Physical Fitness: Warm-up, Muscle Contraction, and Resistance
The Importance of Warming Up
What is Warming Up and Why is it Necessary?
Warming up is the activity performed before any type of sports activity to prepare the body.
How is the Warm-up Performed?
- Soft activities.
- Global use of the whole body.
- Progressive intensity (from low to high).
- Structured execution of exercises.
- Continuous execution (i.e., without major breaks).
Types of Warm-up
- General: Performed before any physical activity.
- Specific: Tailored to a determined sport or activity.
Effects of Warming Up
- Improves circulation and blood flow.
- Enhances coordination of movement (breathing coordination).
- Increases body temperature.
- Raises the level of concentration.
- Lowers the risk of injury.
Physical Conditioning and Training Principles
Physical Conditioning and Treatment
Physical conditioning is the process that pursues the best results in sports performance and addresses the psychological aspects of the individual through training.
Components of Physical Condition
Physical condition is the part of the overall human condition comprising many specific components. They are:
- Strength
- Flexibility
- Endurance
- Speed
- Motor skills (driving qualities)
Assessing Physical Fitness
Physical condition reflects the state of development of physical qualities. The level of development is measured by tests.
Adaptation
Adaptation is the body’s ability to adjust to new skills and abilities.
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
This refers to the increased performance of an athlete due to biological resilience, allowing them to respond satisfactorily to potential physical demands.
Training Planning and Periodization
- Planning: Involves structuring the exercises to be carried out.
- Periodization: Involves organizing training into cycles (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly) to optimize performance and recovery.
Muscle Physiology and Contraction
Types of Muscles in Movement
- Agonist: The primary muscle that contracts to produce the desired action (the protagonist).
- Synergist: Muscles that assist the agonist in producing movement.
- Antagonist: The muscle opposite the agonist, performing the opposite action.
- Fixators (Stabilizers): Muscles responsible for immobilizing joints during movement.
Types of Muscle Contraction
- Isometric: Occurs when there is no apparent joint movement and the muscle length does not change. Example: Pushing a wall.
- Isotonic: Occurs when there is movement in the joint. The muscle length varies:
- Concentric Contraction: The muscle shortens.
- Eccentric Contraction: The muscle lengthens.
Key Physical Qualities
Definitions of Core Abilities
- Resistance (Endurance): The ability to sustain a determined effort for as long as possible, delaying the onset of fatigue.
- Strength: The ability to overcome resistance or opposition. The capacity of muscles to contract, generating tension.
- Speed: The capacity of a person to travel a distance in a specific time.
- Flexibility: The ability to execute a movement as widely as possible at a given joint.
Detailed Resistance Types
Aerobic Resistance
The ability to sustain long-duration, low-to-medium intensity efforts with sufficient oxygen supply. Heart rate typically ranges between 130 and 160 beats per minute (bpm). Work is performed in balance between oxygen intake and output. Lack of reserves can lead to fatigue due to ionic imbalances and loss of organic salts, especially in very hot weather.
Anaerobic Resistance
The capacity to sustain intense efforts for as long as possible without sufficient oxygen intake, resulting in a high oxygen deficit. Duration is short (up to about 3 minutes). Recovery is slower than in aerobic efforts because the initial oxygen deficit must be compensated, plus the deficit incurred during the activity. The oxygen deficit may reach 20 liters in extreme cases of highly trained subjects, whereas an untrained subject will not resist a deficit of over 10 liters. Two types of anaerobic endurance are distinguished based on the dominant energy source used.