Main description:

The human body is designed for activity. For most of our history, physical activity was required for survival, but technological advances have eliminated much of the need for hard physical labor. As our activity levels have dropped, it has become clear that a physically inactive lifestyle can lead to a host of health problems. Physical Activity and Health, Second Edition, provides a comprehensive treatment of the research on the benefits of a physically active lifestyle in comparison with the harmful consequences of physical inactivity.

Written by leading scientists from the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia, Physical Activity and Health, Second Edition, brings together the results of the most important studies on the relationship between physical activity, sedentarism, and various health outcomes. The second edition has been fully updated based on the latest advances in this rapidly changing field and expanded to include the following new content:

* A chapter on the physiology of inactivity and the effects of sedentary behavior even in people who engage in appropriate amounts of physical activity, which is an area of growing interest

* More extensive coverage of physical activity, aging, and the brain, including a new chapter on the relationship between physical activity and brain structures and functions

* A chapter on the development of national and international physical activity and health guidelines, which will help readers better understand how scientific findings are converted into practical recommendations

Physical Activity and Health, Second Edition, offers a detailed yet concise presentation of key concepts as well as a framework to help readers relate results from single studies or collections of studies to the overall paradigm linking physical activity and physical fitness to health. For each of the topics covered, the text provides an overview of the most important research findings, discusses the limitations of the current knowledge base, and identifies directions for future investigation.

At the core of the text is a review of our current understanding of how physical activity affects health concerns such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity as well as aging and mental health. The text identifies sedentary living habits and poor fitness as major public health problems and examines the potential of physical activity to prevent disease and enhance quality of life. This complete resource also looks at the evolution of the field of physical activity and health; variations in physical activity levels across age, sex, and ethnic groups; the body's physiological responses to physical activity; dose-response issues; and the influence of genetics on physical activity, fitness, and health. The book ends with an integration of the issues covered and discusses new opportunities for research.

The second edition of Physical Activity and Health continues to offer clear, user-friendly coverage of the most important concepts and research in the field. Numerous special features will aid readers in their comprehension of the material. Chapter outlines and callout boxes help readers key in on important topics and focus their reading, and chapter summaries, definitions of key terms, and study questions provide tools for review and self-testing. Commonly used acronyms and abbreviations are found on the interior covers for handy reference.

Where other books have simply promoted physical activity for the individual or a population, Physical Activity and Health, Second Edition, completely integrates current knowledge of the relationship between physical activity and health. With contributions from some of the finest scientists in the field, this comprehensive text offers information unmatched in accuracy and reliability.

Contents:

Part I: History and Current Status of the Study of Physical Activity and Health

Chapter 1: Why Study Physical Activity and Health?

Claude Bouchard, PhD; Steven N. Blair, PED; and William L. Haskell, PhD

Human Evolution, History, and Physical Activity

Burden of Chronic Diseases

Health and Its Determinants

Aging and Health

Defining Physical Activity and Physical Fitness

Physical Inactivity Versus Physical Activity

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 2: Historical Perspectives on Physical Activity, Fitness, and Health

Russell R. Pate, PhD

Early Beliefs About Physical Activity and Health

Scientific Inquiry on Exercise and Health

Evolution of Physical Activity Guidelines

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 3: Physical Activity and Fitness With Age, Sex, and Ethnic Differences

Peter T. Katzmarzyk, PhD, FACSM

Physical Activity

Physical Fitness

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 4: Sedentary Behavior and Inactivity Physiology

Marc Hamilton, PhD; and Neville Owen, PhD

Sedentary Behavior, Physical Activity, and Public Health

Inactivity Physiology: The Underlying Biology of Acute and Chronic Muscular Inactivity

Sedentary Behavior and Metabolic Health: Emerging Epidemiological Evidence

Humans May Not Have Reached the Pinnacle of Physical Inactivity

A Comprehensive Sedentary Behavior Research Agenda

Public Health Implications

Summary

Review Materials

Part II: Effects of Physical Activity on the Human Organism

Chapter 5: Metabolic, Cardiovascular, and Respiratory Responses to Physical Activity

Edward T. Howley, PhD

Relationship of Energy to Physical Activity

Oxygen Consumption and Cardiovascular and Respiratory Responses to Exercise

Effect of Training, Age, and Gender on Maximal Oxygen Uptake

Application to Exercise Training and Physical Activity Interventions

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 6: Acute Responses to Physical Activity and Exercise

Adrianne E. Hardman, MSc, PhD

Lipids and Lipoproteins

Endothelial Function

Insulin-Glucose Dynamics

Blood Pressure

Hematological Changes

Immune Function and Inflammation

Responses Related to Energy Balance

Augmentation of Acute Effects by Training

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 7: Hormonal Response to Regular Physical Activity

Peter A. Farrell, PhD

Defining Hormones

Importance of Hormonal Regulation

Regular Physical Activity and Hormonal Adaptations

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 8: Skeletal Muscle Adaptation to Regular Physical Activity

Howard J. Green, PhD

Skeletal Muscle and Human Survival

Muscle Cell: Composition, Structure, and Function

Muscle Fiber Types and Subtypes

Muscle Adaptation and Functional Consequences

Aging Muscle: The Role of Training

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 9: Response of Liver, Kidney, and Other Organs and Tissues to Regular Physical Activity

