How do different methods of training improve fitness and what adaptations do they cause?
The components of fitness and their testing, the principles of training and periodisation, the methods of training (continuous, interval, fartlek, plyometric, HIIT and flexibility), and the physiological adaptations that result.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level PE exercise physiology on training methods and adaptations, covering components of fitness, the principles of training, periodisation, the main methods of training and the physiological adaptations they produce.
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to identify the components of fitness and how they are tested, apply the principles of training and periodisation, describe the main methods of training, and explain the physiological adaptations each method produces to the muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
Components of fitness and the principles of training
The health-related components are aerobic capacity (VO2 max), strength, flexibility and body composition; the skill-related components are agility, balance, coordination, power, reaction time and speed. Each is measured by a recognised test, such as the multi-stage fitness test for aerobic capacity.
Periodisation divides the training year into cycles to peak for competition: the long macrocycle (the whole season or year, built around a major target), the mesocycle (a block of several weeks targeting a specific goal such as strength or speed) and the short microcycle (a week or single session). The macrocycle is split into a preparation phase (building general then specific fitness), a competition phase (maintaining fitness and peaking, often using tapering to shed fatigue while keeping adaptations) and a transition phase (active recovery to rest and recuperate before the next cycle). Tapering (reducing training volume before competition) and peaking (timing maximal readiness for the key event) are the applied ideas AQA tests, and the double periodisation model is used by athletes with two competitive peaks in a year.
Methods of training
Physiological adaptations
Aerobic training causes cardiac hypertrophy (a larger, stronger left ventricle), bradycardia, increased stroke volume and cardiac output, greater capillarisation, more and larger mitochondria, increased myoglobin, a raised concentration of oxidative enzymes and a higher VO2 max and lactate threshold. Resistance and anaerobic training cause muscular hypertrophy (thicker actin and myosin filaments), increased stores of phosphocreatine and glycogen, greater buffering capacity (tolerance to lactic acid through the raised ability to neutralise hydrogen ions), hypertrophy of fast-twitch fibres and stronger tendons, ligaments and bone. These adaptations follow the principle of specificity (the body adapts to the precise demands placed on it) and are lost through reversibility if training stops, with anaerobic adaptations reversing faster than aerobic ones.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20196 marksAnalyse the cardiovascular and muscular adaptations a marathon runner would gain from a sustained period of continuous aerobic training. (Section B extended answer)Show worked answer →
AO1/AO2/AO3. Cardiovascular adaptations: cardiac hypertrophy (a larger, stronger left ventricle) raises resting and maximal stroke volume, producing bradycardia (a lower resting heart rate) and a higher maximal cardiac output. Increased capillarisation and blood and haemoglobin volume improve oxygen delivery. Muscular and metabolic adaptations: more and larger mitochondria, increased myoglobin, and a greater concentration of aerobic (oxidative) enzymes raise the muscle's capacity to produce ATP aerobically, while a greater stored glycogen and the increased use of fat spare glycogen. Analysis: link the adaptations to a higher VO2 max and a higher lactate threshold, so the runner can work at a higher percentage of maximum for longer before fatiguing, which directly improves marathon performance. Top band requires linking named adaptations to the performance outcome, not just listing them.
AQA 20174 marksExplain how the principles of progressive overload and specificity would be applied when designing a training programme for a 100 m sprinter.Show worked answer →
AO2 application. Specificity: the training must match the demands of sprinting, so it targets the ATP-PC and anaerobic glycolytic systems, fast glycolytic fibres, and speed and power, using methods such as short maximal interval sprints and plyometrics, with sport-specific movements. Progressive overload: the demand is increased gradually over time (using the FITT variables, for example raising the intensity, the number of reps or the resistance week on week) so the body keeps adapting, with adequate recovery to avoid overtraining and injury. Reward applying each principle specifically to a sprinter (named energy system, fibre type and method) rather than defining the principles in the abstract.
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA A-level Physical Education (7582) specification — AQA (2016)