Actin
most abundant protein in eukaryotic cells... with myosin, forms the basis of a muscle contraction.
ADP
adenosine diphosphate, converted to ATP in through metabolic processes
Adrenaline
sympathetic nervous response, also known as "fight or flight," released during stressful situations... in relation to exercise, plays a role in stressful situations (new exercises, heavy lifting, sprinting, stressful sporting activities.
Aerobic
associated with a better functioning heart, blood volume increases, hemoglobin and red blood cell count increases, this collective function helps transport oxygen to the lungs and into the blood and muscles.
Alveoli
any of the many tiny air sacs of the lungs which allow for rapid gaseous exchange.
Amenorrhea
is the absence of menstruation � one or more missed menstrual periods
Anabolic steroid
a synthetic steroid hormone that resembles testosterone in promoting the growth of muscle. Such hormones are used medicinally to treat some forms of weight loss and (illegally) by some athletes and others to enhance physical performance.
Anaerobic
without the presence of oxygen
Anaerobic threshold
is the exertion level between aerobic and anaerobic training. Point during exercise at which lactic acid starts to accumulate in the muscles, which occurs around the point during increasing intensity exercise.
Angina pectoris
the result of myocardial ischemia caused by an imbalance between myocardial blood supply and oxygen demand. (common symptom is chest pain in CAD patients)
Aorta
main artery of the body, supplying oxygenated blood to the circulatory system. Passes over the heart from the left ventricle and runs down in front of the backbone
Arteries
blood vessels that deliver oxygen-rich blood from heart to the tissues of the body. Blood travels away from the heart.
Arterioles
a small-diameter blood vessel in the micro-circulation that extends and branches out from an artery and leads to capillaries.
ATP
Adenosine triphosphate, the energy currency of life. ATP is a high-energy molecule found in every cell. Its job is to store and supply the cell with needed energy.
Atrophy
(of body tissue or an organ) waste away, typically due to the degeneration of cells, or become vestigial during evolution.
Ballistic stretching
intense stretching method uses bouncing movements to push your body beyond its normal range of motion.
Basal metabolic rate
The amount of energy (expressed in kcal) required to keep the body functioning at complete rest. Usually tested after waking from sleeping and in a fasted state so that the digestive system isn't active and the body is truly at complete rest.
Bioenergetics
The flow of energy in a biological system. Concerned primarily with the conversion of macro-nutrients, which contain chemical energy, into biologically usable forms of energy.
Blood doping
The practice of artificially increasing red blood cell mass as a means to improve athletic performance.
Bradycardia
A resting heart rate of fewer than 60 beats per minute
Capillaries
any of the fine branching blood vessels that form a network between the arterioles and venules; the site of nutrient and waste exchange
Cardiac output
the total volume of blood pumped in one minute (Q= HR x SV)
Cholesterol
defined as a lipid, this is a fatty substance that is necessary in your body to help regulate membrane fluidity
Concentric
related to muscle contractions, a concentric muscle contraction is when the muscle is shortening as the contraction takes place
Diastolic blood pressure
indicates how much pressure your blood is exerting against your artery walls as your heart is in between beats
Dyspnea
difficult or labored breathing
Eccentric
the motion of an active muscle while it is lengthening under load.
Epinephrine
Also known as adrenaline. A substance produced by the medulla inside of the adrenal gland. Epinephrine is a sympathomimetic catecholamine. It causes quickening of the heart beat, strengthens the force of the heart's contraction, opens up the airways (bron
Ergogenic aid
A substance or phenomenon that can improve work or athletic performance
Exercise
Activity requiring physical effort, carried out especially to sustain or improve health and fitness
Glucose
Six-carbon sugar that is the primary form of carbohydrate used for metabolism
Glycogen
The form of carbohydrate stored in the body, found predominantly in the muscle and liver.
Glycolysis
the first step in the breakdown of glucose to extract energy for cellular metabolism. It consists of an energy-requiring phase followed by an energy-releasing phase.
Hemoglobin
the protein molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs.
Homeostasis
self-regulating process by which biological systems tend to maintain stability while adjusting to conditions that are optimal for survival.
Hyperplasia
an increase in the amount of organic tissue that results from cell proliferation. It can lead to gross enlargement of an organ and which can sometimes confused with benign tumors.
Hypethermia
when the body's core temperature begins to rise, occurs in three stages - heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke - with the latter being the most serious.
Hypertrophy
involves an increase in size of skeletal muscle through a growth in size of its component cells.
Hypothermia
when the body's core temperature begins to fall - Core temp 34.5-29.5 Celcius: POAH function compromised; Core temp <29.5 C: POAH thermoregulation completely lost, metabolism slows, drowsiness, lethargy, coma.
Hypoxia
Oxygen deficiency in the arterial blood.