Roy J. Shephard, MB, BS, MD (London), PhD, DPE

Acute Effects of Physical Activity

Chronic Effects of Physical Activity

Strengths and Limitations of the Current Evidence

Summary

Review Materials

Part III: Physical Activity, Fitness, and Health

Chapter 10: Physical Activity, Fitness, and Mortality Rates

Michael J. LaMonte, PhD; and Steven N. Blair, PED

Physical Activity and Mortality

Fitness and Mortality

Activity or Fitness and Mortality in Adults With Existing Diseases

Quantifying the Population Mortality Burden of Inactivity

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 11: Physical Activity, Fitness, and Cardiac, Vascular, and Pulmonary Morbidities

Ian Janssen, PhD

Low Physical Activity and Low Cardiorespiratory Fitness as Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Morbidities

Low Physical Activity and Low Cardiorespiratory Fitness as Risk Factors for Pulmonary Morbidities

Biological Mechanisms

Role of Physical Activity in Patients with Cardiac, Vascular, and Pulmonary Morbidities

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 12: Physical Activity, Fitness, and Obesity

Robert Ross, PhD; and Ian Janssen, PhD

Definition and Problem of Overweight and Obesity

Fat Depots

Relationships Among Excess Weight, Physical Activity, and Fitness

Role of Physical Activity in Prevention and Treatment of Excess Weight

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 13: Physical Activity, Fitness, and Diabetes Mellitus

R. Jan-Willem Middelbeek, MD, MS; Oscar Alcazar, PhD; and Laurie J. Goodyear, PhD

Diabetes: Definitions and Prevalence

Epidemiology, Etiology, and Complications of Type 2 Diabetes

Impact of Physical Activity on Insulin and Glucose Metabolism

Epidemiological Evidence Indicating Benefits of Physical Activity in Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

Summary of Randomized Controlled Trials on the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes

Importance of Regular Physical Activity for People With Type 2 Diabetes

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 14: Physical Activity, Fitness, and Cancer

I-Min Lee, MBBS, ScD

Importance of Cancer

How Physical Activity and Physical Fitness Decrease the Risk of Developing Cancer

How We Study Whether Physical Activity and Physical Fitness Decrease the Risk of Developing Cancer

Physical Activity, Physical Fitness, and Site-Specific Cancers

Physical Activity and Cancer Survivors

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 15: Physical Activity, Fitness, and Joint and Bone Health

Jennifer Hootman, PhD, ATC, FACSM, FNATA

Scientific Evidence

Strengths and Limitations of the Evidence

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 16: Physical Activity, Muscular Fitness, and Health

Neil McCartney, PhD; and Stuart Phillips, PhD

History of Resistance Training and Its Role in Health

Fundamental Aspects of Resistance Training

Resistance Training Throughout the Life Span

Resistance Training in Disease and Disability

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 17: Physical Activity, Fitness, and Children

Thomas Rowland, MD

Understanding the Exercise-Health Link in Children

Defining the Kinds and Amount of Physical Activities for Health

Optimal Intervention Strategies

Biological Effects on Physical Activity in Youth

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 18: Risks of Physical Activity

Evert A.L.M. Verhagen, PhD; Esther M.F. van Sluijs, PhD; and Willem van Mechelen, MD, PhD

Risks of Physical Activity and Sport Participation

Minimizing Risk and Maximizing Benefits

Recommendations for Future Research

Summary

Review Materials

Part IV: Physical Activity, Fitness, Aging, and Brain Functions

Chapter 19: Physical Activity, Fitness, and Aging

Loretta DiPietro, PhD, MPH

The Aging Process

Methodological Considerations in Aging Research

Demographics of Physical Activity Among Older Adults

Dimensions of Physical Activity and Their Relationship to Health and Function in Aging

Programmatic Issues in Promoting Physical Activity in Older Populations

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 20: Physical Activity and Brain Functions

Kirk I. Erickson, PhD

Descriptive Questions

Mechanistic Questions

Applied Questions: Populations Benefiting From Physical Activity

Moderating Questions: Factors Moderating the Effect of Physical Activity

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 21: Exercise and Its Effects on Mental Health

John S. Raglin, PhD; and Gregory S. Wilson, PED, FACSM

Research Paradigms of Exercise and Mental Health Research

Exercise and Depression

Exercise and Anxiety

Exercise and Schizophrenia

Putative Mechanisms for the Psychological Benefits of Exercise

Detrimental Psychological Responses to Exercise: The Overtraining Syndrome

Summary

Review Materials

Part V: How Much Is Required and How Do We Get There?

Chapter 22: Dose-Response Issues in Physical Activity, Fitness, and Health

William L. Haskell, PhD

Principles Guiding the Body's Response to Activity

Components of the Physical Activity Dose

Factors Determining Optimal Activity Dose

Physical Activity and Fitness: Dose for Health Benefits

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 23: From Science to Physical Activity Guidelines

Mark S. Tremblay, PhD; and William L. Haskell, PhD

Stages of Physical Activity Guideline Development

Strengths, Limitations, and Challenges

Summary

Review Materials

Part VI: New Challenges and Opportunities

Chapter 24: Genetic Differences in the Relationships Among Physical Activity, Fitness, and Health

Tuomo Rankinen, PhD; and Claude Bouchard, PhD

Basics of Human Genetics

Events in Human Genes and Genomes

Genetic Variation in Exercise Traits Among Sedentary People

Genetics of Physical Activity Level

Individual Differences in Response to Regular Exercise

Genes and Responses to Exercise

Trait-Specific Response to Exercise

Personalized Exercise Medicine

Summary

Review Materials

Chapter 25: An Integrated View of Physical Activity, Fitness, and Health

William L. Haskell, PhD; Steven N. Blair, PED; and Claude Bouchard, PhD

Physical Activity Versus Inactivity: Universal Value Versus Damaging Consequences

Developing and Implementing Physical Activity Plans

Research Questions and Issues

Summary

Review Materials