HSC Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) Comprehensive Study Set

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering health priorities, epidemiology, healthcare systems, exercise prescription, training adaptations, biomechanics, nutrition, and sports injury management.

Morbidity

The ill health of an individual and levels of ill health in a population group.

Mortality

The number or rate of deaths in a population during a given time period.

Life Expectancy

How long on average a person is expected to live based on current age- and sex-specific death rates.

Health Behaviours

A person's beliefs and actions regarding their health and wellbeing.

Health Inequities

Differences in health status or in the distribution of health resources between different population groups, as defined by the World Health Organization ($\text{WHO}$).

Angina

Chest pain resulting from reduced oxygen and blood supply to the heart muscle.

Atherosclerosis

The buildup of fatty plaques in artery walls, leading to narrowing and restricted blood flow.

Arteriosclerosis

The hardening, loss of elasticity, and thickening of the artery walls.

Hypertension

Persistently elevated blood pressure above normal physiological levels.

Heart Failure

A condition in which the heart muscle is unable to pump blood effectively to meet the demands of the body.

Stroke

An acute condition caused by an interrupted blood supply to brain tissue, depriving brain cells of oxygen and nutrients.

Carcinoma

Cancer of epithelial cells found in the skin and organ linings; the most common cancer type (e.g., lung, breast, prostate, colorectal).

Sarcoma

A relatively rare form of cancer affecting connective tissues such as bone, muscle, cartilage, and blood vessels.

Leukaemia

Cancer of blood-forming tissues, including bone marrow, that produces abnormal white blood cells.

Lymphoma

Cancer originating in the lymphatic system (lymph nodes and vessels), encompassing Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin types.

Benign Tumour

A non-cancerous mass of cells that grows slowly, remains encapsulated, and does not invade surrounding tissue.

Malignant Tumour

A cancerous mass of cells that grows rapidly, invading and destroying adjacent healthy tissue.

Metastasis

The process by which cancer cells break away from a primary tumour and travel through the bloodstream or lymphatic system to form secondary tumours elsewhere.

Type 2 Diabetes

A chronic metabolic condition where the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin or fails to produce sufficient insulin, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels.

Healthy Ageing

The process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables wellbeing in older age, as defined by the World Health Organization ($\text{WHO}$).

Primary Healthcare

The first point of contact an individual has with the healthcare system, focusing on prevention, health promotion, and basic clinical services.

Secondary Healthcare

Specialised medical care provided by medical specialists (e.g., cardiologists, psychiatrists) following referral from a primary healthcare provider.

Bulk Billing

A payment arrangement in Australia where a doctor bills Medicare directly for the consultation, meaning the patient incurs no out-of-pocket expenses.

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

An Australian Government program that subsidises the cost of prescribed medications to ensure affordable access to essential treatments.

PBS Safety Net

A protective threshold scheme that reduces medication costs or provides them free of charge once an individual or family reaches a set annual spending limit on PBS medicines.

Equity (Healthcare)

The fair allocation of healthcare resources and funding based on specific health needs rather than equal distribution.

Access (Healthcare)

The ability of individuals to obtain affordable, timely, and culturally appropriate healthcare services when required.

Precision Surgery

Surgical procedures that use advanced technology—including $3\text{D}$ imaging scans, robotic assistance, and minimally invasive techniques—to make operations more accurate and less traumatic.

Health Apps

Software programs running on mobile devices that process health-related user data to maintain, improve, or manage personal or community health.

Assistive Technology

Various products, equipment, and services designed to maintain or improve accessibility, independence, working capacity, and social participation for people with disabilities or age-related limitations.

Digital Health

Systems, tools, and platforms utilizing information and communications technology to treat patients, manage clinics, and collect and securely share health information.

Big Data

Extremely large, multifaceted datasets characterised by high volume, high velocity, and high variety that are analysed computationally to reveal patterns, trends, and clinical associations.

Wingate Test

A maximal anaerobic cycling or arm-cranking sprint test lasting $30\,\text{seconds}$ that evaluates peak anaerobic power, anaerobic capacity, and local muscular endurance.

Yo-Yo Test

A maximal aerobic fitness assessment measuring the ability to repeatedly perform high-intensity intervals running back and forth between markers placed $20\,\text{m}$ apart.

Anaerobic Training

High-intensity training lasting under $2\,\text{minutes}$ at an intensity exceeding $85\%$ of maximum heart rate ($\text{MHR}$) to develop energy systems that function in the absence of oxygen.

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

A training format involving repeated bouts of high-intensity work performed at $80\text{--}95\%$ of maximum heart rate ($\text{MHR}$), interspersed with periods of complete rest or low-intensity recovery.

Sprint Interval Training (SIT)

An anaerobic workout protocol consisting of repeated short bursts of maximal, all-out effort (e.g., $20\,\text{seconds}$) followed by longer recovery periods.

Plyometric Training

Specialised exercise in which muscles undergo a rapid eccentric contraction (lengthening) immediately followed by an explosive concentric contraction (shortening) to develop power.

Continuous Training

Sustained, unbroken physical exercise performed without rest intervals for a minimum duration of $20\,\text{minutes}$ above the aerobic threshold.

Fartlek Training

A continuous training method known as 'speed play' that combines continuous aerobic work with random, intermittent bursts of higher speed and intensity.

