Fitness testing
... whilst the athlete is in motion. The arms are being brought back and forth at great speed. The muscles need to be able to contract and extend to the furthest possible movement. Body Composition Body composition is the make up of lean muscle mass to fat mass. The ratio of lean muscle mass and fat mass is an indication of fitness. Sprinters need to have a high ratio of lean muscle mass as a lot of power need to drive down the track derives from the muscles. A sprinter who has a high ratio of fat mass will find it more difficult than one with a high ratio of lean muscle mass to sprint as far and as fast. The pace at which the athlete rums needs to be consistent; if the athlete has a high fat mass ratio then they will run consistently for a short distance and then they will begin to tire and lag. Aerobic Endurance Aerobic endurance is also known as cardiovascular endurance. This allows the lungs and heart to deliver oxygen to the muscles. If an athlete has a high aerobic capacity then the muscles will be supplied with oxygen more efficiently and this in turn will allow the muscles to work more quickly and fluently. A higher aerobic capacity will also allow the athlete to work for longer periods of time. For sprinter aerobic capacity is important but not as important as it is for other sports. The Importance of Health Related Fitness For Netball Netball players specialise in many varieties of skills and to perform these at an elite level they need to have a high level of fitness. They need to be able to run, jump, twist and change direction throw and catch and be able to keep on going for as long a period of time as possible. The only problem is players do not tend to spend the same amount of time working on their health related fitness as they do on their skill related fitness. Components of Fitness · Muscular Strength. · Muscular Endurance. · Flexibility. · Body Composition. · Aerobic Endurance. Why are these components Important? Muscular Strength Netball players need a great deal of strength in their legs and arms. They need to be able to jump as high as possible and throw the ball with as much or as little power as they can. The more muscular strength a player has the better the advantage over their opponent they have. For example if a players position is the centre; and they have great strength in their legs then the possibility of them retrieving a toss up during the game will be quite high. This in turn will allow his/her team to gain possession of the game. Muscular Endurance A netball player is always on the move and they need to be able to play through a whole game without feeling undue fatigue. If a player is feeling fatigued then they will lose all concentration on the game in play. If the player works on their endurance then this will be possible. If the muscles are supplied with efficient amounts of oxygen then the risk of lactic acid build up will be reduced and this will allow the player to play for as long as she or he likes. Flexibility Netball players are using all their joints that are possible. They are moving in and out of positions all the time. The joints need to be able to move in as full a range of movements as possible. When a player is trying to gain possession of a ball that is play they will stretch as high or as wide that is required. The muscles need to be supple and the joints need to be adjustable this will reduce the risk of injury. Body Composition Netballers need to be able to move swiftly and this can only be produced if they have the correct body make up. The definition of this is the ratio of lean muscle mass to fat mass. Netball players tend to have a moderate ratio of lean muscle mass to fat mass unlike sprinting it is not a necessity to have a great muscle build. Aerobic Endurance Aerobic endurance is important for a netball player because the lungs and the heart are supplying the muscles with higher levels of oxygen this will allow the player to continue for long periods of time with out feeling cramp or gaining any injuries. Playing a sport will help the body regain fitness and will also help the person be able to carry out the majority of daily activities without feeling fatigued. The Health Development Agency says that playing a sport will: · Reduce the risk of premature death ----- this can be caused by a number of things. · Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart disease. · Reduce the risk of developing colon and breast cancer. · Reduce the risk of developing diabetes. · Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat. An example of a form of training that will increase the body’s health related fitness is strength training. Strength training will burn calories as you are performing the exercises, and you will continue to burn calories at a faster rate for a period of up to several hours after you finish your exercises. Not only will it increase your muscle build up but also increase your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Your BMR is the amount of calories that you burn at rest. By increasing your BMR, by just a few percent, over a period of a few weeks and months has a huge effect and leads to great weight loss. You can increase your BMR by increasing your muscle definition and firmness without bulking up. The American College of Sports Medicine say that if a person is participate in aerobic activity in order to lose weight then they should exercise for 30 minutes a day for 5 days a week. If a sports person is out of training then there are other sports that are closely related to their own which they can participate in to maintain fitness. For example a netball player may choose to play basketball out of season as the same components are required and this would help them maintain and improve fitness. A sprinter on the other hand may want to swim, as the same components of health related fitness are needed here. Both sprinters and sprint swimmers need muscular strength and muscular endurance to feature highly if they were to have fitness tests. Playing netball is very good for people who wish to improve their aerobic capacity as you are playing for long periods of time and there are any points in the game when are you are not moving. The American College of Sports Medicine believe that if you want improve your aerobic ...