Comprehensive HSC Health and Movement Science Revision Guide

What is the purpose of pre-exercise screening?

To assess health status and exercise risk before a program begins.

Why is pre-exercise screening important?

It protects participant safety, provides a baseline for exercise prescription, clarifies limits, supports realistic intensity, and creates records for later comparison.

What factors are emphasized in pre-exercise screening?

Age, health status, and previous experience.

What is the focus of fitness testing for recreational participants?

Health, confidence, safe participation, and motivation.

What is the focus of fitness testing for elite athletes?

Sport-specific performance, training load, selection, peaking, and injury/overtraining risk.

What are the characteristics of effective fitness tests?

Tests should be valid, reliable, specific, standardised, and appropriate to the participant.

How does assessment assist in developing training programs?

It measures current fitness, movement capacity, and goals, guiding the frequency, intensity, time, and type of training.

What is the program cycle for exercise assessment?

Screen and assess, identify needs, set SMART goals, choose methods, monitor response, and reassess.

What are anaerobic training methods?

High-intensity work with limited duration and planned recovery, including anaerobic intervals, HIIT, SIT, plyometrics, and resistance training.

What is the purpose of anaerobic intervals?

To perform repeated high-intensity work with enough recovery to preserve speed or power.

What does HIIT stand for?

High-Intensity Interval Training.

What is the main characteristic of SIT?

Near-maximal or maximal sprints with substantial recovery.

What is the goal of plyometric training?

To improve explosive power through rapid stretch-shortening actions.

What does resistance training aim to improve?

Strength, power, or muscular endurance.

What should be considered when designing a training program?

Movement duration, work-to-rest ratio, and training age.

What is the significance of assessing fitness levels?

It helps prevent undertraining, overtraining, and generic programming.

What are the benefits of fitness testing?

It provides baseline data, identifies strengths and weaknesses, tracks progress, and supports goals.

What is the difference between recreational and elite fitness testing?

Recreational testing prioritizes health and motivation, while elite testing is more frequent and sport-specific.

What is the SMART criteria in goal setting?

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

What is the role of feedback in fitness testing?

It helps both recreational and elite participants understand their progress and make necessary adjustments.

How can assessment personalize exercise prescription?

By identifying the individual's starting level, strengths, weaknesses, and risks.

What is the importance of monitoring response in training?

To ensure the program remains effective and to make adjustments as needed.

What are the psychological strategies mentioned in the syllabus?

Arousal, stress, and anxiety management.

What dietary requirements should be considered for athletes?

Requirements before, during, and after performance.

What role does hydration play in athletic performance?

It is crucial for fatigue and injury prevention.

What are the classifications of injuries?

Injury classification and assessment using TOTAPS.

What is the significance of return-to-play policies?

They outline responsibilities and ensure safe reintegration into sport.

What is the focus of drug use discussions in sports?

Health, ethics, and testing.

What is resistance training?

External load to improve strength, power, or muscular endurance.

What factors influence the relevance of resistance training?

Movement duration, work-to-rest ratio, and training age.

What training method is recommended for a 100 m sprinter?

SIT (Sprint Interval Training) and plyometrics.

What is the main focus of aerobic training methods?

Assess continuous, fartlek, aerobic interval, and circuit training.

What defines continuous training?

Steady activity without rest, developing aerobic base and efficiency.

What is fartlek training?

Continuous training with varied pace and terrain, simulating competition demands.

What is the purpose of aerobic interval training?

Work intervals near aerobic threshold with incomplete recovery for quality work.

What characterizes circuit training?

Stations completed in sequence, combining aerobic, strength, and skill elements.

What is static flexibility training?

Holding a position without movement, useful after training or in separate mobility sessions.

What is dynamic flexibility training?

Controlled movement through range, effective in warm-ups to increase temperature and rehearse actions.

What is ballistic flexibility training?

Using momentum and bouncing to take a joint toward end range, with greater strain risk.

What does PNF flexibility training involve?

Alternating stretch and muscular contraction, often with a partner, for large range-of-motion gains.

What are the key methods of strength training?

Free weights, fixed weights, body-weight exercises, and elastics.

What are the benefits of free weights?

Require stabilization and allow multi-joint sport-relevant movement, but need proper technique.

What is the advantage of fixed weights?

Guide movement and are easy to learn, but may not suit everyone's movement paths.

What is the significance of body-weight exercises?

Accessible and functional, useful for beginners, but progression can be limited.

What are elastics used for in strength training?

Provide variable resistance, useful for rehabilitation and activation.

What is progressive overload?

Gradually increasing demand after adaptation to stimulate improvement.

What is the importance of training thresholds?

Training must reach sufficient intensity to stimulate adaptation.

What does specificity in training refer to?

Adaptations reflect the muscles, energy systems, and skills trained.

What is reversibility in training?

Adaptations decline when training stops or is greatly reduced.

How can variety in training be beneficial?

Maintains motivation, reduces repetitive stress, and creates new stimulus.

What is the purpose of a warm-up?

Progressively raises temperature and heart rate, mobilizes joints, and activates muscles.

What is the role of a cool-down?

Helps to gradually lower heart rate and aids recovery post-exercise.

What is the relationship between overload and threshold?

Overload must be above the threshold to stimulate adaptation; without it, improvement plateaus.

