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Editor: Dr. Lonnie Lowery Free ASEP-Newsletter email updates What's New... Articles Departments Editor's Corner Graduation Approaches: Where Will Your Seniors Be in Three Months? Lowery, L. Advertisements Refer to the ASEP web pages. http://www.asep.org/ JEPonline Ask the EP... Total-body Pressure Mapping for the Assessment of Body Compositions (first on page) Mikat, R. This month: Biological Sense of Balance in Sport Mike, J. PEPonline Why join ASEP? Fast Food: One Small Bite for Man, One Giant Problem for Mankind (Word doc) Mike, J. View the new web page! You'll be glad you did! The ASEP Board of Directors Editor's Corner Graduation Approach: Where Will Your Seniors Be in Three Months? Lonnie Lowery, PhD ASEPnewsletter Editor, ASEP Board of Directors In lieu of highlighting an abstract from the impressive ASEP National Meeting, I'd like to react to this critical time of year. Thousands of university graduates will proudly receive their diplomas this coming month. Business majors will find work in industry, Nursing majors will meet the huge demand for their profession, dietitians and physical therapists will find gainful employment in both inpatient and outpatient settings. I wonder, though, what will Exercise Science majors do in coming months? Many will look into YMCAs, local natatoriums and other fitness centers. Some may find reasonable salaries as managers in clubs or in a cardiac rehabilitation environment. But many exercise science graduates are about to come upon a world of six-dollar-per-hour "trainer" jobs that entail high-pressure sales at the behest of a less (or un-) educated manager. They will compete against un-degreed persons for these positions. A fair number of their skills and much of their theoretical base will atrophy from disuse. Is this the intent of a university education? Still others, once the glow of graduation has worn off, will be forced to contemplate a distant move for livable pay or perhaps for graduate work in a more standardized field. In a worst case scenario, by September or October, 2007, many Exercise Science graduates will find themselves working to get by as house painters or landscapers or perhaps in an unrelated job that at least requires a general university diploma. I don't mean to be depressing at this deservedly congratulatory time of year. Much has been accomplished by Exercise Science seniors and some have the right connections to be shining examples of what is possible. I do, however, want to bring to light the stark differences among various college graduates and their prospects. The Exercise Science grad who has undergone four or five years of a properly rigorous and accredited curriculum stands shoulder to shoulder - and in some instances well above - his non-exercise-related peers. It's just a hard truth that the burgeoning fitness industry lacks the standards (accreditation, licensure, title protection, unified governmental efforts, pay scale, and others) of related health professions. I hope in earnest that the efforts of ASEP, perhaps one day in conjunction with related organizations, will bring a more just work environment to Exercise Science (or Exercise Physiology) graduates. As mentors, we owe them that much. They have worked hard and invested much. They deserve more than they now tend to receive. Believe me, I know; all of the scenarios and outcomes listed above I have seen first hand. Ask the EP: Your Inside Scoop on Tough Questions Ask the Exercise Physiologist (EP) is intended for informational purposes only. It is not to be taken as healthcare advice. Please do not submit questions of a personal nature (e.g., fitness programs and nutrition advice solicitation). Thanks. Question: What are the main components of integrated balance? The EP Answer by Jonathan Mike, MS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT Balance is maintained as a result of the interaction of three systems: the visual, the vestibular, and the proprioceptive systems. Vision plays a significant role in balance. Your eyes give you a picture of the world and where you are in relation to other things in it. Approximately 20 percent of the nerve fibers in the eyes interact with the vestibular system. The vestibular apparatus, an organ located in the inner ear, is responsible for maintaining general equilibrium. The receptors contained within the vestibular apparatus are sensitive to any changes in head position or movement direction. These receptors provide information regarding linear acceleration (being able to sense forward and backward, as well as upward and downward, movement) and angular acceleration, which enables you to detect rotation of the head while keeping the eyes still. The vestibular apparatus exerts direct control over the eyes so they can directly compensate for head movements. This is crucial in sports where tracking moving objects or an opponent with head and eye movement is a constant necessity. With head movement, receptors in the vestibular apparatus transmit neural information to the cerebellum and the vestibular nuclei located in the brain stem. When the brain receives the message, often reinforced by visual feedback, it sends a signal to the muscles; this tells them to react to the loss of balance. Even standing still is an exercise in dynamic equilibrium. A person is swaying very slightly all the time to all four sides, and balance is maintained by alternate contraction and relaxation of the leg muscles. The proprioceptive system includes both muscle and joint proprioceptors. Muscle proprioceptors include muscle spindles (which detect changes in muscle length) and Golgi-tendon organs (which detect changes in muscle tension). The joint receptors include free nerve endings, pacinian corpuscles, and Golgi-type receptors. They are responsible for detecting changes in joint angle and pressure that compress and distort the joint capsule. Information from these receptors is relayed to the central nervous system, which then facilitates neuromuscular coordination to provide stability and maintenance of balance. Why ASEP? ASEP offers a new web page that you should see: "Why Join ASEP?" Click the link then tell a friend! Don't forget to get on the free ASEP email list! ASEP Contact Information Please use this web page (click above) and new email address: contact@asep.org ASEP is a member of the Health Profession Network Check out the HPN Links! And keep in mind: For more information on professional scope of practice, professional standards and code of ethics for exercise physiologists, accreditation of academic programs, board certification examination, and other important tasks already completed by ASEP in establishing a profession, visit: www.asep.org Copyright ©1997-2007 American Society of Exercise Physiologists. All Rights Reserved. All materials posted on this site are subject to copyrights owned by the American Society of Exercise Physiologists (ASEP). Any reproduction, retransmission, or republication (in whole or in part) of any document or information found on this site is expressly prohibited, unless otherwise agreed to by ASEP and expressly granted in writing to consent to reproduce, retransmit, or republish the material. All other rights reserved.
