What are the health-related and skill-related components of fitness, and why does each matter in sport?
The health-related components of fitness (aerobic energy production, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility and body composition) and the skill-related factors (co-ordination, balance, reaction time and agility), with a sporting example of each.
A focused CCEA GCSE Physical Education answer on the components of fitness, covering the five health-related components (aerobic energy production, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility, body composition) and the skill-related factors (co-ordination, balance, reaction time, agility) with a sporting example of each.
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What this dot point is asking
CCEA wants you to know the health-related components of fitness and the skill-related factors, define each, and give a sporting example. CCEA's health-related components are aerobic energy production, muscular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility and body composition; the skill-related factors are co-ordination, balance, reaction time and agility. This is the foundation of the whole Developing Physical Fitness module.
The five health-related components of fitness
These are called health-related because they affect general health and wellbeing, not just sporting skill. Each matters more in some activities than others:
| Component | What it is | Sporting example |
|---|---|---|
| Aerobic energy production | Sustained oxygen supply to muscles | Marathon runner |
| Muscular endurance | Muscles working long without tiring | Rower, cyclist |
| Muscular strength | Force in one effort | Weightlifter, rugby prop |
| Flexibility | Range of movement at a joint | Gymnast, hurdler |
| Body composition | Proportion of fat to lean tissue | Long-distance runner |
The skill-related factors
A games player such as a footballer needs all four: co-ordination to control the ball, balance to hold off a challenge, reaction time to respond to a loose ball, and agility to beat an opponent.
Matching components to a sport
This kind of applied question, matching components to a named activity, is exactly what CCEA rewards.
Examples in context
Example 1. Why a games player needs many components. A hockey player needs aerobic energy production to last the match, muscular endurance in the legs, agility to beat opponents, co-ordination to control the ball and stick, balance to stay upright in a tackle, and reaction time to respond to a pass. Most team sports draw on nearly every component, which is why training must be varied.
Example 2. Specialists and their key component. A powerlifter trains above all for muscular strength, a marathon runner for aerobic energy production, and a gymnast for flexibility and balance. Identifying the dominant component for a sport is the first step in designing training, which links straight to the methods and principles of training.
Try this
Q1. Define muscular endurance and give a sport that relies on it. [2 marks]
- Cue. The muscles working for a long time without tiring, for example rowing or cycling.
Q2. Name two skill-related factors a goalkeeper relies on. [2 marks]
- Cue. Any two of: reaction time, co-ordination, agility, balance.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA 2023 Paper 25 marksName the five health-related components of fitness and give a sport or activity that relies on each.Show worked answer →
One mark for each component correctly named with a relevant sporting example.
Aerobic energy production (cardiovascular endurance): the heart, lungs and blood supplying oxygen to keep working for a long time, for example a marathon runner.
Muscular endurance: the muscles working for a long time without tiring, for example a rower or a cyclist.
Muscular strength: the force a muscle can exert in one effort, for example a weightlifter or a rugby prop.
Flexibility: the range of movement at a joint, for example a gymnast or a hurdler.
Body composition: the proportion of fat to lean tissue in the body, for example a long-distance runner who carries little fat.
Markers reward the five health-related components named, each with a correct example.
CCEA 2022 Paper 24 marksDefine agility and reaction time, and explain why each is important to a named games player.Show worked answer →
One mark for each definition and one for each applied example.
Agility: the ability to change direction quickly and under control. A netball player uses agility to dodge a marker and lose a defender.
Reaction time: the time taken to respond to a stimulus. A goalkeeper uses fast reaction time to save a sudden shot.
Markers reward clear definitions of agility (changing direction quickly with control) and reaction time (time to respond to a stimulus), each linked to a games player.
Related dot points
- The main methods of training (continuous, fartlek, interval, circuit, weight/resistance, plyometric and flexibility training), what each one develops, and how to choose a method to suit a performer and their sport.
A focused CCEA GCSE Physical Education answer on the methods of training, covering continuous, fartlek, interval, circuit, weight, plyometric and flexibility training, what each develops, and how to match a method to a performer and their sport.
- The principles of training (specificity, progression, overload, recovery, reversibility and tedium - SPORRT), the FITT principle (frequency, intensity, time, type) used to apply overload, and the idea of peaking, applied to a training programme.
A focused CCEA GCSE Physical Education answer on the principles of training, covering SPORRT (specificity, progression, overload, recovery, reversibility, tedium), the FITT principle for applying overload, and peaking, all applied to a training programme.
- The reasons for fitness testing, the standard tests for each component of fitness (for example the multi-stage fitness test, sit and reach, grip dynamometer, Illinois agility run), and how to make testing valid, reliable and fair.
A focused CCEA GCSE Physical Education answer on fitness testing, covering why we test fitness, the standard test for each component (multi-stage fitness test, sit and reach, grip dynamometer, Illinois agility run and others), and how to make testing valid, reliable and fair.
- Setting SMART targets (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound) and designing a personal exercise programme that applies the components of fitness, the methods of training and the principles of training, including a warm-up and cool-down.
A focused CCEA GCSE Physical Education answer on SMART goals and the personal exercise programme, covering the SMART target-setting principle (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound) and how to design a programme using the components, methods and principles of training with a warm-up and cool-down.
- The immediate (short-term) effects of exercise on the muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and the long-term effects of regular training on these systems, applied to physical activity and performance.
A focused CCEA GCSE Physical Education answer on the effects of exercise, covering the immediate (short-term) effects on the muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and the long-term effects of regular training, applied to performance.