Per-Olof Åstrand (21 October 1922 – 2 January 2015) was a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professor ...

physiology Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemic ...

at the

Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences ( sv, Gymnastik- och idrottshögskolan, GIH) in Stockholm is a Swedish institution offering higher education in the fields of teaching profession in Physical Education, Sports coaching and Preventive ...

(GIH) in Stockholm 1970–1977, and 1977–1988 at the

Karolinska Institute The Karolinska Institute (KI; sv, Karolinska Institutet; sometimes known as the (Royal) Caroline Institute in English) is a research-led medical university in Solna within the Stockholm urban area of Sweden. The Karolinska Institute is consis ...

in Stockholm, Sweden, and a member of the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet (1977–1988). Åstrand is considered a "pioneer", "legend"Läkartidningen
2007 and one of the "founding fathers" of modern

exercise physiology Exercise physiology is the physiology of physical exercise. It is one of the allied health professions, and involves the study of the acute responses and chronic adaptations to exercise. Exercise physiologists are the highest qualified exercise ...

.Per-Olof Åstrand, Topendsports
/ref>

Career

Åstrand graduated from the Royal Central Gymnastics Institute(GCI/GIH) in Stockholm, Sweden, now called the

(GIH) in 1946. Then he was already amanuensis at its Department of Physiology, where he started his thesis work. In 1952 he defended his thesis and got his Ph.D. at the medical school at the Karolinska Institute, since GCI/GIH in those days did not have such rights as a university college. He became a professor in physiology at GCI/GIH in 1970. Åstrand had over 200 research publications and his areas of research included work physiology and the human oxygen transporting system, physical performance,

health and fitness Physical fitness is a state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the ability to perform aspects of sports, occupations and daily activities. Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition, moderate-vigorous physical ...

, preventive medicine, and rehabilitation. Åstrand is known for developing the Åstrand-Ryhming Cycle Ergometer Test in 1954 in collaboration with his future wife, Irma Ryhming. His book ''Textbook of Work Physiology'' has been translated to eight languages.Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences
/ref> Per-Olof Åstrand was

Doctor Honoris Causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad h ...

at eight universities. He was also an honorary member of the American College of Cardiology, the

Royal Australasian College of Physicians The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) is a not-for-profit professional organisation responsible for training and educating physicians and paediatricians across Australia and New Zealand. The RACP is responsible for training both ...

and the

American College of Sports Medicine The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, is a sports medicine and exercise science membership organization. Founded in 1954, ACSM holds conferences, publishes books and journals, and offers certif ...

. In 2000 Åstrand was awarded the first Lifetime Achievement Award in exercise physiology by the

American Society of Exercise Physiologists The American Society of Exercise Physiologists is a non-profit professional organization for exercise physiologists. Founded in Minnesota in 1997, its vision is to establish board-certified exercise physiologists as experts in the application of "e ...

(ASEP).ASEP.org
/ref>

References

External links

Per-Olof Åstrand
in

Nationalencyklopedin ''Nationalencyklopedin'' (; "The National Encyclopedia" in English), abbreviated NE, is a comprehensive contemporary Swedish language, Swedish-language encyclopedia, initiated by a favourable loan from the Government of Sweden of 17 million Swed ...

Publications in DiVAExcerpt from interview on Swedish national television
Hylands hörna, 1963 {{DEFAULTSORT:Astrand, Per-Olof 1922 births 2015 deaths Swedish physiologists Academic staff of the Karolinska Institute Exercise physiologists Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences alumni

Career

See also

References

Further reading

External links