Physical Differences

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Physical Differences

• BODY SHAPE
• body shape is described by somatotyping. A
  somatotype uses a triangular graph with 3 axes
  ranging from 1 to 7 to describe how a person
  physique relates to three extremes
• these extremes are

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• ENDOMORPH
• fatty upper arms
• relatively thin wrists
• wide hips
• narrow shoulder
• fatty thighs

3

• MESOMORPH
• large head
• broad shoulders
• strong forearms
• narrow hips

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• ECTOMORPH
• narrow face and high forehead
• narrow shoulders
• thin, narrow chest and abdomen
• slim hips
• the values for somatotype are always stated in
  this order. Therefore, an extreme ectomorph is
  117 whilst an extreme endomorph is 711

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• HEIGHT -
• height can be an advantage when playing
  particular sports. For example, basketball.

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• WEIGHT -
• the influence of bodyweight is perhaps more
  obvious especially if its excessive. Mobility and
  speed may be affected and people who are
  seriously overweight may find it difficult to
  sustain the full duration of a team game.
• being the wrong weight can lead to some health
  problems
• the risk of heart attacks, strokes and high blood
  pressure increases for people who are overweight

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• AGE -
• as people get older the body starts to slow down
  muscles included the heart lose some of their
  capacity for long endurance and for effort so
  that endurance and strength are reduced
• also become less flexible with age
• reaction speed and limb speed also reduce
• these effects can be reduced by continuing to
  participate in physical activity throughout life

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• GENDER -
• there are differences in the physical
  capabilities of males and females
• men are naturally more muscular than women, which
  affects strength
• women have a 30 greater fat content than men,
  this contributes greatly to their muscular
  endurance
• as women get older changes to their hormonal
  system can make their bones more brittle, which
  can affect performance
• social attitudes have been much more important
  than physical differences in affecting
  participation and performance on the basis of
  gender, for example male doing dance and
  gymnastic used to be thought of as unmanly

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Womens football is now becoming more established
throughout the world
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• DISABILITY -
• there are many types of disability
• there are people who become physically or
  mentally less able through inherited conditions,
  illness and accidents
• society now focuses on what the disabled can do
  rather than what they cannot do
• greater provision for the disabled athlete is
  made through Disability Sport England (1994).
  These include
• improved access to more sports
• more involvement with fully abled
• competitions for the disabled
• media coverage raises awareness recognition of
  their needs

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Factors Affecting Fitness

• There are three reasons why we need food
• GROWTH
• ENERGY
• TISSUE REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR
• a balanced diet is a very important factor in
  maintaining good health
• there are seven important components in a
  balanced diet

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• CARBOHYDRATE - (bread, rice, pasta)
• these are broken down to glucose to provide
  fast-release energy
• PROTEIN - (fish, lean meat, chicken)
• provides the fabric for most of the soft tissues.
  A good protein intake is essential for growth and
  repair
• WATER
• as most of the body is water we need to
  constantly replace that which is lost in urine,
  sweating and breathing. By taking in fluids

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• FIBRE - (fresh fruit and vegetables)
• fibre/roughage is indigestible plant material
  which gives the gut something to push on, helping
  to avoid constipation
• MINERALS - (greens vegetables, milk and cheese)
• iron from the liver and green vegetables prevents
  thyroid problems
• calcium from milk and cheese produces strong
  teeth and bones

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• VITAMINS - ( milk, butter, citrus fruits and
  vegetables)
• vitamins are chemical compounds found in the food
  we eat and they occur in two main groups
• fat soluble vitamins - vitamins A, D, E and K
• water soluble vitamins - vitamins B and C
• FATS - (olive oil, butter, margarine)
• these contain lots of energy which can be stored
  for slow-release energy

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Lifestyle Influences

• The following factors can have can affect
  fitness
• SMOKING
• ALCOLHOL
• EATING DISORDERS
• DRUGS
• STRESS

