As the topical representative for Clinical Exercise Physiology, it is my pleasure to highlight some of the exciting program sessions at the 2021 Annual Meeting that will be held virtually.

Our highlighted symposium this year is titled “Exercise and Medications in the Treatment of CVD Risk Factors” to be held on Wednesday, June 2^nd at 4:15 p.m. (All times listed in Mountain Daylight Time). 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, Rutgers University, and will include talks by Linda Pescatello, Ph.D., FACSM, University of Connecticut (Exercise and antihypertensive medications), Adam Konopka, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin (Exercise and metformin), and John Thyfault, Ph.D., FACSM, University of Kansas Medical Center (Exercise and statins). We look forward to an informative session on this important and relevant topic.

As a follow-up to the 2019 highlighted symposium on the importance of cardiorespiratory fitness for predicting health outcomes, Robert Ross, Ph.D., FACSM, Queens College, 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, June 3^rd at 1:15 p.m. 

In addition to these sessions there will be a tutorial lecture on “Advancing the Field of Clinical Exercise Physiology: The Clinical Revolution” (June 1^st, 4:30 p.m.), a Colloquium on “Cardiac Preconditioning and Exercise-Induced (Mal)Adaptations to Exercise: Clinical Implications” (June 1^st, 3:30 p.m.), and a timely Symposium on “The Implications of COVID-19 on Cardiac Rehabilitation: The Need to Accelerate Provision of Non-Traditional Approaches” (June 4^th, 2:15 p.m.). Rounding out the Clinical Exercise Physiology section is a Colloquium on “Stress Testing in the COVID Era” (June 5^th, 9:00 a.m.) and several poster sessions spread throughout the week.

We look forward to a wonderful virtual 2021 ACSM Annual Meeting! It is my hope that you will find these sessions informative and thought provoking, and that they will foster opportunities for those interested in Clinical Exercise Physiology to connect and network.

Matthew Harber, Ph.D., FACSM