Target Audience-This course was originally designed to be an upper division (3rd/4th year) seminar for biology majors as a follow-up to Anatomy & Physiology. The entry point to the course has been broadened so as to permit the participation of Bio majors that have taken Cell Physiology (for whom extra reading may be necessary).

Course Objectives-
1) This course is meant to address your curiosity about exercise physiology! We will learn about the dynamic processes that change radically in order for us to successfully exercise/do sports… The systems that we will study include our metabolism & it's regulation by neurohumoral factors, our cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and our skeletal muscles. After this class, you will be able to speak knowledgeably about many facets of exercise physiology, as you will be an expert (a teacher) on many aspects of this area of science.
2) This course will help to prepare you for the senior seminar & comprehensive exams… & for life! Because of the "Learning Environment" (see below) of the class, you will gain a lot of experience in public speaking, thinking on your feet, and organizing your thoughts.

The Learning Environment- The 'hands-down' best way to learn is to teach. Accordingly, we (emphasize the 'we') will each take turns leading the class through the text readings (following the first 5 classes which I will lead). What I expect is that when we come to class, we ALL will have read the material, but one of us will TEACH (present/explain/discuss/lead discussions) the material. At the class meeting that follows your presentation you will give a short quiz (~5 minutes) on the material that was covered. There will be 2 exams and one final. The exam format will be both oral and written.

Text Book- Exercise Physiology: Human Bioenergetics and Its Applications by Brooks, Fahey, White & Baldwin, 3rd Edition. This is the best exercise physiology book there is. It is good because it bridges cellular/molecular events with organ & organism function. It is good because it uses original data as figures. It is good because it is challenging (this is an upper division undergraduate text that could also serve as a intro graduate level text). But at the same time that it is challenging, it is very satisfying in its depth of coverage. For the curious mind, there is no other book out there!

Class Calendars- You decide! I have two calendars from you to choose from- a prescribed calendar where we will read & present the chapters/sections I have picked- and an open calendar where there are @ 7 class periods with no prescribed readings yet chosen (the subjects that we cover are for you to decide on- answer your own personal curiosity by picking the subjects we cover).

Grading- The distribution of points will be as follows:
2 class presentations 50 pts each 100 pts
18 test questions written 3 pts each 54 pts
12 quiz grades 5 pts each 60 pts
2 exams 50 pts each 100 pts
1 final 100 pts 100pts
Course Total Pts 400 pts

Class presentations will be graded, for content & delivery, by the class (each of us will critique by anonymous grading sheet and assign points). I will have veto power if someone's vote is out-of-line/not reasonable (without sufficient justification).

Oral exams will be graded on the accuracy & quality of your responses (subjective & objective criteria). I expect that oral exams & class presentations will be difficult at first, and this will be considered in the grading process.

Nathan Trueblood, Ph.D.
Asst. Professor of Biology
Office: SH 153
Phone: (765) 983-1204
e-mail    home page

The Text Book: