This book examines the new knowledge that has been gained from the objective monitoring of habitual physical activity by means of pedometers and accelerometers. It reviews current advances in the technology of activity monitoring and details advantages of objective monitors relative to physical activity questionnaires. It points to continuing gaps in knowledge, and explores the potential for further advances in the design of objective monitoring devices. Epidemiologists have studied relationships between questionnaire assessments of habitual physical activity and various medical conditions for some seventy years. In general, they have observed positive associations between regular exercise and good health, but because of inherent limitations in the reliability and accuracy of physical activity questionnaires, optimal exercise recommendations for the prevention and treatment of disease have remained unclear. Inexpensive pedometers and accelerometers now offer the epidemiologist the potential to collect relatively precisely graded and objective information on the volume, intensity and patterns of effort that people are undertaking, to relate this data to past and future health experience, and to establish dose/response relationships between physical activity and the various components of health. Such information is important both in assessing the causal nature of the observed associations and in establishing evidence-based recommendations concerning the minimal levels of daily physical activity needed to maintain good health.

Fully updated, revised and consolidated into one single volume, the fourth edition of Kinanthropometry and Exercise Physiology offers the best theoretically contextualised, practical resource for instructors and students available. Incorporating substantial sections on kinanthropometry, exercise physiology, energy systems and the application of science in health and high performance settings, the book covers the basics of measurement in exercise science through to advanced methods, and includes brand new chapters on: Pre-exercise screening and health risk stratification Functional movement assessment Point of care testing Anthropometry standards Anaerobic power and capacity History of exercise for health benefits Monitoring training loads in high-performance athletes Measuring game style in team sports Offering on-line access to newly developed exercise science measurement tools through the Exercise Science Toolkit – www.exercisesciencetoolkit.com – no other book offers such a complete resource, from the science of kinanthropometry and exercise physiology to their applications in health and performance, through practical, interactive learning. This book is an essential companion for students on any sport and exercise science-related degree programme and any instructor leading practical, laboratory-based classes.

The organs of the gastro-intestinal tract play an essential role in sustained physical activity, but their consideration in exercise-related literature has, to this point, been limited. Physical Activity and the Gastro-Intestinal Tract is the first book to explain the function and response to exercise of the gastro-intestinal system, in cases of both health and disease, and helps to shed light on the role they play in acute and chronic exercise. Professor Roy Shephard synthesises previously disparate research to explain the physiology, function, pathology of disease and role of exercise in both health and chronic disease, covering topics including: physical activity and the oesophagus gastro-duodenal function and physical activity physical activity and peptic ulcers physical activity and gastro-oesophageal cancers physical activity and the function of the large bowel physical activity and chronic intestinal inflammation. With each chapter including a thorough bibliography and signposts to further reading, Physical Activity and the Gastro-Intestinal Tract provides a complete reference for understanding how exercise affects the function of the digestive organs. It is an important text for academics and upper-level students in sports medicine and exercise physiology, and for health professionals in preventative medicine.

This book provides a unique and succinct account of the history of health and fitness, responding to the growing recognition of physicians, policy makers and the general public that exercise is the most potent form of medicine available to humankind. Individual chapters present information extending from the earliest reaches of human history to the present day, arranged in the form of 30 thematic essays covering topics from the supposed idyll of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle and its posited health benefits to the evolution of health professionals and the possible contribution of the Olympic movement to health and fitness in our current society. Learning objectives are set for each topic, and although technical language is avoided as far as possible, a thorough glossary explains any specialized terms that are introduced in each chapter. The critical thinking of the reader is stimulated by a range of questions arising from the text context, and each chapter concludes with a brief discussion of some of the more important implications for public policies on health and fitness today and into the future. The material will be of particular interest to graduate and undergraduate students in public health, health promotion, health policy, kinesiology, physical education, but will be of interest also to many studying medicine, history and sociology.

There have been many books written on the subject of obesity, but most have approached the topic from the standpoint of the nutritionist, concluding from the somewhat fallacious evidence of changes in body mass that exercise has little place in the prevention or the treatment of obesity. This new volume, written by an exercise physiologist, approaches the topic through a thoughtful lens, suggesting that regular physical activity plays an important role in preventing the development of obesity, is a valuable adjunct therapy in the treatment of the established condition, and makes a solid contribution to the maintenance of weight loss once target weights have been achieved. In addition to detailing evidence that supports such a conclusion, the text offers a unique perspective on obesity over the ages. It evaluates methods of determining body fat content that are appropriate to field and epidemiological studies, and it looks at the timing and aetiology of the recent obesity epidemic. It also considers the diseases associated with obesity and the resultant medical costs, attempting to disentangle the respective contributions of a sedentary lifestyle and the resultant accumulation of fat to the observed patterns of ill-health. Other sections of the text suggest that adipose tissue has important functions beyond the passive storage of energy, and looks critically at the excuse of "bad genes" that some people plead to explain their excessive body weight. Obesity: A Kinesiologist’s Perspective should thus provide helpful information and be a key resource for students and researchers alike in bariatrics, kinesiology and nutrition as well as the related disciplines.

