Unit 6.3: Components of Fitness

• Components required to meet demands of everyday life/activites without causing injury • Activities can look irrelevant but are important for health and well-being • E.g. getting out of chair, walking, … (for elder people)

• Components required to execute desired skills with success during sport/physical activity • Essential for training programme design, because being fit for performance in sport does not necessarily mean being fit for a very different sport • Some components could become health-related for certain groups (elderly/hypokinetic disease) • Both health and skill are required in all activities, but relative importance of each may differ

Flexibility, Strength, Muscular Endurance/Fatigue Resistance, Cardio-Respiratory Fitness (Aerobic Capacity), Body Composition

• Ability to move through full range of motion around joint • Determined y elasticity of ligaments/tendons, strength and opposition of surrounding muscles (including antagonists) and the shape of articulating bones • All sports require flexibility since development of flexibility can lead to both an increase in speed/power of muscle contraction, and reduce injury risk • Measured by: sit and reach, arm and shoulder reach, range of motion norms-goniometer

• Ability to generate force by a muscle/group of muscles • Maximum force that can be developed by muscle(s) in a single maximal contraction • Depends on muscular and neural systems -> underpinned to muscle mass available (volume and muscle fiber type), ability to activate muscle, and coordination of muscles • Measured by: Hand-held dynamometer, Grip strength dynamometer, Bench/shoulder press, leg press/knee extension (1RM, 5-10RM)

• Ability of muscle/muscle group to maintain force/power • Capacity of muscles to repeat movements over period of time without undue fatigue • Controlled by body’s tolerance of increasing levels of lactic acid which activity creates, although nervous system also plays important role • Is of high importance in: arms in 200m swim, legs in marathon • Measured by: push up test, curl up test

• Capacity to take in, transport and use oxygen to sustain moevement/effort over period of time • Commonly characterized by individual’s maximal oxygen uptake -> maximal rate that oxygen can be used during maximal exercise • Limited by limits of cardiovascular/ventilatory ayatems to take O2 from atmosphere, deliver to tissues and use it • Component of fitness that underpins all aerobic activities as well as many other sporting situations (Long Distance Running, Cycling, Swimming)

• Low levels -> associated with many disease states and shorter lifespan • Impaired system -> Only low intensities of physical activity tolerated before anaerobic kicks in and they are less sustainable • High levels -> enable much higher duration duration and intensity of physical fitness

• In field: Cooper’s test, Rockport 1 mile fitness walking test • In Laboratory: Open circuit spirometry, Indirect calorimetry, Treadmill test

• Lab test to measure cardio-respiratory fitness • Subject breathes through valve with nose occluded, while pulmonary ventilation and expired fractions of CO2 and CO2 are measured

• Proportion of individual’s total body mass that is made up of fat and fat-free mass

• body fat mass: Mass of stored lipids in body (subcutaneous, visceral & intramuscular) • Free fat mass/lean body mass: What makes up rest of total body mass, includes combined weight of internal organs, bones, muscles, water, ligaments and tendon

• Hydrostatic weighing • Anthropometric measurements • Skinfold/girth measurements • BMI Bioelectric Impedance Analysis

• Agility, Balance, Coordination, Power, Reaction Time, Speed

• Ability yo move and change direction/position of body quickly and effectively while under control • Complex component that includes factors such as strength, power, speed, flexibility, balance, peripheral vision, anticipation and experience • Measured by: Illinois Agility Test, 3-Cone Drill

. Maintenance of centre of mass over base of support - Can be done while body is static or dynamic - Achieved through coordinated contraction/relaxation of postural muscles in response to postural changes - measured by: Stork stand

• Ability to move 2+ body parts under control, smoothly and efficiently • Interaction of motor and nervous systems, ability to perform motor tasks accurately and efficiently • Measured by: hard ball toss test

• Rate of doing work, combination of force and velocity or strength and speed • Extremely important in sport performance, but importance depends on activity done • Measured by: vertical jump, standing broad jump

• Time taken to initiate response to given stimulus • Depends on integration of neuromuscular systems, can be improved by training • Stimulus may be visual, aural or verbal guidance • Measured by: Ruler drop test, Computer simulations

• Visual: in response to a serve in tennis • Aural: in response to a gun in athletics • Verbal (guidance): Player/coaches guiding from sideline

• Change of distance with respect to time when movement occurs • Could refer to whole-body speed or speed of particular joint/muscle group (e.g. throwing javelin) • Determined by interactions of biomechanics and physiology • Measured by: 40m sprint

• Primarily used to evaluate health and identify weaknesses relative to healthy “norms” • Can assist with diagnosis, assessment of severity and prognosis • Testing can monitor progress with interventions, assist with education of participants/patients, and design individual training programs

• Same as health plus some others: • Provide feedback to athletes • Predict performance potential • Establish goals for athlets to work towards

• identity test done in field/lab • Provide strengths/limitations • Consider validity/reliability of test • Direct/indirect measure • Generalization across popualtion