Practical Application of Exercise Science

Question 1

Symptoms of cardiorespiratory failure

Answer 1

Repetitions smooth up until stopping

Pale skin

High heart rate

Non communicative

Can’t stand unassisted

Related to cardiorespiratory endurance

Question 2

Symptoms of muscular failure

Answer 2

Reps slow down, final rep only partially complete

Athlete is flushed

Low ventilation and heart rate

Communicative on unloading

Related to stamina

Question 3

Contrast cardio respiratory endurance with stamina

Answer 3

CE: The ability of body systems to gather, process and deliver oxygen.

Stamina: The ability of body systems to process, store, deliver and utilise energy

Question 4

Cardiorespiratory endurance possesses breadth and depth. Explain.

Answer 4

Depth: cardiorespiratory capacity

Breadth: Measure across multiple domains.

Does not exist or develop independently of neuromuscular function.

Utility and advantage depends on manner/mode of development (Transferability of capacity)

Question 5

General Adaptation Syndrome Theory

Answer 5

Organisms go through a series of physiologic responses and adaptations to stress to ensure survival on subsequent exposures later in life cycle.

Practical application: homeostasis must be disrupted in order for adaptation to occur.

Question 6

LSD training incompatible with General Adaptation Syndrome Theory. Why? VO2 Max example.

Answer 6

In conventional 20-60min prescriptions oxygen demand is easily met by supply.

This type of training does not - and cannot - disrupt homeostasis.

With no homeostatic disruption there is no adaptation.

Question 7

LSD training improves endurance without improving VO2 Max. How?

Answer 7

LSD training is energy substrate (Glycogen) depleting and can also exceed body’s ability to metabolise fat for energy.

Both of these are significant homeostatic disrupters within the General Adaptation Syndrome theory and result in improved endurance.

Stamina v endurance

Question 8

Adaptation induced by interval training

Answer 8

Exceeding oxygen consumption capacity

Requires body to use primarily glycogen (Anaerobic glycolysis)

NOTABLE: Lactic acid accumulation is a correlate, not cause of adaptation.

Question 9

Oxygen consumption does not relate strongly to delivery. Explain.

Answer 9

VO2 Max adaptation occurs in the muscle (The consumption), not in the heart, lungs or vasculature (The delivery system)

Question 10

Four principles of physiologic conditioning

Answer 10

Overload

Specificity

Reversibility

Individual differences

Question 11

Overload

Answer 11

If you work the body harder than it is used to, it will adapt and improve in that area.

Three parameters: Frequency, intensity, duration

Question 12

Routine is to be avoided. Why?

Answer 12

1. Avoids training plateaus
2. Forces work on weaknesses
3. Variance keeps a program interesting

Question 13

Specificity

Answer 13

Specific exercise elicits specific adaptation.

Specialisation comes at a cost.

Question 14

Reversibility

Answer 14

Once you reach a desirable level of fitness activity must be maintained to prevent deconditioning.

Question 15

Individual differences

Answer 15

One size does not fit all.

Individuals have different areas they need to work on.

Genetics play a role in strengths and weaknesses.

Question 16

Physiological factors that determine VO2 Max

Answer 16

1. Ability of the heart to pump blood
2. Oxygen carrying capacity (Hemoglobin content) of blood
3. Ability of working muscles to accept a large blood supply (Capillarisation)
4. Ability of muscle cells to extract oxygen and use it to produce energy (Number of mitochondria and aerobic enzymes)

Question 17

Why is VO2 Max a poor test of aerobic capacity?

Answer 17

VO2 Max is specific to what you are doing.

Test is conducted on stationary bike or treadmill.

There is no true movement-agnostic VO2 max, simply a range of maxes (Breadth and depth)

Question 18

Alternative to VO2 Max test.

Answer 18

CrossFit benchmark workouts.

Question 19

Characteristics defining FT/ST fibres

Answer 19

Mitochondria density

Capillary density

Oxidative/glycolytic enzyme activity

Creative phosphate stores

Contraction velocity

Question 20

Categories of dysfunction (Starrett)

Answer 20

Pathological: Disease, infection, medical intervention required

Catastrophic: Car crash, sports injury etc

^ 1% Unavoidable

Overtension: Good positions but tight. Think rusty door hinge

Open circuit fault: Optimal position not achieved, body finds stability wherever possible

^ 99% Avoidable

Question 21

Mechanics
Technique
Form
Style

Answer 21

Mechanics: Physics of the movement, the angles, velocity

Technique: The method that will help me successfully complete the motion

Form: Attaching normative values to the movement, “good”/”bad” technique

Style: Signature that adds nothing to the above

Question 22

Hans Selye

Answer 22

General adaptation syndrome

3 stages: Alarm, resistance, exhaustion