1.2.1 Physical
activity and
your healthy
mind and
body
Optimum weight
A persons most favorable weight can be considered for a general healthy
lifestyle or more specifically for a chosen sport.
Top athletes will monitor their weight and body composition to give them the
best advantage for competing.
For the average person you can look at your body composition simply by
looking at your BMI and comparing it to the optimum weight on a chart.
Remember - Body composition is defined as ‘the percentage of body weight that
is fat, muscle and bone’. All three of these effect body weight.
Being underweight or overweight affects performance.
An athlete’s optimum weight may be different to general expected weight for a
healthy person.
Can you think of any examples?
 A marathon runner usually have a very thin and light frame so that they
dont carry extra weight. They may weigh less than their expected
weight but have an optimum weight for their sport.
 A boxer may have high muscle mass (depending on weight category)
and be heavier than expected. But they will be an optimum weight for
their sport.
 A rugby player will have different optimum weights for the position they
play. A prop will have an advantage from being heavier than a scrum
half as they have different roles within their game.
Generally you can fit athletes into different body types for their sport. Body
types look at 3 factors and we need to know it as somatotypes.
Somatotypes
There are 3 somatotypes (body types)
Endomorph
Mesomorph
Ectomorph
Somatotype - classification of body type.
Endomorph - an individual with wide hips and narrow shoulders,
characterised by fatness.
Mesomorph - an individual with wide shoulders and narrow hips,
characterised by muscularity.
Ectomorph - an individual with narrow shoulders and narrow hips,
characterised by thinness.
Try to remember
ENDOMORPH – Dumpy
MESOMORPH – Muscular
ECTOMORPH – Thin
Very few people are a perfect example of just 1 of these somatotypes. They are
usually a mixture of all 3 and can be placed on a scale like below.
Different sports suit different somatotypes
Endomorphs are usually suited to power events - such as a rugby prop forward,
a shot putter or a power lifter?
Mesomorphs tend to be involved with sports that require strength and sudden
bursts of energy. A good example is a sprinter or male gymnast.
Ectomorphs tend to excel in long distance events such as a marathon or
triathlon.
Weight related conditions
There are a number of definitions that you need to know for the exam which
are related to weight.
Anorexic - a prolonged eating disorder due to the loss of appetite.
Underweight - weighing less than normal, healthy or required.
Overweight - having weight in excess of normal (not harmful unless
accompanied by overfatness).
Overfat - having body fat in excess of normal.
Obese - a term used to describe people who are very overfat.
Anorexia means ‘without appetite’ and can be very serious. There are extreme
conditions where people see themselves as overweight and do not want to eat in
fear of putting on more weight. The loss of appetite can lead to extreme weight
loss and result in a serious lack of nutrition.
Obesity is researched to be increasing in the UK. It has considerable health
risks associated with it such as cancer and heart conditions. It is also linked to
high blood pressure and diabetes. It is thought that the increase in obesity in
adults and children is due to the lack of exercise people do as well as the
increased unhealthy foods consumed in our diets.
Performance Enhancing Drugs
Some athletes resort to using performance enhancing drugs to improve their
training or performance. It is a huge problem in sport with new drugs and ways
to mask the drugs being developed all the time.
There are 6 categories of performance enhancing drugs that you need to know
about. There are lots of different types of drugs with in these categories but
you need to be able to name the category in the exam and recognise the specific
performance enhancing capabilities.
Remember All Drugs Should Not Be Permitted
 Anabolic Steroids
 Diuretics
 Stimulants
 Narcotic Analgesics
 Beta Blockers
 Peptide Hormones
Anabolic Steroids
Anabolic steroids increase growth and recovery of muscles, bones and soft
tissue. Some Athlete may use them when they are training as it will allow them
to train harder and then recover quicker and with more gains. Improve muscle
and bone size quicker than someone who doesn’t use them. They also produce
results quickly. Definition - ‘drugs that mimic the male sex hormone
testosterone and promote bone and muscle growth.’
