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 Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

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 chemical ...

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 Sweden, Swedish institution offering higher education in the fields of teaching profession in Physical Education, Sports coaching and Pr ...

(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 consist ...

Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

, and a member of the

Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute is a body at Karolinska Institute which awards the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. It is headquartered in the Nobel Forum on the grounds of the Karolinska Institute campus. Originally the Nobel ...

(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. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

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,

preventive medicine Preventive healthcare, or prophylaxis, consists of measures taken for the purposes of disease prevention.Hugh R. Leavell and E. Gurney Clark as "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting physical and mental hea ...

, and

rehabilitation Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to: Health * Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished * Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...

. 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 hon ...

at eight universities. He was also an honorary member of the

American College of Cardiology The American College of Cardiology (ACC), based in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit medical association established in 1949. It bestows credentials upon cardiovascular specialists who meet its qualifications. Education is a core component of the ...

, 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 certific ...

. In 2000 Åstrand was awarded the first Lifetime Achievement Award in exercise physiology by the American Society of Exercise Physiologists (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 encyclopedia, initiated by a favourable loan from the Government of Sweden of 17 million Swedish kronor in 19 ...

Publications in DiVAExcerpt from interview on Swedish national television

Hylands hörna ''Hylands hörna'' ("Hyland's corner") was a Swedish talk show presented by Lennart Hyland. Broadcast between 1962 and 1983, it was the first talk show in Sweden. The show started as a radio program on 10 October 1961. It moved to television in 19 ...

, 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