Fitness & sports science definitions

16 fitness & sports science terms from Achievable exam prep courses, each defined in plain language with links into the course textbook.

• Adaptations to anaerobic trainingAdaptations to anaerobic training are the changes the body makes in response to high-intensity, short-duration exercise such as resistance training and sprinting. They span the neural, muscular, connective tissue, endocrine, and metabolic systems.
• Aerobic endurance trainingAerobic endurance training is sustained submaximal exercise that improves the body's ability to deliver and use oxygen. Over weeks it raises VO2max, lactate threshold, and exercise economy, allowing an athlete to work longer at a given intensity.
• Biological energy systemsThe biological energy systems are the three metabolic pathways the body uses to resynthesize ATP: the phosphagen system, glycolysis, and the oxidative system. They differ in how fast they supply energy and how long they can sustain it.
• Drive theoryDrive theory holds that performance rises in direct proportion to arousal, so that higher arousal amplifies whatever response an athlete has best learned. In its motivational form, it explains behavior as an attempt to reduce internal drives and restore homeostasis.
• Dynamic stretchingDynamic stretching moves a joint through its full range of motion with controlled, sport-specific movements rather than holding a position. It is the preferred stretching method during a warm-up because it raises tissue temperature without reducing power output.
• Hexagon testThe hexagon test is an agility assessment in which an athlete jumps with both feet over each side of a taped hexagon and back to the center, completing three full revolutions as quickly as possible. It measures body control, coordination, and the ability to change direction rapidly.
• MacronutrientsMacronutrients are the three nutrients the body needs in large amounts and can use for energy: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Carbohydrates and protein each supply about 4 calories per gram, while fat supplies about 9.
• NSCA training load chartThe NSCA training load chart is a reference table that pairs a percentage of an athlete's one-repetition maximum with the number of repetitions that percentage typically allows. Coaches use it to convert a tested 1RM into working loads and to estimate a 1RM from a multiple-repetition set.
• OvertrainingOvertraining is a long-term decline in performance caused by training stress that consistently exceeds an athlete's capacity to recover. Unlike normal fatigue, overtraining syndrome persists for weeks or months and resolves only with substantial rest.
• Performance-enhancing substancesPerformance-enhancing substances are compounds athletes take to increase strength, power, endurance, or recovery beyond what training alone produces. They range from banned anabolic agents and stimulants to legal dietary supplements such as creatine and caffeine.
• PeriodizationPeriodization is the planned variation of training volume, intensity, and exercise selection over time so that an athlete peaks for competition while avoiding overtraining. It divides a training year into macrocycles, mesocycles, and microcycles with distinct goals.
• Plyometric trainingPlyometric training uses rapid, powerful movements — jumps, hops, bounds, and throws — in which a muscle is quickly stretched and then immediately shortened. The goal is to increase the rate of force development and improve explosive power.
• PlyometricsPlyometrics are explosive exercises — such as jumps, bounds, and throws — that use a rapid stretch of a muscle followed immediately by a forceful contraction to develop power. They exploit the stretch-shortening cycle.
• Sports nutritionSports nutrition is the practice of using diet — energy intake, macronutrients, micronutrients, fluids, and nutrient timing — to support athletic training, performance, and recovery.
• Static stretchingStatic stretching is holding a muscle in a lengthened position for a sustained period, typically 15 to 30 seconds, without movement. It improves range of motion and is best used after training or in a dedicated flexibility session.
• Vitamins and mineralsVitamins and minerals are micronutrients the body needs in small amounts to support metabolism, growth, and repair. Vitamins are organic compounds, while minerals are inorganic elements such as calcium, iron, and zinc.