B7.1 : Peak performance - movement and exercise - Revision Cards in GCSE Biology

The skeleton

Skeleton is made up of bone and cartilage.
It supports the weight of the body and allows it to move.
It also makes blood cells and protects organs.
Joints between bones allow movement. Muscles attached to bones contract to move them.
Muscles act in Antagonistic pairs to move bones.
One muscle flexes and the other extends. (Muscles can only contract)

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Contain Synovial fluid - Acts as a lubricant to reduce wear; makes movement smoother.
Tendon - Tough band of Inelastic tissue; attaches muscle to bone.
Ligaments - Bands of Elastic tissue; holds bones to each other.
Cartilage - Smooth, protective surface; covers bone end to allow easy movement.
Synovial membrane - Tissue lines the joint capsule; secretes synovial fluid.

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Medical history and Lifestyle history help a trainer to plan a suitable exercise regime for you.
Family medical history - Certain conditions run in the family. The trainer can adjust the regime to account for such conditions.
Personal medical history - Previous injuries to muscles and joints can affect your ability to do certain exercises.
Medication - You may need medication close at hand.
Alcohol and tobacco consumption - Can affect performance and progress towards improved fitness.
Level of activity - If you are already very active, trainers can start you off at a higher level.

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Level of fitness can be assessed using:
Heart rate - Increases to deliver more Glucose and Oxygen to muscles, Healthy heart increases rate Less.
Blood pressure - Increases as heart pumps more forcefully, as you get fitter it may not rise as much.
Recovery period - How quickly breathing and heart rate return back to normal, shorter recovery time is better.
Proportion of body fat - Too much strains the heart and may reduce blood flow to the arteries.
Body mass index (BMI) - Compares body mass with height, indicates whether you are underweight, healthy or overweight.

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Accurate data is close to the true or 'real' value.
Repeatable means that several runs of the experiment will produce similar results.

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Injuries such as Sprains, Dislocations, Torn ligaments and Torn tendons can occur with too much exercise.
Sprains - caused by overstretching a ligament.
Symptoms include: Redness and swelling, surface bruising, difficulty walking, dull throbbing ache or sharp pains.
Usual treatment is RICE:
Rest - Immobilise the injured joint.
Ice - Holding ice over the joint reduces swelling and pain.
Compression - A bandage around the joint can reduce swelling.
Elevation - Raising the injured joint helps drain away excess fluid.

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