Circuit Training

A structured sequence of distinct exercises or activity stations arranged in a cycle with short rest intervals to build strength, endurance, flexibility, or sport skills.

Static Stretching

A flexibility technique in which a muscle is gradually lengthened to its end point and held smoothly without movement or discomfort for up to $30\,\text{seconds}$.

Ballistic Stretching

A dynamic stretching method involving repetitive bouncing or swinging movements that use body momentum to force a muscle past its comfortable range of motion, activating the stretch reflex.

Dynamic Stretching

A pre-performance stretching routine involving controlled movements through a full, sport-specific range of motion without holding the muscle at its end point.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)

An advanced flexibility technique that combines static stretching with isometric muscle contractions against partner resistance and subsequent relaxation phases.

Muscle Hypertrophy

An increase in muscle mass and overall size resulting from the enlargement of the cross-sectional area of individual muscle fibres.

Stroke Volume

The volume of blood pumped out from the left ventricle of the heart during a single contraction, measured in millilitres per beat ($\text{mL/beat}$).

Cardiac Output

The total volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute, calculated as the mathematical product of stroke volume and heart rate ($\text{Cardiac Output} = \text{Stroke Volume} \times \text{Heart Rate}$).

Oxygen Uptake ($VO_2\,\text{max}$)

The maximal volume of oxygen that working muscles can extract, transport, and utilise per minute during intense physical exertion.

Tidal Volume

The amount of air breathed in and out of the lungs during a single normal, unforced respiratory cycle.

Slow-Twitch Muscle Fibres

Fatigue-resistant muscle fibres rich in capillaries and mitochondria that contract slowly and primarily utilise aerobic energy pathways to sustain endurance activities.

Fast-Twitch Muscle Fibres

Muscle fibres that contract rapidly to produce high force and explosive power, relying on anaerobic energy systems but fatiguing rapidly.

Macrocycle

An overarching, long-term periodisation planning phase spanning an entire season or competitive year, incorporating pre-season, in-season, and off-season cycles.

Mesocycle

An intermediate training block lasting between $4$ and $8\,\text{weeks}$ within an annual plan, structured to target specific physical capacities.

Microcycle

A short-term training cycle, usually lasting $7\text{--}10\,\text{days}$, containing detailed daily schedules of training volume, intensity, and recovery.

Peaking

The phase of training organisation designed to optimise physiological adaptations and psychological readiness at a precise competitive time.

Tapering

A planned, progressive reduction in training volume and workload immediately prior to competition to alleviate fatigue and replenish energy reserves.

Trait Anxiety

A stable personality characteristic that predisposes an individual to perceive non-threatening circumstances as stressful or hazardous.

State Anxiety

A transient, acute emotional state of tension and apprehension triggered by a specific stressful or competitive situation.

Inverted-U Hypothesis

A theory of sports psychology proposing that athletic performance increases with arousal up to an optimal level, beyond which further arousal causes performance to decline.

Mental Rehearsal

The cognitive technique of picturing the precise execution of a sporting skill or performance in one's mind before executing it physically.

Carbohydrate Loading

A nutritional strategy of consuming high carbohydrate amounts ($7\text{--}12\,\text{g/kg}$ body mass) alongside tapered training to supercompensate glycogen stores before endurance events exceeding $90\,\text{minutes}$.

Glycaemic Index (GI)

A physiological ranking scale evaluating carbohydrate foods according to how rapidly they raise blood glucose levels compared to pure glucose.

Electrolytes

Essential minerals (including sodium, potassium, and magnesium) that carry electrical charges and regulate nerve conduction, muscle contraction, and fluid balance.

Glycogen Sparing

A metabolic process, enhanced by caffeine or endurance conditioning, where the body preferentially oxidises fat early in exercise, reserving muscle glycogen for later stages.

Direct Injury

An acute traumatic injury caused by an external force applied directly to the body, such as impact from an opponent, implement, or the ground.

Indirect Injury

An injury produced by intrinsic physical forces generated within the body, such as excessive muscle strain, fatigue, or poor biomechanical execution.

Overuse Injury

A chronic injury that develops over time due to repetitive low-impact stress or friction placed on tissues without sufficient recovery periods.

TOTAPS

A systematic, step-by-step on-field sports injury assessment acronym standing for: Talk, Observe, Touch, Active movement, Passive movement, and Skills test.

RICER

An immediate acute soft tissue injury management procedure standing for: Rest, Ice ($20\,\text{minutes}$ every $2\,\text{hours}$), Compression bandage, Elevation, and Referral.

Progressive Mobilisation

The gradual, pain-free reintroduction of movement to an injured joint or muscle following the acute inflammatory phase ($48\text{--}72\,\text{hours}$) to restore range of motion.

Erythropoietin (EPO)

A hormone that stimulates the bone marrow to produce red blood cells, artificially abused to boost oxygen transport capacity and aerobic endurance.

Anabolic Steroids

Synthetic derivatives of the male hormone testosterone that accelerate protein synthesis and promote muscle hypertrophy, strength, and tissue recovery.

Beta Blockers

Prescription medications that block adrenaline receptors to slow heart rate, reduce anxiety, and eliminate muscular tremors in accuracy-based sports.

Diuretics

Substances that increase fluid excretion through urination, used to achieve rapid temporary weight loss or dilute urine to mask banned substances.