Physiological Adaptations and Exercise Load

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding how the human body senses, handles, and adapts to various physical stressors is a foundational pillar of exercise science, physical health, and athletic optimization. The prescription of training load, including the precise manipulation of volume, intensity, and frequency, serves as the primary catalyst for driving targeted biological changes. However, uncovering the systemic cellular and neuromuscular pathways that govern these changes remains a complex challenge. This challenge grows when athletes undergo concurrent training modalities or face extreme environmental and physical volumes, such as multi-day endurance stage racing. Investigating these limits provides invaluable insights into the plastic nature of human physiology, structural musculoskeletal integrity, and the boundaries of human performance.

This Special Issue aims to gather a comprehensive collection of cutting-edge research detailing the mechanisms of human adaptation across different physical disciplines. The thematic focus aligns directly with the scope of the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, which features research on the structure, function, and movement dynamics of the musculoskeletal system and the whole body. By focusing on how structured workloads alter functional anatomy and metabolic capacities, this collection bridges the gap between basic kinesiology and applied sports science.

We welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews, systematic meta-analyses, and unique case reports. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Cardiovascular and Metabolic Adaptations: Central and peripheral systemic updates following prolonged endurance workloads.
• Muscular and Neuromuscular Alterations: Structural changes, hypertrophy kinetics, and nervous system signaling responses to heavy resistance training.
• Concurrent Training Paradigms: Interference effects, molecular signaling conflicts, and balancing strength with aerobic capacities.
• Training Load Management: Innovative monitoring techniques, biochemical markers of fatigue, and strategies for optimal recovery.
• Extreme Training Loads and Novel Disciplines: Physiological responses to extreme stressors, including multi-week ultra-endurance blocks and emerging platforms like digital e-cycling (e.g., Zwift stage racing).
• Demographic Variations: How sex, age, and aging populations alter physical tolerance and performance training responses.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Christopher R. Harnish
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• kinesiology
• exercise physiology
• musculoskeletal adaptation
• training load monitoring
• hypertrophy
• neuromuscular function
• concurrent training
• endurance performance
• E-cycling
• human performance