ABSTRACT
Physical exercise induces various types of stress in the body. The effects of physical stress on an organism depend on a number of different factors, including previous exposure to stress, genotypic adaptation capacity, nutritional status, and immune system functions. Response to a given bout of exercise or training regime will thus vary significantly not only between individuals, but also in the same subject. In a complex organism like a mammal, adaptation to physical training is therefore a delicately orchestrated series of events controlled by numerous factors. Some of these factors are well known but most are yet to be discovered. Over the past few decades many attempts have been made to optimize adaptation to training and increase physical performance by improving equipment, nutrition, training program, and other related factors.
