Volcabulary Flashcards
Abduction
A movement in the frontal plane away from the midline of the body.
Acidosis
The accumulation of excessive hydrogen that causes increased acidity of the blood and muscle
Action potential
Nerve impulse that allows neurons to transmit information
Active flexibility
The ability of agonists and synergists to move a limb through the full range of motion while their functional antagonist is being stretched.
Active-isolated stretch
The process of using agonists and synergists to dynamically move the joint into a range of motion
Adduction
Movement in the frontal plane toward the midline of the body
Afferent neurons
AKA sensory neurons. gather incoming sensory information from the environment and deliver it to the central nervous system.
Agility
The ability to accelerate, decelerate, stabilize and change direction quickly while maintaining proper posture
Agonist
Muscles that are the primary movers in a joint motion. AKA prime movers
Alarm reaction
First stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome, the initial reaction to a stressor.
Altered Reciprocal Inhibition
The concept of muscle inhibition, caused by a tight agonist, which inhibits its functional antagonist.
Amortization Phase
The electromechanical delay a muscle experiences in the transition from eccentric to concentric muscle action
Anaerobic threshold
The point during high-intensity activity when the body can no longer meet its demand for oxygen and anaerobic metabolism predominates. AKA lactate threshold
Anterior
On the front of the body
Ventral
Anterior
Aortic Semilunar Valve
Controls blood flow from the left ventricle to the aorta going through the entire body.
Appendicular Skeleton
Portion of the skeletal system that includes the upper and lower extremities.
Arteries
Vessels that transport blood away from the heart
Arterioles
Small terminal branches of an artery, which end in capillaries.
Arteriosclerosis
Hardening of the arteries
Arthrokinematics
Joint motion. Motions of joints in the body
Arthrokinetic Dysfunction
- A biomechanical and neuromuscular dysfunction in which forces at the joint are altered, resulting in abnormal joint movement and prioception.
- Altered forces at the joint that result in abnormal muscular activity and impaired neuromuscular communication at the joint.
Arthrokinetic Inhibition
The neuromuscular phenomenon that occurs when a joint dysfunction inhibits the muscles that surround the joint.
Articular Cartilage
Cartilage that covers the articular surfaces of bones.
Articulation
Joint
Atherosclerosis
Buildup of fatty plaques in arteries that leads to narrowing and reduced blood flow
Atrioventricular (AV) node
A small mass of specialized cardiac muscle fibers, located in the wall of the right atrium of the heart, that receives heartbeat impulses from the sinoatrial node and directs them to the walls of the ventricles.
Atrium
The superior chamber of the heart that receives blood from the veins and forces it into the ventricles.
Augmented Feedback
Information from exterior source such as a fitness professional, videotape or heart rate monitor.
Autogenic Inhibition
The process by which neural impulses that sense tension are greater than the impulses that cause muscles to contract, providing an inhibitory effect to the muscle spindles.
Axial Skeleton
Portions of the skeleton that consist of the skull, rib cage, and vertebral column.
Axon
A cylindrical projection from the cell body that transmits nervous impulses to other neurons or effector sites.
Backside Mechanics
Proper alignment of the rear leg and pelvis during sprinting, which includes ankle plantar flexion, knee extension, hip extension, and neutral pelvis.
Balance
- The ability to sustain or return the body’s center of mass or line of gravity over its base of support
- When the body is in equilibrium and stationary, meaning no linear orangular movement.
Basal Ganglia
A portion of the lower brain that is instrumental in the initialization and control of repetitive voluntary movements such as walking and running.
Bioenergetic Continuum
Three main pathways used by the kinetic chain to produce ATP
Bracing
Occurs when you have contracted the abdominal, lower back, and buttocks muscles at the same time.
Capillaries
The smallest blood vessels, and the site of exchange of chemicals and water between the blood and the tissues
Cardiovascular Control Center (CVC)
Direct impulses that will either increase or decrease cardiac output and peripheral resistance based on feedback from all structures involved.
Cerebellum
A portion of the lower brain that compares sensory information from the body and the external environment with motor information from the cerebral cortex to ensure smooth coordinated movement.
Cerebral Cortex
A portion of the central nervous system that consists of the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, and temporal lobe.
Cervical Spine
The area of the spine containing the seven vertebrae that compose the neck.
Co-contraction
Muscles contract together in a force couple.
Collagen
A protein that is found in connective tissue that provides tensile strength.
Condyles
Projections protruding from the bone to which muscles, tendons, and ligaments can attach
Condyloid Joint
A joint where the condyle of one bone fits into the elliptical cavity of another bone to form a joint.
Contralateral
Positioned on the opposite side of the body.
Core
Structures that make up the lumbo-pelvic-hip-complex (LPHC), including the lumbar spine, the pelvic girdle, abdomen, and the hip joint.
Coronal Plane
Splits the body into front and back. AKA frontal plane
Davis’s Law
States that soft tissue models along the lines of stress.
