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Unit of study_
EXSS3061: Exercise Responses and Programming
2026 unit information
This unit examines the muscle metabolic and cardiovascular (CV) adaptations to endurance training (also known as aerobic training) in clinical populations and in healthy adults. To understand these adaptations the fundamental cardiorespiratory responses to exercise are first examined with an emphasis on the determinants of submaximal and maximal oxygen consumption, i.e. VO2, and VO2max. This forms the basis to understand the CV adaptations to endurance training and causes of increase in VO2max in healthy females and males of different ages, and in clinical conditions. In addition the metabolic adaptations to training are examined with an emphasis on how training decreases muscle lactate concentrations during submaximal exercise, and so reduces perceived exertion during exercise, increasing exercise capacity. The unit combines this biological approach with a parallel evidence-based development of practical guidelines for endurance training prescription, and examines the outcomes of endurance training in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses of RCTs in clinical conditions. Students gain skills a range of different methods to predict VO2max in practical sessions.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Medicine and Health
| Study level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Movement Sciences |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
?
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None |
|---|---|
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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EXSS1036 or EXSS2032 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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BIOS1170 or BIOS2170 |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Understand considerations for safe cardiorespiratory fitness assessment for a variety of client groups
- LO2. Describe and explain the individual and integrated physiological responses of the cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic systems to acute exercise of differing intensities
- LO3. Describe and explain combinations of dosage variable for effective exercise prescription to increase endurance capacity
- LO4. Describe and explain the adaptations in cardiovascular and metabolic systems responsible for increased endurance capacity, and associated health benefits, following exercise training in young adult and elderly healthy individuals and in individuals with a variety of chronic medical conditions.
- LO5. Describe and explain the adaptations in cardiovascular and metabolic systems responsible for decreased endurance capacity following disuse, bed rest and aging.
- LO6. Perform cardiorespiratory fitness assessments and interpret the physiological responses of an individual during exercise
- LO7. Evaluate the evidence-base for endurance training for clinical populations in terms of positive performance and health outcomes through review of published randomised-controlled trials and meta-analyses.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1 2026
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
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