Course Outline

PEP 426
PEP 593-EEE
PEP 535-EB
Biochem Lab
PEP 593
PEP 627
PEP 528-Neuromuscular Perf.
PEP/HED604
530 Lab. Proced.
Research Methods
PEP 478/579
LabVIEW
PEP 326

PEP:528 Neuromuscular Performance

Pre-requisites

PEP 426: Intermediate Exercise Physiology

Purpose

To provide content on the cellular physiology of nerves and muscle (smooth, cardiac, skeletal), and the physiology of the neuromuscular system, muscular contraction and motor unit recruitment. In addition, coverage will be given to the use of electromyography in exercise physiology research, the use and abuse of muscle biopsy, and the latest research of muscle fiber types.

Rationale

It could be argued that the neuromuscular determinants of exercise performance have been overshadowed by the physiology of cardio-respiratory function, as well as muscle biochemistry. This is unfortunate, as muscle contraction is the essence of physical activity, and students and exercise physiologists alike need to be more aware of the neuromuscular limitations imposed on the ability to exercise.

Objectives

To acquire an understanding of, or skills related to;

knowledge of the cellular physiology of membrane potentials and action potentials.
knowledge of the molecular events of muscle contraction, and the morphology that supports such function.
the use of electromyography in exercise physiology.
the completion of tests of muscular strength and power.
the muscle biopsy procedure, it's use in research, and limitations of this method.
knowledge of the latest research in neuromuscular physiology and exercise, especially in relation to the development of fatigue.

Alliance With Program, Division and College Missions

There is an increasing need to justify how academic courses "fit" within the theoretical framework of the college they are located within. Explanations of the College of Education Mission and Conceptual Framework are found within the College section of the UNM website.

This course provides pertinent knowledge that extends the academic training in exercise physiology of the graduate students of UNM. While primarily serving the needs of Exercise Science students, other students from teacher-training programs within the College of Education would also find this course interesting with respect to the expectations of university tenure-track employment.

Format

This course is taught by lecture using computerized powerpoint slide projection, class discussion, class assignments, and three laboratory sessions. Lecture/slide notes are found linked to this page, organized by the topics listed on the course calendar. Lectures are each 120 min in duration, and are based on the presentation of the material, frequent question and answer segments, and time for class discussion of important issues and concepts.

Textbook and Other Required Items

Due to the content of this course, it has always been difficult to find a suitable text. In addition to my electronic textbook, the following texts will be useful.

Guyton AC. Textbook of medical physiology. WB Saunders, ISBN: 0721630871.

Saladin KS. Anatomy and physiology: The unity of form and function. McGraw-Hill, ISBN: 0697230872.

Alberts B. et al. Molecular biology of the cell. Garland, ISBN: 0824072820.

You must;

	bring copies of slides and lecture notes found linked to this page. I recommend that you use these to write notes on.
	bring all previous handouts to each class. There will be many supplemental handouts to support text and slide material. Always bring these to class, as the content of exercise physiology builds on itself. For example, knowledge of metabolism is applied to systems physiology, and both are applied to more advanced topics later in the course.
	*complete all assigned readings*
	complete the written assignment
	contribute to the debate session

Assessment

Student assessment is based on the scores from,

	two exams
	involvement in class discussion
	1 written assignment
	1 debate session

The point and percentage contribution of each assessment item is summarized in the table below.

Item	Points	Number	Total	% of Total
Exams	100	2	200	50
Commentary Manuscript	100	1	100	25
Debate Participation	100	1	100	25
TOTAL			400	100

Your final grade will simply be based on your percentage score of the 400 total assessment points.

The grade letter and points distribution is provided in the table below.

Total Points (%)	Grade
98-100	A⁺
94-97	A
90-93	A
87-89	B⁺
83-86	B
80-82	B
77-79	C⁺
73-76	C
70-72	C^-
< 70	FAIL

Note that according to UNM and Department of HESS policy, a grade of C^- or worse is a failing grade.