Exercise and Metabolism: addressing the problem

The stress induced by physical exercise imposes significant metabolic adjustments to support the increased energy demands of contracting muscles. These responses depend on factors related the specific characteristics of the exercise, sex, age, training status and environmental conditions. Additionally, pathological states can also play a significant role. In this introductory lecture, the main factors influencing substrate metabolism during exercise will be reviewed and the complexity of predicting or controlling these metabolic responses highlighted.