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Fitness requirements for contrasting sports.

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Fitness requirements for contrasting sports Within this assignment I am going to explain the fitness requirements for three contrasting sports, that I have chosen (Sprinting, basketball and long distance swimming). I will include what different muscle groups each sport use, movement patterns and energy systems. Then I will compare the requirements needed for each of the three different sports. Task one and two: Fitness requirements for Sprinting (Athletics) Sprinting is an individual sport where they compete against opponents. This sport requires good reaction time, flexibility, power, co-ordination, body composition, speed and muscular strength. It is very important that a sprinter has a high level of speed and strength, compared to a long distance runner which would require aerobic strength. If an athlete didn't have the fitness requirements above then they would find it hard to become successful, as a successful athlete needs all the requirements because they all link to together given the athlete the power to succeed in many different ways. Reaction time: Reaction time is how quickly your body reacts to the start of a movement or a stimulus, this is the time taken to transfer the sound waves to nerve impulses that activate muscle fibres. The reaction time for a well qualified athletes range between 0.10 to 0.18 seconds. For sprinting you need to have a good reaction time, which is to have the ability to respond quickly with proper posture and control. For example it is very important that the sprinter leaves the start line as fast as possible to get a good start. ...read more.


Having muscular endurance allows players to keep up a consistent play, without being too tired to last the whole game. Speed: Basketball requires quick explosive speed and instant change of direction ability. It is very important that a player has speed, because in basketball the player needs to be able to move quickly with the ball to get away from players, or when defending the player needs to have speed when turning and twisting after their opponent. Basketball involves muscles throughout the body. Running, pivoting and jumping employ a full range of muscles in the feet, legs and trunk, with particular concentration in the quadriceps and hamstring muscles. The vertical jump in basketball is critical and involves a range of muscles. Abdominal muscle, this muscle is flexible so it supports the back through a range of motion. Calf muscles, these muscles are used intensively to achieve vertical height when jumping and used when running. Hamstrings function is to extend the hip joint and flex the knee joint, which also helps with speed and when jumping. Quadriceps allows basketball players to improve their jumping capacity. Triceps/biceps are used for taking shots and passing the ball. A basketball player uses both energy systems anaerobic (ATP-CP) and aerobic. However basketball does require higher intensity periods of longer work, therefore the lactate or aerobic system is needed more than the ATP-CP system. The ATP-CP system will provide them with immediate energy for quick bursts, which include moves involving speed and acceleration for example jumping or shooting. ...read more.


But in swimming and sprinting you are not required to change direction or to interact with other players to pass the ball. Within each of the sports I feel that the importance of the components of fitness, are all the same. For example if a basketball player didn't have good power then they wouldn't have a quick acceleration, or wouldn't be able to have a powerful jump. If a sprinter didn't have a good amount of speed, then they wouldn't be able to move as fast as possible in the shortest time. Also if a swimmer didn't have good co-ordination then they wouldn't be able to keep the same movements going for a consistent amount of time, which would waste time. These examples show that the components of fitness for each of the sports are just as important in each sport. Similar arm muscles are used in all sports. In all three sports the biceps and triceps are all used and are also used for power, for example basketball uses biceps and triceps for power when taking a shot or making a pass, and swimming uses biceps and triceps for power to pull them through the water. The main muscles used in sprinting are the leg muscles which give the athlete strength and speed in their legs. In basketball the main muscles used are the arm and legs muscles, to give them both power and strength. But I think that swimming uses the most muscles, as the whole body muscles are needed for power and strength when a swimmer is pushing their bodies in the water. ?? ?? ?? ?? Sarah Cornell 1 ...read more.

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