Learners who complete Science of Exercise will have an improved physiological understanding of how your body responds to exercise, and will be able to identify behaviors, choices, and environments that impact your health and training. You will explore a number of significant adjustments required by your body in order to properly respond to the physical stress of exercise, including changes in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism, nutritional considerations, causes of muscle soreness & fatigue, and the effectiveness and dangers of performance enhancing drugs. Active learning assessments will challenge you to apply this new knowledge via nutrition logs, heart rate monitoring, calculations of your total daily caloric expenditure and body mass index (BMI). Finally, learners will examine the scientific evidence for the health benefits of exercise including the prevention and treatment of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity (weight loss), depression, and dementia.
Science of Exercise
Offered By
University of Colorado Boulder
About this Course
4.8
630 ratings
Skills you will gain
TrainingNutritionFitness And NutritionPublic Health
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
12 hours to complete
The Energetics of Exercise
In this module you will learn about the various metabolic pathways (carbohydrates, fats and proteins) that are activated in order to supply the necessary energy required for the mechanical work of skeletal muscles during exercise. How these pathways are regulated, the methods for assessing the extent to which specific fuels are being utilized and the overall estimation of your metabolic rate will be addressed. Additionally, the importance of the chemical energy stored in ATP and its requirement for muscular work will be discussed.
8 videos (Total 62 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz
8 videos
2. Principles in Exercise Physiology8m
3. Calorimetry & Oxygen Consumption6m
4. ATP & Muscular Work9m
5. Carbohydrate Metabolism During Exercise9m
6. Carbohydrate Metabolism Continued7m
7. Fat Metabolism During Exercise7m
8. Protein Metabolism During Exercise7m
1 reading
Week 1 Suggested Readings10m
1 practice exercise
Week 1 Quiz30m
Week
22 hours to complete
Physiological Systems During Exercise
In this module you will learn how a number of key physiological systems (muscular, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine and immune systems) are regulated during exercise to help maintain homeostasis. These adjustments are critical for exercise to continue for any significant duration. This will include: how the respiratory system adjusts during exercise to ensure proper oxygen delivery and carbon dioxide removal from active muscles; how the cardiovascular system responds to ensure adequate blood flow to various organs, including muscle, during exercise; how the endocrine system plays a major role in regulating key biochemical and physiological responses to exercise and; how exercise influences the immune system and your ability to fight infections.
7 videos (Total 64 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
7 videos
2. Respiratory System Responses to Exercise10m
3. Cardiovascular System Responses to Exercise7m
4. Cardiovascular System Continued9m
5. Endocrine System Responses to Exercise8m
6. Endocrine System Continued7m
7. Immune System Responses to Exercise10m
2 readings
Week 2 Suggested Readings10m
Application Assignment: Predicting VO2max10m
1 practice exercise
Week 2 Quiz30m
Week
32 hours to complete
Exercise for Fitness & Performance
This module will teach you about the training guidelines needed to optimize your endurance and strength adaptations associated with a regular exercise program. Important nutritional requirements for both endurance and strength training will be addressed. The causes of both muscle soreness and fatigue will be explained. Finally,
the effectiveness and mechanisms whereby performance enhancing drugs exert their effect will be covered.
7 videos (Total 70 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
7 videos
2. Adaptations to Strength Training10m
3. Nutritional Considerations for Exercise11m
4. Causes of Muscle Fatigue10m
5. Causes of Muscle Soreness9m
6. Performance Enhancing Drugs7m
7. Performance Enhancing Drugs Continued10m
2 readings
Week 3 Suggested Readings10m
Application Assignment: Nutritional Calculator10m
1 practice exercise
Week 3 Quiz30m
Week
44 hours to complete
Exercise in Health, Wellness and Disease
In this module you will learn about the role of exercise as medicine in both the prevention and treatment of various diseases. This will include: the contribution of diet and exercise in weight control including the prevention and treatment of obesity; the many health benefits from participation in a regular exercise program related to major risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and cancer will be addressed. Finally, the benefits of exercise associated with healthy aging and brain function will be discussed.
7 videos (Total 64 min), 5 readings, 2 quizzes
7 videos
2. Diet, Exercise and Weight Control10m
3. Exercise and Risk Factors for Heart Disease9m
4. Exercise and Risk Factors for Diabetes7m
5. Exercise and Risk Factors for Cancer8m
6. Exercise and Successful Aging9m
7. Exercise and Your Brain9m
5 readings
Week 4 Suggested Readings10m
Application Assignment: Calculate Your BMI10m
Application Assignment: Calculate Your Risk for Heart Disease10m
Application Assignment: Calculate Your Risk for Type 2 Diabetes10m
Application Assignment: Calculate TDEE10m
1 practice exercise
Week 4 Quiz30m
4.8
181 Reviews67%
started a new career after completing these courses
53%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Top Reviews
A very good course for all students of any age. The knowledge of exercise will help in daily life. Moreover to remain fit exercise and its advantages are explained in easy and suitable manner.
It is a great course that will summarize information about exercise, physiological systems, metabolism and adaptations after training. Excellent video lectures and articles recommended.
Instructor
Robert Mazzeo, Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorDepartment of Integrative Physiology
About University of Colorado Boulder
CU-Boulder is a dynamic community of scholars and learners on one of the most spectacular college campuses in the country. As one of 34 U.S. public institutions in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), we have a proud tradition of academic excellence, with five Nobel laureates and more than 50 members of prestigious academic academies.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
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Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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