The Exercise Physiology Paradigm in Contemporary Biology: To Molbiol or Not to Molbiol—That is the Question

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Abstract
Two perspectives on exercise physiology in contemporary biomedical research are presented. First, exercise represents a powerful tool for understanding physiology. The magnitude and gradation in physiological responses to exercise afford an opportunity for studying the range and control mechanisms in physiological systems under the diverse circumstances. Moreover, the exercise stimulus of training offers a means to study processes of physiological adaptation. Second, the science of physiology represents a powerful means for understanding the limits of human performance. The concepts, tools, and techniques of physiology allow performance-based exercise physiologists to contribute significantly to understanding and improving the limits of human performance. In contemporary biomedical science, there is a pronounced emphasis in the burgeoning area of molecular biology (molbiol). Molecular biologists have developed powerful tools for studying the regulation of essential cellular processes, such as gene expression. Consequently, within biomedical research there has been a deemphasis on classic organ-systems physiology. However, even in this milieu exercise physiologists will continue to contribute, for they are uniquely prepared to address important contemporary problems related to adaptation to environmental stressors, resistance to degenerative diseases, and expansion of the limits to human performance.

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