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PhD Comprehensive Exam Structure
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| The Exercise Science faculty, in an effort to provide an objective and fair comprehensive doctoral examination process, have met to provide the following guidelines for examination preparation. These guidelines are meant to provide the graduate student with directions for test preparation, but in no way can they provide a starting and ending point of attained knowledge. The Exercise Science comprehensive exam process attempts to test the students accumlated knowledge of facts, truths, and principles, from research, classes and study, in a written and oral testing format. To better evaluate each student‘s preformance, the Exercise Science faculty have decided that the committee members will read all the written responses of the student. With each committee member reading all of the responses, as well as being present for the oral examination process, it is felt a more objective decision can be made about the student’s mastery of knowledge. The faculty also feel this provides a more objective process to determine if disctinction has been attained. To review the comprehensive exam grading rubric CLICK HERE. Note that a Exercise Science Graduate student must pass their written exams before allowed to go forward into their oral doctoral exams. |
| Distinction Clarified Distinction is awarded to recognize outstanding and exemplary performance on the Ph.D. written and oral comprehensive exams. To qualify for distinction, the student must receive an average score of 90% or higher on the comprehensive written exam and an average score of ‘9’ on a ‘1 to 10’ scale (from the comprehensive exam committee) on the oral comprehensive exam. In this way the student will have demonstrated exceptional depth of knowledge, breadth of knowledge, synthesis/integration of knowledge, written and oral communication skills, and professional demeanor.. |
Comprehensive Exam Structure |
| The 16 hour written exam will be individualized for students from the following areas. Therefore the suggested hours testing may be modified according to a students plan of studies. |
Topic |
Suggested Hours Testing |
| Exercise Physiology: Neuromuscular Cardiovascular Pulmonary Endocrine Metabolic adaptations (Acute/Chronic) interspersed throughout |
4 |
| Exercise Prescription | 1/2 |
| Clinical Exercise Physiology (EKG is a Prereq) | 1 |
| Environmental Exercise Physiology | 1/2 |
| Exercise Biochemistry | 1/2 |
| Body Composition | 0/1 |
| Statistics and Research Design | 4 |
| Exercise and Health | 1 |
| Neuromuscular Basis of Human Performance | 1 |
| Lab Procedures | 1/2 |
Study Guide Suggestions |
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| Exercise Physiology Basic Definitions of Key Terms/Words Be able to define, succinctly, the key terms used in exercise physiology. For example, terms such as VO2max, lactate threshold, oxygen deficit, hypoxia, Fick equation, acidosis, hyperemia, ischemia, contractility, heart rate reserve, etc., should be able to be explained clearly. Neuromuscular The structure and function of skeletal muscle, including the contractile and regulatory protein arrangements of skeletal muscle. Know the “Sliding Filament” theory of muscle contraction, especially the role of ATP in this sequence of events. Make sure you know all types of muscle contractions, and understand the ‘Size Principe” of motor unit recruitment. Have an appreciation for use of electromyography (EMG) in research of muscle involvement, and motor unit recruitment. Finally, be able to explain the membrane potential and an action potential in terms of potassium and sodium flux across the excitable membrane. Cardiovascular You need to know the basic anatomy and physiology of the central and peripheral components of the cardiovascular system. Added to this, you need to know how heart function changes during different types of exercise (modes and intensity), and the diverse regulation that coordinates this change. Be able to list all chronic (training) adaptations of this system, and explain why they are important to exercise performance. You also need to be able to transfer this knowledge to disease states in clinical exercise physiology. Pulmonary Know the components of the conducting and respiratory zones of the lung. Understand and know lung volumes and capacities. Be able to state/calculate alveolar partial pressures of gases, as well as arterial values, when only knowing barometric pressure. Be able to calculate blood oxygen content. Understand how carbon dioxide is transported in blood, and blood acid-base balance. Know typical rest and exercise values for ventilation, tidal volume, and breathing frequency. What does current research say about the importance/limitations of pulmonary function and ventilation during exercise? Be able to apply this knowledge to exercise at altitude. Endocrine This is a huge area of study. It is recommended that you apply this knowledge to specific aspects of exercise physiology; energy metabolism, cardiovascular (central and peripheral) and lung function, renal function and hydration, and muscle hypertrophy. Within this knowledge, you should be able to provide examples of the different biochemical categories of hormones, know the cellular mechanisms of action for each, and give examples of how these hormones are influential in adapting to the stresses of exercise. Metabolic Adaptations to Exercise Acute You need to be able to explain the roles of each metabolic pathway in limiting specific intensities of exercise. Make sure you are able to quote/cite key studies of exercise metabolism, spanning such topics as creatine phosphate, muscle glycogen, glycolysis and acidosis, mitochondrial respiration and VO2. Extend this coverage into research of the key laboratory measurements used to asses acute responses to exercise: VO2, VCO2, RER, the lactate threshold and ventilation threshold, oxygen deficit, accumulated oxygen deficit, Wingate Test, running