Outline

Overview

This unit examines muscle and neural adaptations to high-resistance training (HRT, also known as strength training) in clinical and aged populations as well as in healthy adults. To understand these adaptations the basis of muscle force development is first examined in terms of myosin function and the structural organization muscle (e.g. myofilaments, sarcomeres, myofibrils, muscle fibers) and the neural processes involved in maximal voluntary contractions. Muscle hypertrophy in response to HRT is examined, and well as muscle atrophy in response to disuse. Neural adaptations to HRT and disuse are also discussed. The unit combines this biological approach with a parallel evidence-based development of practical guidelines for HRT prescription, and outcomes of HRT in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses of RCTs in clinical conditions. Students gain skills in strength assessment in practical sessions, and in the prescription of HRT through participation in a brief HRT program. Students also gain skills in critical analysis of published RCTs examining HRT in clinical populations. Finally the unit examines concepts on muscle energy balance in terms ATP production and use during exercise, and the concepts of peripheral and central fatigue.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	EXSS2030
Academic unit	Movement Sciences
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	EXSS1036
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Tom Gwinn, tom.gwinn@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Tom Gwinn, tom.gwinn@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Philippe jacquot, philippe.jacquot@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Supervised exam ?	Final exam Short answer and MCQ	50%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Quiz 1 Short answer and MCQ	5%	Week 04 Due date: 21 Aug 2023 at 23:59	15 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Quiz 2 Short answer and MCQ	5%	Week 06 Due date: 04 Sep 2023 at 23:59	15 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Quiz 3 Short answer and MCQ	5%	Week 08 Due date: 18 Sep 2023 at 23:59	15 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Evidence base presentation Oral presentation and report	15%	Week 10	15 minutes, 500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Quiz 4 Short answer and MCQ	5%	Week 10 Due date: 16 Oct 2023 at 23:59	15 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Practical Report Written Report	15%	Week 12 Due date: 23 Oct 2023 at 23:55	3 A4 pages
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

4 x ONLINE QUIZZES (5% each) MCQ quiz plus short answer questions reviewing the previous 2 weeks lecture content. Each quiz will take approximately 15 min to complete, but will be ‘open’ for one week.

PRACTICAL REPORT: Group assignment. Students will analyse cross-sectional muscle strength data collected in pre-training assessment practical and longitudinal data from high-resistance training program. Report will using spreadsheet functions to determine group means, maximum and minimum values, and histogram plots. Reports will include short answer questions related to the interpretation of the data analysis.

EVIDENCE-BASE PRESENTATION: Group assignment. Students acquire skills evidence-based practice by evaluating and presenting a review of a randomised controlled trial examining a high-resistance training intervention. The study is self-selected from a master list of studies in populations including healthy older-adult, frail elderly, a range of clinical conditions (including diabetes, CHF, CAD and COPD) and healthy young adults. All students in a group are expected to contribute to the live presentation. Attendance at the presentation session is compulsory. If students cannot attend physically, then Zoom attendance is required. Non-attendance of individual student in a group will result in that student receiving half marks for the presentation, in the absence of Special Consideration submission.

FINAL EXAM: The exam questions will cover the lecture and tutorial material from week 1-12.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Note: An Absent Fail grade will result from non-attendance at the Final Exam unless special consideration is granted. Quizzes are not compulsory assessments and non-submission will not result in an absent fail grade.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Practical report: Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date. After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction / Normal strength / Evidence-base for training	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Evolutionary logic of training / Screening & safety for training / Myosin structure & function	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	Practical 1: Arm flexion 1RM & training	Practical (2 hr)
Week 03	Sarcomeres, myofibrils muscle fibers / Summation of forces and movements / Eccentric and concentric contractions	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Tutorial 1: Muscle structure and function	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 04	Fibre types / Muscle activation / EC coupling	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	Tutorial 2: Eccentric and concentric contractions	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 05	Neural adaptations to resistance training / DOMS / Protein structure	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	Practical 2: Use of pin load weight machines	Practical (2 hr)
Week 06	Steps in protein synthesis / Effect of resistance training on protein synthesis	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Tutorial 3: Activation, Adaptations to resistance training	Tutorial (2 hr)
Week 07	Cellular mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy / Detraining and dropouts	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Mechanisms of disuse muscle atrophy / Resistance training for older clients	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Practical 3: Elastic training and step training	Practical (2 hr)
Week 09	Evidence for resistance training in clinical conditions / Muscle atrophy in CHF and COPD	Online class (2 hr)
Week 10	Matching ATP resynthesis to use / Rates of reaction / The CK and AK reactions	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	Assessment - Student Presentation: Review of resistance training RTC	Presentation (2 hr)
Week 11	Aerobic metabolism: OxPhos and Dehydrogenase reactions / Allosteric enzymes	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	Lactate accumulation and central fatigue / Integrated perspective of energy metabolism	Lecture (2 hr)
	Tutorial 4: Energy metabolism	Tutorial (2 hr)
	Review and revision	Lecture (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: Students are encouraged to attend tutorials and practicals

