Advanced Cardiovascular Exercise Physiology

Denise L. Smith, PhD, is the Tisch Family Distinguished Professor in the department of health and human physiological sciences and the director of the First Responder Health and Safety Laboratory at Skidmore College. She also holds an appointment as a research scientist at the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute. For nearly three decades, Smith has conducted scientific research on cardiovascular responses to exercise, with a focus on the physiological strain associated with heat and occupational stressors in firefighters. She has led several federally funded research projects investigating the intersection of cardiovascular disease and the cardiovascular strain of firefighting. Smith has conducted over 40 fatality investigations of firefighters who died in the line of duty due to cardiovascular causes. Smith has published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers, coauthored Exercise Physiology for Health, Fitness and Performance, and contributed chapters to several textbooks. She has collaborated extensively with fire service organizations, has served in leadership roles in the American College of Sports Medicine, and is a member of the American Physiological Society and the American Heart Association. She has received multiple awards, including the Dr. John Granito Award for Excellence in Fire Leadership and Management Research and NIOSH's Alice Hamilton Award for Excellence in Occupational Safety and Health. Bo Fernhall, PhD, is a professor of kinesiology and nutrition in the College of Applied Health Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he founded the Integrative Physiology Laboratory and co-developed the physical therapy faculty clinic. Fernhall has nearly 40 years of experience in cardiovascular research, with a current focus on how exercise and diet affect heart, arterial, and autonomic function. He also directed cardiovascular rehabilitation programs for over 20 years, combining research and clinical experience. Fernhall is a fellow of the American Heart Association, the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and the American College of Sports Medicine. He was elected to the National Academy of Kinesiology in 2005, and he currently serves as president-elect of the organization. He has won several national research awards, including the G. Lawrence Rarick Research Award in 2006 for his research on the benefits of exercise in people with disabilities. Fernhall has published over 370 peer-reviewed manuscripts in scientific journals and has contributed to several books and book chapters. He serves as an associate editor for Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews and is an editorial board member of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

Section I. Cardiovascular Physiology Chapter 1. Essentials of the Cardiovascular System Components of the Cardiovascular System Cardiovascular Responses to Exercise Summary Chapter 2. The Heart as a Pump Gross Anatomy of the Heart Cardiac Cycle The Ventricular Pressure-Volume Loop Cardiac Output Distribution of Cardiac Output Coronary Blood Supply Measuring Cardiac Function Summary Chapter 3. Cardiac Myocytes Microscopic Anatomy of Cardiac Myocytes Excitation-Contraction Coupling Mechanisms of Contraction Metabolic Requirements Summary Chapter 4. Electrical Activity of the Heart Ion Basis of Electrical Activity Resting Membrane Potential Action Potential Conduction System of the Heart Autorhythmicity of Conduction Cells Pacemakers of the Heart Control of Heart Rate Brain- and Receptor-Mediated Heart Rate Control Mechanisms Heart Rate Variability Summary Chapter 5. The Electrocardiogram The ECG Tracing Measuring the ECG Measuring Heart Rate Cardiac Rhythms Conduction Blocks Ventricular Hypertrophy ST-Segment Changes (Ischemia) Myocardial Infarction Test Considerations Common ECG Changes in Athletes Summary Chapter 6. Hemodynamics and Peripheral Circulation The Pressure Differential Flow Velocity Poiseuille's Law Blood Flow Arterial Blood Pressure Pulse Waves and Wave Reflections Blood Pressure Measurement Control of Vasoconstriction and Vasodilation Reflex Control of Blood Pressure and Vasomotion Measurement of Blood Pressure and Pulse Wave Analysis Summary Chapter 7. Vascular Structure and Function Structure of Blood Vessels Vascular Network Endothelium Endothelium Regulation of Vascular Tone Vascular Smooth Muscle Measuring Endothelial and Vascular Function Summary Chapter 8. Hemostasis: Coagulation and Fibrinolysis Vascular Injury Platelets Coagulation Fibrinolysis-Clot Dissolution Assessing Hemostasis Summary Section II. Exercise Physiology Chapter 9. Cardiovascular Responses to Acute Aerobic Exercise Cardiac Responses Vascular Response Hemostatic Responses Summary Chapter 10. Cardiovascular Adaptations to Aerobic Training Cardiac Dimensions Cardiac Function Vascular Adaptations Hemostatic Adaptations Summary Chapter 11. Cardiovascular Responses to Acute Resistance Exercise Cardiac Responses Vascular Responses Hemostatic Responses Summary Chapter 12. Cardiovascular Adaptations to Resistance Training Cardiac Adaptations Vascular Function Hemostatic Adaptations With Resistance Training Summary