Exercise Science Research

Part of the focus of Exercise Science has been the quest to determine which exercises work best for certain conditions of the body, based not on what may be in fashion, but on a scientific observation and direct measurement of vital signs before and after use. The scientific observation of exercise and physical training in Western culture can be traced back to the Greek physician Hippocrates (4th century B.C.E.) and the Roman physician Galen (circa 130 – 201 C.E.). Their observations on the preservation of health through diet and exercise influenced the later European scientists of the Renaissance and Enlightenment.

During the 1700's and 1800's in the United States, a number of discoveries—such as oxygen's role in combustion, the breakdown of food as a composition of proteins, carbohydrates and fats—paved the way for modern scientifically-based medicine and physiology. The U.S. Army, during the American Civil War, began taking physical measurements of incoming recruits to determine relationships between muscle size and capability.

In the late 1800's, Amherst College became famous for its exercise research. The manual Amherst published included instructions for scientifically-based exercises to "enlarge and strengthen the neck, remedy round or stooping shoulders, increase the size of the chest and capacity of the lungs, strengthen and enlarge the arm, abdominal muscles and weak back, and to enlarge and strengthen the thighs, calves, legs and ankles." In 1892 Harvard University opened the first formal exercise physiology lab as part of a program that trained students who could go on to become instructors in physical training or enter medical school.

Through the 1900's, a few other colleges opened exercise physiology labs. In 1927, Harvard created the Human Fatigue Laboratory, which conducted research measuring the body physiology during and after use of a treadmill or bicycle. Their methods are now commonly applied to measure fitness levels in exercise and medical settings.

In 1968 Kenneth H. Cooper introduced the idea of aerobic exercise with his book Aerobics. Jogging became a worldwide phenomenon. His ideas were resisted by the medical community until Cooper convinced the medical board in Dallas to "stress test" middle aged and elderly people before they began exercising. By 1972, cardiac patients were being told to do aerobic conditioning, and exercise again became a medicine.

Today, there is a movement toward a whole-athlete model, one which brings the totality of life to sports participation. In this approach, exercises are created to enhance a synergistic interaction of the different systems—respiratory and circulatory (aerobic), muscular (strength training) and flexibility (stretching and toning). In addition, the sports participant is seen as a complex not only of physical qualities, but also emotional, mental and social factors.

Current studies in exercise science can be found in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (www.nsca-lift.org). It features original research that addresses optimal physical performance through applied exercise science, including conditioning, sport and exercise demands, the effects of training programs on physical performance, and underlying biological basis for exercise performance.

Exercise Science Research Sources >