The Week 10 presentations are group face-to-face presentations. All members of the group are required to participate in the presentation, i.e. each person has to participate in that presentation by speaking to some of the specific presentation slides. Non-attendance or non-participation or without Special Consideration will result in the student receiving 50% of the mark received by the other students in that presentation group.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

There is no prescribed textbook for this unit. Content is referenced to primary research articles on a lecture-to-lecture basis. Some examples of core references are given below, however reading of these primary sources is not required. Links to references are available on Canvas.

Bickel CS et al. Exercise Dosing to Retain Resistance Training Adaptations in Young and Older Adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 43: 1177 1187, 2011.
Egan, B., Sharples, A.P. Molecular responses to acute exercise and their relevance for adaptations in skeletal muscle to exercise training. Physiological Reviews 103; 2057-2170, 2023
Houston ME, et al Muscle performance, morphology and metabolic capacity during strength training and detraining: a one leg model. Eur J Appl Physiol 51 25 35 1983
Hubal MJ. et al. Variability in muscle size and strength gain after unilateral resistance training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 37:964-72, 2005
Josse AR. et al Body composition and strength changes in women with milk and resistance exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 42:1122-30, 2010.
Lopez, P., Radaelli, R., Taaffe, D.R., ... Häkkinen, K., Pinto, R.S. Resistance Training Load Effects on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gain: Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 53; 1206–1216, 2021
Mcleod JC et al. Resistance exercise training as a primary countermeasure to age-related chronic disease. Front Physiol. 10, 1-11, 2019
Wang N. et al. Muscle fiber types of women after resistance training — Quantitative ultrastructure and enzyme activity. Pflugers Archiv. 424:494 502, 1993.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Explain the limits to voluntary muscle force production in terms of both skeletal muscle structure and neural activation
LO2. Explain the neuro-muscular adaptations to high-resistance training in health, aging and disease
LO3. Explain the neuro-muscular adaptations to muscle disuse, aging and chronic disease states effecting skeletal muscle
LO4. Acquire skills in evaluating evidence-based guidelines for prescription of high-resistance training in health and disease
LO5. Acquire skills and experience in the assessment of maximal voluntary strength and in the prescription and evaluation of a high-resistance training program
LO6. Explain muscle energy metabolism in terms of ATP demand and supply and explain causes of fatigue during muscular exercise.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

Comment: Tutorial answers could be uploaded after each respective week that would be helpful. Response for 2023: Yes, tutorials answer will be uploaded within 1 week of each tutorial. Comment: Our training could have easily been done right after each tutorial if we wouldhave had one each week. Response for 2023: Schedule of tutorials altered to have prac or tut every week for Weeks 2-6 (plus one more prac on week 8 and tut in week 12) Reduction of content in in tuts in Weeks 3,4, and 6 to allow 20 min of tranining time at ean of each tut.

Additional information

This unit of study may require you to attend a teaching activity timetabled in teaching venues installed with the University’s Clinical Recording and Observation System (CROS) in the Susan Wakil Health Building. Students should be aware of the privacy and information management implications of this system. For more information, please refer to the University’s Privacy Statement.

Student Administration Manual on the Faculty of Health Sciences

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

EXSS2030: Muscle Adaptations to Use and Disuse

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect