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Abduction - Movement of a limb away from an imaginary vertical line down the middle of the body
Adrenal glands - Responsible for producing adrenaline which causes the ‘fight or flight’ reaction
Aerobic - System providing long-term energy for low-intensity physical activity
Agility - Ability to move quickly and change direction at speed
Altitude - High up, where there is less oxygen to breathe
Alveoli - Tiny hollow sacs at the end of the bronchioles which fill with air when we breathe in
Anabolic steroid - Drug illegally used by sports performers to increase strength, power and aggression
Anaerobic - Energy-producing systems which do not rely on oxygen
Antagonistic muscles - Muscles which work in pairs to control movement
Anxiety - State of apprehension or worry before a sporting event
Arousal - State of mental and physical excitement before taking part in sport
Arteries - Vessels which carry blood away from the heart
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Balance - Ability to distribute the weight of the body evenly and maintain equilibrium
Balanced diet - Combination of nutrients the body needs in order to be healthy
Ball and socket joint - Joint in which the rounded head of one bone fits into a cup-like socket on another
Basic metabolic rate - The minimal level of energy needed by the body when resting
Blood - Classified as a connective tissue. Average total blood volume is about five litres
Blood doping - Artificially increasing the number of red blood cells in the body
Blood pressure (BP) - Pressure needed to pump blood around the human body
Body composition - The relative percentage of muscle, fat, bone, and other tissues
Bronchi - Two small branch-like passages at the end of the trachea
Bronchioles - Small branch-like passages formed by the division of the bronchi inside the lungs
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Calorie - Amount of energy needed to increase 1cm3 of water by 10C
Capillaries - Network of small vessels through which blood passes
Carbohydrate loading - Building up stocks of glycogen in the body
Carbohydrates - Nutrients which provide energy for our muscles
Cardiac output (Q) - Volume of blood ejected from left ventricle in one minute
Cardiovascular endurance - Ability of the heart, blood vessels, blood, and respiratory system to supply fuel and oxygen to the muscles
Cardiovascular system - System governing the circulation of blood and the transport of oxygen and nutrients to the cells of the body and waste products away from these cells
Cartilage - Connective tissue found in a variety of forms in the human body
Central nervous system - System comprising the brain and spinal cord responsible for all conscious and unconscious actions
Cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and coccyx - The five components of the human vertebrae
Cholesterol - Fat substance that can lead to disease by blocking arteries, particularly those around the heart
Compact and spongy bone - Two types of tissue found in long bones
Concentric contraction - Where a muscle shortens in length
Concussion - Injury caused by the brain being violently shaken or jolted
Condyloid joint - Joint allowing movement in two directions, e.g. the wrist
Coordination - Ability to perform movements smoothly and with no waste of effort
Creatine phosphate (CP) - Naturally occurring substance in muscle tissue used to generate energy
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Dehydration - Dangerous condition when the body loses too much water, usually as a result of sweating
Diastolic BP - Blood pressure measured when the heart relaxes
Digestive system - System which breaks down food into usable nutrients
Dislocation - Injury in which the bone is jolted out of its normal position at the joint
Diuretic - Drug illegally used by sports performers to reduce body weight
Drug - Medical substance or chemical used for relieving illness, pain or discomfort
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Eccentric Contraction - Where a muscle is lengthened
Ectomorph - Body type that is linear or long and thin
Endomorph - Body type that is mainly pear-shaped
Endorsement - Recommendation of products by established sports ‘stars’
Enzyme - Substance that helps to speed up chemical reactions, e.g. saliva
Epimysium - Fibrous layer of connective tissue which protects muscle
Exercise - Physical activity that improves health and fitness
Extension - Increase in the angle between two bones
External and internal intercostals muscles - Extra muscles located between the ribs which help us to inhale and exhale
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Fartlek - System of running used to develop endurance
Fast and slow twitch fibre - The two major types of skeletal muscle fibre in the human body
Fats - Used by the body as an energy source, especially when we are asleep or at rest
Fight or flight syndrome - The body’s instinctive response to a potentially threatening situation
Fitness testing - Measuring performance to assess a person’s overall fitness
Fitness - The ability of the body to meet the demands placed on it
FITT - Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type – the four basic elements of a training programme
Fixators - Muscles situated near the point of origin of a prime mover muscle, which stabilise the body part
Flexibility - Having a wide range of movement in a joint
Flexibility - The range of movement around a joint
Flexion - Decrease in the angle between two bones
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Gliding joint - Joint in which one bone glides over another, e.g. between the tarsals of the feet
Goal-setting - Establishing aims or objectives to work towards
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Narcotic analgesic - Drug illegally used by sports performers to combat pain and aid relaxation
NCF Multi-stage Fitness Test - Designed to test cardiovascular endurance
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Open sport - Where amateurs and professionals compete together in the same sport
Open/closed skills - Skills which are affected by surrounding factors are open, while those which are less affected are closed.
Optimum performance - The highest standard a sportsperson can achieve
Organ - Two or more types of tissue that work together to perform a common function
Overweight - Having over 20% body fat (males), and over 30% body fat (females)
Oxygen debt - Where the demand for oxygen is greater than the supply
Oxygen deficit - Where the supply of oxygen is greater than the demand
Oxygen - Gas which, together with carbon dioxide, makes up the air we breathe
Oxygenated/deoxygenated blood - Blood that contains/does not contain oxygen
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Random testing - Spot-checks on drug abuse carried out by sports bodies
Reaction time - Speed of response to external events
Receptor organs - Organs that transmit information to the brain
Recreation - An enjoyable spare-time activity
Repetition - The number of times that an athlete repeats a particular exercise
Respiration - Process of transporting oxygen to the cells and removing waste products
Respiratory rate - The rate at which we inhale and exhale when breathing normally
Respiratory system - System which regulates the breathing process, enabling us to take oxygen into our body and expel carbon dioxide
RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation: procedure for reducing pain and swelling after an injury
Rotation - Circular movement
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Tendon Strong tissue attaching muscle to bone
Twelve-minute Cooper Test - Running, walking or jogging as far as possible within 12 minutes
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Vasoconstriction - Where the diameter of a blood vessel decreases as the surrounding muscles contracts
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