MATSEC SEC Physical Education flashcards

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

Slow-twitch muscle fibres

Type I fibres with high capillary density, many mitochondria and abundant myoglobin, giving strong fatigue resistance. They suit endurance events such as distance running and produce low force slowly.

Sliding filament theory

Explanation of muscle contraction: calcium binds troponin, myosin heads attach to actin forming cross-bridges, then pivot and pull actin filaments towards the sarcomere centre, shortening it. ATP allows detachment.

Cardiac output

Volume of blood pumped by one ventricle per minute, calculated as heart rate multiplied by stroke volume. Resting values average about 5 litres per minute and can exceed 20 litres during maximal exercise.

Antagonist muscle

Muscle that relaxes and lengthens while the agonist contracts, producing the opposite joint action. In an elbow curl the triceps brachii is the antagonist to the biceps brachii.

Progressive overload

Training principle requiring the workload to increase gradually as the body adapts, for example by adding resistance, repetitions or distance, or reducing recovery time, so that fitness gains continue.

Karvonen formula

Target heart rate method using heart rate reserve: (maximal heart rate minus resting heart rate) multiplied by the desired intensity percentage, then plus resting heart rate. Maximal heart rate is estimated as 220 minus age.

Reversibility

Principle that fitness gains are lost when training stops or is heavily reduced. Detectable declines in endurance and strength typically appear within two to four weeks of inactivity.

Fartlek training

Continuous running with varying pace and terrain, mixing faster efforts with recovery jogs. It develops both aerobic and anaerobic capacity and is less structured than formal interval training.

Glycaemic index

Ranking of carbohydrate foods from 1 to 100 by how quickly they raise blood glucose compared with a reference food. Low-GI foods release glucose slowly and suit pre-endurance eating.

Hyponatraemia

Dangerously low blood sodium, usually caused by drinking large volumes of plain water during long exercise while losing sodium in sweat. Symptoms include headache, nausea, confusion and seizures.

Basal metabolic rate

Energy used by the body at complete rest to maintain breathing, circulation and cell function. It typically accounts for 60 to 70 percent of total daily energy expenditure in sedentary adults.

Creatine supplementation

Legal ergogenic aid taken as 3 to 5 grams daily that raises muscle phosphocreatine stores, improving repeated short high-intensity efforts such as sprints and resistance sets. Minor weight gain from water retention is common.

Knowledge of results

Extrinsic feedback that tells the performer about the outcome of the movement, such as time, distance or score achieved, rather than how the movement itself was executed.

Inverted-U hypothesis

Model stating that performance improves as arousal rises to an optimum moderate level, then declines if arousal becomes too high. The optimum shifts with task complexity and skill level.

Distributed practice

Scheduling of practice with rest intervals between trials or sessions. It suits beginners, complex skills and fatiguing tasks, and generally produces better learning than massed practice.

Fitts and Posner stages

Three-phase model of motor learning: the cognitive stage, needing conscious thought and frequent feedback; the associative stage, where errors reduce; and the autonomous stage, where the skill becomes automatic.

Third-class lever

Lever where the effort acts between the fulcrum and the load, as in a biceps curl. It gives a mechanical advantage below one, favouring speed and range of movement over force.

Moment of inertia

Measure of resistance to changes in rotation, depending on mass and how far that mass is distributed from the axis. A figure skater pulls the arms in to reduce inertia and spin faster.

Impulse

Product of force and the time over which it acts, equal to the change in momentum. Following through in a strike lengthens contact time, increasing impulse and the ball's velocity.

Angle of release

Direction of a projectile's initial velocity relative to the horizontal. Around 45 degrees maximises range when release and landing heights are equal; lower angles suit faster releases and higher landing points.

Golden triangle

Relationship between sport, the media and sponsorship, in which media coverage attracts sponsors' money and sponsorship in turn shapes which sports and events receive broadcast attention.

Positive deviance

Overconformity to the sports ethic, where athletes accept risks and sacrifices beyond normal limits, such as training through injury or using banned drugs in order to succeed.

Therapeutic use exemption

Official permission allowing an athlete to take a normally prohibited substance for a genuine medical condition, granted by an anti-doping organisation and reviewed by a medical panel.

Socialisation into sport

Process by which people learn the values, skills and behaviours of sport through family, school, peers and media, influencing which activities they take up and continue.

RICE protocol

Immediate management of acute soft-tissue injury: rest, ice for about 15 to 20 minutes every two to three hours, compression bandage and elevation. Ice is never placed directly on skin.

Concussion

Mild traumatic brain injury caused by a blow or sudden head movement, producing headache, dizziness, confusion or memory loss. The player must leave the field and not return that day.

Shock

Life-threatening state where blood circulation is inadequate for the body's needs. Signs include pale clammy skin, rapid weak pulse and confusion. Lie the casualty down, keep warm and call emergency services.

Sprain versus strain

A sprain damages ligaments at a joint, usually from a sudden twist; a strain damages muscle or tendon, usually from overstretching or forceful contraction. Both are treated acutely with the RICE protocol.

Performance profile

Chart comparing the performer's self-rated abilities across physical, technical, tactical and psychological qualities with an elite model, highlighting weaknesses that become training priorities.

Validity in fitness testing

Degree to which a test measures what it claims to measure. A sit-and-reach test has questionable validity for overall flexibility because it mainly reflects hamstring and lower-back range.

Notational analysis

Systematic recording of match events such as passes, shots and errors, producing counts and percentages that inform tactical decisions and evaluate performance objectively.

Analytic rubric

Assessment tool that scores separate criteria, such as technique, decision making and tactical awareness, against described levels, giving a detailed profile rather than one overall grade.