FITNESS COMPONENTS
Jan 14, 2016
FITNESS COMPONENTS
The Components of Fitness
Fitness is made up of many components. These components are used in sporting settings and
can be trained to improve performance and fitness levels.
These components can be broken down into two groups; Health related and motor-skill.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Health and Motor-Skill Components
Health relatedCardio-respiratory
endurance p.153-4Muscular Strength
p.154-6Local Muscular
endurance p.156-7Anaerobic power
and speed p.157-8Flexibility p.158-
160Body composition
p.160-161
Motor-skillMuscular power
p.162Agility p.163Coordination
p.163Balance p.164Reaction time
p.164-5
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Fitness Components and Energy Systems
Anaerobic energySports which rely on rapid
and explosive movements obtain their energy anaerobically.
1. Anaerobic power and speed
2. Local muscular endurance
3. Muscular strength4. Muscular power5. Agility6. Balance7. Reaction timeSee figure 7.5 p.152
Aerobic energy Prolonged and sub
maximal activities longer than 60 seconds rely on aerobic energy production.
Uses stored carbohydrates and fat.
The maximum amount of oxygen that the body can use during aerobic activities is called VO2 max.
Aerobic sports require;Cardio respiratory
endurance.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Health Related Components of FitnessFitness definitions and components
Cardio-respiratory EnduranceFitness level of the cardiovascular
system. It delivers oxygenated blood to
working muscles, and nutrients, while performing and removes wastes.
Also know as aerobic endurance, aerobic capacity, aerobic fitness or aerobic power.
Most essential component at rest and during recovery.
Examples: Team sports netball, football, hockey, soccer, volleyball, water, polo, basketball, lacrosse and rugby. Racquet sports such as tennis and squash. Extended athletic events such as the marathon, triathlons and cross country skiing.
Improvements: Cardio-respiratory endurance is developed through the use of continuous and interval training. Thus improving VO2 max (continuous), tolerance lactic acid raising the Lactate Inflection Point (LIP) and improving efficiency of the heart as a pump (interval).
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Muscular StrengthThe force or tension a muscle
or muscle group can exert against a resistance in one maximal contraction (1RM)
It is an integral part of anaerobic power, muscular power and local muscular endurance and is rarely used in isolation.
Improvements; Circuit and weights training improves the explosive acceleration required for muscular strength.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Factors Affecting Strength1. Age – Max strength obtained at 25-30 years of
age and decreases thereafter.2. Gender – Same pre-pubescent, however
females 2/3 strength of males thereafter.3. Size (Cross-sectional area) – The larger the
muscle, the more force it can apply4. Muscle shape – Strength is specific to specific
muscles /groups. See picture next slide.5. Muscle fibre type – FT produce more force than
ST. A muscle biopsy can determine percentage of FT fibres.
6. Muscle fibre recruitment – The stronger the nerve impulse, the greater the amount of fibres contracted. Eg. 1RM all fibres recruited.
7. Joint angle and muscle length – Max strength at 120o. See fig 7.8 p.155
8. Speed of contraction – As speed increases, strength decreases.
9. Type of contraction - isometric (static), isokinetic, isotonic (concentric and eccentric) VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Local Muscular EnduranceThe ability of a muscle or
group of muscles to sustain an activity for a short time in the face of considerable local fatigue (eg push-ups).
Tasks may require anaerobic energy in addition to aerobic because contraction of the muscle may occlude (block) the blood vessels that supply the muscle tissue.
Closely linked with muscular strength.
Improvements; Continuous training or weight training
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Factors Affecting LME fatigue1. Inorganic phosphate – Rising levels of
Pi is considered the major cause of fatigue. Note. Lactic acid is not directly associated with muscular fatigue.
2. Age – Fatigue levels increase with age.3. Temperature – Optimal muscle
temperature is 37oC. Temperatures outside this range will affect fatigue levels
4. Circulation – Improved circulation as a result of training can reduce fatigue levels. New clothing such as ‘Skins’ can also help.
