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
  persons physique relates to three extremes.
• Three extremes are

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• ENDOMORPH
• fatty upper arms
• relatively thin wrists
• wide hips
• narrow shoulders
• fatty thighs
• 7, 1, 1

3

• MESOMORPH
• large head
• broad shoulders
• strong forearms
• narrow hips
• 1, 7, 1

4

• ECTOMORPH
• narrow face and high forehead
• narrow shoulders
• thin, narrow chest and abdomen
• slim hips
• 1, 1, 7
• 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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Somatotype
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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 and the heart included. They lose some of
  their capacity for long endurance and for effort
  so that endurance and strength are reduced.
• Become less flexible with age.
• Reaction speed and limb speed reduce with age
• 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 males doing dance and
  gymnastic used to be thought of as unmanly.

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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 ( 70! ) we need to
  constantly replace that which is lost in urine,
  sweating and breathing, by taking in fluids. This
  will aid in avoiding dehydration.

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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. Aids water retention.
• 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.
• Sodium to regulate body fluids.
• Iodine, used in hormone formation.

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• VITAMINS - ( milk, butter, citrus fruits and
  vegetables)
• Aid growth / Increase resistance to infection /
  Aids metabolism / Assist in avoiding
  deficiencies.
• 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. Up to 70 of our
  energy is supplied by fats, these 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

• These 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)

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• 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 damage 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
  the form of uncontrollable over-eating. People
  with compulsive eating disorder do not normally
  make themselves vomit after eating or become
  obsessed with exercise. 20 of obese people may
  have this disorder.

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• PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DRUGS
• Are drugs that can improve performance.
• Usually taken with the intention of gaining
  unfair advantage. They include
• STIMULANTS ( Amphetamines )
• Make people feel high and up for it. They
  increase the activity of the cardiovascular
  system and the central nervous system. Reduce the
  effects of tiredness and make competitor more
  aggressive.
• 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. Covering the 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. This
  substance can also mask other drugs.

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

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• PEPTIDE HORMONES, MIMETICS AND ANALOGUES
• Similar to steroids in that they can increase
  muscle production. Also used to increase the
  production of red blood cells to improve oxygen
  transport. They can cause infertility and blood
  pressure problems. Most common types are
  Erythropoietin (EPO) 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 particularly in events such as shooting,
  archery 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.This can increase the bodies
  red blood cells by 20. The main danger is
  increased blood density and blockages.
• 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.