What is sport and exercise physiology?

Exercise physiology is the study of how exercise alters the function and structure of the body (EIS: http://www.eis2win.co.uk/pages/Physiology.aspx).  A sports physiologist examines the short term responses and long-term adaptations to sports performance in a variety of environments. A physiologist, possesses a wide-ranging understanding of the body, enabling them to advise athletes and coaches of how training and preparation influence competition performance.

In order to fully understand an athlete’s response to exercise, a physiologist can carry out a number of different tests which can take place in a lab, which ensures a controlled environment to compare exercise test results. However, it is not always possible to simulate sporting activity in a lab and with advances in technology physiologists use field-based testing as much as possible. This work is important as it can help evaluate training as it happens, allowing an athlete and coach to monitor what impact a particular session has had on the body.

Are you getting the expected results from your training? Do you need some personalised actions to achieve your goals? If so, then physiology can help improve performance by giving you important objective information which can help you optimise your training for peak performance.