Physical fitness, Training and Movement Efficiency

• Physical fitness


  • Ability to perform vigorous daily activities
  • Prevent chronic disease
  • High level fitness = less fatigue
• Health-related components of physical fitness

  • Cardiorespiratory endurance
  • Muscular strength
  • Muscular endurance
  • Flexibility
  • Body composition
• Skill-related components of physical fitness

  • Power
  • Speed
  • Agility
  • Coordination
  • Balance
  • Reaction time
• Cardiorespiratory endurance


  • Measures lung, heart, and blood vessel ability to supply oxygen to muscles
  • Essential for activities requiring continuous movement
  • Improves daily life by reducing fatigue
• Muscular strength


  • Ability of muscles to apply force
  • Ability to produce force against resistance
  • Important for daily tasks and sports
• Muscular endurance


  • Ability of muscles to perform repeated contractions against resistance
  • Important for daily activities and sports requiring prolonged effort
• Flexibility


  • Range of motion around a joint
  • Reduces stiffness, enhances mobility, and prevents injuries
  • Vital for sports requiring high flexibility
• Body composition


  • Balance between fat, muscle, and other body components
  • Excessive body fat impacts fitness and health
• To what degree is fitness a predictor of performance?
• Cardiovascular endurance


  • Indicator of performance in aerobic-based sports
  • Highly predictive for sports relying primarily on endurance
  • Less predictive for sports requiring high skill levels
• Muscular strength/power


  • Indicator of performance related to maximum force exertion
  • Useful for predicting performance in sports requiring specific strength
  • Less reliable for predicting performance in complex, varied sports
• Muscular endurance


  • Ability of muscles to sustain repeated contractions over time
  • Predictive for sports requiring sustained muscular effort
  • Less predictive for endurance sports like marathons
• Flexibility


  • Important for sports relying heavily on flexibility
  • Does not guarantee overall performance
• Power


  • Ability to exert maximum force quickly (strength + speed)
  • Speed Dominated - power through emphasised speed
  • Strength Dominated - power through emphasised strength
• Speed


  • Ability of muscles to contract quickly
  • Influenced by genetics
  • Can be improved with technique and skill training
• Agility


  • Ability to change direction or body position quickly while maintaining balance
  • Involves power, speed, balance, coordination, and reaction time
• Coordination


  Interaction between perception and the central nervous system for smooth, flowing movements
• Balance


  Ability to maintain equilibrium while stationary or moving
• Reaction time


  • Time to react to an external stimulus
  • Influenced by speed and perceptual ability
• Training programs to develop range of fitness components

  • Anaerobic
  • Aerobic
• Anaerobic training


  • Short sharp movements (oxygen is absent)
  • Can focus on strength, power, speed, lactate removal, muscular endurance
• Aerobic training


  • Sustained/moderate intensity (with oxygen)
  • Focuses on developing the cardiorespiratory endurance of the athlete
• FITT Principle


  • Frequency
  • Intensity
  • Time
  • Type
• FITT Principle - Aerobic Training

  • Low to moderate intensity
  • Longer than 90 seconds
  • Oxygen becomes available to cells of muscles for energy generation
  • Continuous activities for long duration
  • Must be at least 3 times a week
• FITT Principle - Anaerobic Training

  • High intensity
  • Two minutes or less (+ high intensity)
  • Muscles work without oxygen
  • Can require aerobic foundation
• Immediate and Physiological Responses to Training

  • Heart Rate
  • Ventilation Rate
  • Stroke Volume
  • Cardiac Output
  • Lactate Levels
• Heart Rate


  • Number of beats heart makes in set time
  • Increase exercise = Increase heart rate
  • Anticipatory Rise
  • Sharp Rise
  • Steady State
  • Recovery
  • Resting HR
  • Elite Athletes
  • Average Adults
  • Sedentary Adults
  • True Resting HR
• Heart Rate Terms


  • Resting Heart Rate
  • Max Heart Rate
  • Beats Per Minute (BPM)
  • Steady State
• Cardiorespiratory Fitness


  • Low resting HR indicates an effective cardiorespiratory system
  • HR increases to meet the demand for more oxygen and nutrients by working muscles
  • Fitter individuals have a quicker return to resting HR post-exercise
  • In extended periods of exercise, HR plateaus, indicating steady state
• Ventilation Rate


  • Amount of air inhaled at set time
  • Increase exercise = Increase ventilation rate
  • Rate + depth rapid increase proportional to effort
• Stroke Volume


  • Amount of blood ejected per beat
  • Increase exercise = Increase stroke volume
  • Speeds up blood oxygenation process
• Cardiac Output


  • Volume of blood pumped out of heart per minute
  • Increase exercise = Increase cardiac output
• Lactate Levels


  • Amount of lactic acid in bloodstream
  • Lactic Acid System - sugar broken down to chemicals → produce energy for muscles
  • Enough oxygen = products carbon dioxide + water