Exercise Physiology and Physical Fitness

Vocabulary flashcards covering the fundamentals of exercise physiology, components of physical fitness, hypokinetic diseases, and health consequences of physical inactivity.

Exercise Physiology

The study of the effects of exercise on the body, encompassing responses and adaptations ranging from the system to the subcellular level over short-term and long-term periods.

Populations Served by Exercise Physiology

Elite performers as well as people of all ages and abilities.

Areas of Study in Exercise Physiology

Specialized topics including the effects of exercises on body systems, energy metabolism in relation to performance, environmental factors, individual differences, rehabilitation programs, performance-enhancing drugs, and therapeutic benefits of physical activity.

Physical Fitness

The ability of the body's systems to function efficiently and effectively.

Health-Related Components of Physical Fitness

Body composition, cardiorespiratory endurance, flexibility, muscular endurance, and muscular strength.

Skill-Related Components of Physical Fitness

Agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time, and speed.

Hypokinetic Diseases

Diseases caused by insufficient physical activity, often in conjunction with inappropriate dietary practices; examples include coronary heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, noninsulin-dependent diabetes, chronic back pain, and obesity.

Sedentary Life Risk on Coronary Heart Disease

A lifestyle marked by physical inactivity that increases morbidity and mortality, giving inactive individuals almost twice the risk of coronary heart disease compared to active individuals.

Adult Aerobic Physical Activity Recommendation

At least $150\,\text{minutes}$ of moderate-intensity or $75\,\text{minutes}$ of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week.

Adult Muscle-Strengthening Recommendation

Muscle-strengthening exercises working all major muscle groups on $2$ or more days per week.

Health Benefits of Physical Activity

Enhanced cardiovascular function, reduced risk of injury, higher work efficiency, improved mental health and self-image, stress reduction, and healthy aging.

Anaerobic Energy Production

The generation of ATP without oxygen, characterized by a high rate of energy expenditure over a short duration of $6$ to $60\,\text{seconds}$.

Aerobic Energy Production

The generation of ATP with oxygen, characterized by a lower rate of energy expenditure over a prolonged duration of more than $3\,\text{minutes}$.

Principle of Overload

The fitness training principle stating that an increased workload must be placed on the body to achieve improvements in health and fitness.

Principle of Specificity

The fitness training principle stating that training must target the specific muscle or body part intended for improvement.

Principle of Progression

The fitness training principle stating that overload should be applied gradually and steadily increased as the body adapts.

Principle of Diminishing Returns

The fitness training principle stating that as fitness increases, gains achieved become less and less as individuals approach their limits of adaptability.

Principle of Variation

The fitness training principle stating that changing activities helps maintain interest and provides a change of pace while continuing progress toward desired goals.

Principle of Reversibility

The fitness training principle known as 'use it or lose it,' stating that inactivity leads to a gradual erosion of benefits achieved.

Principle of Individuality

The fitness training principle stating that individuals respond differently to exercise and will vary in their rates of improvement and levels of achievement.

Principle of Recovery

The fitness training principle stating that rest allows the body to rebuild and adapt to the changes placed on it.

Principle of Safety

The fitness training principle stating that individual safety is of paramount concern during all exercise activities.

Threshold of Training

The minimal level of exercise needed to achieve desired fitness benefits.

Target Zone

The training range that defines the upper limits of training and the optimal level of exercise.

Components of the FITT Formula

Frequency (how often sessions occur per week), Intensity (degree of effort put forth), Time (duration of activity), and Type (mode of exercise performed).

Cardiorespiratory Endurance

The body's ability to deliver oxygen effectively to working muscles to perform physical activity; considered the most important component of health fitness.

Maximum Heart Rate Formula

$$HR_{\text{max}} = 220 - \text{age}$$

Target Heart Rate Zone

An exercise intensity range between $55\%$ and $90\%$ of $HR_{\text{max}}$, with lower threshold at $HR_{\text{max}} \times 0.55$ and upper threshold at $HR_{\text{max}} \times 0.90$.

Body Mass Index (BMI) Formula

$$\text{BMI} = \frac{\text{weight in pounds} \times 703}{(\text{height in inches})^2}$$

Strategies for Improving Body Composition

Decreasing caloric intake through diet, increasing caloric expenditure through physical activity, or moderately combining dietary reduction with increased exercise.

Isometric Exercises

Static muscular contractions where force is exerted against an immovable object without changing muscle length.

Isotonic Exercises

Muscular contractions where force is generated while the muscle changes length, including concentric and eccentric contractions.

Isokinetic Exercises

Muscular contractions performed at a constant velocity throughout the movement.

Repetition (Exercise)

The performance of a single movement through the full range of motion.

Set (Exercise)

A specific number of repetitions performed consecutively without rest.

Resistance Training for Strength vs. Endurance

Muscular strength is developed using a low number of repetitions with heavy resistance, whereas muscular endurance uses a high number of repetitions with low resistance.

Forms of Performance-Enhancing Drugs and Aids

Mechanical, psychological, physiological, pharmacological, and nutritional ergogenic aids.

Carbohydrate Loading

A strategy of modifying diet and training to store extra glycogen in muscles and liver, used prior to endurance events lasting $60$ to $90\,\text{minutes}$ or longer.

Pre-Event Meal for Carbohydrate Loading

Consuming $1$ to $5\,\text{grams}$ of carbohydrate per kilogram of body weight, eaten $1$ to $4\,\text{hours}$ prior to the event.