research and product development.




Controversies in Exercise Science


Book Description

Controversies in Exercise Science introduces a series of selected unresolved issues in the field of human exercise science. The common thread to all of these topics is that, in their ultimate resolution, they offer promise of insights into the essential principles of physiological systems and how these respond to the stresses of exercise. Each case study includes an examination of research surrounding each issue; the innovative aspect, however, will be that each of these controversies will be presented in the context of an historical and/or philosophical perspective. These chapter include topics related to basic exercise physiology, sports, physical activity, and exercise health. Underlying each of these debates lie clues which may offer insights into the basic nature of living beings. Aimed at both academics and practitioners in the fields of exercise science, biology, and related sports science disciplines, Controversies in Exercise Science provides arguments for both sides of several selected contemporary controversies in the field of exercise science and, while no ultimate resolution will be provided, the goal is, rather, to offer the reader sufficient "raw material" on which he or she might make their own judgement on the matters presented.




Exercise Psychology


Book Description

In this in-depth examination of the relationship between exercise and psychological constructs information is presented from a wide variety of disciplines, including neuroscience and public health.




U.S. Health in International Perspective


Book Description

The United States is among the wealthiest nations in the world, but it is far from the healthiest. Although life expectancy and survival rates in the United States have improved dramatically over the past century, Americans live shorter lives and experience more injuries and illnesses than people in other high-income countries. The U.S. health disadvantage cannot be attributed solely to the adverse health status of racial or ethnic minorities or poor people: even highly advantaged Americans are in worse health than their counterparts in other, "peer" countries. In light of the new and growing evidence about the U.S. health disadvantage, the National Institutes of Health asked the National Research Council (NRC) and the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to convene a panel of experts to study the issue. The Panel on Understanding Cross-National Health Differences Among High-Income Countries examined whether the U.S. health disadvantage exists across the life span, considered potential explanations, and assessed the larger implications of the findings. U.S. Health in International Perspective presents detailed evidence on the issue, explores the possible explanations for the shorter and less healthy lives of Americans than those of people in comparable countries, and recommends actions by both government and nongovernment agencies and organizations to address the U.S. health disadvantage.




Applications of Biological Anthropology to Human Affairs


Book Description

The unique contribution made by biological anthropology to human welfare lies in the fundamental understanding it can provide of the dynamic interrelationships between physical and social factors. By understanding these patterns, we can interpret the significance of variation in such measures of human well-being in terms of the incidence of disease and mortality rates. Topics covered in this book include reproductive ecology and fertility, nutritional status in relation to health, and the effects of pollution on individual growth. In later chapters, the concepts of physiological adaptation and Darwinian fitness and their relation to individual physical fitness are explored.




The Role of Protein and Amino Acids in Sustaining and Enhancing Performance


Book Description

It is a commonly held belief that athletes, particularly body builders, have greater requirements for dietary protein than sedentary individuals. However, the evidence in support of this contention is controversial. This book is the latest in a series of publications designed to inform both civilian and military scientists and personnel about issues related to nutrition and military service. Among the many other stressors they experience, soldiers face unique nutritional demands during combat. Of particular concern is the role that dietary protein might play in controlling muscle mass and strength, response to injury and infection, and cognitive performance. The first part of the book contains the committee's summary of the workshop, responses to the Army's questions, conclusions, and recommendations. The remainder of the book contains papers contributed by speakers at the workshop on such topics as, the effects of aging and hormones on regulation of muscle mass and function, alterations in protein metabolism due to the stress of injury or infection, the role of individual amino acids, the components of proteins, as neurotransmitters, hormones, and modulators of various physiological processes, and the efficacy and safety considerations associated with dietary supplements aimed at enhancing performance.