Physiological factors affecting performance

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Physiological factors affecting performance
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• Physiological factors are things which can affect
  you physically and will in some way have an
  effect upon your body.
• Like individual differences, these factors vary
  between people, and they can have an effect upon
  performance.

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Factors that affect performance.

• ILLNESS OR MEDICATION
• an illness is often temporary, but a medical
  condition could be something which a performer
  has to cope with permanently.
• - If they are taking medication it will affect
  how they perform.

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Common conditions

• ASTHMA
• difficulty in breathing, more more common.
  Brought about by allergies, infections or
  emotional situations.
• - causes involuntary contraction around the
  bronchioles, making the person wheeze or struggle
  for breath.
• - controlled by drugs, common is inhaler.
• - less likely to be successful in endurance
  events (marathon).
• - effects do tend to decrease with age.

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• HAYFEVER
• - more directly affects the nose.
• - caused by an allergy, often the pollens of
  grasses.
• - inflammation of the membranes in the nose
  causing sufferer to sneeze their eyes water.
• - only affects during the time that pollens are
  produced, spring summer.
• - medications are available, but do not stop it,
  some of these cause drowsiness.

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• COLDS FLU
• - infectious diseases, passed on from one person
  to another.
• - common cold affects the nose throat and
  causes sneezing, sore throats, running eyes,
  coughs headaches.
• - usually only lasts a few days.
• - Flu affects the respiratory system but can
  affect the whole body causing fever, headaches
  general weakness.

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• BLOOD DISORDERS
• - many very serious (especially leukaemia
  cancer of blood cells).
• - there are others that can have less serious
  effect.
• ANAEMIA
• - occurs when shortage of oxygen transported
  through blood.
• - iron tablets taken to correct it.
• - fainting is a sudden unconsciousness which
  happens when a lowering of blood pressure causes
  lack of supplies to the brain.
• - can be dangerous if a player is performing at
  the time of fainting.

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• MENSTRUATION
• - this affects some women quite badly, causing
  vomiting, headaches and feelings of extreme
  tension.
• - these hormonal changes can affect performance
  and the fact that it happens on a 28 day cycle
  can certainly affect training.

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• LACK OF SLEEP
• - Tiredness can have a bad effect on performance
  as it lowers levels of concentration
  co-ordination.
• - Movements become sluggish, thoughts can often
  be confused speech can be slurred.
• - Depriving people of sleep has been used as a
  form of torture due to the confused mental state
  it can bring on, so no surprise how it can affect
  a physical performance.
• - if someone is nervous or worried before an
  important event it may lead to sleepless nights,
  then affecting the performance.

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• STALENESS
• - This occurs if a performer overdoes physical
  activity.
• - Can lead to patches of bad form, caused by
  over exertion of too much play or training.
• - Easy to overdo now as many activities are run
  all year round.
• - Lots of pressure to continually improve so
  performers stopped from having breaks from their
  sport.
• - They just have to hope that a stale patch
  doesnt occur.

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• FATIGUE
• - One of most serious damaging factors
  affecting performance.
• - Occurs when the body, or parts of, get so
  tired, through amount of work they do, they stop
  working properly.
• - This leads to a decrease in skill level,
  fitness overall play. More mistakes will be
  made the effects get worse.
• - If a performer keeps going the chances are
  they will have to stop completely.
• - Injuries more likely to occur technique
  starts to suffer.
• - Only cure is to stop before you harm
  yourselves.
• - Important that coaches, managers etc, know how
  to spot the signs substitute that player if
  possible.

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Tasks

• Choose 1 physical activity describe the ways
  that a bad cold or flu could affect a players
  performance.
• List, in order, the signs of fatigue. Choose 1
  physical activity describe how fatigue could
  affect a performer.
• Complete the sheet.