Ischemia
An inadequate blood supply to an organ or part of the body, especially the heart muscles
Isokinetic
Relating to muscular action with a constant rate of movement
Isometric
Relating to or denoting muscular action in which tension is developed without contraction of the muscle
Isotonic
taking place with normal contraction; muscle contraction without appreciable change in the force of contraction; the distance between the origin and insertion becomes lessened, "muscle shortens
Lactate
accumulates if pyruvate formation exceeds pyruvate oxidation. Pyruvate is reduced to lactate while NADH is oxidized to NAD+
Lactic acid
a compound produced when glucose is broken down and oxidized. During intense exercise when oxygen levels are lower, more lactic acid is produced, which can produce hydrogen ions and a burning sensation in muscles while they're active
Maximum Oxygen Uptake
the maximal rate at which oxygen can be used by the body during maximal work. VO2max
MET
metabolic equivalent. A single MET is defined as the amount of oxygen a person consumes (or the energy expended) per unit of body weight during 1 minute of rest, so it's a measure of exercise intensity based on oxygen consumption
Muscular endurance
ability of a muscle to sustain repeated contractions against resistance for an extended period of time
Muscular strength
amount of force a muscle can produce with a single maximal effort
Myocardial infarction
heart attack; blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle
Overload
gradual increase of stress placed on the body during exercise training
Excess Post
exercise oxygen consumption- A measurably increased rate of oxygen intake following strenuous activity
Oxygen Deficit
The period during exercise when the O2 delivered to the muscle is less than that required for ATP to be produced aerobically.
Physical Fitness
A state of health and well-being and, more specifically, the ability to perform aspects of sports, occupations and daily activities. Physical fitness is generally achieved through proper nutrition, moderate-vigorous physical exercise, and sufficient rest.
PNF Stretching
A more advanced form of flexibility training that involves both the stretching and contraction of the muscle group being targeted. PNF stretching was originally developed as a form of rehabilitation, and to that effect it is very effective. It is also exc
Power
the ability to exert maximum muscular contraction instantly in an explosive burst of movements. The two components of power are strength and speed
Progression
Progression is the way in which an individual should progressively or gradually increase the workload for improvement to continue.
Repetition
A repetition is the number of times you perform a specific exercise.
Respiration
In physiology, respiration is defined as the movement of oxygen from the outside environment to the cells within tissues, and the transport of carbon dioxide in the opposite direction.
Sarcolemma
cell membrane that encloses each muscle cell
Sarcomeres
any of the segments of myofibril in striated muscle fibers
Slow twitch muscle fiber
muscle fiber that contracts relatively slowly and is resistant to fatigue
Specificity
the extent to which a diagnostic test is specific for a particular condition, trait, etc
Spirometry
is a common test used to assess how well your lungs work by measuring how much air you inhale, exhale and quickly exhale.
Static stretching
Static stretches are the stretches that are held in one position for a certain amount of time. You elongate the muscles as tolerated and hold that position for a certain time frame.
Steady State Oxygen Consumption
The energy provided during this deficit phase of exercise is employed until a steady state of oxygen consumption is utilized, thus indicating that mitochondrial respiration is the dominant energy system being utilized.
Systolic blood pressure
Is the first number. Measures the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats.
Tapering
diminishing or reducing
Tidal volume
the amount of air which enters the lungs during normal inhalation at rest
Total lung capacity
the volume of gas that is contained in the lungs at the end of maximal inspiration
Veins
any of the tubular branching vessels that carry blood from the capillaries toward the heart
Ventilation threshold
The intensity of exercise above which your breathing becomes labored and you feel you just can't draw in as much air as your body wants.
Venules
small vessels that transport blood from the capillaries to the veins and then back to the heart
Vital capacity
The maximal volume of air expelled from the lungs after maximal inhalation
Work
Force expressed through distance, or a displacement, independent of time
FITT
frequency, intensity, time, and type
Cross training/variation
the action/practice in training in more than one skill in order to improve fitness or performance in one's main sport
Waves of ECG
The P wave is made when the atria depolarize as the action potential wave spread out from the SA (sinoatrial) node. The R wave or QRS complex is generated by the depolarization of the ventricles immediately before ventricular systole. This is when the ven
Force
force = mass x acceleration; being able to transfer energy into something
Syncope
temporary loss of consciousness caused by a fall in blood pressure
Claudication
a condition in which cramping pain in the leg is induced by exercise, typically caused by obstruction of the arteries
Phosphocreatine (PCR) system
The muscles use the phosphocreatine energy system, also known as the anaerobic alactic system, during the first 10 seconds of sustained muscle contraction. It is anaerobic because it doesn't require oxygen to function. The energy system that powers muscle
Thermoregulation
is a process that allows your body to maintain its core internal temperature. All thermoregulation mechanisms are designed to return your body to homeostasis. A healthy internal body temperature falls within a narrow window
Radiation
Primary method for discharging the resting body's excess heat; at normal room temperature, the body loses about 60% of its excess heat by radiation, heat is given off in the form of infrared rays (electromagnetic wave).
Evaporation
Primary avenue for heat dissipation during exercise; as fluid evaporates, heat is lost; evaporation accounts for about 80% of the total heat loss when one is physically active; at rest, accounts for 10-20% of body heat loss
Conduction
Involves the transfer of heat from one solid material to another through direct molecular contact (heat lost from body when skin is in contact with a cold object.
Convection
Involves moving heat from one place to another by the motion of a gas or a liquid across the heated surface.