What is the relationship
between physical
fitness, training and
movement efficiency?
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Health related components of fitness.
Skill related components of fitness.
Measurements of health and skill related
fitness.
Aerobic and anaerobic training.
Immediate physiological responses to
training.
Health related components of physical
fitness:
Cardiorespiratory Endurance
Defined:
Refers to the ability of the working muscles to take
up and use the oxygen that has been breathed in
during exercise and transferred to muscle cells.
Cardiorespiratory endurance’s relationship to
movement efficiency:
A well trained cardio-respiratory system ensures the
delivery of adequate quantities of blood. A
functional ventilation system. A good transport
system to ensure efficient and speedy delivery of
oxygen and nutrients to the cells.
Health related components of physical
fitness:
Muscular Strength
Defined:
Is the ability of the muscles in the body to exert force
against a resistance in a single maximal effort.
Muscular strength’s relationship to movement
efficiency:
Strength requirements are very relative to the
Movement involved and the sport. Sufficient strength
enables
efficient movement and reduces the incidence of
injury.
Health related components of physical
fitness:
Muscular Endurance
Defined:
Is the ability of the muscles to endure physical work
for extended periods of time without undue fatigue.
Muscular endurance’s relationship to movement
efficiency:
Movement for any extended period of time requires
muscular endurance. Without it, technique
deteriorates, continued movement is jeopardised
and the likelihood of injury increases.
Health related components of physical
fitness:
Flexibility
Defined:
Is the range of motion about a joint or the ease
of joint movement.
Flexibility’s relationship to movement efficiency:
The range of movement is directly influenced
by flexibility of joints and surrounding tissues.
Flexibility enables full movement actions and
contributes to the quality of movement.
Health related components of physical fitness:
Body Composition
Defined:
Refers to the percentage of fat as opposed to
lean body mass in a human being.
Body composition’s relationship to movement
efficiency:
The body requires sufficient stores of energy to
enable movement, but excessive storage of fat
is additional weight that must be moved in sport
and places additional strain on joints.
Skill related components of physical fitness:
Power
Defined:
A combination of strength and speed – explosive
movements.
Power’s relationship to movement efficiency:
Power enables quick and explosive movements by
combining strength and speed fitness components.
Sports for which this component of fitness is
particularly important:
Weight lifting, boxing, martial arts.
Skill related components of physical fitness:
Speed
Defined:
Is the ability to perform body movements quickly.
Speed is not a responsive to training, it is dependant on
muscle fibre type (fast twitch).
Speed’s relationship to movement efficiency:
Many movements required in sport require speedy
execution in order for success.
Sports for which this component of fitness is particularly
important:
Sprinting events in athletics or swimming and boxing.
Skill related components of physical fitness:
Agility
Defined:
The skill of changing direction with speed.
Agility’s relationship to movement efficiency:
Agility is closely linked to efficient movement in many sporting
activities that rely on speed combined with the need to dodge,
evade, mark etc. an opponent.
Sports for where this component of fitness is particularly important:
Rugby league, touch and soccer – all sports which agility is
essential in offensive moves to avoid defenders and create
space. Similarly, defensive players require agility to counteract the
agile moves of an attacker.
Skill related components of physical fitness:
Coordination
Defined:
The ability to integrate body movements with messages from the
different senses.
Coordination’s relationship to movement efficiency:
Coordination is important in the performance of skills. It requires an
effective relationship between the brain and the muscles. Well
coordinated athletes can learn new skills quicker and perform
acquired skills more consistently. They are less prone to injury.
Sports for which this component of fitness is particularly important:
Tennis, cricket and baseball. These sports rely heavily on the
performance of skills that require significant hand eye coordination to
match striking skills with a moving ball.
Skill related components of physical fitness:
Balance
Defined:
There are two types: static and dynamic. Static balance is maintaining
equilibrium while stationary and dynamic balance is maintaining
equilibrium while moving.
