MATSEC SEC Physical Education cheat sheet

Three muscle types: skeletal (voluntary, striated, attached to bone via tendon), cardiac (involuntary, striated, intercalated discs), smooth (involuntary, non-striated, walls of organs and blood vessels).

Sliding filament sequence: Ca2+ released from the sarcoplasmic reticulum binds troponin, tropomyosin shifts, myosin heads attach to actin forming cross-bridges, the power stroke pulls actin towards the sarcomere centre, and ATP allows detachment.

Fibre types: Type I slow oxidative (many mitochondria, high myoglobin, fatigue-resistant, endurance); Type IIa fast oxidative-glycolytic (moderate force and fatigue); Type IIx fast glycolytic (high force, fastest fatigue).

Agonist-antagonist pairs: biceps brachii/triceps brachii at the elbow; quadriceps/hamstrings at the knee; tibialis anterior/gastrocnemius at the ankle; deltoid/latissimus dorsi at the shoulder.

Joint actions to name accurately: flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, rotation, circumduction, pronation, supination, dorsiflexion, plantarflexion, inversion, eversion.

Cardiac output (Q) = heart rate x stroke volume. Resting Q is roughly 5 L/min and maximal Q can exceed 20 L/min; maximal heart rate is estimated as 220 minus age.

Energy systems: ATP-PC supplies about 0-10 s of maximal work; anaerobic glycolysis covers roughly 10 s to 2 min and produces lactate; the aerobic system dominates beyond about 2 min and yields the most ATP per glucose.

Minute ventilation = tidal volume x breathing frequency; gas exchange at the alveoli occurs by diffusion down partial pressure gradients between alveolar air and capillary blood.

Blood flow is redistributed during exercise: vasodilation in active muscle (up to about 80% of cardiac output) and vasoconstriction in the gut and kidneys; blood pressure = cardiac output x total peripheral resistance.

Adult skeleton has 206 bones divided into axial (80) and appendicular (126); weight-bearing and resistance exercise increases bone mineral density, whereas immobility reduces it.

FITT defines any session: Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type. Changing any one variable changes the training effect.

Intensity anchors: moderate = 64-76% HRmax, vigorous = 77-93% HRmax; the talk test is a practical field check for steady-state aerobic work.

Karvonen (heart rate reserve) method: target HR = ((HRmax - HRrest) x %intensity) + HRrest.

Resistance training zones: maximal strength about 6 reps or fewer at 85% 1RM or more; hypertrophy 6-12 reps at 67-85% 1RM; muscular endurance 12 or more reps at 67% 1RM or less.

Core principles: specificity, progressive overload, reversibility, individual differences, recovery and adaptation, variation, diminishing returns.

Periodisation hierarchy: macrocycle (season or year) contains mesocycles (weeks to months) which contain microcycles (usually one week).

Warm-up order: pulse raiser, mobility and joint preparation, then skill-specific drills; cool-down uses a gradual reduction in intensity followed by static stretches held 15-30 s.

Detraining: measurable declines in aerobic capacity and strength appear within 2-4 weeks of inactivity or substantially reduced training volume.

Session sequencing for mixed goals: explosive power and skill work first, then strength, then aerobic or endurance work last.

Energy values: carbohydrate 4 kcal/g, protein 4 kcal/g, fat 9 kcal/g, alcohol 7 kcal/g; 1 kcal = 4.18 kJ.

General intake ranges: 45-65% of energy from carbohydrate, 20-35% from fat, 10-35% from protein; athletic protein needs are commonly 1.2-2.0 g/kg body mass per day.

Pre-event meal: 3-4 hours before competition, high in carbohydrate, low in fat and fibre, using familiar foods; 1-4 g/kg carbohydrate in the 1-4 hours before exercise.

Post-exercise recovery: about 1-1.2 g/kg carbohydrate plus roughly 0.3 g/kg protein within 30-60 min supports glycogen resynthesis and repair.

Hydration rule: 1 kg of body mass lost equals approximately 1 L of fluid; a body mass loss of 2% impairs endurance performance and concentration.

Sweat rates typically range from 0.5 to 2 L/h with sodium losses of roughly 0.5-0.7 g/L, which matters for sessions lasting longer than 60-90 min.

BMI = mass (kg) / height (m) squared; BMI cannot separate fat from lean mass, so it misclassifies muscular athletes as overweight.

Micronutrient links: iron deficiency causes fatigue and reduced oxygen transport; calcium with vitamin D supports bone health; iodine supports thyroid function.

Supplements with strong evidence: caffeine 3-6 mg/kg body mass and creatine monohydrate 3-5 g/day; most other products lack consistent research support.

Skill classification dimensions: open versus closed environment; gross versus fine; discrete, serial or continuous; self-paced versus externally paced.

Fitts and Posner stages: cognitive (conscious, needs demonstration and frequent feedback), associative (errors reduce, practice refined), autonomous (automatic, attention free for tactics).

Feedback taxonomy: intrinsic versus extrinsic; knowledge of results (outcome such as time or score) versus knowledge of performance (technique); concurrent versus terminal.

Practice decisions: part practice suits low-complexity, highly organised skills; whole practice suits fast ballistic skills; random and variable practice improve retention and transfer more than blocked practice.

Transfer types: positive, negative and zero; proactive transfer affects a skill learned later, retroactive transfer affects a skill already learned.

Arousal theories: drive theory (performance = habit strength x drive); inverted-U (moderate optimum, lower for complex or fine skills); catastrophe theory (high cognitive anxiety plus rising arousal causes sudden collapse).

