In this book, distinguished contributors, including anthropologists, human biologists, physiologists, nutritionists, and clinical scientists, describe many of the new strategies for assessing body composition and physical performance. This volume is suitable for students and professionals in sports nutrition and exercise. It provides a needed link between body composition and physical performance. It will also be useful to workers in sports medicine and ergonomics.

Interest in the relationships between body structure and function in physical activity has persisted for centuries. Body Composition: Health and Performance in Exercise and Sport advances understanding beyond simple descriptions of body physique and composition of athletes and fills gaps in our understanding of the important role of muscle, fat, and bone in facilitating physical performance and health in sports and physically demanding occupations. lt addresses basic, practical, and applied topics in body composition, performance, and health with comprehensive reviews organized in four logical parts: Body Composition Assessment; Physical Activity and Body Composition; Body Composition in Sports and Occupations; and Moderating Factors. This book integrates state-of-the-art knowledge by international experts in the field and produces an evidence-based practical guide for a balanced understanding of the role and use of body composition assessment in physical performance and health for youth and adults. It also provides a needed link between the practice of body composition assessment and its application by members of public health advisory committees that develop national guidelines for diet, physical activity, and health. This book is suitable for students and professionals in sports nutrition, exercise science, kinesiology, and athletic training. Sport administrators and policy-makers for international and national sport federations and organizations, and national intercollegiate and scholastic federations, would also benefit from this book.

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.

Regular physical activity is proven to help prevent and treat noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease stroke diabetes and breast and colon cancer. It also helps to prevent hypertension overweight and obesity and can improve mental health quality of life and well-being. In addition to the multiple health benefits of physical activity societies that are more active can generate additional returns on investment including a reduced use of fossil fuels cleaner air and less congested safer roads. These outcomes are interconnected with achieving the shared goals political priorities and ambition of the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030. The new WHO global action plan to promote physical activity responds to the requests by countries for updated guidance and a framework of effective and feasible policy actions to increase physical activity at all levels. It also responds to requests for global leadership and stronger regional and national coordination and the need for a whole-of-society response to achieve a paradigm shift in both supporting and valuing all people being regularly active according to ability and across the life course. The action plan was developed through a worldwide consultation process involving governments and key stakeholders across multiple sectors including health sports transport urban design civil society academia and the private sector.

The current book presents the articles included in the Special Issue "Women in Sports and Exercise: From Health to Sports Performance". Readers will find in this book evidence about the relationships between physical qualities in sports and how women's performance can be optimized using dedicated training intervention. Moreover, information about the impact of the menstrual cycle on athletic performance will be revealed. Attention to physical activity patterns in women will be also disclosed.

The analysis of body composition (fat, bone and muscle) is an important process throughout the biomedical sciences. This is the first book to offer a clear and detailed introduction to the key methods and techniques in body composition analysis and to explain the importance of body composition data in the context of sport, exercise and health. With contributions from some of the world’s leading body composition specialists, the book goes further than any other in demonstrating the practical and applied value of body composition analysis in areas such as performance sport and weight control in clinical populations. The book pays particular attention to the important concept of change in body composition, and includes discussion of ethical issues in the collection, interpretation and presentation of data, and considerations when working with special populations. Bridging the gap between research methods and practical application, this book is important reading for advanced students and practitioners working in sport and exercise science, health science, anatomy, nutrition, physical therapy or ergonomics.

The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans provides science-based guidance to help Americans aged 6 and older improve their health through appropriate physical activity. The primary audiences for the Physical Activity Guidelines are policymakers and health professionals.