Foundations of Exercise Science Flashcards

State in which an athlete performs at maximum physical capacity without experiencing undue psychological distress or mental exhaustion.

Answer: Readiness

Readiness in an athletic context refers to an athlete's optimal physical and psychological state, indicating they are prepared to perform at their highest capacity. This state implies being free from undue psychological distress or mental exhaustion, allowing them to fully engage and execute their skills effectively in competition or training.

The time after a disturbance in homeostasis during which, if the body is given the chance to adjust, performance is improved.

Answer: Supercompensation

Supercompensation is a fundamental principle of training adaptation, describing the body's response to stress. After a period of intense training (stress) followed by adequate recovery, the body adapts by increasing its capacity beyond its initial baseline level. This temporary increase in performance potential is what allows athletes to improve over time.

The reaction or internal load that a specific training stimulus will cause.

Answer: Dose-Response

The dose-response relationship in exercise science describes how a specific amount of training stimulus (the 'dose') leads to a particular physiological adaptation or performance outcome (the 'response'). It quantifies the internal reaction or load that a given training intervention will cause in an athlete's body. Understanding this relationship is crucial for effective training prescription.

Seyle's theory that stress causes the body to react with alarm, resistance, and tiredness

Answer: General adaptation Syndrome

Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) is a well-known theory describing the body's universal response to stress. It consists of three stages: the alarm reaction (initial shock), the stage of resistance (adaptation and coping), and the stage of exhaustion (when coping resources are depleted). This model explains how stress impacts physiological and psychological well-being.

The idea that running at a constant speed increase and "equivalent slop" are equivalent in terms of energy consumption when accelerating.

Answer: Metabolic Power

Metabolic power is a concept in sports science that quantifies the rate of energy expenditure, particularly in activities like running. It considers not only constant speed but also the energy cost of acceleration and deceleration. This idea suggests that changes in speed contribute significantly to overall energy consumption, akin to running on an equivalent slope.

Positive fitness effect and negative fatigue effect, which both deteriorate with time but at different rates (fatigue doubles the rate of fitness) are what determine performance.

Answer: Fitness Fatigue Model

The Fitness-Fatigue Model is a theoretical framework explaining athletic performance as a dynamic interplay between positive training adaptations (fitness) and negative effects (fatigue). Both fitness and fatigue decay over time, but fatigue typically dissipates faster, allowing for periods of supercompensation where performance peaks. This model helps guide training periodization.

The test-retest score variability.

Answer: Coefficient of variation

The coefficient of variation (CV) is a statistical measure used to express the relative variability or dispersion of data points. In the context of test-retest scores, it quantifies the consistency of measurements by expressing the standard deviation as a percentage of the mean. A lower CV indicates greater reliability and less score variability.

Could be the training session's internal and external load.

Answer: Training Load

Training load refers to the overall stress placed on an athlete during a training session or over a period. It encompasses both the external load (e.g., distance covered, weight lifted) and the internal load (e.g., heart rate, perceived exertion). This comprehensive measure reflects the physiological and psychological demands of the exercise.

A method for determining if athletes are prepared to take on further workload.

Answer: Invisible Monitoring

Invisible monitoring involves collecting data on athletes' physiological and psychological states without their direct awareness or active participation. This method aims to gather objective information about readiness, fatigue, and adaptation to training. It helps coaches make informed decisions about workload adjustments while minimizing perceived burden on the athlete.

Could be the training session's internal and external load.

Answer: Smallest worthwhile change

The Smallest Worthwhile Change (SWC) is a critical concept in sports science used to determine if an observed change in an athlete's performance or physiological measure is practically meaningful. It represents the minimum improvement or decrement that is considered significant, beyond just random variation or measurement error. This helps coaches and scientists identify whether an intervention or training period has truly led to a beneficial or detrimental outcome for the athlete.

What is the name given to the point during exercise when blood lactate buildup grows quickly?

Answer: Anaerobic threshold

The anaerobic threshold is the point during exercise where blood lactate begins to accumulate in the bloodstream faster than the body can clear it. This rapid buildup signifies a shift towards increased reliance on anaerobic metabolism. Beyond this point, fatigue sets in more quickly due to the metabolic byproducts.