Psychobiology of Physical Activity

Psychobiology of Physical Activity fills a void in the scientific literature by addressing psychobiologic factors as they relate to exercise and sport. As the first resource of its kind, it sparks greater interest in the integration of topics in the growing area known as the psychobiology of physical activity. The text defines and expands the field by covering various disciplines, including psychophysiology, psychoneuroendocrinology, psychoimmunology, neuroscience, physiological psychology, and behavioral genetics. The edited volume consists of 17 chapters written by internationally renowned scholars who consistently present a multilevel integrative approach to the study of human behavior in exercise and sport. The contributors share their cutting-edge research findings from diverse perspectives in chapters on physical activity and the brain, cognition, emotion, stress, pain, and human performance. Part I, Introduction, traces the history of psychobiological investigations in the fields of sport and exercise psychology and reviews what is currently known about the workings of the central nervous system during physical activity. Part II, Physical Activity and Cognition, examines recent evidence on the role of physical activity and fitness in preserving cognitive function in the aging human brain and the effects of exercise on neurogenesis, the formation of new neurons. Part III, Physical Activity and Emotion, discusses the effects of exercise on emotion from multiple levels: the level of the synapse, the level of the human brain, and the level of the body as an integrated self-protecting system. Part IV, Physical Activity and Psychosomatic Health, analyzes the role of exercise on central and peripheral factors related to cardiovascular and neuroendocrine stress reactivity, the function of the immune system, and pain. Part V, Psychobiology of Human Performance, focuses on factors influencing human performance in competitive settings, including attention and cognition, biofeedback, and mental imagery. As a professional reference, the book provides researchers and scholars with a valuable summary of cutting-edge research and up-to-date information. As a textbook, it challenges researchers and graduate students with an integrated approach to the study of human behavior in exercise and sport. In addition, Psychobiology of Physical Activity translates for sophisticated practitioners—such as clinical exercise physiologists—psychobiologic research into practice in the areas of exercise and sport.