Aerobic Fitness and Health - Tapa dura

This reference book for exercise physiologists and fitness professionals covers a broad range of issues, focusing on the interactions between physical activity, aerobic fitness and health. It aims to provide not only a compact scientific account of interactions between aerobic exercise and health but also to provide hard evidence of health benefits that can be advanced to persuade the general population to engage in regular physical activity. Roy Shephard's critical analysis features the latest findings on aerobic exercise and its effects on such medical conditions as pregnancy, acute illness, cardiac and respiratory diseases and metabolic disorders. He provides physiological evidence that exercise is effective as a tool in preventive medicine and as a means of improving the quality of life. "Aerobic Fitness and Health" also: defines the concepts of physical activity, aerobic fitness and health and then presents a simple model for linking the three components; offers insights into the physiological determinants of aerobic fitness; examines the status of current fitness levels among children, adults and the elderly and discusses the pros and cons of the different population studies used to assess these levels; takes an in-depth look at the opposing views - nature vs nurture - on the source of aerobic fitness; explores the potential for improving aerobic fitness through increased physical activity; and identifies the many important health dividends of aerobic fitness and regular physical exercise. Each idea advanced in the book is covered and documented to show a broad base of scientific support. The book's 1300 references make it a resource for those who want to investigate specific areas of aerobic research.