Subdisciplines
exercise physiology
the physiology of physical exercise. It is one of the allied health professions that involves the study of the acute responses and chronic adaptations to exercise. Understanding the effect of exercise involves studying specific changes in muscular, cardiovascular, and neurohumoral systems that lead to changes in functional capacity and strength due to endurance training or strength training. The effect of training on the body has been defined as the reaction to the adaptive responses of the body arising from exercise.
biomechanics
the study of the structure, function and motion of the mechanical aspects of biological systems, at any level from whole organisms to organs, cells and cell organelles, using the methods of mechanics.
sport psychology
the study of how psychological factors affect performance and how participation in sport and exercise affect psychological and physical factors. Sport psychologists teach cognitive and behavioral strategies to athletes in order to improve their experience and performance in sports. In addition to instruction and training of psychological skills for performance improvement, applied sport psychology may include work with athletes, coaches, and parents regarding injury, rehabilitation, communication, team building, and career transitions.
exercise psychology
Exercise psychology is concerned with the application of psychological principles to the promotion of physical activity and exercise; the psychological and emotional consequences of physical activity and exercise and the psychological, emotional and health related consequences of the lack of exercise.
motor control
the regulation of movement in organisms that possess a nervous system. Motor control includes reflexes as well as directed movement. To control movement, the nervous system must integrate multimodal sensory information and elicit the necessary signals to recruit muscles to carry out a goal. This pathway spans many disciplines, including multisensory integration, signal processing, coordination, biomechanics, and cognition. Successful motor control is crucial to interacting with the world to carry out goals as well as to regulate balance and stability.
motor learning
the capability to respond appropriately is acquired and retained. As a result, the temporary processes that affect behaviour during practice or experience should not be considered learning, but rather transient performance effects. As such, the main components underlying the behavioural approach to motor learning are structure of practice and feedback given. The former pertains to the manipulation of timing and organization of practice for optimal information retention, while the latter pertains to the influence of feedback on the preparation, anticipation, and guidance of movement.