Side effects - Anabolic steroids mimic the male hormone testoserone.
Therefore women taking it can develop male characteristics. They deepen the
voice and cause facial hair growth. Other side effects are:
o
o
o
o
o
Increased risk of heart attacks and
strokes
High blood pressure
Liver disease
Increased risk of injury
Worst case scenario - DEATH!
Dwain Chambers, a British 100m sprinter was
found guilty of taking steroids and banned
from the sport for 2 years in 2003 and banned
from the olympics for life! He was also
stripped of any medals he recieved from mid
2002 as well as having to pay back earnings
that he had recieved from the competitions!!
Diuretics
Diuretics increase the amount you urinate. This is commonly used to lose
weight for performers who need to meet weight limits.
Diuretics also increases the function so it can be used to reduce the
concentration of other banned substances that may be present in urine.
Side effects include:
Dehydration, which can cause dizziness, muscle cramps, headaches and sick
feeling.
Long term diuretics can damage the kidneys.
Definition - ‘ drugs that elevate the rate of urine production’
Stimulants
Stimulants are commonly used in sport to increase alertness by stimulating the
central nervous system. Examples of these are amphetamines, ephedrine,
cocaine, nicotine and caffeine.
Athletes can also use these to help combat tiredness and They are
especially useful to offset the effects of lactic acid on muscles.
Definition - ‘drugs that have an effect on the central nervous system, such as
increased mental and/or
physical alertness.’
Alaine baxter - a Scottish slalom skier won a Bronze medal in the 2002 winter
olympics. He was later disqualified and asked to return the medal for testing
positive for traces of methamphetamine.
Baxter was able to confirm later that the trace had originated from a
Vicks inhaler bought in the United States. He had been unaware that the
contents were different from those found in the UK version. The International
Ski Federation accepted his explanation and banned him for the minimum of 3
months.
Narcotic Analgesics
Narcotic analgesics are ‘PAIN KILLERS’ (e.g. paracetamol, morphine,
methadone, heroin)
Athletes will use these to mask pain. Pain killers are allowed in certain doses
in some sports but not in others.
Side effects can be nausea. They can become highly addictive and athletes can
make injuries worse by competing on an injury and not feeling the pain.
Definition - ‘ drugs that can be used to reduce pain’
Beta Blockers
These drugs are commonly prescribed by doctors for people with heart
problems as they maintain a low heart rate and lower blood pressure. As a
result anxiety and stress levels can be reduced.
Beta blockers can help in target sports as they help
steady shaky hands and calm nerves. They are banned
in many sports where steadiness is essential such as
snooker, archery, shooting, ski jumping and control
sports like motor racing.
Side effects - they can cause low blood pressure, cramp
and heart failure.
Definition - ‘ drugs that are used to control the heart rate
and have a calming and relaxing effect.’
Kim Jong Su, a silver and bronze medalist in beijing 2008 olympics. Kim jong
competed in shooting for North Korea. Kim used propranolol, a drug that has
been known to quell tremors. Obviously, this would offer quite an advantage in
shooting. Kim has been stripped of his medals.
Peptide Hormones
Peptide hormones cause the production of other hormones - most have
similar effects to anabolic steroids, namely to increase muscle growth
and to assist recovery from injury.
A common form of peptide hormone is EPO (erythropoietin). EPO
increases red blood cells which in turn increase aerobic capacity as the
body can carry more oxygen around in the blood.
Side effects - EPO thickens the blood which puts more strain on the
cardiovascular system increasing risk of a heart attack or stroke. Peptide
hormones can also cause abnormal growth.
Definition - ‘drugs that cause other hormones to be produced’
Spanish cyclist Eladio Jimenez (34) has been banned for two years for doping
with the blood-boosting hormone EPO.
The International Cycling Union says the suspension was imposed by Spain’s
national federation, which also fined him.
