A-Z of Fitness

Continued education and learning are the keys to taking control of your health and wellness, and achieving the results you desire. As the leading provider of in-depth and comprehensive training, nutrition and fitness information in the country, Fitness magazine has provided you with a complete A to Z guide of terms and words you need to know as an individual dedicated and committed to health and fitness.

Amino Acids: A group of 20 different kinds of small molecules that link together in long chains to form proteins, often referred to as “building blocks”. The sequence of amino acids determines the structure and function of the protein. They also have a role to play in metabolism and are therefore critical to sustaining life. There are eight amino acids regarded as essential to humans, which cannot be synthesized by the human body, and therefore need to be supplied through the diet. Sources of essential amino acids include meat (beef, chicken, turkey), fish, whole grains, nuts and seeds (almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds), beans (green beans, soy beans, lentils, lima beans), dairy (milk, cottage cheese, chocolate) oats, wheat, fruit (bananas, dried dates, avocados) and vegetables (spinach, mushrooms).

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR): The rate at which the body burns calories when at rest in a neutrally temperate environment, in the post-absorptive state (meaning that the digestive system is inactive, which requires about twelve hours of fasting in humans). The release of energy in this state is sufficient only for the functioning of the vital organs, the nervous and muscular-skeletal system and the skin.

Calorie: In technical terms a calorie is a unit of heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one kilogram of water by one degree at one atmosphere. More commonly it is used to define the amount of energy a certain food source supplies, referred to as a food calorie and is equal to 1 kilocalorie (kcal), or 1,000 gram calories.

Delayed onset of muscle soreness, (DOMS): Refers to discomfort often felt 24 to 72 hours after exercising, which usually subsides within two to three days. The discomfort is caused by tiny tears in the muscle fibres and/or by training at a higher intensity or volume than usual. It was commonly thought to be caused by increased lactate concentrations, however this concept has been disproved as research shows elevated levels of lactic acid rarely persist after an hour of rest. DOMS is more commonly thought to be caused by the muscle trauma caused during high intensity training or weight lifting.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs): Fatty acids that can’t be synthesized by the body and therefore are required to be supplied in the diet are called Essential Fatty Acids. They are “essential” for the body to function and are obtainable from food sources such as fish, flaxseed oil and safflower oil.

Fructose: A simple carbohydrate (monosaccharide) that is a structural isomer of glucose and considered to be an atypical ketose. It is often used as a sugar substitute for diabetics, because of its low glycemic index. It is a healthier option than normal sugar, as fructose comes from fruit.

Glycogen: The principle form of carbohydrate energy (glucose) stored within the body’s muscles and liver.

Hormones: Hormones are proteins that act as chemical messengers, traveling to one or more specific target tissues or organs to fulfill very important regulatory functions in biological processes, enabled by control of enzymes action. Insulin, for example, plays a very important role in regulating the amount of glucose in the bloodstream, or oestrogen, which is secreted by the ovaries, is responsible for developing female sexual characteristics and regulating various internal reproductive processes.

Interval training: A cardiovascular training session that involves repeated bouts of exercise, separated by rest intervals. Depending on the length of exercise and rest periods, interval training may be anaerobic or aerobic. An example session might involve running three separate runs of one mile each, with each mile being followed by a recovery period of three minutes – where you might walk, jog or completely rest. Used for improving cardiovascular fitness and speed

Joint Kinesthetic Receptor: A receptor that provides information on joint position and motion that assists the brain in establishing where the limbs are in space, through a process called proprioception. This is what allows you to walk, pick up items and complete simple daily movements.

Kinesiology: The scientific study of human movement.

Lactic Acid: A by-product of training and exercise caused by anaerobic training of the muscles, the build up of which prevents the continuation of exercise.

Metabolism: The sum total of all the chemical reactions occurring in the body’s cells. The metabolism is responsible for the breakdown of stored food energy into forms that can be used by the body.

Negative-resistance training: Resistance training in which the muscles lengthen while still under tension. Lowering a barbell, bending down and running downhill are all examples of negative-resistance training. This type of training can help develop muscles more quickly than other types of training.

Overtraining: Excessive volume, intensity, or both volume and intensity of training, resulting in fatigue, illness, injury and/or impaired performance. This can be alleviated by reducing the amount of training that you do, training at a less intense level, and/or getting some rest.

Progressive Resistance: A method of training where weight is increased as muscles gain strength and endurance. This increase can take place over a programme period of 6 to 8 weeks, or during specific sets in a exercise programme where the trainee aims to fatigue the muscle group.

Quads: Abbreviation for quadriceps femoris (Latin for ‘four-headed’ muscle of the femur), the muscles on top of the legs located in the thigh region. It is the main extensor muscle of the knee and is the strongest and leanest muscle in the human body.

Repetition (reps): One complete movement of an exercise.
1. For resistance training: One complete movement of an exercise from start to finish. For example lowering the bar on a bench press from full extension to the chest, and then raising it back up to full extension.
2. For cardiovascular training: The duration of each effort. For example there are six repetitions in a session comprising 6 x ‘800 metres with 60 second recoveries’.

Supination: This refers to the action of the foot during running, and describes an outward-rolling action between the heel striking the floor and the toe leaving the ground. Much less common than pronation, excessive supination can result in injury but can be helped by an appropriate choice of training shoes and/or corrective insoles.

Taper: A period of time within a training programme where the athlete reduces the volume and intensity of her training in readiness for a targeted event or rest cycle. This method allows the body and mind to recover from training so that a maximal performance can be achieved during competition or extended periods of training.

Ultrasound: Non-invasive therapeutic treatment for soft tissue injuries.

VO2 MAX: The maximum amount of oxygen a person can utilise per minute of work. Also known as maximal oxygen consumption, maximal oxygen uptake or aerobic capacity. VO2max is widely accepted as the single best measure of cardiovascular fitness and maximal aerobic power. The average young untrained female will score a VO2 max of approximately 2.0 litres/minute and 38 ml/kg/min. Very few elite female athletes exceed 70 ml/kg/min.

Wobble board: A circular wooden disc – approximately 45cm in diameter – with a hemisphere on one side. It is used for stability training, core exercises and strengthening the ankle and/or rehabilitation from ankle injuries.

X-training: Colloquial term for cross-training, which refers to training in different ways to improve overall performance. It takes advantage of the particular effectiveness of each training method, while at the same time attempting to neglect the shortcomings of that method by combining it with other methods that address its weaknesses.

Yoga: An exercise system that integrates the mind and body by focusing on controlled breathing, flexibility and posture.

Zatopek phenomenon: A term for the beneficial effects associated with tapering, named after Czech middle distance Olympic champion Emil Zatopek. His intense training prior to the 1950 European Games was interrupted by illness that hospitalised him for two weeks. He came out of hospital just two days before competing in the 10 000m race, which he won convincingly. He also went on to win the 5000m event. His success has been attributed to the benefits of his forced tapering.