Balance’s relationship to movement efficiency:
Balance is essential in nearly all movements. Poor
balance leads to falls, poor technique and inferior
skill execution.
Sports for which this component of fitness is particularly important:
Surfing, ice skating and snowboarding. While all sports rely on good
balance, these sports take place in environments which make
balance even more difficult.
Skill related components of physical fitness:
Reaction Time
Defined:
The time taken to acknowledge stimuli and respond
appropriately.
Reaction Time’s relationship to movement efficiency:
Reaction time is essential in nearly all movements. Slow
reaction time leads to poor skill execution and an increased
risk of injury.
Sports for which this component of fitness is particularly
important:
Boxing, fencing, 100m sprint. While all sports rely on reaction
time, these sports take place in environments which make
reactions even more essential.
Aerobic and Anaerobic
Training
FITT Principle
F = frequency
This means how often you exercise. The minimum
recommended number is two to three times per week.
However, for an elite athlete the number would be six times
per week.
I = intensity
This means how hard you exercise. It is recommended that
you should maintain our heart rate between sixty and eighty
five% of its maximum.
Maximum heart rate is calculated by 220 minus your age.
Therefore, the target heart rate for a 20 year old would be
between 120 to 170 beats per minute.
Aerobic and Anaerobic Training
FITT Principle
T = time
This means how long you exercise. The minimum
recommended is fifteen to twenty minutes.
However, greatest results occur when training
lasts for longer than thirty minutes.
T = type
This means the type of exercise you do. The
type of training should suit an individual’s needs
and abilities.
Immediate Physiological
Responses to Training
Heart Rate
Is the number of times the heart beats per minute. At the start
of a training session the heart rate rises rapidly to meet the
increased demand for oxygen to supply the working muscles.
As exercise intensity increases so too does heart rate.
If the exercise intensity remains constant, after a period of
time, the heart rate will plateau as the body is able to supply
sufficient oxygen to the muscles. If exercise intensity continues
to increase, so too will the heart rate until muscles are
supplied with sufficient oxygen or fatigue causes the athlete
to stop exercising.
After ceasing exercise the heart rate declines rapidly and
returns to normal after waste products such as carbon dioxide
and lactic acid have been removed.
Immediate Physiological Responses to
Training
Ventilation Rate
Is the total volume of oxygen breathed into the lungs
per minute. At the start of a training session there is a
rapid increase in ventilation rate. This is needed to
supply the working muscles with oxygen. Similarly
with heart rate, the ventilation rate will plateau after
a period of time if exercise intensity remains
constant.
After ceasing exercise ventilation rate declines
rapidly as the muscles have less need for oxygen.
Ventilation rate will remain elevated until waste
products have been removed.
Immediate Physiological Responses to
Training
Stroke Volume
Is the amount of blood pumped out of the left
ventricle during a contraction. At the start of a
training session stroke volume increases
gradually as heart rate increases.
As the body requires more oxygen heart rate
continues to rise and beat more strongly. This is
due to an increased amount of blood being
pumped with each contraction of the heart.
Immediate Physiological Responses to
Training
Cardiac Output
Is the total amount of blood pumped out of the
heart each minute. The formula for calculating
cardiac output is:
Cardiac Output = Stroke Volume x Heart Rate
This is expressed in litres per minute. When training,
cardiac output increases as heart rate increases.
Untrained people are able to increase their cardiac
output to approximately 21 litres per minute when
exercising while elite endurance athletes can
increase their cardiac output to approximately 35
litres per minute.
Immediate Physiological Responses to
Training
Lactate Levels
Is the amount of lactic acid found in the muscles and blood
stream during intense anaerobic activity. During light to
moderate exercise lactate levels remain relatively low.
As exercise intensity increases lactic acid starts to build up in
the body. Oxygen is required to remove lactic acid from the
body. If there is insufficient oxygen to meet this demand
lactate levels will continue to rise.
If exercise intensity continues to increase so too will lactate
levels. Eventually this lactic acid build up will cause fatigue
and force the athlete to slow down or stop exercising.