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Physical activity performed regularly will result in
physiological, anatomical, biochemical and psychological
changes.
FITT principle can be used to design and then evaluate the
efficiency of training programs:
F=
Frequency of performance (also called density)
I = Intensity of the performance (can include load and
velocity)
T=
Time (or duration) spent performing (can also
include
distance and number of reps, that is volume)
T=
Type of training (usually specific to systems being trained)
F
a
FREQUENCY: 3-4 times/wk for at least
6 weeks
I
a
INTENSITY: 60-80% of MHR
T
a
TIME: minimum of 20-30 minutes
T
a
TYPE: continuous aerobic activity
involving large muscle groups
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In each step of FITT the demands required of the individual
can be easily modified. This may be necessary to:
Suit people with different needs. Eg. An elite endurance
athlete may need higher frequency of sessions and more
time spent training each session, in comparison to a middle
aged individual training to compete in a community fun run
Reflect different phases of preparation. Eg pre-season,
competition phase or post season. A pre-season program
may involve a high frequency of sessions with a longer
duration to help build an aerobic fitness base. These
sessions may be reduced during competition and focus
more on other factors eg. Skills or team strategies
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Continue progressively overloading the individual as they
become accustomed to the workload. This can be achieved
by increasing the frequency or duration of sessions, but it is
generally considered more effective to increase intensity.
Q:
Design an aerobic training session based on the FITT
principle
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A number of physiological responses occur when aerobic
activity begins and they remain significant while the aerobic
activity continues.
The greater the intensity of exercise, the more pronounced
the responses are likely to be.
The physiological responses largely occur so that the
individual can:
Take in more oxygen
Deliver oxygen to working muscles more effectively for use
in producing energy
More effectively remove carbon dioxide, lactic acid and
other waste products
HEART RATE (HR):
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HR is the number of beats per minute
Average resting HR = 72bpm but can be as low as 2728 bpm in champion endurance athletes. Low resting
HR is indicative of highly efficient CV system.
During exercise HR rises to increase delivery of oxygen
to working muscles and removal of carbon dioxide
wastes
HR rises sharply then reaches a steady state.
There is a slight anticipatory rise in HR prior to
performance – most likely linked to increased adrenalin
secretion
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VENTILATION RATE:
amount of air breathed in (or out) in a given time frame. Most
common measure is over one minute and this is called
minute ventilation. For most people this is around 6 litres.
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Rest ventilation rate = about 12 breaths per minutes
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During exercise ventilation rate and depth rises to increase
the amount of oxygen available for delivery and to remove
carbon dioxide more quickly
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There is a slight anticipatory rise in ventilation rate prior to
performance – most likely linked to increased adrenalin
secretion
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STROKE VOLUME (SV):
volume of blood pumped from left ventricle in one beat
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rises during training to increase amount of oxygenated
blood delivered to working muscles
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Difference between fit and unfit people. Sedentary SV = 6080mL/beat, a well trained athlete will reach 160mL/beat.
This = a large increase in availability of oxygenated blood to
the working muscles = superior performance
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CARDIAC OUTPUT (Q):
Cardiac output is Stroke Volume SV x Heart Rate HR and
can be represented as an equation: Q = SV x HR
During exercise Cardiac Output increases significantly
when SV and HR rise to increase delivery of oxygenated
blood to working muscles and removal of carbon dioxide
and other wastes
Untrained athletes Q increases with exercise to around 2022 L/min, highly trained endurance athletes = 35-40L/min
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LACTATE LEVELS:
during intense training lactate levels (or lactic acid levels)
increase
lactic acid is a by product of the lactic acid system and b/c
of this lactate levels in the blood will rise where intense
exercise dictates energy production will happen more
quickly (therefore anaerobically)