Author Profile

Leigh Breen is a distinguished authority in the fields of human physiology, exercise science, and muscle metabolism, widely recognized for his pioneering research into how the human body adapts to exercise, aging, and physical disuse. As the author of Kinesiology In Action: Exploring Physical Potential, Breen bridges the gap between complex biochemical laboratory insights and real-world physical performance, offering readers an unparalleled guide to unlocking human capability. Breen’s extensive academic background serves as the foundation for the book's evidence-based approach. He holds a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology and Metabolism, complemented by years of intensive post-doctoral research alongside world-renowned figures in muscle physiology. Currently serving as a senior academic and lead investigator at a premier research university, Breen has dedicated his career to studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern muscle protein synthesis, physical conditioning, and functional longevity. Throughout his career, Breen has authored numerous peer-reviewed studies published in top-tier scientific journals, including the Journal of Applied Physiology, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and The Journal of Physiology. His groundbreaking research focuses on how targeted nutritional strategies combined with precise resistance and endurance training can counteract muscle wasting, optimize athletic recovery, and maximize physical potential across a lifespan.

About The Book

Kinesiology In Action: Exploring Physical Potential is a definitive masterwork that bridges the gap between biological mechanics and human capability, serving as both an academic anchor and an inspiring roadmap for unlocking the body's ultimate performance. At its core, this text reframes the human body not as a static biological machine, but as a dynamic, evolving system designed for limitless potential. It goes beyond the sterile memorization of muscles and insertions, thrusting the reader into the living, breathing reality of movement science. By seamlessly blending anatomy, physiology, and physics, the book transforms complex biomechanical principles into actionable, real-world insights. What makes this book powerful is its unwavering focus on action. Every chapter serves a dual purpose: providing rigorous, evidence-based scientific truth while immediately applying that truth to human performance, rehabilitation, and athletic longevity. It challenges students, clinicians, and athletes alike to look past the surface of a movement and understand the intricate neuromuscular symphony that drives it. Ultimately, Kinesiology In Action is a testament to human resilience and adaptability. It teaches us that to study kinesiology is to study the blueprint of human capability. It leaves the reader with a profound truth: understanding how we move is the ultimate key to discovering how far we can go.

Table of Contents

Preface
. INTRODUCTION TO KINESIOLOGY AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
. Introduction
. Ways of Developing an Understanding of Kinesiology
. What is Physical Activity?
. What is Kinesiology?
. The Focus of Kinesiology: Exercise and skilled Movement
. Why “Kinesiology”?
. Holistic Nature of Kinesiology
. Experiencing Physical Activity
.
. THE SPHERES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY EXPERIENCE
. Introduction
. The Sphere of Self-Sufficiency
. Limitations in Self-Sufficient Physical Activity
. Self-Sufficiency and Aging
. The Sphere of Self-Expression
. Cultural Differences in Gestures
. Physical Activity, Efficiency, and injury in the Workplace
. Physical and Psychological Demands of Work
. Instruction in Sport and Exercise
. Teaching Physical Education for Physical Fitness
. Teaching Physical Education for Sport Skill Development
. Physical Activity as Leisure Activity
. Physical Activity, Health, and the National Interest
. Introduction
.


. THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
. Physical Activity as a Signature of Humanity
. Ability to Improve Performance Through Planned Experience
. Experience Changes Our Capacity to Perform Physical Activity
. Physical Performance Capacity, Training, and Conditioning
. Performance Experience and Physical Fitness
. Measuring Physical Fitness
. Determining Practice Experiences Critical for Improving skills
. Four Truths about Sport and Exercise
. Physical Activity Is Always Accompanied by Subjective Experiences
.
. THE IMPORTANCE OF SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
. Subjective Experiences of Physical Activity are Unique
. The Nature of Subjective Experiences
. Psychoanalytic Self-Knowledge
. Intrinsic and Extrinsic Approaches to Physical Activity
. Introduction
.
. PRINCIPLES OF KINESIOLOGY
. Motor Redundancy
.
. MECHANICAL PRINCIPLES: KINETICS
. Spinal Load Considerations
. Stress on Nonweight-Bearing Joints
. Static Equilibrium
. Tension
. Mechanical Advantage
. The Levers Principle
. Introduction
.
. PHILOSOPHY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
. Introduction to Philosophic Thinking
. Philosophy of Physical Activity and Kinesiology
. Research Methods in Philosophy of Physical Activity
.


. Sport, Competition, and their Relationships to Play and Duty
. Play and Duty in Sport
. Ethical Values and Sport
. Introduction
.
. 8. ANATOMICAL CONCEPTS IN KINESIOLOGY
. Neuromuscular System
. The Skeletal System
. The Cardiopulmonary System
. Bioenergetics
. Biomechanics
. Cardiovascular Submaximal Testing
.
. 9. ASPECTS OF MUSCLE PHYSIOLOGY
. Introduction
. Skeletal Muscle Contractions
. Involuntary Muscle Movement
. Introduction
.
. 10. MOTOR BEHAVIOUR
. What Does a Motor Behaviourist Do?
. Measuring Movements
. Measuring Learning and Transfer
. Motor Learning
. Developmental Motor Learning and Control
. Introduction
.
. 11. SPORT AND EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY
. What is Sport and Exercise Psychology?
. What Does a Sport or Exercise Psychologist Do?
. Goals of Sport and Exercise Psychology
. History of Sport and Exercise Psychology
. Modern Sport and Exercise Psychology
. Research Methods in Sport and Exercise Psychology
. Using Rewards to Enhance Motivation
. Developmental Concerns in Psychology of Sport and Exercise
. Introduction
.


. PHYSIOLOGY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
. What Does a Physiologist of Physical Activity Do?
. Goals of Physiology of Physical Activity and Kinesiology
. Understand Anatomical and Physiological Changes from Physical Activity
. History of Physiology of Physical Activity
. Resistance Training
. Cardiovascular System
. Physical Activities and Resistance Training
. Nutritional Intake and Physical Activity
. Physical Activity, Fitness, and Health
.
. POSTURE
. Introduction
. Types Of Posture
. Static Versus Dynamic Posture
. Good Posture
. Poor Or Bad Posture
. Static Positions
. Postural Defects
. Classification Of Postural Defects
.
. PHYSIOLOGY OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
. Introduction
. Walking
. Running
.
. KINESIOLOGY IN DAILY ACTIVITIES & SPORTS SKILLS
. Daily Life Activities
. Sports Skills
. Throwing
.

Bibliography
Index