MFSEM Written key terms

The greatest rate at which the body can take up, transport and use oxygen during maximal exercise, usually expressed in millilitres per kilogram per minute and used as a marker of aerobic fitness.

The exercise intensity at which blood lactate begins to rise steeply above resting values, reflecting the balance between lactate production and clearance and predicting endurance performance better than many other single measures.

The oxygen cost of running at a given submaximal speed, so a lower value indicates more efficient movement; it is influenced by biomechanics, footwear, muscle stiffness and training history.

The training principle that the body adapts only when the load, volume or frequency of exercise is gradually increased beyond the level it is accustomed to, allowing continued gains without excessive fatigue.

A prolonged decline in performance and mood persisting after weeks of rest, resulting from an imbalance between training stress and recovery, and distinct from normal fatigue that resolves within days.

A planned reduction in training volume, with intensity largely maintained, in the days to weeks before competition, intended to dissipate fatigue while preserving fitness gains.

Muscle contraction in which the muscle lengthens while producing force, as when lowering a weight or decelerating during running; it generates high forces and causes delayed-onset muscle soreness and muscle damage.

A subjective rating, commonly on the 6-20 Borg scale, of how hard exercise feels; it correlates with heart rate and blood lactate and is useful when physiological monitoring is unavailable.

Repeated exposure to hot conditions over one to two weeks, producing earlier sweating, a higher sweat rate, plasma volume expansion and lower core temperature at a given workload, improving tolerance of heat.

A syndrome of impaired physiological function, including menstrual disturbance, low bone density and poor recovery, caused by insufficient energy availability relative to the energy expended in training.

A painful overuse condition of a tendon characterised by disorganised collagen and failed healing rather than true inflammation, typically managed with progressive loading exercise and load modification.

Damage to bone from repetitive loading that is not offset by remodelling, ranging from stress reaction to complete fracture; high-risk sites such as the femoral neck need urgent restriction of activity.

A knee examination in which the tibia is drawn forwards with the knee held in about 20-30 degrees of flexion; excessive translation with a soft endpoint suggests anterior cruciate ligament rupture.

A knee test in which the knee is flexed and rotated with a valgus or varus load; a palpable click or pain at the joint line suggests a meniscal tear.

The unconscious integration of sensory information and muscle activation that stabilises a joint during movement; deficits after injury are targeted by balance and plyometric training to reduce reinjury risk.

A decision process using shared criteria such as pain, strength, functional tests and psychological readiness, rather than time alone, to determine when an athlete can safely resume full training and competition.

An acute injury from excessive stretch, most often at the musculotendinous junction of a biarticular muscle such as the hamstrings, graded by the extent of fibre disruption and associated with high recurrence.

An acronym for immediate soft-tissue injury care: protection, elevation, avoid anti-inflammatories, compression and education, followed by load, optimism, vascularisation and exercise during rehabilitation.

Physiological cardiac remodelling with chamber enlargement and increased wall thickness in response to regular training; it must be distinguished from cardiomyopathy, particularly when findings are extreme or asymmetric.

An inherited myocardial disease with sarcomeric protein mutations causing left ventricular hypertrophy, diastolic dysfunction and risk of sudden cardiac death during exertion; it is a leading cause of athlete fatalities.

Narrowing of the airways during or shortly after vigorous exercise, causing cough, wheeze and breathlessness, often in athletes without chronic asthma and worsened by cold dry air.

Low body iron stores, with or without anaemia, caused by inadequate dietary intake, gastrointestinal or menstrual losses and exercise-induced inflammation; it impairs endurance and is treated with oral iron.

A fall in blood glucose below normal during or after exercise due to insulin action and muscle glucose uptake; athletes should check glucose, adjust insulin and carbohydrate, and carry fast-acting glucose.

Inheritance of one sickle haemoglobin gene, usually asymptomatic but associated with rare exertional collapse and rhabdomyolysis under extreme heat, dehydration or altitude; screening and careful acclimatisation are advised.

A traumatic brain injury from impulsive forces causing transient neurological symptoms without structural damage on standard imaging; management requires removal from play, gradual return to learn then sport, and graduated exertion.

A structured football warm-up combining running, strength, plyometric and balance exercises, performed at least twice weekly, which has been shown to reduce lower limb injuries in amateur and youth players.

A life-threatening condition with core temperature above 40 degrees Celsius plus central nervous system dysfunction during exertion; immediate cold-water immersion is the priority treatment.

Sudden cardiac arrest caused by a blunt blow to the chest during a vulnerable phase of the cardiac cycle, usually in young athletes with a structurally normal heart; prompt defibrillation is essential.

A portable device that analyses the heart rhythm and delivers a shock to terminate ventricular fibrillation; immediate use alongside CPR gives the best chance of survival in athlete cardiac arrest.

The annually updated catalogue of substances and methods banned in and out of competition, grouped by class such as anabolic agents, peptide hormones and diuretics, with specified exceptions.

A formal approval allowing an athlete to use an otherwise prohibited medication for a documented medical need, granted by an anti-doping organisation and required before competition where possible.

The anti-doping principle that an athlete is responsible for any banned substance found in their sample regardless of intent or fault, although fault affects the length of any sanction.

A longitudinal record of blood and urine markers used to detect indirect evidence of doping by identifying patterns that are abnormal for an individual rather than a single positive test.

A written, rehearsed protocol for medical emergencies at a sports venue, covering roles, equipment location, access routes and communication with emergency services.

Prehospital immobilisation of a suspected spinal injury using manual in-line stabilisation, a collar and log-roll technique, with airway and breathing priorities taking precedence over complete immobilisation.

Immersion of a hyperthermic athlete in cold water to lower core temperature rapidly in exertional heat stroke; it should begin at the scene and continue until temperature falls to about 38-39 degrees.

Medical history, physical examination and selective electrocardiography before sports participation, aiming to detect conditions that increase risk of sudden death or injury and to advise on safe exercise.