Lecture 3 - Components of Physical Fitness

Question 1

What are the 5 components of fitness and define them?

Answer 1

Cardio-respiratory fitness, flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition

Question 2

What is densitometry?

Answer 2

hydrostatic weighing - a method of determining body composition that involves weighing the individual both on land and in a tank of water
BASED ON MASS/VOLUME RATIO

Question 3

What are some anthropometric methods

Answer 3

Skinfold measurements
waist to hip circumference
BMI

Question 4

What is the purpose of the skinfold test?

Answer 4

it estimates body fate based on the fact that over 50% of the body fat lies just beneath the skin (subcutaneous)

Question 5

What is the purpose of the waist to hip circumference?

Answer 5

a high waist to hip ratio indicates high risk of disease i.e. hypertension, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol

Question 6

What are the desirable levels of body fat? and what do they relate to?

Answer 6

Males - 13-18% [borderline obesity - 25%]
Females - 20-26% [borderline obesity - 30%]
these relate to the potential of chronic diseases

Question 7

What does the BMI measure, what are pros and cons?

Answer 7

it measures the ratio of body weight (kg) to height (m)
PROS: useful for describing populations; not a diagnostic tool
CONS: old school; body-builder of pregnant woman does not accurately describe; there is an assumption of where increase in height, it assumes increase in fat

Question 8

What are the fitness components important for sports

Answer 8

Speed; Power; Balance; Co-ordination; Agility