Unit rationale, description and aim
A strong understanding of the human body's response and adaptation to exercise is essential for designing safe and effective programs that promote health, fitness and performance. This unit addresses the growing demand for exercise professionals who can interpret physiological responses and apply this knowledge across a variety of contexts — from improving athletic performance to preventing and managing chronic disease.
Building on foundational knowledge developed in EXSC126 Physiological Foundations of Exercise Science, this unit introduces the core concepts of exercise physiology. Students will explore how key systems — including the metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, and neuromuscular systems — respond and adapt to acute and chronic exercise. Students will also examine the mechanisms of fatigue and how they influence performance and recovery. Learning will be integrated with practical skills, including the measurement and interpretation of physiological responses to exercise and their application in real-world scenarios.
Activities are designed to support student progression from acquiring core knowledge to applying it in professional settings, aligning with the development of evidence-informed, safe, and competent practice.
The aim of this unit is to equip students with the knowledge and practical capabilities required to assess, interpret, and apply physiological principles in diverse exercise science contexts.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Relate the physiological functions of key organ sy...
Learning Outcome 01
Explain the integrated response of key physiologic...
Learning Outcome 02
Measure key physiological variables in response to...
Learning Outcome 03
Apply exercise physiology principles to interpret ...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
- Aerobic and anaerobic energy metabolism
- Cardiovascular regulation during exercise and adaptations to training
- Cardiorespiratory regulation during exercise and adaptations to training
- Neuromuscular regulation during exercise and adaptions to training
- Hormonal regulation during exercise and adaptations to training
- Physiological mechanisms of fatigue
- Molecular biology of exercise
Assessment strategy and rationale
To best enable students to achieve the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate capabilities, standards-based assessment is utilised, consistent with University assessment requirements. A range of assessment strategies is included to guide learning and allow students to demonstrate understanding of the physiological processes that underlie exercise training and prescription.
Assessment Task 1 (Quiz) assesses the understanding of key physiological systems and how they respond and adapt to acute and chronic exercise.
Assessment Task 2 (Written Laboratory Report) develops a student’s ability to conduct exercise assessments and interpret physiological data.
Assessment Task 3 (OSCE, Data Interpretation) is a graded hurdle task.
Assessment Task 4 (Final Exam) assesses the student’s overall understanding of the unit content.
Students must achieve a minimum mark of 50% overall to pass the unit. The hurdle task assesses the ability to interpret exercise data using exercise physiological principles; a critical skill required for competent professional practice.
Overview of assessments
To pass the unit, students must demonstrate achievement of every unit learning outcome, pass the hurdle task, and obtain a minimum overall mark of 50%.
Assessment Task 1: Quiz Demonstrate understandi...
Assessment Task 1: Quiz
Demonstrate understanding of course material material throughout the semester,
10%
Assessment Task 2 : Written Assignment Assess t...
Assessment Task 2: Written Assignment
Assess technical skill in conducting, interpreting and reporting test results.
30%
Assessment Task 3: Graded Hurdle* Data Interpret...
Assessment Task 3: Graded Hurdle*
Data Interpretation OSCE
Graded Hurdle*
20%
Assessment Task 4: Examination Demonstrate under...
Assessment Task 4: Examination
Demonstrate understanding and application of unit content
40%
*Students who fail the hurdle task on their first attempt may be provided one additional attempt to pass at a time indicated on the Learning Management System.
Students will only be offered a second attempt if their total grade is at or over 50% including the failed hurdle task mark. In this case students must pass the second attempt at the hurdle task and will be graded at the original overall grade.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
The learning and teaching strategy of this unit is designed to allow students to meet the aims, learning outcomes of the unit, graduate capabilities of the University and professional accreditation standards. It is intended to reflect respect for the individual as an independent learner. Students will be expected to take responsibility for their learning and to engage actively with unit content and learning activities.
This unit uses an experiential, cooperative learning approach to actively engage students in weekly group-based laboratory projects that reinforce theoretical content. Laboratory sessions will be complemented with face to face and asynchronous learning activities focused on further developing student depth of understanding of the physiological processes related to exercise in healthy, clinical and athletic populations. Weekly laboratories are designed to develop skills required for Exercise Science accreditation.