Energy & ATP
What does ATP stand for?
Adenosine Triphosphate
What are the 3 energy systems?
ATP-PC, lactic acid/glycolytic, and aerobic systems.
What is the main role of the respiratory system?
Takes in oxygen and removes carbon dioxide.
Define Agility
Ability to quickly change direction or body position while maintaining control.
What does MHR Stand for?
Maximum Heart Rate
What is continuous training?
Training performed continuously for an extended period without rest.
What form of energy is stored in nutrients found in food?
Chemical energy
Which energy system resynthesises ATP using oxygen?
Aerobic
What is stroke volume?
The amount of blood pumped out of the heart with each heartbeat.
Name a fitness test used to measure agility.
Illinois Agility Test
What is target heart rate?
A measure of exercise intensity based on a percentage of an athlete's maximum heart rate.
What is interval training?
Exercise that alternates periods of work with periods of recovery
Explain the ATP cycle.
ATP is broken down to release energy and is then continually resynthesised so it can be used again
Explain the difference between aerobic and anaerobic energy systems
Aerobic ATP production requires oxygen; anaerobic pathways resynthesise ATP without directly requiring oxygen.
What is the relationship between heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output?
Cardiac output = heart rate × stroke volume.
Explain the difference between strength and power.
Strength is the ability to produce force; power is the ability to produce force quickly and combines strength with speed.
What is the lactate threshold zone?
A zone where the athlete works at or just below lactate threshold.
Explain the difference between an isolated and compound exercise.
Isolated exercises mainly involve one muscle group and joint; compound exercises involve multiple muscles and joints.
Explain how chemical energy from food eventually contributes to movement.
Chemical energy from nutrients is processed to resynthesise ATP. ATP releases usable energy for muscle contraction, producing mechanical movement.
A player performs a maximal 6-second sprint. Which energy system would contribute most and why?
ATP-PC system because it provides ATP rapidly for very short, maximal-intensity activity.
Explain the difference between an acute and chronic adaptation to exercise.
Acute adaptations happen immediately during exercise; chronic adaptations develop over time following repeated training.
An athlete completes fitness testing before and after a training program. Why is the baseline result important?
It provides the starting fitness level, allowing later results to be compared to determine improvement.
An athlete is training just below their lactate threshold. Which training zone are they working in and why might they train there?
Lactate threshold zone. Training there can improve the athlete's ability to sustain a relatively high exercise intensity before rapid lactate accumulation.
Compare long slow distance training and tempo training.
Both are continuous methods. LSD uses prolonged low-to-moderate intensity work, while tempo training uses a higher intensity close to, but generally below, lactate threshold.
During repeated exercise, why must ATP continually be resynthesised rather than relying on stored ATP?
Muscles contain only a small amount of immediately available ATP, so ATP must continually be resynthesised to maintain muscle contraction and exercise.
A player sprints for 8 seconds, jogs for 2 minutes, then sprints again. Explain how energy-system contribution changes throughout this sequence.
The ATP-PC system contributes strongly during the short sprint; aerobic contribution becomes dominant during the prolonged jog and helps recovery; another sprint again increases anaerobic contribution.
Explain how the respiratory and circulatory systems work together to supply exercising muscles with oxygen.
The respiratory system brings oxygen into the lungs. Oxygen enters the blood, and the circulatory system transports that oxygen to working skeletal muscles while helping transport carbon dioxide away.
An athlete is fast in a straight line but struggles to change direction while defending. Identify the fitness component that needs improvement and explain why.
Agility. The athlete needs to change direction quickly while maintaining control to react to opponents and defensive movement.
Explain how an athlete could use MHR and THR to control training intensity across different training zones.
Lactate threshold zone. Training there can improve the athlete's ability to sustain a relatively high exercise intensity before rapid lactate accumulation.
Design a simple interval-training example and explain which fitness component or energy system it is intended to develop.
Example: repeated 30-second hard runs followed by 60 seconds recovery. The exact target depends on intensity and work-to-rest structure, but it can be manipulated to develop aerobic/anaerobic fitness and the relevant energy systems.