Genetics and Molecular Biology of Muscle Adaptation

This title is directed primarily towards health care professionals outside of the United States. It starts with the origin of life and ends with the mechanisms that make muscles adapt to different forms of training. In between, it considers how evidence has been obtained about the extent of genetic influence on human capacities, how muscles and their fibres are studied for general properties and individual differences, and how molecular biological techniques have been combined with physiological ones to produce the new discipline of molecular exercise physiology. This is the first book on such topics written specifically for modules in exercise and sport science at final year Hons BSc and taught MSc levels.

I truly found it an excellent book. It is much needed, timely and is a welcome addition to the shelf of any student, lecturer or researcher. -- University of Aberdeen LecturerThis book is both timely and extremely effective in hitting its' targeted audience of Level 3 undergraduate and postgraduate students. The authors should be sincerely congratulated for their writings.The chapters are presented in logical sequence, are excellently sourced and deal with complex signalling pathways (as they are often viewed in the eyes of the undergraduate student) in a simplistic and reader-friendly approach. Particular strengths were the consistent reference to biochemical an molecular laboratory techniques throughout the main text. The appendix section subsequently goes on to explicitly detail step-by-step methods regarding modern day techniques. In the modern scientific community, we live in a world that is dominated by competitive grant applications and they need to achieve the necessary impact factors. For those researchers interested in the physiology of exercise, I have no doubt in my mind that molecular research is in the future. Within the sport and exercise science domain, it is therefore essential that scientists of tomorrow (me included) are trained in such areas. This book is certainly a step in the right direction. In closing my review, I would like to state the book has left me with a strange dilemma: do I store it on the office shelf along with my other physiology texts or do I keep it on the bedside table? Need I say any more?Bases December 2006