Development Tendencies in Sports Physiology

The lecture will outline the role of aerobic endurance in sports and the maintenance of human health; central and peripheral mechanisms for aerobic capability; physiological characteristics of aerobic performance (maximal oxygen consumption, anaerobic and aerobic thresholds); effects of endurance training on organ systems; the term “athletes” heart; the positive effects loads on arterial blood pressure, nervous system, and blood biochemical analyses; principles of overload, specificity, individual differences, and reversibility in aerobic endurance training planning; determination of aerobic loads’ intensity by heart rate; the role of muscle and liver glycogen stores in endurance loads; aerobic endurance training methods for persons at different ages.

Questions discussed:

1. Why are the heart rate and pulse frequency useful for determining the intensity of aerobic endurance training?
2. Explain the concept of “athlete’s heart.” What are the structural and functional differences between the heart in athletes trained in aerobic endurance and power sports?
3. How can the arterial blood pressure lowering effect of aerobic endurance training be explained from the physiological point of view?
4. What changes occur in the skeletal muscles involved in the load due to aerobic endurance training?
5. What physiological changes occur in the athletes’ organ systems when they reach and exceed the anaerobic threshold load intensity?
6. What does the principle of training specificity mean? Should this be considered in all cases?
7. What are the options and methods for developing aerobic endurance in children?

The lecture will cover topics such as muscle strength development neural and muscle (hypertropia, hyperplasia) mechanisms; muscle work regimens and types of contractions; measurement of muscle strength in the laboratory (detection of the peak isometric force; determination of the muscle peak torque in dynamic isokinetic contractions, explosive power measurement); using of elastic energy of connective tissue and stretch-reflex in explosive power development; energy sources for muscle work in strength and power exercises; the role of muscle buffer system’s capacity in the fatigue attenuation in anaerobic loads; muscle pain associated with exercise (ischaemic, osmotic, and delayed onset muscle soreness); principles of choosing strength and power exercise based on person’s age.

Questions discussed:

1. What devices and equipment can you use to measure muscle strength?
2. Why is it not correct to measure only muscle force? Why should be calculated the muscle torque?
3. What kind of strength training could be recommended for any person from childhood to old age? What benefits does this bring to human health? 
4. What is the difference between muscle hypertrophy and hyperplasia?
5. What are the determinants of maximal anaerobic power and peak force?
6. What limits the duration of performance during strength endurance loads?
7. What kind of physical exercise probably causes delayed onset muscle soreness?

The lecture will outline the importance and principles of selecting the correct athletes’ performance tests; the specificity and reliability of the tests in sports; assessment of aerobic performance by maximal aerobic power or maximal oxygen consumption by direct and indirect methods; methods for determining aerobic capacity or anaerobic threshold load’s intensity based on capillary blood lactate concentration and respiratory gases exchange; field tests for aerobic endurance performance determination; methods for the peak muscle strength measurement in the laboratory and in the gym; dynamic isokinetic torque measurement, precision, and limitations of this method; explosive power testing methods in the laboratory and sports hall; muscle strength endurance tests in the laboratory and sports hall; static and dynamic balance measurement methods in the laboratory and sports hall; flexibility measurement and tests.

Questions discussed:

1. Describe specific, accurate tests for your sport.
2. What is the order of choice of physical performance tests when multiple tests are carried out in one day and why?
3. Is the load intensity during the maximal oxygen consumption exercise greater or less than in the anaerobic threshold exercise intensity?
4. Can warm-up process characteristics affect the results of physical performance tests and why?
5. Which tests should only be taken from adolescence onwards and why?

The lecture will describe the process of recovery after exercise depending on human age, sex, hormonal characteristics, and environmental factors; the impact of the frequency, duration, and intensity of training loads on the athlete’s organism recovery; effects of diet and fluid consumption, sleep quantity and quality on recovery; physiological background for the appropriate choice of procedures to facilitate recovery (cold, heat, water treatment, massage, vibration stimulation, etc.); assessment of recovery processes by heart rate and its variability, respiratory characteristics, biochemical markers of muscle damage in the blood, muscle strength measurement.

Questions discussed:

1. What factors contribute to recovery processes?
2. What is the time of the organism’s recovery after prolonged aerobic endurance exercises (over 30 minutes)? What do the athletes need to eat and drink during this time?
3. How do androgenic hormones and cortisol affect the speed of recovery processes?
4. In which cases should an athlete choose cold procedures to promote recovery? When are cold procedures undesirable?
5. In which cases should an athlete choose heat procedures to promote recovery?
6. What will happen to an athlete if his training volume, intensity, and frequency are very high, but the recovery time between the training sessions is too short?
7. What happens to the lactic acid produced in the muscles during exercise? How long is it being eliminated?

Knowledge in classical and molecular exercise physiology (muscle physiology, motor control, muscle fatigue and damage, thermoregulation and stress, oxygen uptake kinetics, adaptation to exercise of neuromuscular system, molecular aspects of adaptation to exercise).

Oral presentation on the previously written and submitted report: a small-scale meta-analysis of original research articles according to the topic of promotion work, and discussion at a seminar.

Lesson/seminar tasks:

1. Previously written and submitted report: a small-scale meta-analysis of original research articles according to their topics of promotion thesis. The size of the report should be 12 – 15 pages. At least five original research articles should be evaluated.
2. Prepared PowerPoint presentation and speech with a time limitation of up to 30 minutes on the promotion thesis topic, based on the written report.
3. Prepare to answer questions about your presentation topic.

Knowledge in classical and molecular exercise physiology (muscle physiology, motor control, muscle fatigue and damage, thermoregulation and stress, oxygen uptake kinetics, adaptation to exercise of neuromuscular system, molecular aspects of adaptation to exercise).

Oral presentation on the previously written and submitted report: a small-scale meta-analysis of original research articles according to the topic of promotion work, and discussion at a seminar.

Lesson/seminar tasks:

1. Previously written and submitted report: a small-scale meta-analysis of original research articles according to their topics of promotion thesis. The size of the report should be 12 – 15 pages. At least five original research articles should be evaluated.
2. Prepared PowerPoint presentation and speech with a time limitation of up to 30 minutes on the promotion thesis topic, based on the written report.
3. Prepare to answer questions about your presentation topic.

Knowledge in classical and molecular exercise physiology (muscle physiology, motor control, muscle fatigue and damage, thermoregulation and stress, oxygen uptake kinetics, adaptation to exercise of neuromuscular system, molecular aspects of adaptation to exercise).

Oral presentation on the previously written and submitted report: a small-scale meta-analysis of original research articles according to the topic of promotion work, and discussion at a seminar.

Lesson/seminar tasks:

1. Previously written and submitted report: a small-scale meta-analysis of original research articles according to their topics of promotion thesis. The size of the report should be 12 – 15 pages. At least five original research articles should be evaluated.
2. Prepared PowerPoint presentation and speech with a time limitation of up to 30 minutes on the promotion thesis topic, based on the written report.
3. Prepare to answer questions about your presentation topic.

Final written test on the previously studied topics: the physiological background of aerobic endurance and strength development, recovery processes after exercises, and sports performance tests in the modern sense.