← Physical Education syllabus

WalesPhysical Education

Unit 1: Exercise Physiology, Performance Analysis and Training

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do the heart, blood vessels and lungs respond to exercise and supply working muscles with oxygen?

The structure and function of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, cardiac output and ventilation, the redistribution of blood, and the regulation of heart rate and breathing during exercise.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems, covering cardiac output, stroke volume, heart rate, the vascular shunt, Starling's law, ventilation and gaseous exchange during exercise.
12 min answer →

What makes up fitness, and how do we measure each part reliably?

The components of physical and skill-related fitness, their definitions and importance to performance, and valid, reliable fitness tests for each, including the evaluation of test data.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on the components of physical and skill-related fitness, their definitions and importance, the recognised fitness tests for each, and how to judge validity, reliability and the use of test data.
12 min answer →

How do diet, hydration and ergogenic aids affect sporting performance?

The components of a balanced diet, the role of macronutrients and micronutrients in performance, hydration and dietary strategies, and the use and risks of ergogenic aids.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on diet and nutrition for sport, covering macronutrients and micronutrients, hydration, dietary strategies such as carbohydrate loading, and the benefits and risks of ergogenic aids.
12 min answer →

Where does the energy for muscle contraction come from across different intensities and durations?

The three energy systems (ATP-PC, anaerobic glycolytic and aerobic), their fuels, by-products and yields, the energy continuum, and the recovery process including EPOC.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on the three energy systems, covering ATP-PC, anaerobic glycolysis and the aerobic system, their fuels and by-products, the energy continuum, and recovery including EPOC and the oxygen debt.
13 min answer →

How do muscles contract, what fibre types do we have, and how does the body adapt to training?

The neuromuscular system, the sliding filament theory, slow and fast muscle fibre types, motor units and recruitment, and the acute responses and chronic adaptations of the body to exercise.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on the neuromuscular system, covering motor units, the all-or-none law, the sliding filament theory, type I, IIa and IIx muscle fibres, and the acute and chronic adaptations to training.
12 min answer →

How should training be designed so it brings about the right adaptations safely?

The principles of training (SPORT and FITT), methods of training for different fitness components, periodisation, and the management of overtraining and recovery.
A focused WJEC A-Level PE answer on the principles of training (SPORT, FITT, progressive overload, reversibility, specificity), the main training methods, periodisation into macro, meso and microcycles, and avoiding overtraining.
12 min answer →