ABSTRACT
This chapter serves as an introduction to sport and exercise. It will initially define and compare physical activity, exercise, and sport. Different types of sports as well as levels of participation and competition will then be discussed to encourage the reader to consider why different types of sports have specific physical, physiological, and nutritional requirements. The physiological responses to exercise, including acid–base balance and the coordination of skeletal muscle actions, and various methods of prescribing physical activity and exercise are discussed. This chapter also outlines the various adaptations that occur in response to chronic training, specific to exercise stimulus, and the relationship exercise has with the immune system—both as an immune suppressant and having a protective effect. Finally, the importance of recovery and the role of nutrition to ensure optimal adaptations to exercise will be discussed.
