B.2.1 Newton's Laws of Motion
Which of Newton's laws is also known as the law of inertia?
A. Newton's first law
B. Newton's second law
C. Newton's third law
D. The law of gravity
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Newton's first law states that an object will remain at rest or continue moving at a constant velocity unless acted on by an unbalanced force, which is known as the law of inertia
What is the difference between fatigue and exhaustion?
A. They are exactly the same thing.
B. Exhaustion is a temporary loss of focus, while fatigue is permanent.
C. Fatigue is an inability to continue at the desired intensity, while exhaustion is a complete inability to continue exercising.
D. Fatigue only happens to beginners, while exhaustion only happens to elite athletes.
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Fatigue refers to an inability to maintain a specific exercise intensity, while exhaustion is the complete inability to continue exercising at all
What happens to barometric air pressure as altitude increases?
A. It stays exactly the same
B. It increases slightly
C. It decreases
D. It fluctuates randomly
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: As you ascend to higher altitudes, there is less weight from the atmosphere pressing down, which causes barometric pressure (and air density) to decrease
Which gland in the endocrine system is responsible for producing insulin and glucagon?
A. The thyroid gland
B. The pituitary gland
C. The pancreas
D. The adrenal gland
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The pancreas secretes both insulin and glucagon, which are the primary hormones responsible for regulating blood sugar concentration
What is the definition of homeostasis?
A. The breakdown of glucose to provide energy
B. A disease associated with a sedentary lifestyle
C. A self-regulating biological process that maintains a relatively stable internal environment
D. The rapid loss of body fluids through sweating
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Homeostasis is the condition in which the body's internal environment remains relatively constant, within physiological limits, through continuous regulatory processes
Which of the following measurements is considered a vector quantity?
A. Mass
B. Speed
C. Distance
D. Velocity
D
Explanation: Velocity is a vector quantity because it includes both the size (how fast) and the specific direction of the movement, whereas speed is a scalar quantity that only has size
What is Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC)?
A. A breathing technique used before a race
B. The period of recovery where oxygen utilization continues at a rate greater than at rest
C. The point where the body stops using oxygen
D. A disease caused by hyperventilation
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: EPOC is the recovery period following exercise when the body continues to consume oxygen at an elevated rate to help return the body to homeostasis
Which mechanism accounts for almost all body heat loss during exercise in hot environments?
A. Conduction
B. Convection
C. Radiation
D. Evaporation
Correct Answer: D
Explanation: As ambient temperatures rise, conduction, convection, and radiation become less effective, making the evaporation of sweat the primary mechanism for heat dissipation
Which category of hormones is fat-soluble, allowing them to easily pass through cell membranes?
A. Steroid hormones
B. Non-steroid hormones
C. Prostaglandins
D. Polypeptides
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: Steroid hormones (such as testosterone and oestrogen) are fat-soluble and pass directly through cell membranes to interact with receptors inside the cell
Which part of the brain functions as the body's thermostat to regulate core body temperature?
A. The cerebellum
B. The cerebrum
C. The hypothalamus
D. The brain stem
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The hypothalamus acts as the control centre for thermoregulation, monitoring body temperature and initiating responses like sweating or shivering
According to the principle of the conservation of angular momentum, how can an airborne diver increase their rate of spin (angular velocity)?
A. By increasing their mass
B. By tucking their body tightly
C. By extending their arms and legs fully
D. By looking at the water
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: When an athlete is airborne, angular momentum is conserved. By pulling their limbs into a tight tuck, they decrease their moment of inertia, which forces their angular velocity to increase
Which type of fatigue originates within the brain, spinal cord, and motor neurons?
A. Peripheral fatigue
B. Chronic fatigue
C. Muscle fatigue
D. Central fatigue
Correct Answer: D
Explanation: Central fatigue is the specific term used for fatigue caused by factors that reside within the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord)
How does high environmental humidity negatively affect a runner's ability to regulate their body temperature?
A. It causes sweat to evaporate too quickly.
B. It reduces the vapor pressure gradient, preventing sweat from evaporating.
C. It cools the skin down so fast that shivering occurs.
D. It increases heat loss through radiation.
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: High humidity means the air is already saturated with water. This decreases the effectiveness of evaporative heat loss, leaving sweat on the skin without cooling the body
) What is the primary role of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) during exercise?
A. To increase urine production and excrete sodium
B. To regulate fluid and electrolyte balance by causing the kidneys to retain water
C. To promote the breakdown of muscle glycogen
D. To lower blood pressure by widening blood vessels
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: ADH is secreted by the pituitary gland when the body sweats and loses fluid; it acts on the kidneys to reabsorb more water and produce less urine, helping conserve fluids
If an athlete's core body temperature rises significantly during a race, what is the primary negative feedback response?
