Before thinking about which exercises, frequency and intensity should be used in strength training programs to achieve muscle strength, promote a healthy lifestyle, hypertrophy or improve athletic performance, we should understand firstly how a muscle contraction happens. The aim of this book is to provide you with a basic to advanced understanding about several physiological systems involved in muscle contraction: physiological adaptations for exercises, especially strength exercises; molecular responses; methods of training; nutrition and muscle performance; muscle recovery; benefits of strength exercises to human health; and which drugs are commonly used for doping in different sports. Chapter One of this book will review all of the most important cells, structures and processes involved in muscle contraction, such as neurons cells, synapses, motor units, general and molecular mechanisms of muscle contraction. Chapter Two will describe the most important bioenergetics pathways of energy supplies required for muscle contraction. After understanding how muscle contraction happens and how energy is supplied, the reader will discover principles, methods and physiological adaptations of skeletal muscles to strength trainings within Chapters Three, Four and Five. In particular, Chapter Four will provide a friendly and detailed account of molecular adaptation in skeletal muscles to different exercises, discussing differential gene expression and the effects of different exercises in different populations and disorders. This book also points out a very important and detailed factor concerning cryotherapy in Chapter Six, one of most common strategies used to promote muscle recovery. Specific orientations regarding nutrition and muscle performance are presented in Chapter Seven, while doping and different drugs used to increase muscle performance in several sports introduce Chapter Eight. Finally, Chapter Nine describes the benefits of strength training to diabetic, hypertensive, obese and myopathic patients. We strongly believe that all knowledge within this book is essential for all professionals working to promote the health of patients and increase physical performance of athletes or their clients, as well as for all people linked to sports and physical activity in some way.

Muscle function has been used to measure the healthy and functional capacity of patients, sportsmen and athletes. The knowledge about muscle function and how to properly evaluate it can be determinant factors for the success of therapies during the treatment of many diseases, as well as improving muscle performance. Handgrip strength is a measure of maximum voluntary force of the hand. It has been reliable, valid and an objective parameter to evaluate overall muscular strength, and for this reason, it has been used as a predictor of physical disability. There are several techniques to treat and rehabilitate muscle function such as the proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation technique (PNF), functional training and traditional muscular strengthening. Physical exercises produce unquestionable health benefits, and when used properly, physical exercise can treat or become an adjuvant therapy for many diseases such as cancer, diabetes mellitus and patients with chronic heart failure. In addition to all the health benefits of exercise, new techniques of rehabilitation and the improvement of muscle performance were included in this book through the use of muscle strengthening associated to technological therapies, such as phototherapy (laser and light-emitting diodes), for muscle repair and performance. During your reading, this book will provide you with concepts, techniques and new perspectives about physical exercises that will become differential knowledge for health professionals to treat patients and/or make champions using powerful tools: physical exercise and technology.

When people think about physical exercise, they imagine athletic competitions and sculpted bodies. More than simply a way to achieve the best performance or a beautiful shape, physical exercise can promote and reestablish health. Physical therapy is a specific area of the health sciences specialised in treating and recovering the human body impaired by illness, an accident or surgeries. In order to restore the human body's functionality, physical therapy has several different techniques and resources that include physical exercises as an important tool used in rehabilitation programs. Throughout this book, you will encounter different physical exercises used in physical therapy to evaluate and establish rehabilitation programs. These are aimed at revitalising the body's function in five different areas: cardiorespiratory, orthopedics, neurology, gynecology and gerontology. In the cardiorespiratory section, you will understand the importance of oxygen provision during postural challenges a dynamic exercises. In addition, this same section explains the beneficial effects of physical exercises for patients with coronary artery disease and how physical exercises are used for pulmonary rehabilitation. The orthopedics section has very important concepts about how physical exercises are used to treat patellofemoral pain, knee osteoarthritis and shoulder dysfunctions. The neurology section brings actual concepts about the use of gait training for neurological rehabilitation; it explains the importance of strength training applied to neurorehabilitation and how physical exercises can be used to treat children with cerebral palsy. The gerontology section demonstrates the importance of motivation and adherence to physical exercises by elderly adults and also their dropout. Finally, the gynecology section brings concepts and physical exercises to evaluate and rehabilitate the pelvic floor muscles. It also brings to light the effects of physical activity on these muscles in pregnant women. After reading this book, you will increase your knowledge about how physical exercise can assess, treat and promote health for the life of your patients and your own life.