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Many will look into YMCAs, local natatoriums and other fitness centers. Some may find reasonable salaries as managers in clubs or in a cardiac rehabilitation environment. But many exercise science graduates are about to come upon a world of six-dollar-per-hour "trainer" jobs that entail high-pressure sales at the behest of a less (or un-) educated manager. They will compete against un-degreed persons for these positions. A fair number of their skills and much of their theoretical base will atrophy from disuse. Is this the intent of a university education? Still others, once the glow of graduation has worn off, will be forced to contemplate a distant move for livable pay or perhaps for graduate work in a more standardized field. In a worst case scenario, by September or October, 2007, many Exercise Science graduates will find themselves working to get by as house painters or landscapers or perhaps in an unrelated job that at least requires a general university diploma.
I don't mean to be depressing at this deservedly congratulatory time of year. Much has been accomplished by Exercise Science seniors and some have the right connections to be shining examples of what is possible. I do, however, want to bring to light the stark differences among various college graduates and their prospects. The Exercise Science grad who has undergone four or five years of a properly rigorous and accredited curriculum stands shoulder to shoulder - and in some instances well above - his non-exercise-related peers. It's just a hard truth that the burgeoning fitness industry lacks the standards (accreditation, licensure, title protection, unified governmental efforts, pay scale, and others) of related health professions.
I hope in earnest that the efforts of ASEP, perhaps one day in conjunction with related organizations, will bring a more just work environment to Exercise Science (or Exercise Physiology) graduates. As mentors, we owe them that much. They have worked hard and invested much. They deserve more than they now tend to receive. Believe me, I know; all of the scenarios and outcomes listed above I have seen first hand.
Ask the Exercise Physiologist (EP) is intended for informational purposes only. It is not to be taken as healthcare advice. Please do not submit questions of a personal nature (e.g., fitness programs and nutrition advice solicitation). Thanks.
Question: What are the main components of integrated balance?
Balance is maintained as a result of the interaction of three systems: the visual, the vestibular, and the proprioceptive systems. Vision plays a significant role in balance. Your eyes give you a picture of the world and where you are in relation to other things in it. Approximately 20 percent of the nerve fibers in the eyes interact with the vestibular system. The vestibular apparatus, an organ located in the inner ear, is responsible for maintaining general equilibrium. The receptors contained within the vestibular apparatus are sensitive to any changes in head position or movement direction. These receptors provide information regarding linear acceleration (being able to sense forward and backward, as well as upward and downward, movement) and angular acceleration, which enables you to detect rotation of the head while keeping the eyes still. The vestibular apparatus exerts direct control over the eyes so they can directly compensate for head movements. This is crucial in sports where tracking moving objects or an opponent with head and eye movement is a constant necessity. With head movement, receptors in the vestibular apparatus transmit neural information to the cerebellum and the vestibular nuclei located in the brain stem. When the brain receives the message, often reinforced by visual feedback, it sends a signal to the muscles; this tells them to react to the loss of balance. Even standing still is an exercise in dynamic equilibrium. A person is swaying very slightly all the time to all four sides, and balance is maintained by alternate contraction and relaxation of the leg muscles. The proprioceptive system includes both muscle and joint proprioceptors. Muscle proprioceptors include muscle spindles (which detect changes in muscle length) and Golgi-tendon organs (which detect changes in muscle tension). The joint receptors include free nerve endings, pacinian corpuscles, and Golgi-type receptors. They are responsible for detecting changes in joint angle and pressure that compress and distort the joint capsule. Information from these receptors is relayed to the central nervous system, which then facilitates neuromuscular coordination to provide stability and maintenance of balance.
ASEP Contact Information Please use this web page (click above) and new email address: contact@asep.org
ASEP is a member of the Health Profession Network Check out the HPN Links!
And keep in mind: For more information on professional scope of practice, professional standards and code of ethics for exercise physiologists, accreditation of academic programs, board certification examination, and other important tasks already completed by ASEP in establishing a profession, visit: www.asep.org