5. Cross-education effect – Training one limb has the same effect in the other limb.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Anaerobic Power and SpeedAnaerobic PowerAnaerobic power is required for most sports. It is explosive movements
performed quickly. It produces its energy in the absence of oxygen. An athlete’s power
is a measure of their anaerobic pathways.SpeedSpeed is the ability of the body to perform a task or movement quickly. Power and speed are very closely related.Improvements ; In sprint or high-level interval training (at least three times per
week), keep the heart rate in the ‘training zone’ for at least 20 minutes.
Undertake 20–80-metre interval running sprints, starting with a ‘walk back’ recovery and progressing to a ‘jog back’ recovery.
Undertake 300–600-metre running ‘cruises’ The same interval concept will produce anaerobic gains, when used
for related sports such as cycling or swimming. Weight training can also improve anaerobic power.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Factors Affecting SpeedSpeed can be affected by an athletes;
Acceleration levels, initial velocity, strength and fatigue tolerance levels. Reaction time is an indirect factor.
Speed is also influenced by our genetics; Bone size, angle of joints, position of ligament and tendon attachments, muscle fibre types.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
FlexibilityFlexibility is the ability to gain
the range of movement required for a particular sport.
Flexibility is based on skeletal and muscular interaction.
It is very important for injury prevention, ease of movement and aesthetic appearance.
Flexibility can be static (Eg. Sit and reach test) or dynamic (Eg. Range of motion during a skill).
Improvements; Flexibility training.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Factors Affecting Flexibility Joint Structure and capsule– The greater
the stability of a joint, the less flexible it will be.
Length of muscle at rest – Inactive people have shortened muscle length which reduces flexibility levels.
Muscle temperature – Warming of the muscle to 37oC and stretching will assist with flexibility.
Specific flexibility - for particular sports Age – Lose flexibility with age Gender – Females more flexible than
males Body build – Leaner people are generally
more flexible Injury – Prior injuries reduce flexibility levels Skin and bone resistance Disease
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Body CompositionProportion of bone, muscle and fat in
an athlete. Body composition can be measured
three ways;1. Somatotypes Endomorph – Short/fat Mesomorph- muscular Ectomorph – Tall/thin2. Body fat determination Densitometry – Submerging the
athlete in water to determine lean body mass (LBM) in comparison to fat mass (FM)
Skinfold measurements – Skin thickness is measured at various sites on the body.
3. Body mass index (BMI) Height / weight2
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Motor Skill Related Components of FitnessFitness definitions and components
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Muscular Power Powerful movements lasting for a few
seconds only. It is the ability to exert a “maximal”
contraction in one explosive act. Dependant upon speed and strength. Max power is generated when the
speed of contraction is around 35% of its max and the force contraction is about 35% of its max.
Power is required for most sports Eg, field events such as shot-put, discus, javelin, high jump, long jump and hammer throw, tackling in football or rugby, a spike in volleyball etc.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
AgilityAbility to change direction with maximal speed and control Combination of; power, speed, flexibility, balance and
coordination.Important in sports which require sudden changes of
direction.Improvements; Training can improve speed, reaction time,
flexibility, coordination and balance – thus improving agility.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
CoordinationAbility to link muscle groups to
appear well controlled and efficient.
Involves the nervous system and muscular system working harmoniously in hand-eye and foot-eye coordination activities.
Improvements; Can be developed through specific skill training and through enhancement of core stability and balance.
VCE Physical Education - Unit 4
Balance & Reaction TimeBalanceThe ability to remain in a
state of equilibrium while performing a desired task.
Dynamic – movingStatic – Not moving Relies on core stabilityImprovements; Training
methods such as Pilates and Swiss balls.
Reaction TimeAbility to react to an outside
stimulus Improvements; Practice with
starter guns, overload with quicker stimuli (eg quicker squash balls).