Conference: Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology 2018: Health in Motion, Science in Exercise, October 31–November 3, 2018, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
Conference Highlight: Three plenary lectures and 21 symposia highlighted exercise and its impact on a wide range of topics including muscle oxygen delivery, weight modification and chronic disease management.
Conference Summary: The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) is a voluntary organization composed of professionals involved in the study of exercise physiology, exercise biochemistry, fitness and health. This year’s CSEP Annual General Meeting in Niagara Falls offered a diverse array of presentations on exercise and its application to understanding physiology, enhancing human performance, and managing chronic diseases and conditions.
Highlights included the application of supplemental oxygen breathing to relieve exercise-induced dyspnea (the feeling of “breathlessness”) in individuals with chronic obstructive and restrictive lung disease. Dyspnea is a common limiting factor for exercise and activity in these individuals. Supplemental oxygen breathing was shown to reduce the severity of exercise-related breathlessness and significantly prolong exercise tolerance. Moving forward, this may be an effective therapeutic intervention to improve exercise training capacity and health-related quality of life. It also provides insight into the mechanisms contributing to the increased drive to breathe in individuals with this condition.
Also presented were updated, evidence-based recommendations regarding physical activity throughout pregnancy in the promotion of maternal, fetal and neonatal health. In the absence of contraindications, pregnant women are encouraged to perform moderate aerobic and resistance training exercise 3 or more times per week. Doing so lowers the risk of newborn complications and maximizes maternal health benefits.