economy, buffering capacity, etc. Chronic Extend your knowledge of all the contents of acute adaptations to exercise to how these components change after specific type of training. Do not forget about strength training, as well as responses to detraining. Exercise Prescription Thoroughly review the assessment and prescription methods and procedures for field and laboratory testing for all components of fitness. Clinical Exercise Testing Thoroughly review all competencies for professionals working in preventative and rehabilitative exercise programs for persons with cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic diseases. A thorough understanding of resting and exercise EKGs is imperative for the conceptual and practical understanding of persons with cardiovascular disease. Environmental Exercise Physiology As this content is organized by specific topic areas, content will be explained structured by these areas. Altitude Apply prior knowledge of cardiovascular and pulmonary physiology to lowered barometric pressures. Be able to calculate altitude from barometric pressure, and vice-versa. Be able to constructively criticize research of altitude physiology based on research design issues. Know the changes in key physiological variables during exercise when at altitude (Which altitude? Does it matter?) compared to sea level. Also know how specific parameters change after chronic altitude exposure. What are the risks of chronic exposure to increased altitude? Heat Stress and Hydration Be able to explain how body temperature is measured/estimated in human subjects research. Explain and be able to calculate the magnitude of heat production during exercise. What are the risks of excessive heat stress? Explain the relationship between heat stress, sweating and dehydration. Explain how to quantify dehydration, and what levels are meaningful for exercise performance and why. Know the multifaceted importance of adequate hydration during exercise, and be able to quote specific research studies concerning exercise, hydration, pre-exercise hydration, and rehydration from dehydration. What is the wet-bulb globe index? Cold Stress Why is it more difficult to adapt to cold stress compared to heat stress (acutely and chronically)? Explain the differences in heat loss between water and air. What is the wind chill index? Microgravity and Positive g-forces Explain the differences and similarities of these stresses with regard to human physiology. Be able to list the numerous physiological challenges of prolonged exposure to microgravity. Why is exercise so crucial to astronauts exposed to microgravity? What are some models used in research on earth to mimic the physiology of exposure to microgravity? What strategies are used by fighter pilots to lessen the physiological impairment of positive g-force exposure? Exercise Biochemistry You need to know all the reactions of the immediate (phosphagen), glycogenolytic and glycolytic, and mitochondrial respiration systems of energy metabolism. Given this background, you should be able to explain how these systems are regulated, why metabolic acidosis occurs during more intense exercise, and why ATP regeneration from mitochondrial respiration is so rate limited. In addition, you need to be able to explain the biochemical reasons for why there is a transition from fat to carbohydrate oxidation with increases in exercise intensity, and why carbohydrate and fat oxidation yield different caloric equivalents (Kcals/L VO2). In addition to the content above, you will need to be able to explain Gibbs free energy, the laws of thermodynamics (bioenergetics), and enzyme regulation. Body Composition Review the changes in body composition that are associated with exercise training (aerobic and resistive), aging, diseases (such as diabetes, thyroid disorders) and eating disorders (such as obesity and anorexia nervosa). What are the acute and long-term physiological and health consequences of such changes? Review the various methodologies for determining body composition, including their assumptions and limitations. Be prepared to discuss and defend which methodology would be most appropriate for specific populations of subjects. Neuromuscular Physiology Be able to explain (mechanistically) neuromuscular fatigue, identifying the central and peripheral components. Discuss the the metabolic and physiological characteristics of muscle fiber types. Review the metabolic and physiological steps of an action potential and muscle contraction. Review the physiology of skeletal muscle hypertrophy. Review the physiological changers that occur to muscle with aging. Statistics and Research Design Thoroughly review research design including hypothesis development and testing, research methodology (correlation, prediction, experimental design, causal comparative), dependent and independent variables, internal and external validity, simple and complex statistical tests, statistical assumptions and violations, and power analysis. Be prepared to also analyze a study for its research design and statistical efficacy. Be able to explain the four possible outcomes of desicion making concerning rejection of the null hypothesis (correct decision {true or false}, Type I error, Type II error). Exercise and Health Thoroughly review the physiological, epidemiological and health benefits of aerobic and resistance exercise. Lab Procedures Be able to state and explain all the laboratory tests that can be used to assess human exercise physiology and exercise performance. Know the research support for each of these tests, and their weaknesses, and strengths. Be able to discuss in specific detail the concept of VO2 max and the human body's physiological limitations to VO2 max. Be able to discuss the procedures and methods with which researchers quantify anaerobic capacity. Be able to discuss and explain the research on EPOC and list/explain all factors that contribute to it. |
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Good Luck! |
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