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• they can all be harmful as they can damage our
  health and have a negative effect on sporting
  performance or on sport as a whole (cheating)
• SMOKING -
• 120 000 people die every year from smoking
  related diseases, but there are still around 450
  young people taking up smoking everyday in the UK

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• smoking is harmful to you at any age and has
  serious consequences for the components of
  fitness.
• smoking
• increases the likelihood of heart malfunction
• increases the likelihood of blockages in the
  veins and arteries
• causes damages to and reduces the capacity and
  efficiency of the lungs
• reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood
  
• negatively affect the process of gaseous exchange
• smoking can also harm others through passive
  smoking

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• ALCOHOL -
• drinking alcohol is a socially accepted activity
• it can induce feelings of well-being and lack of
  responsibility
• it is a form of escape
• can lead to aggression, reduced muscle glycogen,
  kidney and liver damage and lack of motivation
• alcohol is a diuretic drug, which means that it
  increases the loss of fluid through urination

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• EATING DISORDERS
• eating disorders are illnesses that make people
  binge or starve themselves because of a
  compulsion to be thin. Eating disorders can have
  a very serious effect on general health and
  well-being. They will also affect performance in
  sport
• the most common types of eating disorder are
• ANOREXIA NERVOSA
• BULIMIA NERVOSA
• COMPULSIVE EATING DISORDER

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• ANOREXIA NERVOSA - is a kind of self-imposed
  starvation. Anorexics are obsessed with their
  appearance imagining that they are too fat
• BULIMIA NERVOSA - this refers to uncontrollable
  eating and to related thoughts, behaviours and
  poor self image. Binge eating is usually followed
  by feelings of self disgust and vomiting
• COMPULSIVE EATING DISORDER - this usually takes
  form of stages of uncontrollable over-eating.
  People with compulsive eating disorder do not
  normally make themselves vomit after eating or
  become obsessed with exercise

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• PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS -
• are drugs that can improve performance.
• are usually taken with the intention of gaining
  unfair advantage. They include
• STIMULANTS - make people feel high and up for it.
  They increase the activity of the cardiovascular
  system and the central nervous system
• NARCOTIC ANALGESICS- (pain killers) used to
  suppress pain from athletic injuries so that a
  performer can still compete. Heroin. Morphine and
  codeine are three examples. Invasive pain can
  lead to worsening of the original injury

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• ANABOLIC STERIODS - accelerate the growth and
  repair of muscle this means they help athletes
  bulk up for explosive events. This can cause
  heart and blood pressure problems, excess
  aggression, male characteristics in females and
  loss of fertility
• DIURETICS - increase water loss from the body by
  urination. In boxing, judo, wrestling and
  weightlifting, competition is limited by weight
  category and therefore quick weight loss can be
  important, but sodium and potassium is lost as
  well

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• PEPTIDE HORMONES, MIMETICS AND ANALOGUES -
  similar to steroids in that they can increase
  muscle production. Also used increase the
  production of red blood cells to improve oxygen
  transport. They can cause infertility and blood
  pressure problems. Most common types are
  Erythropoietin (EPD) and Human Growth Hormone
  (h.G.H)
• BETA - BLOCKERS - these are taken by performers
  to help them relax because they counteract the
  effect of adrenaline. Used particular in snooker
  and darts. Can cause low blood pressure,
  insomnia, depression and lack of mental edge

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• BLOOD DOPING - after training at altitude an
  athlete can remove haemoglobin rich blood from
  his body and freeze it prior to re-injection
  before a competition. The main danger is
  increased blood density and blockage
• STRESS - stress or anxiety and arousal can act
  both as motivators and depressors of performance
  levels. Stress levels can be managed in any of
  the following ways
• setting easy targets to begin with
• mental rehearsals and positive imagery
• verbal reassurance from coach and/or supporters
• relaxation - both physical and mental - in order
  to reduce stress levels

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Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis stripped of
his bronze medal in Athens 2004