Exercise Physiology Explained - What You Need To Know
Exercise has been found to improve quality of life and increase our life span, reducing the risk of heart disease and keeping our muscles stronger. It’s also great for your mental health. If you are experiencing problems with your mental or physical health, exercise physiology might be just what you need to get back to living a better life.
Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Exercise Physiology?
Exercise physiology studies how exercise impacts the body’s organs, bones, muscles and tissue structures. This encapsulates a wide variety of scientific knowledge and education and studies how exercise affects the human body. For example, how our oxygen levels increase with aerobic exercise like cycling or how our body’s muscles grow through weightlifting.
This work is undertaken by exercise physiologists, often viewed as being at the pinnacle of their profession by others within the sport-science and exercise science fields.
Exercise has been shown to increase your lifespan and improve your quality of life, reducing the risk of heart disease and strengthening your muscles. Exercise also greatly improves mental health. If you have been struggling with physical or mental health, consulting with an exercise physiologist Australia might be just what you need.
This article will delve into exercise physiology meaning, exercise science physiology, what do exercise physiologists do, physiology physiotherapy, and we’ll also discuss
What Can Exercise Physiology Assist With?
Accredited Exercise Physiologists are health professionals who have degrees from a university and are part of Exercise and Sport Science Australia or have their support (ESSA). An exercise physiologist can help people who have or are at risk of a variety of ailments, including:
Cardiovascular disease - heart disease, coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy
Disease of the lungs - COPD, bronchitis, emphysema, bronchitis, pulmonary fibrosis
Type 2 diabetes
Neurological disease - stroke, MS, motor Neuron, cerebral palsy
Musculoskeletal disease - chronic pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, osteopenia
Depression and anxiety
Cancer – enhancing quality of life
They can also help with:
Functional capacity assessments
Lifestyle – diet and exercise – advice
Exercise plans for pre- and post-surgery
Workplace assessments
How Does Exercise Physiology Differ From Exercise Science?
Exercise physiology differs from exercise science, as the latter focuses on how exercise occurs within the human body. Exercise science is a more general umbrella term that can include multiple disciplines within kinesiology - for example, physical education teachers may hold kinesiology degrees. Exercise physiology is both a field of study and a professional title. Many exercise physiologists work within the structure of a professional sports team’s health department, focusing on sports physiology.
Understanding exercise physiology and the role of an exercise physiologist may help you decide if you need to consult with one, like those on the team at Aevum Health.
A Brief History of Exercise Physiology
Exercise physiology was first introduced as a scientific field of study after 1922 when British physiologist Archibald Hill introduced the concept of “maximal oxygen uptake” (vO2max) and oxygen debt to the physiology world. Maximal oxygen uptake is the maximum amount of oxygen your body’s cells can absorb during physical exertion. This work by Hill and German scientist Otto Meyerhof won the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 1922 as part of their larger study on how the body metabolises oxygen to turn it into energy.
Exercise physiologists and exercise physiotherapists depended heavily upon mechanised machinery to measure the volume of oxygen breathed in and out of the body during increasingly intense physical exercise. In 1883, German physician Karl Speck founded the first ergometer to measure oxygen output and intake during physical exercise.
Types of Exercise Physiology
There are two main types of exercise physiology programs: clinical exercise physiology and sports exercise physiology. Both can include cardio respiratory physiology, the study of how well your body’s cardiovascular (blood and oxygen circulatory systems) and respiratory systems (organs and tissues that help you breathe) respond to increased oxygen levels through physical exercise.
Clinical Exercise Physiology
Clinical exercise physiology uses exercise physiology principles and knowledge in a clinical setting. This type of exercise physiology is frequently used to gauge the body’s recovery from an injury or manage chronic conditions such as chronic pain and permanent disabilities such as cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis. NDIS may also refer patients to clinical exercise physiology or NDIS physiotherapy for specific work on specific bodily functions to help them manoeuvre better around their home.
Sports Exercise Physiology
Sports physiology is a type of exercise physiology used exclusively by sports teams. In a quasi-clinical setting, professional sportspeople across the sports spectrum undergo intense physical exercise regimens designed to measure their maximal oxygen uptake and overall physical health. vO2max tests are typically conducted during routine physicals, and a sports exercise physiologist interprets the results.
Sports exercise physiologists may also be consulted during a player’s recovery from injuries to gauge their physical fitness levels and readiness to return to the team’s playable roster. This role of an exercise physiologist is often used in conjunction with an exercise therapist, physiotherapists, and other health professionals.
The third type of physiology is health physiology, which is the study of how exercise, lifestyle choices and diet affect the body’s physical health. Healthcare professionals like doctors or nurse practitioners may consult health physiologists to treat chronic conditions like heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Health physiologists can include exercise physiologists and dietitians.
Why Work With an Exercise Physiologist?
So, what is a physiologist, and what does an exercise physiologist do?
