Sports Science

GCSE Physical Education (Sport & Coaching)

Simon Broadhurst

Sport Science Health Related Exercise/Training Programme

The Sport I have chosen to base my sport science coursework on is Volleyball. There are many fitness components relevant to this sport, I am going to state all of them and explain exactly what it is.

Strength- Ability to bear weight.
Stamina- Ability to sustain activity; the extent to which the body can withstand the onset of fatigue and carry on working.
Suppleness- The range of movement in a joint.
Somatotype- The three types of body sizes you would be put into in sport- endomorphs (large size), mesomorphs (wide shouldered with lots of muscles) and ectomorphs (little muscle and fat, very slim)
Agility- The ability to change direction at speed
Speed- ability of the body or part of the body, to move quickly.
Reaction Time- The time taken for the body (or part of the body) to respond to a stimulus.
Co-ordination- The ability to use the senses together to control the body during physical activity.
Muscular Endurance- The ability to use voluntary muscles many times without getting tired.
Explosive Strength- The ability to contract our muscles with speed and force in one explosive act.
Mobility- The range of limb movement about a joint.
Power- The ability to contract muscles with speed and strength in one explosive act; the combination of speed and strength.
Hand eye co-ordination- The ability to use the senses together to control the body during physical activity.
Static/Maximum Strength- The amount of force a muscle can exert against a resistance.

I am now going to pick out two of these fitness components that I feel are most relevant to my chosen sport and give my reasons for why I think it.

Stamina – Because in volleyball you need to work hard for quite a long time, meaning you are using your aerobic system, this involves your heart pumping more blood around the body and your lungs holding a greater capacity of oxygen. Your heart and lungs also work together as your lungs take in oxygen which then diffuses into the blood stream, this travels around to the heart where the oxygenated blood is pumped around the body and to the working muscles, this allows the body to work aerobically for a longer period of time, meaning if I work on my stamina then I will be able to sustain the length of the volleyball match easily without tiring.

Muscular Endurance – Because in volleyball your voluntary muscles will need to last for a long time throughout the length of the volleyball match and work many times without tiring in the anaerobic activity. As with stamina the process is the same; the heart and lungs work in conjunction to supply oxygen to the working muscles and remove waste products, such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid, to prevent lactic acid build up which leads to cramp and eventually would prevent further exercise.

The training programme I am going to design is for myself so I can improve the two fitness components I have picked out to raise these aspects of my game which will therefore improve my whole performance in my chosen sport. This is what I expect to achieve in the 6 weeks. I am 15 years old and an active person; I take part in two football teams who train once a week for 2 hours long and play matches once a week for 90 minutes and I am in the Park High volleyball team. I also take part in all three practical PE lessons which last for 50 minutes inside of school. I have quite a high fitness level and also have no medical conditions, therefore not affecting my participation and ability in sport.

My diet is rather varied and differs on a day to day basis. I try to eat my 5 pieces of fruit and vegetables a day and generally do eat health food.

There are many training methods possible for me to choose from relating to my chosen sport. These are:-

Circuit Training – Performing a series of exercises or activities in a special order or sequence
Interval Training – Using alternating periods of very hard exercise and rest to improve fitness
Fartlek – “Speed – Play” – a method of training in which the pace and training conditions are varied
Continuous Training – Working for sustained periods of time using all major muscle groups of the body
Altitude Training – Aerobic exercises at higher altitudes where oxygen levels are low
Weight Training – Using either free weight or weights in machines as a form of resistance training
Flexibility Training – Using a series of exercises to improve the range of movement at a joint

From these training methods the two I am going to use are continuous and circuit training. I am now going to explain why I have chosen these particular two training methods.

Circuit Training

This is a preview of the whole essay

From these training methods the two I am going to use are continuous and circuit training. I am now going to explain why I have chosen these particular two training methods.

Circuit Training

The reason that I have chosen Circuit Training is because, it is relevant to near enough all sports and you can design your own circuits to make sure you are not working on the same muscles at more than one station in one session, Also Circuit Training works in both the aerobic and anaerobic training zones and this is because there are many exercises that can be done, this is useful because the sport that I have chosen, volleyball, works in both the aerobic and anaerobic training zones therefore making Circuit Training a good training method for my chosen sport. As my fitness improves over the six week training programme the circuit I create can become more difficult as I can increase the number of stations in my circuit, increase the number of circuits I complete in a certain amount of time, increase the number of repetitions I complete as quickly as possible at a station or the number of repetitions I complete in a set amount of time, for example I could try and complete as many repetitions of something I can in 1 minute and finally I could increase the amount of time I spend on each circuit station and the different stations I have e.g. Step – Ups and Press – Ups. This is a good training method to carry out as there are many exercises that you can complete in a circuit.