What is the risk associated with excessive overload?

Increases fatigue and injury risk.

What is the significance of controlled recovery in SIT?

Essential for managing fatigue and injury risk, especially for trained athletes.

What is the effect of static stretching before explosive performance?

May temporarily reduce power.

What is the purpose of a warm-up in training?

To progressively raise temperature and heart rate, mobilize joints, activate muscles, and rehearse skills.

What does a cool-down aim to achieve?

To gradually lower intensity, support transition to rest, and provide time for mobility and reflection.

How can an injured runner maintain fitness?

By using pool running to reduce reversibility while protecting the injured structure.

What is one benefit of variety in training?

It can improve adherence and distribute load across tissues.

What is a potential downside of constant random changes in training?

It makes overload difficult to measure and may reduce specificity.

What are some aerobic physiological adaptations to training?

Lower resting and submaximal heart rate, increased stroke volume, higher maximal cardiac output, improved VO2 max, and improved ventilation efficiency.

How does stroke volume improve endurance performance?

Training increases the amount of blood ejected per beat, allowing the heart to deliver required oxygen with a lower heart rate.

What are the early strength gains attributed to?

Improved motor-unit recruitment, coordination, and firing.

What is hypertrophy in the context of strength training?

An increase in muscle cross-sectional area after sustained overload.

What are fast-twitch fibres known for?

Producing high force and speed but fatiguing faster.

What is the focus of an individual sport session?

It is highly tailored to one athlete's technique, pace, load, and feedback.

What is a key feature of a group sport session?

It must manage space, equipment, numbers, and mixed ability while combining team tactics with individual needs.

What is the primary goal of a pre-season training program?

To build general and sport-specific fitness, technique, and tactical foundations.

What is the focus during the in-season training phase?

To maintain key fitness, prioritize competition, and prepare tactically.

What is tapering in the context of training?

A reduction in training volume before competition while retaining enough intensity to preserve adaptations.

What is the purpose of peaking in training?

To achieve the best physical, technical, and psychological condition for important competitions.

What are some psychological strategies for managing arousal and stress?

Goal setting, positive self-talk, imagery, breathing techniques, and team communication.

How does tapering improve performance?

It lowers accumulated fatigue, allows muscle repair, and recovers energy stores while maintaining neuromuscular and aerobic qualities.

What is the significance of blood/plasma volume adaptations in aerobic training?

They may increase oxygen transport and depend on training and environmental factors.

What is the relationship between hypertrophy and performance?

Hypertrophy increases the muscle's force-producing area, raising maximal strength and supporting acceleration and power.

What is the role of connective tissues in strength adaptations?

They adapt more slowly than muscle, affecting overall strength gains.

What is the main focus of the off-season training phase?

To allow physical and psychological recovery, injury rehabilitation, and correction of weaknesses.

What is the impact of training on slow-twitch fibres?

Training improves their function, enhancing fatigue resistance and supporting sustained activity.

What is the importance of safety in designing training sessions?

It includes screening, environment management, equipment safety, hydration, supervision, and load management.

How can individual and group sports differ in session design?

Individual sessions can precisely match one athlete's needs, while group sessions must coordinate team tactics and manage varying abilities.

What is the significance of maintaining a training load during the in-season?

It ensures athletes remain competitive and prepared for matches or events.

How does improved ventilation efficiency benefit athletes?

It enhances oxygen delivery and use, delaying fatigue.

What is the role of individual athletes in managing performance?

Individual athletes carry personal responsibility for their performance.

What must teams manage to enhance performance?

Teams must manage collective confidence, cohesion, and communication.

How can a golfer lower arousal before a performance?

A golfer can use breathing techniques and a routine to lower arousal.

What is the effect of very low arousal on performance?

Very low arousal can reduce focus and intensity.

What happens when arousal is excessive?

Excessive arousal increases tension, narrows attention, and disrupts decisions.

What is the optimal arousal level for performance?

The optimal level of arousal differs by athlete and task.

What strategies can help regulate arousal?

Psychological routines help performers regulate arousal toward the required level for their skills.

What factors influence the application of strategies and tactics in sports?

Factors include rules, opponent strengths, athlete skill, weather, score, fatigue, team roles, and coach information.

How do individual tactics differ from group tactics?

Individual tactics involve personal decisions like pacing, while group tactics require coordinated roles and communication.

What is the difference between strategies and tactics?

Strategies are broader plans, while tactics are specific decisions used to implement those plans.

What dietary requirements should athletes consider before performance?

Athletes should provide carbohydrates for fuel, familiar foods, suitable timing, and enough fluid.

What should athletes consume during long or intense events?

They may require carbohydrates, fluids, and electrolytes.

What is the importance of post-performance nutrition?

Post-performance nutrition restores glycogen, supports repair with protein, and replaces lost fluids and electrolytes.

What factors affect hydration needs for athletes?

Hydration needs depend on sweat rate, heat, humidity, clothing, duration, body size, and drinking opportunities.

What can dehydration lead to in athletes?

Dehydration can harm performance and health by raising heart rate and perceived effort.

What is the role of sleep in athletic performance?

Sleep supports learning, reaction time, hormonal regulation, immune function, and tissue repair.

How does nutrition impact athletic performance?

Adequate energy and carbohydrate support training; protein aids adaptation; micronutrients support health.