As the topical representative for Clinical Exercise Physiology it is my pleasure to highlight some of the exciting program sessions at the 2020 Annual Meeting in San Francisco. 

Our Highlighted Symposium this year is titled “Exercise and Medications in the Treatment of CVD Risk Factors” and is Wednesday, May 27^th at 3:15 p.m.  This session will discuss the clinical relevance of combining medications with exercise on the prevention and treatment of CVD risk factors and highlight potential interactions of exercise and common medications used to treat type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension. Moreover, these talks will describe suggested synergistic, additive or antagonistic effects and identify gaps in knowledge for future direction in effort to optimize CVD risk reduction. This session includes a great lineup of speakers and is being organized and moderated by Steve Malin, Ph.D., FACSM, University of Virginia, and will include talks by Linda Pescatello, Ph.D., FACSM, University of Connecticut (Exercise and antihypertensive medications), Adam Konopka, Ph.D., University of Illinois (Exercise and metformin) and John Thyfault, Ph.D., FACSM, University of Kansas University Medical Center (Exercise and statins). We look forward to an informative session on this important and relevant topic. 

As a follow-up to last year’s Highlighted Symposium on the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness for predicting health outcomes, Robert Ross, Ph.D., FACSM, Queens University, and Jon Myers, Ph.D., VA Palo Alto Health Care System, will provide a lecture on “Strategy for Implementing Cardiorespiratory Fitness as a Routine Measure in Clinical Settings” which is scheduled for Thursday May 28, at 3:45 p.m. 

In addition to these sessions there will be tutorial lectures on Is it Safe? Exercise Prescription for Individuals with Advanced Cancer and Bone Metastases (Wednesday 3:15 p.m.), Exercise and Multiple Sclerosis – From Bench to Practice (Thursday 10:40 a.m.), and Models of Cancer Rehabilitation for Cancer Survivors (Friday 9:30 a.m.).  We are also pleased to have two slide free communication sessions on Clinical Exercise Testing (Wednesday 1:00 p.m.) and Cardiometabolic Disease (Friday 3:15 p.m.) as well as several poster sessions spread throughout the week. 

We look forward to a wonderful 2020 ACSM Annual Meeting in San Francisco and it is my hope that you will find these sessions informative, thought provoking and will foster opportunities for those interested in Clinical Exercise Physiology to connect and network. 

Learn more about programming at the 2020 ACSM Annual Meeting.

Ready to join us in San Francisco? Register for the Annual Meeting today!

Matthew Harber, PhD, FACSM, is a Professor of Clinical Exercise Physiology and Director, Clinical Exercise Physiology Laboratory at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. His research aims to assist health professionals to develop exercise plans for life-long fitness.