The stations that I have chosen for my circuit training are:-

Shuttle Runs
Plyometrics
Press-ups
Sit-ups
Step-ups
Agility run
Burpies
Bench lift/military press

All of the stations I have picked for me to carry out whilst completing my circuit training are ones that I feel will help me a great deal in improving my stamina and muscular endurance so I can improve on my chosen sport, volleyball. This is a good way of training as you are working on many different muscle groups and improving them. Also it can be easily changed to adapt the sport or activity you want to improve at however it can become tedious as you maybe completing the same circuit over and over again but this can be easily be avoided if you change around the circuits each time you complete them.

Continuous Training

I have chosen to carry out continuous training because it works in both the aerobic training zone which is at 60 – 80% of your MHR (maximum heart rate) and this is useful because my chosen sport works in the aerobic training zone. Continuous training requires you to work at the same pace for between 30 minutes and 2 hours at a moderately active level. There are a vast number of reasons to use Continuous Training, these include such things as the fact that it helps to improve cardiovascular endurance, it helps to improve health related fitness, it helps to reduce the amount of body fat we have and it helps to maintain our fitness levels in the off season. There are many activities that can be completed for continuous training.

The activities that I have chosen to carry out in my continuous training are:-

Running - I have chosen running as part of my continuous training because it helps a lot in improving Stamina, this is important because stamina is one of the fitness components I have decided to improve, furthermore improving my Stamina is also one of my targets and by running I will be able to achieve this.

Cycling Machine - I have chosen to work on the cycling machine because I think that this will also increase my stamina and like before this is my target as this will improve my overall general fitness and therefore increase the ability of my volleyball game.

Rowing Machine - I have finally chosen to use the rowing machine as well because this will also help in improving my stamina as will the cycling machine and running, but this provides another way in which to do so, therefore I will find it more fun to train and this will result in me not experiencing tedium.

In volleyball you are always moving around due to the length of the match as you play 3 or 5 sets each consisting of a 25 point score meaning to compete, you need a good level of stamina. Completing these three activities will increase your stamina meaning they are relevant to my sport and will help me improve on it.

Whilst carrying out my programme and the activities and types of exercises I have chosen to improve my stamina and muscular endurance there are going to be potential risks with the apparatus and equipment that I will need to consider. I am going to carry out a risk assessment to clear the chance of potential risks.

Is the surface clear of glass/debris?
Is the surface slippery?
Is the equipment being used safe?
Is the equipment being used such as the cycling and rowing machines?
Is the equipment likely to break or fall part on contact?
Does the equipment comply with NGB regulations?
Is the performer fit enough to cope with the demands of the programme?
Is the performer in the right frame of mind?
Will the weather/conditions/environment affect the performers safety?

My risk assessment does not include many other points that would usually be considered because no official will be required, not much equipment is being used and finally, there will be no opposition.

The other factor that I will need to consider is whether my body is prepared to carry out physical activity and also the fact that I will need to help it recover afterwards. To make sure both of these points happen I will need to carry out both a warm up and a warm/cool down.

WARM UP

The three parts of a warm up I must include for it to be successful is:-

A pulse raising exercise
Stretching
Mobility work

I will start with a pulse raising exercise such as jogging to get my heart going, get the oxygen supply to increase to the working muscles and prepare it for physical activity, I will then move on to stretching, this is so I will not pull my muscles and cause injury to myself, I will then carry out mobility work where I will do such things as rotating my arms and ankles, this is to loosen up the joints and increase the range of movement and prepare them for physical activity. Finally, I will carry out some skill training where I will work on certain aspects required in the game and improve them for game situations. One other thing that is useful and will help you when preparing for physical activity is psychologically preparing yourself so you are mentally ready and are focusing on what sport or event you are about to take part in.

I need to carry out this warm up because if we suddenly jump into strenuous activity then our body want be able to cope with the sudden stresses, lactic acid will build up and our bodies will not be elastic enough.

WARM/COOL DOWN

A warm/cool down involves a gentle period of cardiovascular activity which reduces the heart rate gradually and ensures waste products are removed, a range of stretches and mobility exercises to ensure that any waste products are removed. An effective warm/cool down will reduce the risk of muscular cramps and allow the individual to exercise comfortably the following day.

We need to carry out a warm/cool down after we exercise to allow our body to slow down gradually and recover to its resting state, with greater comfort. A warm/cool down will reduce the risk of blood pooling in the muscles, reduce the heart rate gradually and ensure that any waste products built up as a result of exercise are removed as fully as possible.

I am now going to pick out two of my chosen exercises/activities and state why I have chosen them and how they will help me achieve my targets.

Running/cycling/rowing for long periods - because if I keep this up and do it regularly like I will be doing over the 6 week training programme in my continuous training eventually my heart walls will get thicker so each beat forces out more blood, my heart will have to pump less often because it is more efficient, my resting heart rate will decrease and my body will produce more red blood cells to carry more oxygen to the working muscles. All of this will be useful because you also work in the aerobic zone in volleyball which is at 65-85% of your MHR (maximum heart rate) and running, cycling and rowing for long periods are all also aerobic activities therefore introducing aerobic activities into my training programme, leading to me improving my stamina and muscular endurance which is my aim.

