Exercise has been found to improve quality of life and increase our lifespan, 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 studies how exercise affects the human body — for example, how our oxygen levels increase with aerobic exercise like cycling, or how our 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.
What can exercise physiology assist with?
Accredited Exercise Physiologists are university-qualified health professionals accredited by Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA). An exercise physiologist can help people who have, or are at risk of, a variety of conditions, including:
- Cardiovascular disease — heart disease, coronary artery disease and cardiomyopathy
- Lung disease — COPD, bronchitis, emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis
- Type 2 diabetes
- Neurological conditions — stroke, MS, motor neurone disease, cerebral palsy
- Musculoskeletal conditions — chronic pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, osteopenia
- Depression and anxiety
- Cancer — enhancing quality of life during and after treatment
They can also help with NDIS exercise physiology, functional capacity assessments, lifestyle (diet and exercise) advice, exercise plans for pre- and post-surgery, and workplace assessments.
How does exercise physiology differ from exercise science?
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.
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 concepts of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and oxygen debt. 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.
Early exercise physiologists depended heavily on mechanised machinery to measure the volume of oxygen breathed in and out of the body during increasingly intense exercise — as far back as 1883, German physician Karl Speck built the first ergometer to measure oxygen intake and output during exercise. Today, the same principle lives on in modern VO2 max testing.
Types of exercise physiology
Clinical exercise physiology
Clinical exercise physiology applies exercise physiology principles in a clinical setting. It is frequently used to guide the body’s recovery from injury, or to manage chronic conditions such as chronic pain and lifelong disabilities such as cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis. NDIS participants are often referred for clinical exercise physiology or NDIS physiotherapy to work on specific functional goals at home and in the community.
Sports exercise physiology
Sports physiology is used across professional and amateur sport. Athletes undergo testing designed to measure their maximal oxygen uptake and overall physical condition, and a sports exercise physiologist interprets the results. They may also be consulted during a player’s recovery from injury to gauge fitness and readiness to return to play, working alongside physiotherapists and other health professionals. At Aevum this extends to 3D running analysis for distance runners.
Why work with an exercise physiologist?
An exercise physiologist is a highly trained health professional who understands the complex effects of exercise on the human body. In Australia, exercise physiologists typically complete a four-year university degree, plus 500 hours of clinical placement working directly with patients, before accreditation.
You may work with an exercise physiologist as part of a broader allied health team. As a patient of an Aevum physiotherapist (or an NDIS-referred patient), you may also see an exercise physiologist to better manage conditions that reduce oxygenation of the body, such as emphysema, bronchitis or chronic asthma.
Who can benefit from exercise physiology?
Almost anyone. Clinical exercise physiologists focus on treating chronic illness and physical disability where exercise improves function or relieves pain. You may also work with an exercise physiologist if a medical condition means you need a carefully tailored exercise regimen, or if you’re an athlete wanting to understand and improve your physical condition.
Exercise physiologists also work with people recovering from work-related injuries, and with NDIS participants — often alongside occupational therapists who assess how the home environment could better support mobility and quality of life. People with chronic conditions affecting the cardiovascular system, such as heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes, some cancers and stroke, may also benefit from a prescribed exercise program.
How an exercise physiologist can help
Exercise physiologists work to enhance the overall health of their patients through education and individually prescribed exercise. They review your medical history, test your fitness level, and measure indicators such as blood pressure and oxygen use, then design a program suited to your health, safety and goals. Certified exercise physiologists can also provide behaviour coaching, health education and exercise counselling alongside physical rehabilitation.
It’s important to note that accredited exercise physiologists do not diagnose medical conditions, perform joint manipulation or prescribe medications.
Talk to Aevum today
Our exercise physiologists in the Sutherland Shire can help you build an exercise physiology management plan that works. With our multidisciplinary approach, your exercise physiologist works closely with our physiotherapists, occupational therapists, podiatrists, dietitians and speech pathologists, and we have exercise physiologists experienced with NDIS participants.
If you are living with a debilitating health issue, always speak to your physio before starting any new exercise. Get in touch with our team today to discuss.
Written by Aaron Babb, MAppSc Physiotherapy — Founder & Director, Aevum Health & Physiotherapy.