ABSTRACT
Knowledge of human functioning has changed greatly over the years. Chapter 1 introduces the reader to some interesting and significant findings and developments that have paved the way to the current world of exercise physiology. Initially, the work of early physiologists, such as Hippocrates and Aristotle, is outlined. Over the years, anatomical and physiological knowledge was built upon or challenged. Landmark achievements include the finding that blood circulates around the body rather than ebbs and flows; the development of the microscope; the discovery that air is made up of different parts; the use of exercise to promote health; the development of the Fick principle for measuring cardiac output; and the identification of how nerve impulses are transmitted. Nobel Prizes have been awarded for some of the outstanding work in exercise physiology.
