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Unit of study_
EXSS1036: Fundamentals of Exercise Physiology
2025 unit information
The aim of this unit is to provide students with an understanding of the fundamental principles of exercise physiology. This unit will cover the different physiological systems of the human body working at rest and then during exercise. We will cover the functional anatomy and physiology of muscle tissue, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems and understand how oxygen is extracted from the air and is delivered to working muscles. Energy transformation from fuel to mechanical work will be described and finally the mechanisms of fatigue will be discussed. A focus of Fundamentals of Exercise Physiology is the practical application of physiological measurements and critical evaluation of data for physiological understanding.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Medicine and Health
| Study level | Undergraduate |
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| Academic unit | Movement Sciences |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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None |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Explain the process and structural requirements for active force development in skeletal muscle
- LO2. Describe the biochemical pathways by which macronutrients are stored and/or synthesised during rest and recovery as well as how they are catabolised during exercise at constant and incremental work rate as well as prolonged exercise
- LO3. Describe bioenergetic responses to exercise at constant and incremental work rate and to prolonged exercise, in addition to fuel mobilisation, regulation by key hormones.
- LO4. Identify and describe oxidative and non-oxidative ATP resynthesis and demonstrate how to determine values from measurement
- LO5. Describe and measure the cardiovascular and ventilatory systems and responses to exercise at constant and incremental work rate and to prolonged exercise, and how changes in metabolic rate dictate the need for regulation of gas exchange
- LO6. Describe Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide transport mechanisms with specific reference to the Fick equation; blood flow re-distribution; O2 saturation
- LO7. Be able measure and interpret data to identify oxygen kinetics at exercise onset and in recovery and describe underlying mechanisms, including factors that influence acid buffer systems, ventilatory threshold and anaerobic threshold.
- LO8. Integrate theories of fatigue with performance limiting factors associated with muscle, metabolism, gas exchange, and cardio-respiratory systems
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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