This book describes key methods and instruments for assessing diet-related factors, physical activity, social and environmental factors, physical characteristics and health-related outcomes in children and adolescents. These tools were developed and deployed within the framework of the pan-European IDEFICS and I.Family cohort studies. These population-based field studies were funded within the 6th and 7th European Framework Programme, respectively, and were intended to assess the prevalence and aetiology of lifestyle-related diseases in children, focusing on overweight and obesity, and to develop effective strategies for primary prevention. In the course of a decade we undertook a major research endeavour, collecting standardised data from children, families, neighbourhoods, kindergartens, pre-schools and schools in eight European countries, employing a uniform cross-cultural methodology. This resulted in a rich picture of the daily lives and living contexts of children and their families. Studies encompassing childhood and adolescence face the particular challenge of the transitions from pre-school to primary school and from childhood to adolescence; accordingly, the instruments used need to be adapted to different developmental stages while maintaining their comparability across the age range. In young children, questionnaires have to be completed by proxies, usually their parents, while older children, particularly adolescents, can provide a major part of the requested information themselves. This book presents suitable designs, methods and instruments for data collection in studies of children and adolescents. Each chapter explains the development and background of the instruments applied in the surveys and summarises the current state of knowledge. All chapters were written by key experts in their respective research fields. We are grateful for their valuable contributions and their enthusiastic support in producing this book, which also presents survey experiences in which practice does not always follow theory. Participants’ responses can on occasion be unexpected and unpredictable, but meeting these challenges can also enrich epidemiological surveys and yield methodological refinements. We sincerely hope that the book and the online material will be of considerable value to other research teams.

Physical Activity Epidemiology, Second Edition, provides a comprehensive discussion of current population-level studies showing the influence of physical activity on disease. Updated with extensive new research collected in the eight years since the previous edition, the second edition adds the expertise of respected epidemiologist I-Min Lee. To assist readers in understanding the public health significance of physical activity, Dishman, Heath, and Lee present a detailed review of research findings and what those findings suggest regarding the relationship between physical activity and a variety of health risks. The second edition of this groundbreaking text has been exhaustively updated to reflect the wealth of new research published in this fast-moving field of study. With more than 100 pages of additional content, the text also offers more detailed coverage of all-cause and coronary heart disease mortality, expanded coverage of pathophysiology and biological plausibility, new information on physical activity among various racial–ethnic populations, and the effects of physical activity on cognitive function, dementia, and HIV/AIDS. More than 250 tables and figures, twice the number found in the previous edition, highlight the latest epidemiological information in an easy-to-understand visual format. Physical Activity Epidemiology, Second Edition, assists readers in understanding how leisure-time physical activity can enhance people’s quantity and quality of life by summarizing the available knowledge, detailing the methods used to obtain it, considering its implications for public health, and outlining the important questions that remain. Readers will find comprehensive discussion of these topics: • Evidence that physical activity protects against the development of coronary heart disease and stroke and premature death from all causes • Population-based studies and clinical experiments providing evidence that physical activity and exercise play a role in the primary and secondary prevention of mild hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity • Contemporary epidemiologic evidence that physical activity reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis and protects against the development of breast and colon cancers, some inflammatory diseases, depression, and anxiety disorders • Considerations in the promotion of a safe, physically active lifestyle among all segments of the population Physical Activity Epidemiology, Second Edition, will engage and challenge students by examining the state of current research in all of its variation and even ambiguity. The text details the methodology and findings of classic and contemporary studies and then helps students begin to analyze the results. Special Strength of the Evidence sections found at the end of most chapters summarize the findings to determine the extent to which correlation and causation can be proven. Chapter objectives, chapter summaries, and sidebars in each chapter assist students in focusing on the key points of study, and an extensive glossary with detailed definitions provides a handy reference for review. Instructors will find a new image bank in this edition to enhance their class lecture materials. Physical Activity Epidemiology, Second Edition, offers students, sport and exercise scientists, health and fitness professionals, and public health administrators a comprehensive presentation of significant studies, how these studies contribute to understanding the relationship between activity and disease prevention, and how this information can be used in leading individuals, communities, and global society toward increased health and longevity.