American Physiological Society's October conference examines the integrative biology of exercise

BETHESDA, Md. (September 10, 2012)—The effects of physical inactivity are, literally, hazardous to your health. Although the detrimental effects of being inactive are generally thought to be associated with childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes, they have a significant impact on other illnesses. Physical inactivity contributed at least 25 percent to the prevalence of hip fractures, osteoporosis, coronary heart disease, and colon cancer according to recent data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Research aimed at identifying the molecular, cellular, and physiological mechanisms that underlie the link between inactivity and disease may yield key clues for developing effective prevention and therapeutic strategies. The upcoming conference co-sponsored by The American Physiological Society (APS) will convene researchers for discussions and presentations to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms and consequences of inactivity.

Entitled Integrative Biology of Exercise VI, the event will be held October 10-13, 2012 in Westminster, Colorado, and is a collaborative effort between the APS, the American College of Sports Medicine and the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. The conference is supported in part by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, an institute of the National Institutes of Health, GlaxoSmithKline, Inc., Stealth Peptides, Inc., and Seahorse Biosciences. The full program is online at http://bit.ly/NW1PLP.

The conference, the latest in a series, will build on prior themes involving the cellular and molecular aspects of muscle plasticity and function, cardiovascular biology and control, cell signaling and metabolic control, and the integration of aligned disciplines which underpin exercise responses. This year's program will put particular emphasis on defining the underlying mechanisms responsible for the health benefits of exercise and the latest research incorporating exercise in personalized medicine. Symposia and poster abstracts will include hundreds of new discoveries on the effects of exercise or inactivity.

Researchers from leading universities and medical centers in the U.S., Canada and other countries include have been invited to speak. The featured speakers and topics are:

Provided by American Physiological Society