Dendrites
A portion of the neuron that is responsible for gathering information from other structures.
Depressions
Flattened or indented portions of bone which can be muscle attachment sites.
Diaphysis
The shaft portion of a long bone
Diffusion
The process of getting oxygen from the environment to the tissues of the body.
Distal
Positioned farthest from the center of the body.
Dorsal
Refers to a position on the back or toward the back of the body.
Dorsiflexion
Movement of the ankle that lifts the ball of the foot
Dynamic Balance
The ability to move and change directions under various conditions without falling.
Dynamic Functional Flexibility
Multiplanar soft tissue extensibility with optimal neuromuscular efficiency throughout the full range of motion.
Dynamic Range of Motion
The combination of flexibility and the nervous system’s ability to control this range of motion efficiently.
Dynamic Stabilization
isometric contraction
Dynamic Stretching
- Uses the force production of a muscle and the body’s momentum to take a joint through the dull available range of motion.
- The active extension of a muscle, using force production and momentum, to move the joint through the full available range of motion.
Effectors
Any structure innervated by the nervous system including organs, glands, muscle tissue, connective tissue, blood vessels, bone marrow, and so forth.
Efferent Neurons
Neurons that transmit nerve impulses from the brain or spinal cord to the effector sites such as muscles or glands; AKA motor neurons.
Elastin
A protein that is found in connective tissue that has elastic properties.
Endocrine system
The system of glands that produce hormones.
Endomysium
The deepest layer of connective tissue that surrounds individual muscle fibers.
Epicondyle
Condyle
Epimysium
A layer of connective tissue that is underneath the fascia and surrounds the muscle.
Erythrocytes
Red blood cells
Excitation-Contraction Coupling
The process of neural stimulation creating muscle contraction.
Exhaustion
The third stage of the General Adaptation Syndrome when prolonged stress or stress that is intolerable produces exhaustion or distress to the system.
Extensibility
Capability to be elongated or stretched
External Rotation
Rotation of a joint away from the middle of the body.
Fascia
The outermost layer of connective tissue that surrounds the muscle.
Fascicle
A grouping of muscle fibers that house myofibrils.
Flexibility
The normal extensibility of all soft tissues that allows the full range of motion of a joint.
Flexion
Opposite of extension
Force-Couple
Muscle groups that move together
Fossa
a depression or indented portion of bone where muscles can attach
Frontal Lobe
A portion of the cerebral cortex that contains structures necessary for the planning and control of voluntary movement.
Frontal plane
Divides body into front and back
Frontside Mechanics
Proper alignment of the lead leg and pelvis during sprinting, which includes ankle dorsiflexion, knee flexion, hip flexion and natural pelvis.
Functional Efficiency
The ability of the nervous and muscular systems to move in the most efficient manner while placing the least amount of stress on the kinetic chain.
Fusiform
A muscle fiber arrangement that has a full muscle belly that tapers off at both ends (biceps brachii)
General Adaptation Syndrome
A term used to describe how the body responds and adapts to stress.
Golgi Tendon Organs
Receptors sensitive to change in tension of the muscle and the rate of that change
Goniometric Assessment
Technique measuring angular measurement and joint range of motion
Ground Reaction Force
Normal force of the Earth
Horizontal Abduction
Movement of the arm or thigh in the transverse plane from an anterior position to a lateral position.
Horizontal Adduction
Movement of the arm or thigh in the transverse plane from a lateral position to an anterior position.
Hypertrophy
Enlargement of muscle fibers
Inferior
Positioned below a point of reference
Intermittent Claudication
The manifestation of the symptoms caused by peripheral arterial disease.
Internal Rotation
Rotation of a joint toward the middle of the body.
Inversion
A movement in which the inferior calcaneus moves medially
Ipsilateral
Positioned on the same side of the body
Isokinetic Muscle Action
When a muscle shortens at a constant speed over the full range of motion.
Joint Receptors
Receptors surrounding a joint that respond to pressure, acceleration and deceleration of a joint.
Knowledge of Performance
A method of feedback that provides information about the quality of the movement pattern performed.
Knowledge of Results
A method of feedback after the completion of a movement to inform the client about the outcome of their performance.
Kyphosis
Exaggerated outward curvature of the thoracic region of the spinal column resulting in a rounded upper back.
Lactic Acid
An acid produced by glucose-burning cell when these cells have an insufficient supply of oxygen.
Lateral
Positioned toward the outside of the body.
Lateral Flexion
Bending of the body from side to side.
Length-Tension Relationship
The resting length of a muscle and the tension the muscle can produce at that length.
Leukocytes
White blood cells
Ligament
Primary connective tissue that connects bones together and provides stability, input to the nervous system, guidance, and the limitation of improper joint movement.
Limit Strength
The max force a muscle can produce in a single contraction.
Longitudinal Muscle Fiber
A muscle fiber arrangement in which its fibers run parallel to the line of pull.
Lumbar Spine
The portion of the spine commonly referred to as the small of the back.