Anxiety split: cognitive (worry, loss of concentration) versus somatic (raised heart rate, sweating, muscle tension); state anxiety is situational, trait anxiety is a stable disposition.

Arousal regulation techniques: controlled breathing, progressive muscular relaxation, imagery, positive self-talk and pre-performance routines.

Goal setting uses SMARTER targets (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound, recorded, evaluated), separating process, performance and outcome goals.

Newton's laws: a body stays at rest or in uniform motion unless acted on by a force; force = mass x acceleration; every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

Impulse = force x time and equals the change in momentum; following through in a strike lengthens contact time and increases the ball's velocity.

Lever classes: first (fulcrum between effort and load, e.g. neck extension), second (load between effort and fulcrum, e.g. calf raise), third (effort between fulcrum and load, e.g. biceps curl - the most common in the body).

Mechanical advantage = effort arm / resistance arm; a value below 1 favours speed and range of movement rather than force.

Stability increases with a larger base of support, a lower centre of mass, the centre of mass positioned over the base, and greater body mass.

Linear measures: velocity = displacement / time; acceleration = change in velocity / time. Angular measures: angular velocity = angular displacement / time; torque = force x perpendicular distance from the axis.

Angular momentum = moment of inertia x angular velocity; it is conserved in flight, so tucking the limbs reduces inertia and increases spin rate.

Projectile range depends on release speed, angle and height; about 45 degrees maximises range when release and landing heights are equal, and lower angles suit higher release points.

Force-velocity relationship: force falls as contraction velocity rises. Length-tension relationship: maximal force occurs near the optimal overlap of actin and myosin filaments.

Air and water resistance rise approximately with the square of velocity, so streamlining produces its largest benefit at high speed.

Socialisation: primary agents such as family shape early participation; secondary agents such as school, peers, coaches and media influence continuation or dropout.

Barriers to participation: cost, transport, facility access, time, gender norms, disability, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.

Golden triangle: sport, media and sponsorship are interdependent - coverage determines sponsorship value, and sponsors influence scheduling, formats and rule changes.

Commercialisation effects: increased income, professionalism and exposure, set against fixture congestion, pay-per-view access and rule changes made for television.

Doping control framework: WADA Code, prohibited list, whereabouts reporting, strict liability and therapeutic use exemptions; a first violation involving a non-specified substance can carry up to four years of ineligibility.

Deviance: positive deviance is overconformity to the sports ethic (playing through injury, doping to win); negative deviance is underconformity (cheating, match-fixing, deliberate violence).

Gender equity: participation has risen, but media coverage and prize money remain unequal in many sports; quotas, equal-pay rulings and broadcast charters are common responses.

Technology and ethics: VAR, goal-line technology, full-body swimsuits (banned by FINA from 2010) and prosthetic limbs all raise questions about fairness and the definition of the sport.

Governance in Malta: SportMalta is the national sport agency, the Maltese Olympic Committee governs Olympic representation, and national federations run competitions and eligibility.

Primary survey DRABC: Danger, Response, Airway, Breathing, Circulation; call emergency services early and place an unconscious but breathing casualty in the recovery position.

CPR ratio is 30 compressions to 2 rescue breaths, compressions 5-6 cm deep at 100-120 per minute on a firm surface.

Acute soft-tissue injury management: protect, rest, ice for 15-20 min every 2-3 h with a cloth barrier, compress, elevate; avoid heat, alcohol and massage for 48-72 h.

Sprain = damage to ligaments at a joint; strain = damage to muscle or tendon; both produce pain, swelling and loss of function and are treated acutely with the same protocol.

Concussion: remove from play immediately, no return on the same day, then a graded return-to-play protocol; the working rule is 'if in doubt, sit them out'.

Shock signs include pale clammy skin, rapid weak pulse, rapid shallow breathing and confusion; lie the casualty flat, raise the legs, keep them warm, give nothing by mouth and call for help.

Fracture management: do not attempt to realign the limb; immobilise in the found position, support the joint above and below, control bleeding and treat for shock.

Overuse injuries such as tendinopathy, stress fracture and shin splints usually follow training errors - sudden volume increase, poor technique, unsuitable footwear or hard surfaces.

Prevention checklist: warm-up, progressive overload (roughly 10% weekly volume increase), correct technique, fitted protective equipment, adequate hydration, enforced rules and qualified officials.

Typical assessment structure: practical performance in selected activities, a personal performance portfolio, and an analysis and observation of performance task.

Practical criteria usually reward technique, decision making and tactical awareness, physical fitness and psychological control across isolated practices and game play.

Analytic rubric scores separate criteria against descriptors; holistic rubric gives one overall judgement. Analytic scoring is more diagnostic and easier to moderate.

Performance profile: rate the performer against an elite model on physical, technical, tactical and psychological qualities, then set SMART targets for the weakest areas.

Fitness test battery: 20 m multistage shuttle (aerobic capacity), vertical jump (lower-body power), 30 m sprint (speed), Illinois or 505 test (agility), sit-and-reach (flexibility), handgrip or 1RM (strength).

Test quality criteria: validity (measures the target quality), reliability (repeatable under the same conditions), objectivity (consistent between testers); standardise warm-up, test order, equipment and environment.

Notational analysis tallies events such as passes, shots, turnovers and success rates, producing objective evidence for tactical evaluation.

Observation checklists need observable, unambiguous criteria, with frequency or quality recorded separately to avoid halo effect.

Internal verification plus external moderation by the awarding body ensures consistent standards between centres and cohorts.