An exercise physiologist is a highly-trained and qualified medical professional capable of understanding the complex world of exercise and its effects on the human body. You may work with an exercise physiologist as part of a team of physical therapy specialists, including exercise physiotherapists and kinesiologists with varying specialties.
Exercise physiologists in Australia will typically complete a four-year degree in exercise physiology, either as an undergraduate or a Master’s degree specialisation following an undergraduate degree in Kinesiology, Biology, or related scientific field.
On top of their four years of education, exercise physiologists must complete 500 hours of clinical placement working directly with patients. Exercise physiologists can also conduct running analyses of long-distance and track runners, bringing their knowledge of gait, stride length, timing and the body’s cardiovascular system to help improve running performance.
As a patient of an Aevum physiotherapist (or an NDIS-referred patient), you may also see an exercise physiologist to understand better how to manage reduced oxygenation of your blood due to certain medical conditions that reduce oxygenation of the body like emphysema, bronchitis, or chronic asthma.
Who Can Benefit From Exercise Physiology?
Working with an exercise physiologist benefits anyone! Exercise physiologists can also operate private practices outside sports teams and other sports-centric organisations. These clinical exercise physiologists operate in a more medicine-intensive space, perhaps as part of a team with an exercise physiotherapist. Clinical exercise physiology focuses on treating patients with chronic physiological illnesses and physical disabilities that are improved or pain alleviated by physical exercise.
You may also work with an exercise physiologist if you require a specific exercise regimen due to medical conditions that may prevent you from performing certain types of exercise. This sub-field of exercise physiology is known as fitness physiology.
Members of sports teams may also visit an exercise physiologist to understand better their current physical health and how they may improve in certain areas. Long-distance runners, track cyclists, footballers and others may work routinely with sports exercise physiologists with a background in applied exercise science.
In addition, exercise physiologists may also work with patients with chronic disabilities or patients suffering from mobility reduction due to work-related injury that is either temporary or permanent. The latter are often referred to physiotherapists by the National Disability Insurance Scheme, or NDIS. NDIS physiotherapists often work with occupational therapists to assess if or how the individual’s living environment could be changed to allow them better mobility and quality of life.
People suffering from chronic conditions that affect their cardiovascular systems, such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, some cancers and strokes, may also consult an exercise physiologist to come up with exercises that they can do to help improve their overall health and lifespan outcomes.
Why is Exercise Physiology Important?
Exercise physiology is a critical part of our scientific community and healthcare infrastructure. As the human understanding of how our bodies operate has evolved, so has our ability to overcome different medical challenges that we may be presented with during our lives. whether these conditions are biological, environmental, or lifestyle-related, understanding how exercise plays a key role in our longevity as individuals and as a species will only help us to achieve more in our short time on this earth.
Without a deep understanding of how our bodies work that exercise physiologists bring to the medical and scientific communities, we wouldn’t have the necessary knowledge and healthcare infrastructure to take care of our bodies properly by exercising regularly, eating properly and receiving the correct types of medical care when necessary.
If you suffer from a chronic condition that requires condition-specific exercises, have been injured in a work-related accident, or play professional sports and think you might benefit from a consultation with an exercise physiologist, contact Aevum Health’s exercise physiology services today to set up your first consultation.
How An Exercise Physiologist Can Help
Exercise physiologists try to enhance the overall health of their patients, helping people to improve key health indicators by teaching them about health and giving them exercise plans. Some exercise physiologists work in conjunction with primary care doctors, and all physiologists will look at a patient's medical history to determine the best exercise and fitness plan.
The physiologist will devise a program based on how your body adapts to and is stimulated by muscle action. This can aid in illness prevention and treatment as well as general fitness and performance enhancement.
To do that, the physiologist will use medical equipment to test a patient's fitness level and analyse the results. They’ll also measure a patient's body fat, blood pressure, oxygen use, and other health indicators, and from there, they’ll be able to devise a plan that will be beneficial to the health and safety of the client.
Certified exercise physiologists can also help with behaviour coaching, health education and exercise counselling alongside your physical rehabilitation. Counselling, education, and exercise are essential to help you get back on your feet as soon as possible.
It’s important to note that accredited exercise physiologists are not allowed to diagnose medical conditions, perform joint manipulation, or give out any medications.
Call Aevum Health Today
Here at Aevum Physiotherapy, our exercise physiologists in the Sutherland Shire can help you to come up with an exercise physiology management plan that works.
With our multidisciplinary approach to patient care, we have a professional team on hand to help you with exercise physiology and many other services. Our exercise physiology team works closely with our occupational therapists, physiotherapists, podiatrists, dieticians, and speech pathologists to make sure you get the best care possible. We also have exercise physiologist NDIS specialists to assist those in need.
It's important to remember that if you are living with a debilitating health issue, you should always speak to your physio before starting any new exercises.
Get in touch with our professional, experienced team today to discuss.