What exactly is exercise physiology?

Exercise physiology refers to the integration of exercise and principles of physical activity in areas such as health, rehabilitation, sports performance, and disease prevention. Exercise physiologists therefore work in a wide range of settings, from hospital and healthcare facilities to community organizations, says sports training enthusiast Ryan Shephard.

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What’s important is distinguishing exercise physiology from the related fields of exercise science, kinesiology, and sports medicine. There are distinct differences among these that must be explained. First, kinesiology means the study of human movement and its various biological, behavioral, developmental, and social bases. Those who have a degree in kinesiology tend to specialize in one specific field, and that could very well be exercise physiology. In short, kinesiology is the more umbrella or canopy term and exercise physiology is the specialization.

Sports medicine is concerned with directly dealing with injuries sustained in exercise, sports, other physical activity. This includes prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. While this field used to be populated mainly by physicians, professionals from various, related fields like nutritionists, athletic trainers, physical therapists, and exercise physiologists now work in sports medicine.

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Finally, remember that exercise physiology is not the same as exercise science, adds Ryan Shephard. While both terms are used to describe a field of study aimed at understanding how our body responds to exercise, physical activity, and sport, exercise physiology has a more standardized and physiology-based curriculum. Exercise science often has curricula that vary widely from one program to the next, depending on the focus (from physical education and health to human performance).

University of Michigan student Ryan Shephard is currently pursuing an athletic training degree, hoping to become a certified sports and rehabilitation specialist in the future. He has always been fascinated by sports and the way the human body works. Visit this blog for related posts.