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Ultimate reference work
Physiology of Sport & Exercise: Wilmore, Jack H, & Costill, David L. Human
Kinetics, Second Edition 1999. 710 pages (9" x 11") hardback, £39.50. ISBN
9-780736-000840
This is it: the ultimate reference work on the subject. Because it's so
thorough there is, paradoxically, little to say except that it's huge,
exhaustive and handsome, and will answer all the questions to which the answers
are known.
Like all American reference works the layout cannot be faulted: it's clear,
easy to find your way around in, and attractive – which encourages you to use
it. It's printed in a very readable Garamond typeface, in double columns, with
hundreds of illustrations: drawings, photos, charts and diagrams. The text
itself is equally accessible, scholarly yet easy to read.
Each of the 21 chapters is followed by its own references and bibliography.
They cover every possible aspect of exercise physiology, and are grouped into
seven sections: Essentials of Movement, Energy, Cardiorespiratory Function,
Environmental Influences, Optimising Performance, Age and Sex Considerations,
and Health and Fitness.
There are also sets of study questions, because this isn't just a book, it's a
course, and is linked to the CD of around 700 PowerPoint slides reviewed in
Issue 2/2000 of
"Cycle Coaching"
.
Even Wilmore and Costill wouldn't claim to have all the answers, of course: we
don't yet know how everything works. Even that which we take for granted is,
after all, only the best theory we have yet. For instance, while it's now
generally agreed that caffeine is an ergogenic aid, the mechanisms by which it
works are still not understood. Why is it that a Mars bar cures hunger knock in
a couple of minutes, long before it can have been digested and assimilated? But
even where uncertainty remains, the authors at least point us in the right
direction.
This is not a book that most ordinary cyclists will need if they're just
looking for training advice; but for serious coaches, and particularly for
student sports scientists, it must be regarded as essential. If it seems
expensive, think how many other books it replaces.
Ramin Minovi
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