Fitness componentsPart 1

Most important component of fitness Also called general endurance, stamina, and

heart-lung fitness, cardiovascular endurance, aerobic fitness, aerobic endurance

Foundation block on which all other fitness components depend

Aerobic capacity (Stamina)

Aerobic capacity is the ability to keep producing energy aerobically, and using it to perform tasks involving the whole body for extended periods of time.

This requires heart-lung (cardiorespiratory) efficiency in delivering oxygen to the working muscles and removing wastes such as carbon dioxide.

The ability to consume oxygen for energy production is called your oxygen updake, or your ability to consume oxygen (VO₂)

The highest possible oxygen intake s the VO₂max, or maximal oxygen intake

Generally athletes who excel at endurance sports have a greater capacity to take up, deliver and transfer oxygen to the working muscles and remove carbon dioxide and other wastes, and so it is a good measure of an individual’s capacity to exercise.

Aerobic fitness is needed most for activities such as distance running, swimming, surfing and cycling. Aerobic activities also require local muscular endurance.

Beep test

The force that a muscle or group of muscles can exert against a resistance in a single maximal contraction.

In practice, strength is the ability to perform an action that requires large amounts of force and can only be completed a maximum of 10 consecutive times.

Muscular strength

Physical activities that require strength include: Gripping a hockey stick, tennis racquet or golf

club when hitting the ball Weightlifting Jostling for position in basketball or soccer Tackling in rugby Field events like throwing

Strength is the foundation of muscular power and is vital in preventing damage to the muscle belly, tendons and ligaments.

Muscle fibres There are two types of muscle fibres – slow

and fast twitch – that affect the application of strength.

Slow twitch fibres are suited to aerobic endurance work as they contract slowly and slow to fatigue

Fast twitch fibres are speed/strength fibres suited to anaerobic work, as they contract rapidly but are easily fatigued

The ability to work a muscle for long periods at less than maximum effort, where local fatigue rather than general exhaustion is the limiting factor.

In practice, actions that can be repeated 30 or more times without rest are classed as requiring local or muscular endurance.

Examples include paddling a canoe (endurance in the arms), distance swimming (endurance in the arms and shoulders).

Muscular endurance

The ability of the muscles, ligaments and tendons to allow large movements of the joints.

It is often called mobility or suppleness

Flexibility can be increased by stretching the muscles and, to a limited degree, the tendons and ligaments.

Flexibility

Sporting activities that require flexibility include gymnastics, hurdling, the high jump, and tackling in team sports

There are various problems associated with a lack of flexibility. Tight, short muscles can tear and strain much more readily during sports activities than flexible muscles. They can also prevent competitive players from fulfilling their potential, e.g. a swimmer with poor shoulder flexibility has a reduced distance over which to develop force in an arm stroke.

Refers to the ratio of fat to non-fat components in your body.

Body fat consists of essential fat in and around organs, and storage fat found in fat cells all around the body

Your body composition is the ratio of body fat to lean tissue and so can be altered by diet and exercise.

Body composition

Which fitness components would be most important in Biathlon?

Why/How?

Biathlon and fitness components

Muscular Strength Speed Cardiovascular Endurance Muscular endurance Flexibility Power

Biathlon and fitness components