HKSI Paper 6 flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Long-Term Athlete Development

A staged pathway model that sequences training, competition, and recovery according to developmental age, aiming to build physical literacy and reduce early specialisation and early burnout.

Relative age effect

The over-representation of athletes born early in a selection year in youth squads, caused by maturity and size advantages at selection age rather than superior long-term potential.

Dual career support

Structured assistance that helps athletes combine sport with education or employment, including flexible schedules, funding, tutoring, and career transition advice.

Athlete agreement

A contract setting out selection standards, conduct requirements, anti-doping obligations, media and sponsorship rules, and conditions under which support may be withdrawn.

Talent identification

The process of recognising individuals with potential for elite performance using physical, physiological, technical, tactical, and psychological measures, ideally combined with longitudinal observation.

Progressive overload

The training principle that the stimulus must gradually exceed current capacity, followed by adequate recovery, for the body to adapt and performance to improve.

Periodisation

The systematic division of training into macrocycles, mesocycles, and microcycles so that volume and intensity peak at targeted competitions and recovery is scheduled.

Session-RPE load

A simple training load measure calculated by multiplying a session's perceived exertion rating, usually on a 1-10 scale, by its duration in minutes.

Acute:chronic workload ratio

A monitoring metric dividing recent one-week training load by the rolling four-week average load, used to flag rapid load changes associated with injury risk.

Tapering

A planned reduction in training volume while intensity is largely maintained in the days before competition, intended to reduce fatigue and optimise performance.

External focus of attention

Directing an athlete's attention to movement effects or the environment rather than body parts; it often improves learning and performance compared with an internal focus.

VO2max

The maximum rate of oxygen uptake during intense exercise, expressed in millilitres per kilogram per minute, reflecting aerobic power and cardiovascular fitness.

Lactate threshold

The exercise intensity at which blood lactate begins to accumulate faster than it is cleared, marking a key predictor of sustainable endurance performance.

Force plate

A device measuring ground reaction forces in three dimensions, used to derive jump force, rate of force development, asymmetry, and inverse dynamics estimates of joint loading.

Inertial measurement unit

A wearable sensor combining accelerometers, gyroscopes, and sometimes magnetometers to quantify movement, orientation, and load in training and competition.

Heat acclimation

Repeated controlled exposure to heat over roughly one to two weeks, producing plasma volume expansion, earlier sweating, and improved thermoregulation and heat tolerance.

Countermovement jump monitoring

A neuromuscular test using jump height and force data to track fatigue and readiness; a meaningful drop from an athlete's baseline suggests incomplete recovery.

Pre-participation screening

A structured assessment before competition, including history, examination, and sometimes electrocardiography, to identify conditions that may increase risk during sport.

Therapeutic use exemption

Prior approval allowing an athlete to use an otherwise prohibited substance or method for a genuine medical need, granted by the relevant anti-doping organisation.

Concussion return-to-sport protocol

A stepwise progression from symptom-limited rest through light aerobic work, sport-specific drills, and contact training, advancing only if symptoms do not recur.

Automated external defibrillator

A portable device that analyses heart rhythm and delivers a shock for shockable cardiac arrest, forming part of an emergency action plan at training and competition venues.

Return-to-play criteria

Objective and subjective standards, including pain, strength, range of motion, sport-specific function, and psychological readiness, that must be met before an athlete competes again.

Low energy availability

A state where energy intake minus exercise expenditure is too low to support normal physiological function, affecting bone, hormonal, and immune health and performance.

Relative energy deficiency in sport

A syndrome caused by prolonged low energy availability, with consequences for metabolic rate, bone health, menstrual function, immunity, and athletic performance.

Carbohydrate periodisation

Matching carbohydrate intake to the demands of each training day, with higher intake before and after heavy sessions and lower intake on light or rest days.

Sweat rate estimation

A field method estimating fluid loss by measuring body mass before and after exercise, adjusting for fluid consumed, to individualise hydration strategies.

Psychological skills training

Systematic practice of techniques such as goal setting, imagery, self-talk, and arousal regulation to build mental attributes that support consistent performance.

Self-determination theory

A motivation framework holding that satisfying autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs produces more sustained, self-determined engagement than external rewards alone.

National Sports Association

The recognised governing body for a sport within a jurisdiction, responsible for rules, competitions, membership, coach development, and talent pathways.

Safeguarding in sport

Policies and practices protecting children and vulnerable adults, including codes of conduct, screening of coaches and volunteers, and clear reporting channels for concerns.

Board fiduciary duty

The legal and ethical obligation of board members to act in the organisation's best interests, with care, loyalty, and good faith, and to avoid conflicts of interest.

Strict liability in anti-doping

The principle that an athlete is responsible for any prohibited substance found in their sample, regardless of intent, fault, or negligence in its ingestion.