Unit 4: Energy, Fitness and Training in Physical Activity

8 dot points, in syllabus order. Each dot point has a focused answer, with exam-style questions and worked answers where available.

How are the components of fitness identified, tested, and prioritised for a chosen physical activity?

Components of fitness: health-related components (aerobic capacity, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, body composition) and skill-related components (speed, power, agility, coordination, balance, reaction time), their assessment and their prioritisation for a chosen activity

Components of fitness. Health-related and skill-related components, validated fitness tests used in Australia, and how to prioritise components for a chosen activity.

9 min read →

How are energy systems and training integrated to improve performance?

Energy systems (ATP-PC, anaerobic glycolysis, aerobic), fitness components, and the integration of energy and fitness principles into training programs for a chosen physical activity

Energy systems and training. The three energy systems, fitness components, training principles, and integration into a chosen physical activity.

8 min read →

How is a training year structured into phases to peak performance for a chosen activity?

Periodisation and training phases: the annual macrocycle, mesocycles and microcycles, the preparatory (base, specific), competitive and transition phases, tapering and peaking, and the application of periodisation to a chosen physical activity

Periodisation. Macrocycles, mesocycles, microcycles, preparatory (base and specific), competitive and transition phases, tapering and peaking, with application to a chosen activity.

9 min read →

How are training principles applied to design effective training for a chosen physical activity?

Principles of training: specificity, progressive overload, frequency, intensity, time, type (FITT), reversibility, individuality, variety and recovery; their application to programming for a chosen activity

Principles of training. Specificity, progressive overload, the FITT framework, reversibility, individuality, variety, and recovery, with named applications to a chosen activity.

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How do recovery principles and the adaptation process turn training load into improved performance in a chosen physical activity?

Recovery principles and the training adaptation process: the general adaptation syndrome and supercompensation, types of recovery (immediate, short-term, long-term), and the role of recovery in optimising performance and avoiding overtraining in a chosen activity

Recovery and adaptation. The general adaptation syndrome, supercompensation, types of recovery, and how recovery is built into a training strategy to optimise performance and avoid overtraining.

6 min read →

Which training methods develop which energy systems and components of fitness?

Training methods: continuous training, fartlek, interval training (short, long, repeat-sprint), resistance training, plyometric training, flexibility training and circuit training, matched to energy systems and components of fitness

Training methods. Continuous, fartlek, interval (short, long, repeat-sprint), resistance, plyometric, flexibility, and circuit training, with how each is matched to energy systems and fitness components.

9 min read →

How do VO2 max and lactate threshold describe and limit aerobic performance in a chosen physical activity?

VO2 max and lactate threshold (including onset of blood lactate accumulation) as measures of aerobic capacity, the factors that determine them, how they limit performance, and how training shifts them in a chosen physical activity

VO2 max and lactate threshold. What each measures, the factors that determine them, how they limit aerobic performance, the onset of blood lactate accumulation, and how training shifts them.

7 min read →

How are primary and secondary data collected and analysed to evaluate the energy and fitness demands of a chosen physical activity?

Gathering and analysing primary and secondary data on energy and fitness demands and on the effectiveness of a training strategy: data validity and reliability, analysis methods, and using evidence to justify and evaluate training decisions for a chosen activity

Data collection and analysis. Primary and secondary data, validity and reliability, analysis methods, and using evidence to justify and evaluate a training strategy for a chosen activity.

6 min read →