Physiology is the study of how living organisms function. This includes processes such as respiration, muscle contraction and reproduction.

Exercise physiology focuses on how the body moves and its adaption to the stress of exercise. Most of us recognize the benefits of exercise and the potential improvements to our general health and well being. However, the key issue is to use the knowledge of exercise physiology to understand how to best achieve our exercise objectives.

Many of the commonly held beliefs relating to exercise some are poorly substantiated and others are completely fictional. A classic example is the old adage “no pain no gain” which unnecessarily associates exercise with discomfort and can result in injury and over training.

In this module relating to rowing, physiology includes the muscles involved in the rowing action as well as energy systems (aerobic and anaerobic) the muscles use to perform the rowing action.