Sports ScienceQ&A by dot point

The internally assessed unit: planning, leading, managing and motivating others to deliver an active leisure event or activity, then evaluating its success against its aims, covering the full project cycle from planning to review.

Biomechanics applied to sport: force and Newton's laws of motion, the lever systems of the body, speed, velocity, acceleration and power, and how these principles are applied to improve performance.

The role of ATP in muscle contraction, the three energy systems (the ATP-PC, glycolytic and aerobic systems), the activities each one fuels, and the process of recovery after exercise.

Sports psychology: types of motivation, arousal and its effect on performance, the theories linking arousal to performance, anxiety and stress management, and goal setting to maintain motivation.

Skill acquisition: the classification of skills, the stages of learning, information processing and the role of memory, types of practice and guidance, and the role of feedback in developing skill.

The structure of the heart and blood vessels, the pathway of blood, cardiac output and its components, the cardiovascular responses to exercise, and the long-term cardiovascular adaptations to training.

The muscular system: types of muscle, the main skeletal muscles, antagonistic muscle pairs and types of contraction, slow and fast twitch muscle fibres, and the effects of exercise on muscle.

The structure of the respiratory system, the mechanics of breathing, gas exchange at the alveoli, lung volumes including tidal volume and minute ventilation, and the respiratory responses and adaptations to exercise.

The structure and functions of the skeletal system, the classification of bones and joints, the movements possible at synovial joints, and the effects of exercise on the skeletal system.

The health-related and skill-related components of fitness, their definitions, and how the demand for each component varies between different sports and physical activities.

The immediate (acute) responses to exercise, the short-term responses, and the long-term adaptations of the cardiovascular, respiratory and muscular systems to regular training.

Common sports injuries and their prevention, the role of warm-up and protective measures, and the principles of first aid, including the primary survey and the management of soft-tissue injuries.

Recognised fitness tests for the main components of fitness, the importance of validity, reliability and standardised protocols, and how to evaluate and interpret fitness test results.

The main methods of training (continuous, interval, fartlek, circuit, weight, plyometric and flexibility training) and the principles of training (specificity, progressive overload, reversibility, individual differences, the FITT and SPORT principles).

Planning a personalised training programme: collecting client information, setting SMART goals, selecting methods and applying principles, structuring sessions with warm-up and cool-down, and using periodisation to organise training over time.

The components of a balanced diet and their functions, the concept of energy balance and its link to body weight, and the dietary needs of people taking part in physical activity, including hydration.

The definitions of health, fitness, exercise and wellbeing, the relationship between them, the dimensions of wellbeing (physical, social, mental and emotional), and the benefits of an active lifestyle for each dimension.

Lifestyle and its effect on health: the risks of a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, excess alcohol and poor diet, the lifestyle diseases linked to them, and how regular physical activity reduces the risk of these conditions.

The social, mental and emotional benefits of participation in physical activity, the barriers to participation for different groups, and the strategies the active leisure industry uses to widen participation.

The structure and scope of the active leisure industry: the public, private and voluntary sectors, the range of facilities and services, the roles and careers within the industry, and the economic and social importance of the sector.