Shuttle runs (as part of my circuit training) – because it involves quick short distance sprints, which is an anaerobic activity. This applies to me and is relevant to my chosen sport because you need to make quick sprints when moving for the ball and work in the anaerobic zone in volleyball. Furthermore, it is also useful because it introduces anaerobic activity into my training programme which I need for my chosen sport as the running, rowing and cycling in my continuous training involves working in the aerobic zone and it is good to have a mix of the two as volleyball involves both aerobic and anaerobic activity.

The whole idea of this training programme is to improve my chosen sport, in order for this to happen I have chosen to work on my muscular endurance and my stamina to do so. In order for the training programme I have come up with to improve my stamina and muscular endurance to be successful I need to introduce progression. This is where I start off with a low running/rowing/cycling time or a short period of carrying out my circuit training and gradually increase how hard I work in the training session, the number of times I train each week and the amount of time I train for. We also need to include overload into are training sessions which is where we work much harder than normal and once again increase the number of times we train each week, increase how hard we work in each training session and increase the amount of time we train for.

I am now going to look at the principles of training, SPORT, FITT and Training Zones.

Specificity - When we train for our particular sport.

Progression - When we increase our training gradually.

Overload - When we work harder than normal.

Reversibility - When were aware that if we stop training we lose fitness.

Tedium - When we make our training sessions interesting so that we won’t become bored.

And

Frequency - How often we train.

Intensity - How hard we train.

Time - How long we train for.

Type - What kind of training we do.

And finally,

Aerobic Training Zone – When we train in this zone we improve aerobic fitness. To achieve this we need to make sure that when we exercise we keep our heart rate between 60 – 80% of our maximum heart rate.

60 – 80% of 210 = 125 – 170 beats per minute.

Anaerobic Training Zones – When we train in this zone we improve our anaerobic fitness. To achieve this we need to make sure that when we exercise we keep our heart rate above 80% of our maximum heart rate.

80%+ of 210 = over 170 beats per minute.

In my training programme I have decided to apply Specificity, Progression and Overload.

Specificity – Is when we train for our particular sport. I will apply this to my training programme as I will for example create myself my own skills training at the beginning of each session. Therefore making a part of the training I do specific to my sport and to my needs.

Progression – Is when we increase our training gradually. I will apply this to my training programme as every week I will increase the amount of time I work for and decrease the time I rest for, for example:

Week 1 – I could work for 20 minutes and then have a rest for 2minutes.

Then the following week I would increase it like this,

Week 2 – I could work for 24minutes and then rest for 1minute and 45seconds.

I would also increase the frequency in which I complete this. I would maybe complete this activity two times a week instead of 1 which I did in the following week and increase it this way as well. One other way in which I will introduce progression to my training programme is through increasing the intensity in which I work, so for example I could do a harder activity for the period of time so my body is working at a harder rate therefore improving my fitness and successfully increasing my training at a gradual rate.

This will help me in my training programme because I will work hard for 20minutes and then rest for 2minutes which is a respectable and achievable level that I would be able to cope with, then the following week I will increase the amount of time that I work for and once again decrease the amount of time I rest for. This will eventually improve my fitness levels.

Overload – Is when we work harder than normal. I will also apply this to my training programme. I will do this by increasing the amount of time I work for each week. This will help me in my training programme because my body will begin to be able to cope with the extra stress put upon it and this will also eventually result in me becoming fitter.

In my training programme I am going to apply Progression and Overload throughout the six week period by using the training principle, F I T T.

I will do this by using each one of the F I T T principles and apply them to Progression and Overload.

Frequency – Progression: I am going to gradually increase my training over the six week period. Overload: I will increase my training Week-by-week and I will train harder by extending the time that I train for.

Intensity – Progression: I am going to gradually increase the intensity of my training.

Overload: Once or twice a week I will work harder than normal.

Time – Progression: I will do this by gradually increasing the amount of time in which I work for over the six weeks.

Overload: I will train for a longer period of time each week.

Type – Progression: I will include different activities and gradually increase the level at which I work on in each activity.

Overload: I will do this by training harder in each activity each week.

Every week my training is going to gradually progress. To do this I will firstly, increase the amount of time in which I work for each week and decrease the amount of time in which I rest for. For example, in week 1 I am going to work for 20minutes and rest for 2minutes then in Week 2 I am going to work for 24minutes and rest for 1minute and 45seconds.

Gradually, each week my training will progress as each week I will be increasing the amount of time that I work for and decreasing the amount of time that I rest for, this also shows that I am working harder because each week I am going to be increasing the amount of time that I work for and decreasing the amount of time in which I rest for.