Handbook of Physiology. Section 12. Exercise: Regulation and Integration of Multiple Systems

Abstract

Handbook of Physiology. Section 12. Exercise: Regulation and Integration of Multiple Systems Loring B. Rowell and John T. Shepherd (Editors) This section of the Handbook of Physiology, as well as the previous sections, is state-of-the-art in terms of one volume describing a specific aspect of physiology. Here the topic is the control of body function during exercise. The book is organized in three sections: control of the cardiorespiratory system, metabolic control, and motor control during exercise. The objectives of the book are to outline the current knowledge, describe areas where more information is needed, and suggest solutions for gaining more knowledge in each area. Drs. Rowell and Shepherd have accomplished these objectives. Approximately one third of the book is concerned with each of the major topics, and each of them is divided into eight or nine chapters. The chapters are narrow enough in their scope to provide a great deal of new information about specific topics, but broad enough to be of interest to most people concerned with those areas. In the subject areas with which I was familiar, most concepts were review in nature, but there was still enough new material to make the chapters worthwhile. When reading chapters with which I was less familiar, I was sometimes overwhelmed with information, but still learned a great deal. Therefore, it appears that most chapters were written or edited on a similar level. The authors have been careful to include the latest information and still provide some historical background. Along with the presentation of the information in the chapters, the extensive references(average over 300 per chapter) make this book valuable to students and researchers alike. The book covers control of the various systems extensively, but does not deal with many topics common to exercise physiology such as altitude, heat and cold, and nutrition and ergogenic aids. This is not a shortcoming since it was not a purpose of the book. Some of these topics are covered in other sections of the Handbook, while others can be found in other reviews. For that reason, this book is probably not appropriate for a person generally interested in exercise physiology but without a strong desire to learn about the topics specifically covered. With that caveat, however, this is an excellent book for anyone seriously interested in any of the areas covered. It would make a valuable addition to the libraries of doctoral and advanced masters level students, as well as researchers in the field.