UPDATING EXERCISE PRESCRIPTION IN HEALTH AND DISEASE

Abstract

An international consensus has resulted in the prescription of homogenous exercise programs for healthy and clinical populations with different pathologies. This generic prescription, based on concrete doses of aerobic and strength training, has proved to be safe and efficacious across a diverse range of populations. However, the personalization of such prescription may become problematic due to the excessively simplistic or even wrong assumptions behind such universal recommendations and their research evidence. The aim of this paper is to review these assumptions on the basis of complex systems science and network physiology, and update the current exercise prescription accordingly. First, we describe the one-size-fit all approach of current recommendations and question the rationale of the scientific evidences behind. Afterwards we update the basic assumptions related to the conception of the organism, the concept of health and fitness, the objectives and principles of training, the assessment of physiological states, the role of coaches and patients and the research methodology. According to it we propose alternative general recommendations for exercise prescription in health and disease.