A. Vasoconstriction in the skin and shivering
B. Vasodilation in skin blood vessels and increased sweat gland activity
C. Decreased heart rate and lower blood pressure
D. Increased release of glucagon from the pancreas
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: To lower the core temperature back to a stable state, the hypothalamus triggers vasodilation (widening blood vessels near the skin) and increases sweat production to enhance evaporative heat loss
When two objects collide, what does the coefficient of restitution measure?
A. The total friction between the objects
B. The elasticity of the collision
C. The total mass of the objects
D. The acceleration of gravity
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The coefficient of restitution measures how elastic a collision is, indicating the proportion of relative velocity retained after impact (how much energy is conserved
What is the true role of lactate produced during high-intensity exercise?
A. It is a harmful waste product that causes muscle soreness days later.
B. It is a highly acidic toxin that stops muscle contraction.
C. It serves as a hydrogen ion buffer and an important metabolic fuel.
D. It destroys adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Contrary to popular belief, lactate is not a waste product or the cause of muscle burn; it actually extends sports performance by acting as a hydrogen ion buffer and an energy source
Why is the "Live High, Train Low" (LHTL) altitude training method considered the most beneficial for elite endurance athletes?
A. It reduces the amount of oxygen the muscles need to survive.
B. It guarantees the athlete will suffer from acute mountain sickness.
C. It allows the athlete to gain the physiological benefits of altitude while maintaining high-intensity training at sea level.
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: LHTL allows athletes to experience the adaptations of altitude (such as increased red blood cells and haemoglobin) while resting, but lets them train at sea level where they can maintain their highest training intensity without the impairment of hypoxia
When blood glucose levels increase after a meal, it triggers the release of insulin. What type of stimulus is this?
A. A neural stimulus
B. A hormonal stimulus
C. A humoral stimulus
D. A psychological stimulus
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Humoral sources of information trigger hormone release due to changes in the chemistry of the blood, such as fluctuating blood glucose levels
How does the respiratory control centre help regulate blood pH when carbon dioxide concentrations rise?
A. By decreasing the rate of breathing
B. By releasing insulin into the bloodstream
C. By increasing the rate and depth of breathing
D. By causing the kidneys to excrete more water
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: High CO2lowers blood pH (making it more acidic). The respiratory centre responds via a negative feedback mechanism to increase breathing rate and depth, which expels more CO2 and restores normal
A bobsled team and their sled have a combined mass of 390 kg. During the push-off phase, they start from rest and reach a velocity of 12 m/s over 6 seconds. What is the average net force applied to the sled during this time?
A. 390 N
B. 780 N
C. 2,340 N
D. 4,680 N
Correct Answer: B
Explanation:
First, calculate acceleration using a= (v-u)/t, which gives 12 / 6 = 2 m/s2.
Then, apply Newton's second law (F=ma) to calculate force: 390k x 2 m/s2 = 780N.
How does the accumulation of extracellular potassium contribute to peripheral fatigue during intense exercise?
A. It causes a sudden drop in core body temperature.
B. It impairs the electrical signal (action potential) along a motor neuron and into the muscle.
C. It drastically increases the body's glycogen stores.
D. It prevents the evaporation of sweat.
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: During intense exercise, can leak out of the muscle cells and accumulate in the extracellular fluid, which impairs the electrical signals needed to initiate muscle contraction
What is a key physiological adaptation that occurs after 10-14 days of heat acclimatization?
A. A higher resting core temperature
B. A lower sweat rate
C. A lower resting core temperature and higher sweat rate
D. Decreased total blood plasma volume
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Heat acclimatization leads to a lower resting core temperature, an increased sweating rate, and greater plasma volume, which together improve exercise capacity in the heat
How does a rise in progesterone during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle uniquely impact an athlete's physiology?
A. It causes severe hypothermia.
B. It has a thermogenic effect that slightly raises core body temperature.
C. It completely stops the body's ability to sweat.
D. It drastically reduces red blood cell production.
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Progesterone has a thermogenic effect, meaning it can slightly increase core body temperature, which subsequently alters thermoregulation and increases hydration demand
During prolonged, steady-state aerobic exercise in a hot environment, cardiovascular drift occurs. What defines this phenomenon?
A. A gradual rise in heart rate and a gradual fall in stroke volume
B. A gradual drop in heart rate and a gradual rise in stroke volume
C. A sudden spike in blood pressure followed by fainting
D. A complete cessation of sweating and stabilization of heart rate
Correct Answer: A Explanation: Cardiovascular drift happens when fluid loss (dehydration) and thermoregulatory demands cause a decrease in blood plasma and stroke volume. To maintain constant cardiac output, the heart rate must progressively increase