FUEL & INTERPLAY
Why must adenosine triphosphate (ATP) be continually resynthesised during physical activity?
The body stores only a small amount of immediately available ATP. As ATP is broken down to release energy for muscle contraction, it must be continually resynthesised to sustain movement.
What is muscular hypertrophy?
An increase in muscle size, principally through an increase in the size of muscle fibres following an appropriate training stimulus.
What is periodisation?
ing.
The planned sequencing of different training phases across an annual program to achieve training and performance goals.
In a training program, what does the principle of frequency describe?
How many times training occurs within a stated period, such as sessions per week.
A student records their own touch-game sprint count using video footage. Is this primary or secondary data for that student?
Primary data — it was gathered directly from the student's own performance for the investigation.
A touch player makes a high-intensity chase lasting 40 seconds. Why can't the ATP–PC energy system supply the entire effort?
Phosphocreatine stores are limited and cannot support maximal ATP resynthesis for 40 seconds. The lactic acid and aerobic energy systems contribute increasingly as the chase continues. All three operate together.
Which fibre type is generally more fatigue-resistant: slow-twitch or fast-twitch? Explain one characteristic.
Slow-twitch (Type I) fibres. They have strong oxidative capacity and resist fatigue, making them well suited to lower-intensity, sustained activity.
Which phase usually follows the competition season and emphasises recovery before the next training cycle?
The transition phase.
A player becomes disengaged doing the exact same drills every session. Which training principle could help?
Variety — include a suitable range of movement options, activities or training contexts while keeping the program aligned with its goals.
A student compares their results with a published study reporting typical touch-football movement demands. What type of data is the study, and why is it useful?
MODEL ANSWER Secondary data. It provides external evidence or a comparison point to interpret the student's own performance and inform a training strategy, provided the context is suitably comparable.
300 POINTS | QUESTION A player's measured maximum heart rate is 190 beats/min. Calculate the 70–80% maximum-heart-rate training zone.
MODEL ANSWER 70% of 190 = 133 beats/min. 80% of 190 = 152 beats/min. The target zone is 133–152 beats/min.
400 POINTS | QUESTION Footage shows 12 changes of direction in three minutes and agility testing is poor. Propose ONE training method and justify it using this data.
A sport-specific agility circuit or interval session with planned changes of direction, reactions and controlled recovery is appropriate. The 12 direction changes show a frequent agility demand; poorer testing identifies a personal performance need. Progress work according to the player's ability and re-test the same movement quality.
During an intense 18-second volleyball rally with repeated jumps, how might the relative contribution of energy systems change?
The ATP–PC system contributes strongly to the first explosive actions. As the rally continues, anaerobic glycolysis (the lactic acid system) contributes more because phosphocreatine availability falls; aerobic metabolism contributes throughout. Exact proportions vary with movement intensity and recovery.
A volleyball attacker improves their explosive jump. Which fibre type is especially important and why?
Fast-twitch (Type II) fibres because they can produce high force rapidly. They are especially useful for powerful, short-duration actions, although they fatigue more quickly than slow-twitch fibres.
How does the main emphasis typically change from the preparatory phase to the pre-competition phase?
The preparatory phase develops a fitness and skill base; pre-competition training becomes more sport- and event-specific, refining performance demands and readiness for competition.
A coach sets up six stations combining controlled squats, shuttles, jumps and core exercises. What training method is being used?
Circuit training — athletes rotate through exercise stations to develop selected fitness components. Its effect depends on station exercises, intensity, work volume and recovery.
A player's measured maximum heart rate is 190 beats/min. Calculate the 70–80% maximum-heart-rate training zone.
70% of 190 = 133 beats/min. 80% of 190 = 152 beats/min. The target zone is 133–152 beats/min.
A touch player jogs between short maximal sprints. Explain TWO reasons why the aerobic system still matters.
The aerobic system helps resynthesise ATP during the lower-intensity jog and supports phosphocreatine restoration between sprints. It also helps the player sustain repeated efforts over a match, even though ATP–PC supplies much of the initial energy for maximal sprints.
A player's heart rate is 75 beats per minute and stroke volume is 80 mL per beat. Calculate cardiac output in litres per minute.
Cardiac output = heart rate × stroke volume = 75 × 80 = 6000 mL/min = 6.0 L/min.
A touch team has a major carnival in seven days. What is tapering and why might a coach use it?
Tapering is a planned reduction in training load, usually particularly volume, leading into competition while preserving sufficient intensity and specificity. It aims to reduce accumulated fatigue and maximise readiness without losing key adaptations.
A drill has 15 seconds of work and 30 seconds of rest. The coach changes the rest to 60 seconds. State BOTH work:rest ratios and explain one likely effect.
The initial ratio is 15:30 = 1:2. The modified ratio is 15:60 = 1:4. Longer rest generally permits greater recovery and helps maintain the quality of very intense repetitions, though it lowers the session's work density.
Footage shows 12 changes of direction in three minutes and agility testing is poor. Propose ONE training method and justify it using this data.
A sport-specific agility circuit or interval session with planned changes of direction, reactions and controlled recovery is appropriate. The 12 direction changes show a frequent agility demand; poorer testing identifies a personal performance need. Progress work according to the player's ability and re-test the same movement quality.
A coach says, 'Volleyball is explosive, so aerobic fitness is pointless.' Evaluate the statement using rally and between-rally demands.
The claim is too absolute. Explosive jumps and short movements demand rapid ATP resynthesis, especially via ATP–PC. Yet aerobic metabolism supports recovery between rallies, phosphocreatine replenishment and sustained performance across sets. Volleyball training should prioritise explosive demands without ignoring aerobic recovery capacity.
Following training, a player's resting heart rate decreases from 76 to 68 beats/min, while stroke volume rises from 70 to 82 mL/beat. Explain what this suggests and state ONE limit of the evidence.
A lower resting heart rate alongside greater stroke volume is consistent with improved cardiovascular efficiency; the heart can pump more blood per beat. However, two measurements alone cannot establish that training caused the change, and resting measures do not show match performance. Repeat measurements under comparable conditions and use relevant performance data.
A volleyball coach plans a difficult training week immediately before finals, after three already demanding weeks. Evaluate the timing and propose a better final-week focus.
Another heavy week may leave residual fatigue and reduce jumping quality in finals. A better choice is a taper that reduces training volume, maintains a small amount of sharp sport-specific intensity, and prioritises recovery, sleep and technical quality. The adjustment must reflect the players' workloads and response to training.
A volleyballer needs better repeated explosive jumps. Devise one training-session change using a training method, intensity, a training principle and recovery.
Add carefully progressed, high-quality repeated-jump or resistance/plyometric-style stations with explosive intent and sufficient recovery to preserve jump output. Apply specificity to volleyball jumping and progressive overload by increasing demand gradually, not all at once. Record jump height or technique as feedback; adapt load to the individual.
After six weeks, a touch player's shuttle time improves from 32 s to 29 s, but late-game missed touches rise from 4 to 7. Evaluate the training outcome and justify ONE next-step modification.
The shuttle improvement of 3 seconds indicates improved performance in that test, but extra late-game misses suggest the training strategy has not fully optimised match performance. Add or modify game-specific repeat-effort and decision-making work while reviewing fatigue and recovery. Gather more games and comparable testing before attributing the misses to a single cause; then monitor whether both fitness and in-game outcomes improve.