‘Big Picture: Exercise, Energy and Movement’ out now
15 December 2011
From our first teetering steps as a baby, to walking up the aisle, to crossing the line at the end of a marathon, many key moments of our lives are defined by our ability to move. Although all living things use movement as part of a basic drive to survive, humans get mobile for many additional reasons. Whether it's parkour or polo, cycling or swimming, or jogging or juggling, we move to keep healthy, have fun and compete against others.
In 'Big Picture: Exercise, Energy and Movement', we explore the biological systems that keep us moving and consider some of the psychological, social and ethical aspects of exercise and sport. Online, you can download the PDF of the magazine and poster and subscribe to receive print or PDF copies of future issues.
In this issue, we take a tour around our muscles and skeleton and discover - among other things - what would happen to them if we lived in space. We look at how oxygen gets into our bodies and is used to transfer energy from our food, and consider some of the mental aspects of exercise and sport.
To stimulate debate, there are some current and future scenarios about the ethics of sports performance, including the use of drugs, prosthetics and nutrition.
One of our regular features, 'Real voices', features interviews with Paralympic swimmer and double gold medallist Ellie Simmonds, sports psychologist to the England cricket team Dr Mark Bawden, and Dr Jennifer Morgan, a researcher studying muscle regeneration. Our infographic gives a numerical take on exercise, energy and movement.
We know that the details of cellular respiration can be daunting, so this issue comes with a colour poster that gives a fully annotated, illustrated overview of aerobic and anaerobic respiration. To help you clarify the Krebs cycle, elucidate the electron transport chain and more, download the poster online or order a copy.
There are lots of other educational resources online, including an animation on the sliding filament theory of muscle contraction, lesson ideas, image galleries (from Wellcome Images) and short videos, including one that busts some myths around exercise and a guide to bone biomechanics.
Finally, you've told us how much you love the fast facts in each issue, so we've collated the best ones and added a few more for good measure to create 'The Big Picture Little Book of Fast Facts'. Subscribers will receive a copy with the latest issue of 'Big Picture'. You can also download or order copies online.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this issue, as well as any questions or suggestions you might have about the whole series. Have your say by emailing the ‘Big Picture’ team.
