determining exercise intensity

• what is meant by heart rate ?

  the number of times the heart beats per minute
• when doing exercise why does the heart beat faster ?

  heart rate increases to increase the blood flow and therefore oxygen to the muscles
• how can an athlete show the intensity that they are working at ?

  through measuring their heart rate
• how can you measure your heart rate ?

  through placing your first and second fingers on the radial artery which is on the underside of the wrist

  using a stopwatch , count the number of pulses in 60 seconds
• what are some other ways to measure heart rate ?

  a heart rate monitor

  a smartwatch

  apps - using a smartwatch camera and light sensors
• what is meant by maximum heart rate ?

  the highest number of times that the heart can beat in one minute
• what is maximum heart rate also known as ?

  HR max
• which equation is used to measure a persons maximum heart rate ?

  220 - age
• who was borg ?

  a scientist who studied sport
• when was the borg (6-20) RPE scale configurated ?

  1970
• what is meant by RPE ?

  rating of perceived exertion
• what do the numbers on the borg scale represent ?

  different levels of exertion (effort)
• how can an athlete get a rough idea of their heart rate ?

  using the Borg RPE scale
• what is the equation to find heart rate from the borg scale ?

  HR (beats per minute) = RPE X 10
• what is the equation to work out the RPE using heart rate ?

  RPE = HR (bpm) / 10
• why is RPE sometimes a less accurate measurement of heart rate ?

  people often overestimate how hard they are working
• what is an advantage to the Borg RPE scale ?

  it’s easy to measure with or without equipment
• why is keeping your heart beating within a target zone an advantage for an athlete?

  it helps improve fitness
• what does energy release of the body depend on ?

  the intensity
• what is meant by aerobic activity ?

  Exercise involving oxygen.

  when exercise isn’t too intense and is at a steady rate (e.g. jogging ), so the heart and lungs can supply enough oxygen to the working muscles
• what do muscles release and make as a result of aerobic activity ?

  muscles release energy using oxygen and make carbon dioxide as a waste product
• what is meant by anaerobic activity ?

  Activity without oxygen

  during intense exercise (e.g. sprinting) the heart and lungs cannot supply the working muscles with enough oxygen
• what do muscles make and release as a result of anaerobic activity ?

  muscles release energy without oxygen, and make lactic acid as a waste product
• what are the two ways your muscles can release energy ?

  aerobic activity

  anaerobic activity
• why does a sports performer need to exercise at the right intensity ?

  to maximise their improvement in fitness
• how can a sports performer ensure they are training at the right intensity ?

  making sure their heart rate is in a target zone
• what is the aerobic target zone ?

  60-80 % of the maximum heart rate
• what is the anaerobic target zone ?

  80-90 % of the maximum heart rate
• what are the boundaries of the training zones called ?

  training thresholds
• what training threshold should a beginner train within ?

  the lower threshold so around 60% for aerobic training and 80% for anaerobic training
• what training threshold should serious athletes train within ?

  within the upper threshold, so around 80% for aerobic training and 90% for anaerobic training
• what is an example of when aerobic activity and anaerobic activity is used ?

  in many team sports (e.g. lacrosse ) you need to be able to move continuously (aerobically)for the whole match, and also have spurts of fast movements (anaerobic)
• what is meant by repetition max (RM) tests ?

  a way of finding the body’s upper limits, so a participant can set goals
• what is an example of how to make RM tests safer ?

  a spotter when lifting heavy weights
• what is meant by a rep ?

  one specific movement or exercise, e.g. one bicep curl
• what is a good way to find an athletes maximal strength

  by performing a one rep max (1RM) test
• how do you find a one rep max ?

  find the heaviest weight a participant can lift safely using a particular muscle group. The heavier this weight, the stronger the muscle group
• describe how a participant would determine their one rep max ?

  they should start with a weight they know they can lift. Once they successfully lift it, they should let it rest for a few minutes

  They should then increase the weight in small steps until they reach a weight with which they cant complete a single lift. The last weight they manage to successfully lift is their one rep max
• what is meant by fifteen rep max (15RM) ?

  maximum weight you can lift for fifteen reps
• how does a participant find their 15RM ?

  through finding a weight that is not too heavy (e.g. starting around 50% of their 1RM), then see if they can do 15 reps.