$11,000. Jimenez failed a doping test after winning Stage 6 of the Tour of
Portugal for the CC Loule team in August 2009. T
Recreational Drugs
Smoking and alcohol are recreational drugs. They are legal but both have
harmful side effects and effect performance in sport/ activities. You need to be
able to discuss the short term and long term effects on the body with reference
to how it affects performance in sport.
Nicotine is taken into the blood stream through smoking. Nicotine is a
stimulant and addictive.
Side effects – Smoking raises the heart rate and blood pressure. It also affects
performance as it damages the cardiovascular system, in particularly the heart,
the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood and damages the blood vessels.
These result in lowering your aerobic fitnesscapabilities and limiting your
performance in sports/ activities.
Smoking has negative health effects as it is linked with developing heart
problems, circulation problems and cancer.
Alcohol in small amounts is not harmful but it if it consumed in large amounts
and to much it has damaging side effects to the body. Short term alcohol
affects your coordination, speech and reactions. For this reason alcohol is
banned in most sports for safety reasons. Alcohol also makes your muscles tire
more quickly and causes extra urine which often causes dehydration. It results
in the reduction of glycogen levels and slower lactic acid removal. This is why
athletes may drink very little (if at all) but will not drink before big events.
Alcohol has long term health effects associated with abuse. Alcohol in excess
can damage your liver, kidneys, muscles, brain, digestive and immune systems.
Risk assessment and preventing
injuries
Injury is common in sport. It is important to take precautions to try and reduce
the chance of becoming injured by taking preventative measures.
Before activity
Physical readiness Questionnaire (PAR Q)
You should always consider your own physical readiness before you take part
in activity. You should consider if you are fit or healthy enough to take part in
the activity.
You should also fill in a Par-Q (physical activity readiness questionnaire) to
help you plan a personal exercise programme.
Warm Up
You need to make sure you warm up to get the body physicaly and mentally
prepared for activity.
Check equipment and facilities
You should always use the correct equipment for the sport you play. Follow
the guidelines for protective equipment that is recommended for the sport/
activity. You should check that the equipment is in good condition and not
damaged. Developments are always being made in sport technology and top
athletes will keep up to date with this equipment to stay safe and improve
performance.
You should check the surface or area you are going to do your activity on to
make sure it is free from any objects that could cause injury. (e.g. glass on
pitches, wet area on sports hall floor)
You need to plan ahead for weather provision so as to be prepared for what is
forecast.
You should follow the correct techniques for your sport when competing,
carrying or moving equipment.
During activity
Balanced competition
To make competitions fair. some sport need to consider numerous factors such
as:Weight categories - Competitors of similar weights compete against each other
so that one does not have an unfair advantage over another. this occurs in
sports such as boxing and judo.
Mixed or single sex - Most sports are single sex for reasons of safety and fair
competition. Men are stronger and bigger than women and this can be an
unfair advantage in competition. Some sports are mixed sex such as mixed
badminton or tennis but their are conditions on teams being made up of equal
amounts of each. The only sport where men and women compete in the
same field as equals is equestrian sports (dressage, show jumping and cross
country)
Age - As we grow up competitive sport is split into age groups to make things
fair. Some talanted players can play up age groups but it is not possible to play
down at competition level. At the other extreme some sports have competitions
for older competitors such as veterans or seniors.
Handicap system - some sports use a handicap system. A good example of
this is golf. It allows people of different abilities to play in line with each other.
Play by the rules
All sports have rules. It is important to play within these rules so as to play
fair. Competitions have officials to monitor rules and control activities.
Organisations regularly meet to discuss rule changes and often adapt rules to
make sports safer if bad accidents occur. Some rules are specifically designed
with safety in mind such as no 2 footed tackle in football, no spear tackle in
rugby etc..
If athletes do not follow rules then they can be disciplined by sports officials
and sanctions put in place.
You need to check you are not wearing any thing that could cause injury to you
or others (watches, jewellery or hair tied back).
Footwear is important for different sport. Wearing studded boots on grass will
help you keep grip on wet grass.
It is important to wear protective clothing such as mouth guards in boxing,
helmets in cycling and a box in cricket.