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Exercise Science

253.879.3741

Program Description

How does the structure of the human body explain its function? How do physiological systems respond to exercise and environmental conditions? How does nutrition alter health and human performance? How do your muscles adapt to changes in activity, injury, and disease? How can individuals alter their movement patterns during both sporting and daily tasks to reduce their risk of injury? How can we use research—with both animal and human models—to better answer all of these questions?

Puget Sound’s exercise science department offers students training in exercise physiology, nutrition, neuromuscular adaptation, and biomechanics through a unique emphasis on the scientific approach and development of critical thinking skills. Students engage in the scientific process by learning to ask important questions, acquiring the skills necessary to investigate advanced topics, and gaining the confidence to articulate ideas. At the conclusion of the exercise science curriculum, students are prepared to immediately enter the workforce or to continue their studies toward various graduate degree programs.

 

Who You Could Be

  • Exercise physiologist
  • Research scientist
  • Physician, physician's assistant
  • Certified athletic or personal trainer
  • Sport or clinical biomechanist
  • Physical or occupational therapist

What You'll Learn

  • How changes in activity affect muscle properties and function
  • How the body responds and adapts to exercise and diet
  • The importance of biomechanics from both a clinical and performance perspective
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ALUMNI
Genevieve Cagigas ’19

"Lower-division classes gave me the foundation of knowledge, while upper-division classes really gave me an opportunity to apply the scientific method of inquiry."

 

SAMPLE COURSES

This course presents a systemic approach to studying the structure of the human body, including the skeletal, muscular, integumentary, nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary, and endocrine systems. Laboratory sessions reinforce content learned in lecture, including manipulation of anatomical models complemented by observation of dissected human cadavers. Descriptions of important structure-function relationships are also integrated throughout the course.

Code
Natural Scientific and Mathematical Perspectives
Prerequisites
BIOL 111 with a grade of C or higher, or permission of instructor.

This course explores the structural, cellular, and molecular changes that occur in skeletal muscle in response to changes in activity, injury, or experimental manipulation. A survey of the nervous system and sensorimotor control set the stage for an exploration of topics such as neuromuscular activation and neuromotor control, neuromuscular fatigue, endurance and strength training adaptations of the nervous system, and the neuromuscular responses to increased and decreased activity.

Code
Natural Scientific and Mathematical Perspectives
Prerequisites
EXSC 221 and 222, or permission of instructor. NRSC 201 is recommended.

This course explores the body's acute responses and long-term adaptations to various modes and intensities of exercise. Students focus on understanding how the body's metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, and endocrine systems respond to the physiological stress of exercise and training. Laboratory topics include assessment of metabolic rate, cardiorespiratory fitness, ventilatory threshold, and anaerobic power. The impact of physical activity on select clinical populations is also considered.

Code
Natural Scientific and Mathematical Perspectives
Prerequisites
EXSC 200, 221, and 222, each with a grade of C or higher, or permission of instructor.

This seminar reviews the requirements for energy macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and fluid intake as well as basic principles of digestion and absorption. The regulations on the sale of dietary supplements in the US are discussed and debated. The specific ergogenic aids covered in the course are determined by the interests of the students in consultation with the instructor. Groups of two or three students work together to locate, select, and lead discussion/presentations of primary research studies that address their topics of interest. Each student also designs a diet plan for a specific athlete and presents the plan to the class.

Code
Natural Scientific and Mathematical Perspectives
Prerequisites
EXSC 301 and 329, or permission of instructor.

This course is designed to study the mechanical bases of musculoskeletal injury, to better understand the mechanisms that seem to cause injury, the effect injury has on the musculoskeletal structures, and hopefully, to study how injury may be prevented. Different approaches for studying injury biomechanics will be explored with the students responsible for leading these discussions. Students will research a specific injury condition and present their findings to the class.

Code
Natural Scientific and Mathematical Perspectives
Prerequisites
EXSC 336.

Research under the close supervision of a faculty member on a topic agreed upon. Application and proposal to be submitted to the department chair and research advisor. Recommended for majors prior to the senior research semester.

Prerequisites
Junior or senior standing, 3.0 GPA, and permission of instructor.

Experiential Learning

A sampling of ways our students learn through experience:

  • 2019 American College of Sport Medicine Northwest Chapter conference award winner Angus Lamont ’19, "Quantifying Passive Joint Stiffness at the Elbow Following Exercise-induced Muscle Damage of the Elbow Flexors"
  • Internships at UNC's Cancer Rehabilitation Institute and the Miami Project
  • Summer research grants, like Emmett Foster '25, "qRT-PCR analysis of protein degradation markers after functional overload" or Ayla Murphy '26, "Effects of caffeine on lung function during exercise in athletes with asthma"

Where Graduates Work

Where our graduates work:

  • Driveline Baseball (biomechanist)
  • Milwaukee Brewers (director, integrative sports performance)
  • American Medical Response (paramedic)
  • Multicare Good Samaritan Hospital (physical therapist)
  • Humboldt State University (assistant professor, kinesiology and recreation administration)

Where Graduates Continue Studying

Where our students continue their studies:

  • University of Montana (environmental studies)
  • University of Puget Sound (M.S., occupational therapy)
  • University of Oregon (M.S., physiology)
  • University of Southern California (Doctor of Physical Therapy)
  • Bond University, Australia (physical therapy)

FACILITIES

Human physiology lab
HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY LAB

In the human physiology lab students learn techniques to assess body composition, energy metabolism, cardiorespiratory function, and other aspects of physiology at rest and during exercise. An environmental chamber further allows for these measures during heat or cold stress.

Prof. McCall works with students on a human cadaver in the anatomy lab.
HUMAN ANATOMY LAB

Exercise science students are lucky to get the opportunity to work with human cadavers in this lab, an option often not available to undergraduates.

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BIOMECHANICS LAB

In the biomechanics lab, students develop an in-depth understanding of applied anatomy.  and learn about the physics of human motion from both athletic performance and clinical perspectives. They learn how to quantitatively analyze human movement using video and force plate analysis techniques.