Abstract
Treatment response heterogeneity and individual responses following exercise
training are topics of interest for personalized medicine. Proposed methods to
determine the contribution of exercise to the magnitude of treatment response
heterogeneity and categorizing participants have expanded and evolved. Setting
clear research objectives and having a comprehensive understanding of the
strengths and weaknesses of the available methods are vital to ensure the
correct study design and analytical approach are used. Doing so will ensure
contributions to the field are conducted as rigorously as possible. Nonetheless,
concerns have emerged regarding the ability to truly isolate the impact of
exercise training, and the nature of individual responses in relation to mean
group changes. The purpose of this review is threefold. First, the strengths and
limitations associated with current methods for quantifying the contribution of
exercise to observed treatment response heterogeneity will be discussed. Second,
current methods used to categorize participants based on their response to
exercise will be outlined, as well as proposed mechanisms for factors that
contribute to response variation. Finally, this review will provide an overview
of some current issues at the forefront of individual response research.
Key words
individual response - exercise physiology - physical activity - non-responder
