Exercise and the Cardiovascular System in Health and Disease

Instructor: Charles Stebbins, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine

Description: This seminar will examine the effects of exercise on the cardiovascular system under a variety of circumstances.  The aims are to: 1) understand the basic function and control of the cardiovascular system during exercise; 2) examine differences in cardiovascular responses to exercise caused by factors such as environmental temperature, exercise conditioning, work enhancing drugs, altitude, and nutrition; and, 3) explore the role of chronic exercise in the prevention and/or management of diseases such as coronary artery disease and hypertension. The goal of this seminar is to teach students how to approach and understand the function of a biological system and how such a system can adapt to changes in the environment.  A second goal is to introduce the scientific method as a tool for developing and answering critical scientific questions.

Format: The seminar will meet for 1 hr for 8 weeks.  Students will be given specific topics which they will present to the rest of the class.  The information for these presentations will come from basic textbooks, journals and handouts.  There will be open discussion during the presentation.  At the end of each class meeting, students will develop a testable hypothesis based on the content of the presentation.  The students will work in pairs of two and write a brief paper summarizing their presentation. Students will be required to perform outside reading to prepare for the presentations and to write the paper. The paper will focus on the main points of the student presentation and will consist of 3-4 typed pages.  Grading: Students will be graded on the quality of their presentation (1/3) and paper (1/3), and class participation (1/3).

About the Instructor: Dr. Stebbins is a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine.  His research interests are regulation of the cardiovascular system during exercise.  He has focused on activation of cardiovascular reflexes during muscle contraction and hormonal control of blood flow during exercise.  Presently, he is studying the potential for dietary supplementation with fish oils to enhance cardiovascular function during exercise.  Dr. Stebbins teaches in the Medical Physiology course for first year medical students and Advanced Physiology and Cardiorespiratory Physiology During Exercise for graduate students.