"Molecular Exercise Physiology is the study of genetics and cell signal transduction (the conversion of a signal from outside the cell to a functional change within the cell) in relation to exercise. Molecular exercise physiologists aim to identify the genetic determinants of physical performance on a molecular level and to characterize the mechanisms responsible for the adaptation of the cell - and therefore of the body - to exercise. MEP allows exercise physiologists to explain rather than to merely describe phenomena related to exercise and therefore it is having a profound impact on the way we understand exercise physiology. Molecular Exercise Physiology: An Introductionis the first student-friendly textbook to be published on this fundamentally important topic. It carefully explains the basics of molecular exercise science and genetic variation, drawing clear and explicit links between each molecular mechanism and an outcome or applied aspect in a sport and exercise setting, such as what makes some people good at distance running. Every chapter includes a full range of useful features, including summaries, definitions of key terms, structured guides to further reading, self-test and review questions, overviews of work by key researchers and box discussions of important contemporary debates, as well as step-by-step descriptions of practicals and research protocols that students can follow in the lab. Structured around central themes in sport and exercise science, such as nutrition, endurance exercise, resistance training, chronic disease and ageing, this book is the perfect foundation around which to build a complete upper-level undergraduate or postgraduate course on molecular exercise physiology."