Glossary

Dr Cuisle Forde, Dr Aine Kelly,

Dr Mikel Egana and Dr Fiona Wilson
 Exercise Prescription for the Prevention and Treatment of Disease

Glossary
A

Accelerometer
Accelerometers are small light devices and can be attached almost
anywhere on the body, and give you information on the duration,
frequency, time and intensity of physical activities.

Adult neurogenesis
The growth of new neurons in the adult brain.

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

A molecule that acts as the energy currency of the cell.

Anaerobiosis
Muscle hypoxia or lack of oxygen

Ankle (o)edema
Swollen ankles

Arterial hypoxemia
Low levels of oxygen in the blood

Atherosclerosis
A disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries.

Asymptomatic
No symptoms of a disease.

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 Exercise Prescription for the Prevention and Treatment of Disease

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)

This is a protein that maintains the health of neurons and can
regulate production of new neurons in the brain.

Blood flow kinetics

The dynamic responses of blood flow at the onset of exercise.

Borg dyspnea 10-point scale

A scale that rates the difficulty of your breathing.

Cardiac output
The volume of blood ejected into the circulation from the heart
every minute. At rest, this is about 5 litres per minute.

Cerebrovascular disease
This is a disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain that can
result in a stroke.

Coronary heart disease

This is a disease of the blood vessels which supply the heart.

Coronary thrombosis
A blockage in the blood flow to the heart. This is usually caused by
a clot and may lead to a heart attack.

Cytokines
Molecules secreted by immune cells that help to regulate immunity
and inflammation.

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Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

Muscle weakness, restricted range of motion, and tenderness on
palpation, occurring 24 to 48 hours after intense or prolonged
muscular activity.

Detraining
Many of the beneficial effects of exercise training—from both
aerobic and resistance activities—diminish within a matter of weeks
if physical activity is substantially reduced, and effects disappear
within a matter of months if physical activity is not resumed.

Dyspnea
Shortness of air, difficult or laboured breathing.

Glycemic control
Regulation of blood sugar (glucose) levels.

Heartrate
The number of times the heart beats per minute.

Homeostasis
The ability of an organism to maintain a stable internal environment
in the face of change. It is the most important principle in
Physiology and describes the body’s ability to regulate physiological
function to maintain health.

Hypertension
High blood pressure, a long-term elevation in blood pressure above
normal values. Untreated, it can lead to cardiovascular damage.

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 Exercise Prescription for the Prevention and Treatment of Disease

Intermittent claudication
An aching, crampy, tired, and sometimes burning pain in the legs
that comes and goes. This typically occurs with walking and goes
away with rest due to poor circulation of blood in the arteries of the
legs.

Lactate threshold
Lactate threshold is the exercise intensity at which the blood
concentration of lactate and/or lactic acid begins to exponentially
increase.

Muscle atrophy
A decrease in the mass of the muscle.

Muscle hypertrophy
An increase in the size of skeletal muscle. This can be induced by
weight training.

Myocardial infarction
The medical term for a heart attack. The National Heart Lung and
Blood Institute describe a heart attack as “when the flow of oxygen-
rich blood to a section of heart muscle suddenly becomes blocked
and the heart can’t get oxygen. If blood flow isn’t restored quickly,
the section of heart muscle begins to die.”

Pedometer
A pedometer is a tool that counts the number of steps taken by an
individual.
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Paroxysmal dyspnea
Shortness of breath when lying flat, or at night when asleep.

Peripheral arterial disease

This is a disease of the blood vessels that supply the limbs.

Platelet aggregation
The clumping together of platelets in the blood. Platelet aggregation
is part of the sequence of events leading to the formation of a
thrombus (clot).

Spirometry
This is a common test used to assess how well your lungs work by
measuring how much air you inhale, how much you exhale and how
quickly you exhale. Spirometry can help in the diagnosis of different
lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Sphygmomanometer
A tool for measuring blood pressure.

Stroke volume
The volume of blood ejected from the heart (ventricle) each time it
beats.

Syncope
The medical term for fainting

Systolic blood pressure

The peak blood pressure in the arteries during a single heart beat.

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Tachycardia
A fast heart beat or “racing” heart.

Thrombotic occlusion
When a clot or blockage is complete and therefore does not let any
flowing blood through the vessel.

Ventilation
This is the term used to describe lung function.

Ventilatory threshold
This is the point during exercise at which ventilation starts to
increase at a faster rate than VO2.

Venous pooling
When blood collects in the veins of the legs. This happens due to
gravity and can be reduced by contracting the calf muscles.

VO2

Oxygen uptake or consumption.

VO2 max

An assessment of the maximum amount of oxygen you can use

during physical activity. It is a measure of aerobic capacity or
fitness.

VO2 kinetics

The rate at which your body uses oxygen at the onset of exercise.

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